The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-06-25
MORE DETAILS OF
cRAvEN's "HoLo.UP'
Kansas City Capitalists Barely Missed
the Gang.

to the city Thursday from Bartles-
vile. / T., says the Kansas City
Times. He was within ten miles CT
the Cravens "holdup" in the Usage ma.
tion last Sunday and only missed be-
ing a victim by stopping to hold
conference with a business man
Mr.. Wallace is an old time cowboy
and cattleman and spent about thirty !
years on the western plains. He has
seen hundreds of "holdups" and other /
crimes by outlaws and has known all
the famous bandits of the past quart /
er century. including the Daltons. the
Green gang and others. He is also |
1 personally acquainted with Ben Cra- /
vens, the star performer Of this last
incident, and says that it was the most
unique in the history of western out
lawry. There we're a number OF re-
markable features about the ''holdup.
the strangest Of which is the fact It
the robbers took no money from their
victims of the holdup who we're princi.
pally from Bartlesville There were
sixty-fve in all. They left the little
town In the Cherokee nation shortly af-
ter noon TO go on a fishing trip to Sand
Creek in the Usage nation. In the
party were William Johnson, president
of the Bartlesville National bank; Mr..
Beatty, cashier OF the bank; William
Watson, wealthy cattleman; David
Ware. ex-United States psrshal and
Texas ranger; Fred Keeler and three
score more, including a great many
women. All were in vehicles. with
lunches and fishing tar {, anticipat-
ing fine afternoon on the banks OF
Sandy creek
Stopped the Picnic Party
, The ''holdup" took place about three
miles from Bartlesville, Just over the
line which divides the Clerokee ard
I Dosage nations on the Cyp.arlaa farm
in the heart Of the territorial oil
fields Fred Keeler was tho first .aan
stopped. He drove up in a rig with a
span of fine horses. He was stopped
by The three outlaws and taken into
the timber near the road. Shortly
afterward Mr. Johnson AMI party hove
in sight. They. too, we're escorted TO
the refuge in the shade Of the oaks
The others came along soon after
Then the fun commenced. Ben era
" vens, as spokesman, mingled with the
! captured pleasure seekers. He aliav
ed the fears of the women by telling
them that no violence was intended
He then addressed the men
Friends, said he, we have no in
tention of harming You we want nc
Is money Ior valuable, bu- we need thre,
good horses. This coun = is gett.n'
ie litile too warm for our deiiea;e con
p stitl tions and we have TO hike to I
ID healthier climate"
The outlaws we're dressed like COW
boys They wore wide brimmed whit
hats. rough shirts and boots. The,
r were each armed with a Wincheste
OF and two six shooters. After MAXIM
IN the address to the crowd of worrie
n men and women, Crayens placed tn
"a other two men to guard them an
IN himself began looking over the horses
~ He took those of Mr. Keller out q
IA their shafts and tried to ride then
W. Both wore unused to being ridden an
nd ibucked madly. Crayens has big rel
RS utation as a bronco buster and pist,
rs shot and the people were treated to
de little exhibition of wild west"
After trying nearly ali the horse
Cravens selected one belonging to MI
Johnson, big bay; one OF Mr.. Wa
p sons a sorreI, and one owned by NJ
% Fuegit, fine bay thoroughbred. Mi
ia Johson had his fine Kentucky sadd
,st horse attached to his buggy and
"a his request Cravens did not take
al Instead he replaced Mr.. Johnson
~. horse with one OF Mr.. Keeler's an
nd told the latter gentleman that as
n- was the younger he could walk hom
~ With the horses the outlaws also too
saddle. They had two saddles
their own.
The unfortunate picnickers we
held prisoners from 2 o'clock in u
afternoon until o'clock in the ey
The ming During that time they were e
ere tertained by the outlaws Crave
Ing knew David Ware. the ex-marshal, al
polked fun at him. Once he sal
led "Well. Mr.. Ware, this is a nice pred
tty ament for you. amt it2 You've g
ca quite a reputation as man-kill'
sci. Why don't you do something now?
any Ware said, you've gIt the dr
up on me now but wait tn I so out
VI this"
ted To this Crayens answered.. We
eed now, don't get talSy, because we
be liable to take Won with us ana ii