The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-30
PARTNER WAS
BEN CRAvENS
Two Unknown Men Have Bat
tie with Officers.
ONE IS NOW A PRISONER
Nooloroo 0thor IN Ro Much
Declares Other to Be Much
Vvanted Outlaw.

Guthrie, o. T. Dec. zs.-There is a
large reward for the capture Of Pen
Cravens ard the fact that ne has been
located vii interest rany people. \
dis-atch from Necsho 80, says:
A running nght occurred this morning
| in the sh5al Creek hills, adjoining Neo-
sho between City Marshal feaI man,
Deputy sheriff Holland and Henry Smith,
| liveryrnal and two unknown raen. Some
/ fly SHOTS were exchanged, resulting in
the wounding ard e. ptUre Of one of the
men. the other making his escape through
! The thick brush. On the man captured
were found fuse. dynamite caps, and
| wedges. such IS are Used in safe blowing.
lie vas brought TO town and placed IN
| Jail he had been struck twice. in The
shoulder ana hip. Neither wound IS con-
sieerad dangerous. He refuses TO say
anything as 10 his own identity, but states
that his partner Is the notorious Ben
CravcGe. who has terrorized the north
! eastern portion OF the Indian territory
for the past two years.
The t~o nen had been in camp in an
Abandoned regro hut FOR thep asst week.
ard had caused suspicion by their ac-
tons The officers had gone TO investi-
gate and as the approached the hut
the men came out of the front door ard
became shooting rozse has been formed
and IS ROW hunting the hills for the sec
ond man.
Rewards agsregaung $1,000 are out
Who is considered one of the most des-
pc-ate men that the west has ever pro-
duced. and has ths reputation of shoot
ing 20 kill before taking any cnsnces on
capture.
Among many crimes he is wanted fo-
the murder Of aivin Bateman at Red
nociI. O. r. March -. 1891, and for the
killing Of Tom johnson. ~ pawnee, O. T.,
March -, Of same year. 80
murders were conlni.tel + er Cravens
had escaped frcn the Kansas state peli-
Tertiary a Lansing.
November II, 1899, Crayens and L. +.
Estelle. both serving life sentences in the
penitentiary at Lansing. escaped from the
guards 1t was thought thst Estelle was
wounded in the fight that took place at
the time The fate of the two outlaws
and thoi INJURIES of Estelle remsined a Sc
cret until March 1S 1901. when one of the
most remarkable crimes in the history of
Oklahoma was committed at Red Rock.
In Red Rock. L. r Swortz conducted
typical coIrtry store. In the back Of the
one large room a banking concern and
Office were conducted behind partition.
Nine men were consregate1 about the
big box stove whom two bandits entered
the store. che from the front door and
one by way Of the back door
The one entering thu front door was
Ben CraYens and he was armed with
Winchester fife The other man was his
pal. Bet Welly. and he held in each
hand a farty-fve calibre revolver, Th-
loafers were ali ordered TO held up their
hands and upon being ordered % open
he safe the cashier and bool-keeper
oteyed. From the safe Sl,Soi was taken
and so was found in the cash register
It was Cravens' return 10 scenes Of
blood. leaving his former pal Estelic.
for the time unaccounted Tor. The rob
,e~y had b2en conducted without per
sonal injury to anyone and Welty had
steppcd behind the counter to get some
plug tobacco when another person ap-
peared on the scene. to be killed By the
bandits
tlvn Bateman, an enploye Of the store
for many years. who had just been mar
ried and who had gone To the store to
treat tho boys" walked into the room
as tlc bandits were preparing 10 take
their departure The robbers ordered him
to hold up his hands Immediately upon
entering the store.
Bateman held up one hand and with tho
other pretended to close the partition
door. The incident gave him time to
draw revolver from his hip pocket
and h Immediately o9eaed fire on Welty,
vho stood behind the counter with big
plug Of tobacco IN his hand.
Ills revolver snapreI and IN an instant
We!ty had wounded the Young man in
The shoulder Then BEGAN a fusi,lade OF
shots and the nine loafsrs stood in the
corner with their hands up under the
orders of Ben Cravcns. while Welty car
ried on The warfare with Batemsn
The young clerE was killed after n
had received FIVE shots ia his legs and
-wo throurA the body Ratewan display
ed unusual nerve. re held to the coun-
tsr f.r support and continued firms ungN
ne fsicted WeIty received a scalp
wound from ono Of the clerks bullets
Trorss johnson. deputy she-in ~ Paw
nee. organized posse from the Pawnea
losge of arti-horsethirf association i'm
ne6is.eIy unon heaIiaE - the tr=gedy
ara Tho chase after ne two bandits
began. on the road between Eel Rock
AID Fawree thc posse surrounded tbs