The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-05-05
PADEN TOLDERT
DIED IN PEACE
He Had Been a Famous Bandit
Fighter Among the Terri
tory U. S. Marshals.

A Muskogee dispatch anent the
death OF Paden Tolbert says;
Paden Tolbert, one OF the most
noted OF Indian Territory deputy mar
shals, died at Weleetka Tuesday Of
congestion Of the lungs. He was "a
years old
Tolbert had been in the service u
years. A few months ago he resigned
his deputy marshalship and became a
special oiilcer for the Fort Smith &
Western railroad. lie went on the
marshal s force when he was - years
old, and was a partner Of fBudn Led
better. the two having passed through
some OF hehottest fights that occurred
during the stirring days since 1892.
Marshal Bennett says he considered
Tolbert one Of the bravest men he
ever had on the force.
II was Tolbert and Ledbetter who
surrounded the Jennings gang at the
"Spike 81 ranch, and, after shooting
the house nearly to pieces. drove the
bandits out and captured them after
a chase Of 90 miles, arresting Al and
Frank Jennings and Pat and Morris
/ O'Malley. This occurred IN 1897 The
Jennings gang was one of the most
noted Ia Indian Territory history.
Tolbert and Ledbetter were together
when Ned Christie was killed in his
fort at rabbit Trap in the Chero-
kee nation. Christie was wanted for
murder. He went into the mountains
near yelling and there built !, lort.
IL is a stout log house filed with port
holes on every side, and from this he
stood of every posse OF officers Ithat
tried to capture him for year. Fin
ally a small cannon was taken out aud
placed on the mountain side and an
attempt was made to destroy the
house, but the attempt was unsuc-
cessful.
Tolbert and Ledbetter went out
with a posse aud surrounded the cabin.
Christie fought them off until finally
wagon was loaded with rails and
pushed up towards the house. The
rest OF the posse protected the mer
pushing the wagon by raining storm
OF bullets ON the port holes on that
side Of the house, and when they wer,
+ close enough they dynamited the house
When the house was blown up Christie
ran out and was shot down.
The same pair Of officers were on thl
Missouri, Kansas & Texas train whel
II was held up at Wybark Ia 1891 an,
Texas jack and Charley Belstea'
were killed. At that time the rail
roads had to keep United States OF
/. Gers on all tIains running through tn
Territory TO guard against train rob
berries. This time Tolbert and Led
better were IN the express car. Tn
train was running az full speed whel
the robbers threw a switch IN front 0
Il and ran II OF 10 siding on whicl
there were some box cars, intending
TO wreckit. The engineer stopped th
train, but before IL came TO a stand
still the robbers opened fire.
f. The fight that followed was one O
the most desperate IN the history O
nilroading. BLASTED for an houran
forty minutes Texas Jack an
(, Charley Belstead were killed, the othe
robbers escaping. The holdup me
riddled the passenger coaches wit
bullets and some Of the passenger
were injured. Failing to dislodge tn
Il officers from the express car, the
' up under the cars aud threw sticks {
dynamite through the door Hol,
we-e blown in Che floors Of both I'll
IN express and baggHge cars, but the Oh
/, cers were not Injured and continue
a.