The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1904-04-29
PADEN TOLDERT
DIED IN PEACE
He Had Been a Famous Bandit
Fighter Among the Terri
tory U. S. MarskaIs.

a Muskogee dispatch anent the
death Of Paden Iolbert says:
Paden Tolbert, one Of the most
noted Of Indian Territory deputy mar
shals, died at WeIeetka Tuesday Of
congestion Of the lungs lie was "a
years old.
Tolbert had been in the service y
years. A few months ago he resigned
his deputy marshalship and became a
special officer for the Fort Smith &
Western railroad He went on the
marshal's force when he was % years
old, and was a partner Of "Bud' Led
better. the two having passed through
some Of the hottest 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.
It was Tolbert and Ledbettg 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
chase OF 60 miles, arresting al and
Frank Jennings and Pat and Morris
O'MalIey. 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 a fort
It Is q stout log house filed with port
holes on every side, and from this he
stood of every posse tof officers Ethat
tried to capture him for year. Fin
ally q small cannon was taken out and
placed on tle mountain side and an
attempt was made TO destroy the
house, but the attempt was unsuc-
cessful.
Tolbert and Led0etter Went out
with a posse and surrounded the cabin.
Christie fought them OIL until finally
a wagon was loaded with rails and
pushed up towards the house. The
rest OF The posse protected the men
pushing the wagon by raining a storm
Of bullets on the port holes on that
side Of the house, and when they were
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 the
Missouri. Kansas & Texas train when
it was held up at Wybark in 1894 and |
Texas Jack" and Charley Belstead |
we're killed. At that time the rail-
roads had 10 keep United States Off
GERS on al tIains running through the
TO guard against train rob
berries. This time Tolbert and Led
better were IN the express car. The
train was running al full speed when |
the robbers threw a switch in front Of
il and ran il or to a siding on which
there were some box cars, intending
70 wreck it. The engineer stopped the
train. but before it came to a stand
still the robbers opened fire.
The fight that followed was one Of
the most desperate in the history Of
It lasted for an hourand
forty minutes. Texas Jack" and
Charley Belstead were killed, theetker
robbers escaping. The holdup men
riddled the passenger coaches with
bullets and some Of the passengers
we're injured. Failing to dislodge the
officers from the express car, they
up under the cars and threw sticks Of
dynamite through the door. Holes
we-e blown in the floors Of both the
express and baggage cars, but the Off
rers were not injured and continued
10 shoot.