The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-08-01
THE LAST OUTLAW FIGHT
Is Recalled by the Sudden
Death of Warren
Bennett.

and Sam Cartin. August 5. 1903. In Sc
cluded opening surrounded by a thicrly
wooded rcgia,. IN Tho bsage nation near
Pawhuska, mas been recorded by the
officials who krew the cir .rmstanc,s as
one of the bravcst acts known among
the United States officials OF Oklahoma.
Bennett never talked OF the battle. and
while 1t was believed Il was not k,own
dntl after his death. whether ne or his
companion had killed the outlaws.
Arthur Simons. n companion Of tho
notorious Martin boys, escaped and for
hack of other Information. # was said
that Simons had shown up his compan-
ION TO the United States officers t.
avoid capture and prosecution. What
really saveu Simons was the woundinG OF
Wiley Haines an Indian policeman who
accompanied Bennett After killing tho
Martin brothers. Bennett gave up the
pursuit Of Simons to care for ne wound-
ed officer. This. il happened. saved the
lifo of Haines. Shaons is stiu at large.
Tho Martin brothers had been wanted
Ia FIVE states for Eve years Starting On
their career as chicken thieves ir Kan
sas, they ecame desperate horse thieves
changing their stopping places from
Kansas to Colorado. Oklahoma. Texas
end Indian Territory and eldi z The Of
fcers in this way. In the year 1908 they
became blood thirsty and on March Bird
murdered the Rock Island sta ion agent
az Hennessey In cold blood TEey robbed
| The station nOuse. hlt were pursued the
next day and the stolen property r, COW
eied. few lays later they murdered
/ City Marshal Cross. seemingly for tho
sole purpose OF taking his star After
shooting him the star ana small pistol
were an they took from the body Both
We're taken from the bodies OF he des-
pemdoes after they had been killed.
A few weeks later occurred one OF the
boldest holdups that ever took place in
the history Of the territory 1t hap
pened one Sunday morning few miles
from Pawhuska at lodge picnic. The
picnic took place I'm the woods, to which
le',ds a narrow lane. Before the vis-
tors began to arrive the Martin boys and
Simmons took their places beside the
lane. When the FIRST wagon load Of per-
sons arrived tie outlaws drew their guns
and made the occupants cliub out Two
kept them covered while Il third inspect
ed the horses. The horses did not suit
and the picnickers We're commanded to
drive on. In this way more than 100
persons were held up as they came to the
picnic. The outlaws finally found three
holses that suited their fancy and rode
away
United States officer gave the fol- |
lowing as the version OF the fight which |
followed few days later as Bennett
had told It TO him few weeks before |
he died.
After the picnic holdup cowboy rode |
into Pawhuska one evening ana inform /
ed Bennett that the men who had robbed /
the picnickers were camped IN an open
ing about FIVE miles from the town
Bennett ordered his horse Immediately
and, with Wiley Haines started after
the outlaws Htchlng their horses about
a mile from where the camp was sup
posed TO be, they crept cautiously up TO
the glade.
sitting around their saddles, the Mar
Tin brothers were shaving. one holding
the niirrC for the other. Fifty yards
beyond Simmons was pStrolling back and i
forth with a Winchester over his shoul-
ders. Bennett easily recognized The
horses that had been stolen. as man
In cattle country learns to do with
case They were at a distance of 100
yards and were just p-annlng "a method
Of attack when sam Martin jumped to
his feet and shouted TO Simmons.
THAT looks like "a man over there"
Almost al tne same Instant Simmons
rifle cracked and bullet whistled
through the trees close by The battle
was on and fisiladc o. shots was kept
~ for half an hour. The Martins
crouched behind their saddles and SIM
mons fortified himself behind cmmp
Of bushes. The officers were fairly well
protected.
Bin Martir was the first TO be struck.
A bullet penetrated the body and no lay
over on his face. out OF the battle Al
most simultaneously onllet from SIM
mons rife struck Haines in the shoul-
der and penetrated his body. The soft
nosed bullet made "a frightful wound.
fhe firing ceased for a moment and hen
the two outlaws started for cover to-
ward the other side OF the opening. Ben
nett stepped boldly out into the opening
and his killing Of Sam Martin is de-
scribed as follows:
Martin was running directly from me
and / aimed az whore his suspenders
crossed his back. Just as 1 aimed he
turned his head over his shoulder and
he bullet struck him in the mouth. He
rolled over and over like jack RABBIT
shot on the run"
Sam Martins neck was broken either
BY the fan or the force OF the bullet
Bennett then hurried tack II Haines
whom he believed to be dying. with a
pocket knife he cut from his shoulder
he copper jacket OF the bullet bound
ip his wound and took MIN on horseback
10 surgical aid. The bodies Of the last
desperate outlaws were buried Ia the
DOtters held al Guthrie on the night
ollc9ing.
'ounds OF ammunition, four Winchester I
-ihes OF the best pattern. ana horses
md saddles they had stolen few days .
before. Marshal Cross star was pinned
m the inside Of one OF their coats
The death OF Bennett and mention OF
he Martin boys brings to mind the chase
Il over twenty miles United States Mar
hal w. d. Fossett and his deputy. Jim
Baxter. gave the Martin boys during the
anne summer. The two officers hap
'ened 10 be az Mulhall when a telephone
eport came that two men had stolen /
horse and buggy at Perry and were
irving westward. They drove past hul-
lall and the officers with dif1culty con-
iseated a team ana buggy and followed. !
'he outlaws were IN the lead. but the /
fficers were soon within rife shot and ,
iept up a running. indeterminate nre
rtrfurr ..4I,oI- -. /