The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-06-27
OUTLAW FACES CAPTURE
WITHOUT SHOW or FEAR

, he Is placed in very uunaai ann
Il uerbaps Unprecedented position by
; the fact that the shoes which h"
had purchased for his wedding day
were worn To the pcuitenU,uy bJ
another man. and that man. too, his
best friend and scheduled to have
bcep also bis best man at the wed.
ding. The position ls made all the
more unusual when it. develops th0'
the crime. for which the friend went
20 the pcuitcnuary, wearing his part
ncr's shoes. was committed while
the two OF them were doing rob
berry for the purpose of securing
enough funds to dcfray the honey
moon expenses.
No outlaw in modern days has
been more successful in eluding cap
ture than Ben Crayous His part
ners are all doing time or have been
killed In battle with officers, but un-
molcsted, because unrccognizcd Cra-
vens himself tours the entire west
and that too, with ten thousand dol.
lars In rewards on his head Not
an officer In Oklahoma, but has
dreamed Of the time when he should
claim these ten thousand dollars by
leading in Ben Cravens captive TO
the United states marshals Office In
Guthrie. But the officer who gets
Cravens knows that ne must pull the
weapon first. or else the outlaw will
have another notch on his gun.
There have been several peace OH
GERS in Oklahoma, In recent years,
who have resigned positions, 10
which they were elected, just for
the purpose OF trailing ana captur.
ing Ben Crayens. but he remains I'M.
captured just the same.
II was in March 1901, that Cra.
vens' wedding plans got him and his
closest companion, Bert Wclty, into
trouble Cupid had been able 10 ac-
complish that which no officer In Ok
lahoma and Kansas, including the
experts employed by the Kansas
state penitentiary. had been able to
do. make Ben Cravcns his captive.
He had fallen In love with a COW
mans daughter. w In the kaw In
the outlaw leader and his persis-
tency in courtship had finally gained
the young womans consent to IA
wedding. The date was set, the ccre-
mony to occur early in April, and
! the young woman was busy ON her
wedding trosscau
, Cravcns had his wedding suit or
) dered and had purchased his shoes
and the remainder of his outfit In
/, readiness for the day, but he still
J needed some funds to dcfray the eN-
: penses OF the wedding and the
/ honeymoon with him at the time
!, was Bert Welty, the son Of King
/, fisher farmer, who had been attract
I ed TO Crayens through desire for
. an outlaw life. The need of addi-
' tional funds was discussed between
, thine. and they finally decided to
rob the Swart store at Red Rock.
Swartz was trader among the Pom
ca. Otue and Touhawa Indians and
was supposed To keep considerable
amountof money IN tho store, OF
which Alvin Bat,mau was the man.
ager.
II The two men appeared at the
store one night both disguised
UWelty was dressed as woman,
wearing calico wrapper and hood
Hand Craycus looked the part of a
Ilcowboy. They were successful In
Jsecuring twelve hundred dollars In
4 leash, and would have escaped, in
dsafety had not Nr,ty thwugh his
Jdesire for chew. spoiled every.
thing by stepping behind the counter
ffor plug of tobacco. As he did $50
'Alvin Batomau. tho store manager.
;pppearcd aud opened m, on the rob
,bers, lie succeeded u shooting
Nelty wondiug him critically but
was himself killed by Crayeus, who
fred from the doorway
I'm the store az the time were nine
heu. but Crayeus entered ho'due
lhe men on with 7iN-hootyr and
flEathering Wolty under his arm be-
packed with him ont of the doorway.
Threw him across horse and made
nnis escape. Batemau was popular
n the locality and almost immedt
Ihtoly posse was organized to cap
ure his murdcr,rs. Early the next
lnornng the two robbers wore sur.
E1rsed In small cabin, whore they
lad stopped to have Wolus