The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-31
DRAW A
SIGH OF
RELIEF
DEAD WYCKLTFFE OUT
LAW BANE OF BAF
FLED OFFICERS
WAS SUCCESSFUL
in ELUDING PURSUIT
Story That Indian Girl Was
Real Cause Of the
Killing


Special to Daily Leader.
Muskogee, Okla. March Wheth-
er Charles wyckliffe was killed acci-
dentally OF purpoHely By his brother.
Thomas Wyckliffe, at Dragger satur.
day. his deash removes from activity
cne OF tho most noted Outlaws that
ever made history in Oklahoma.
Three thousand dollars reward,
dead or alive, IS a pretty big sum OF
money TO be placed upon the heads
of three men, and yet for two years
they have gone about among their
friends in the Cherokee nation as
they pleased and hundreds of peonle
have seen and t7ll,ed with them, and
they have alway ded capture, and
placed in ignor d Gus defeat the
United States government in its ei-
forts to capture them.
A story comes from the Spavinaw
that the real cause of the murder was
a Cherokee Indian girl who was the
sweetheart OF Tom Wyckliffe. She
had been more devoted than ever to
her lover since the long man hunt
began. but Il was impossible for her
10 see him often or for them ever 70
marry so long as he was continually
on the scout This was one of the
reasons that Tom and John Wyckiiffe
we're insistent that they come in and
throw themselves On the mercy of the
state courts under promise they
would not be turned over to the fed
eral officers. and that they would be
given square deal. Charles Wyck-
LITE. who is supposed to be the one
a.. 81. lrfIInI nAntffg Mar
shall Ike Gilstrap would not hear 20
this and upbraided his younger broth
ers for being weakhngs which led TO
III feeling between these men VINO
with a price on their heads, and IN
constant danger Of betrayal. were IN
need of the closest concert OF action.
The positive information on the
killing Of Charles Wycklifie is very
lneager u came on postal carl
from the postmaster at Dragger ~
Charles Burgess. of Pryor Creek, and
merely announced the killing had
taken place. Il occurred very close 20
the point where, in a deep ravine
Deputy Gilstrap. with a posse and
bloodhounds. was led into ambush and
killed March. 1906. The place cannot
be reached by telephone or telegraph
and a stranger might as effectively
interview the Sphinx as TO try to gel
any information about the Wyckliffei
from their friends in the Cherokee
nation.
The Wyckliffe boys have been on
the scout for five years. In lsos
Capt. J. A. White, a deputy marshal
at Vinita, went to the Wyckliffe homs
and finding the father, John Wyck
life there demanded Information a.
to the whereabouts Of the boys whs
wore wanted then on a charge o.
shooting hogs They were refused
the information and the Wycldifte'
claim that Captain White and hi
posseeman beat their father over th'
head with six shooters until he wa
net9ly dead This started the feu'
with the federal maTshal and his dep
uties. It was famed into fierce
hatred when the Cherokee land officl
was opened at Ninita In 1908, whei
the Cherokee Night Hawks organized
TO resist The allotment Of lands. Ih'
Wyckliffes were members of this on
ganization. though they are not full
blood Cherokees, as is commonly SUP
posed. but have an inheritance Q
Scotch blood IN their veins
In 1905 Deputy Marshal j. Il. Vie
was shot and killed in the yard OF
relative OF the Wyckliils where h