The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-03-17
NOT POSITIVE
THAT CONVICT
ISsGRAVENS
Description Of Missouri Pfs.
OneT Partly TalIles With
That Of Outlaw


L.eavenworth, Kan, Mar. 16.-That
the man in the Missouri state peniten
tiary under the name OF Maust has
bedn idengbfitu .psiiiyely as Ben
Crayens, the notorious escaped con-
vict from the Kansas prison. is deni-
Ell BY the authorities OF the prison
Warden j. X Codding said las, night
that, while there was possibility
OF Maust being the man wanted,
shere was no certain proof that he IS.
A short time ago the prison offiei-
ais received a communication from a
man in Illinois wlo claimed to be
able to give information as to the
whereabouts OF Cravens. The letter
was answered and firally the Off
Gals were told to seek in the Jeffer-
son City prison tor their man. VIII
liam Duckett, record clerk az the
Kansas prison corresponded with the
Missouri Officials, and the result was
an investigation trip by the former
which did not prove entirely satis-
factory Mause. while resembling
Cravens, could not be positively iden-
titled.
Il have made no statement announc
ing the finding of Ben Cravens in the
Missouri penitentiary, War7en' Cod
ding said I'VE have q euspect In
that prison VINO answers parpy 10 our
description of Ben Cravens. The ma
ter viii be cleared up in few days"
Cravens has a charmed life. Among
many crimes, he is wanted for MUIR
der OF Alvin Bateman, at Red Rock,
south OF Ponca City, March 19, 1901,
and for the killing of Tom Johnson
OF Pawnee. March 10, OF the same
year Both these murders were com
mittcd ahter Clnvens had escaped
from the Kansas penitentiary at
| l.arsing.
Cravens and +. F. Estelle, both
| serving life sentences. escaped from
the guards November IL, 1900, 1t
was thought that Estelle was wound
ed in the fight that took place at
the time. The tate OF the two out.
laws and the injuries OF Esteile re-
maned a secret until March Is, 1907
when ore of the most remarkable
crimes in the history of Oklahoma
was committed at Red Rock.
Bandits Hold Up Store.
In Red Rock, B. F. Swartz conduct
ed a typical country store. u he
back Of the large room ba 9
concern and office were condlc d
behind a partition. Nine men Were
congregateG about the big box stcvt
ghen two banditr entered the sto-e
one from the front door and one by
WY OF the back door
The one eneering the front dool
was Ben Crayens and he was armed
/ with Winchester rifle. The Other
man was his pal Bert Welty, anc
he held in each hard 4S-calibre re
| NbWdr The loaBers were all oaf
dered to hold up their hands and up
on being ordered 70 open the safe
the cashier and bookkeeper obeyed
From the safe $1,S04 was taken anC
$55 was found in the cash register.
Ii was Crayens' return to scenes
of blood, leaving his former pal Es
telle, for the time unaccounted for
The robbery had been conducted
without personal injury TO anyone
and Welty had stepped behind th,
counter to get some plug tobacco
when another person appeared OF
the scene 70 be killed by the bandits
| Alvin BB1eman, an employe of th'
store for many years, who had jus
been married and who had gore Il
the store to treat the boys" walked
into the room as the bandits were
preparing to take their nerhrture
The robbers ordered him TO hold III
his hands Immediately upon his en-
tering the store,
Bateman held up one hand ant
with the other pretended to close tn.
prison door. The incident gave hin
time TO draw a revolver from hi
hip pocket and he Immediately open
ed fire ON Welty. who stood benin,
the counter with big plug of tobacc
In his hand.
Bateman's Revolver Snaps.
His revolver snapped and in an in
stant Welty had wounded the youn,
man in the shoulder Then began
fusilade Of shots. The young clerl
was killed after he had received fiv.
shots in his legs and two through hi
body.
Since tha. time the authoritie
have been unable to locate Ben CRAY
ems, although a number Of crime
have been committed that have bee.
Char1 ed to the nOtOisiOus bandit