The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-02-02
MAUST IDENTIFIED
AS BEN CRAVENS
NOTORIOUS BANDIT
Jury Finds That "Man of Mystery" is
Murderer of Alvin Bateman-His
Career Seldom Equalled.

day is Ben Crayens, and guilty of the
murder of Assistant Postmaster Alvin
Bateman at Red Rock, March 18, 1901.
The verdict recommended that the
death penalty be not inflicted. The
jury deliberated from 11:5S this morn
ing until 5:15 in the afternoon.
Its hanging, amt it?" Cravens ex-
claimed as the clerk finished reading
the verdict. When informed otherwise
he sighed: That's better"
The sentence, which probably will
be life Imprisonment at hard labor,
will be pronounced Monday at nine
o'clock by Judge Cotteral.
The conviction of Maust, alias Cra-
vens, marks the passing of one of the
most famous desperadoes and outlaws
of the southwest. An account of his
exploits reads like fiction.
On the night of March Is, 1901, Ben
Cravens and Bert Welty, who lived on
a farm near Dover, in Kingfisher coun-
ty, went to Red Rock for the purpose of
robbing the Schwartz store, of which
Bateman at that time was proprietor.
They succeeded in getting $1,000 in
cash, but when they were about ready
to leave Bateman was aroused. In the
pistol duel which followed, Bateman
was killed by a bullet from Cravens'
gun. In escaping Cravens, mistaking
Welty for pursuer shot his own pal,
and then left him on the prairie to die
of his wounds, which were thought to
have been fatal. Welty was captured
and recovered. He later made full
confession to Bird S. MCGUIRE, then
federal prosecuting attorney.
During the Red Rock fight it is
said, Cravens, with a Winchester rife
stood off ten men while Welty escaped
with the loot Cravens made good his
escape at this time, but his pal had
been captured and he lost the $1,000
secured from the store.
Left It in Wheat Field.
1t is said that the booty was drop
ped in wheat field by Welty and af-
terwards picked up by cowboys. 1t
was never recovered by the owners
and no trace of it has been found to
this day.
1t is said that when Cravens planned
this robbery he wanted the money that
he might get married. He never did,
however, as he was busy the remain
der of his time eluding the ever vigil
liant officers of Kansas and Oklahoma.
The day following the murder and
the robbery Cravens sought refuge in
the house of Isom Cunningham in
Pawnee county. He had been there
only short time when the house was
surrounded by a posse of officers,
headed by George Foster of Perry.
Opening the door he rushed out, shot
his way through the posse an descap-
ed. 1t was in this fight that Deputy
Sheriff Tom Johnson, of Pawnee, was
killed by the outlaw.
BY Decoy Letter.
A few weeks aft,rward, an attempt
was made by the officers of Catoosa,
OKLA, to trap the outlaw by a decoy
letter from his sweetheart 1t was the
plan for an officer to be present at
the postoff1ce when Cravens called for
his mail The officer was to shake
hands with him and then grab him.
Cravens walked into the office, secur-
ed his mail and when the officer pro-
ferred his hand Crayens hurried out
of the door, leaving the decoy letter
in the hands of a greatly surprised
officer. The year of 1901 wore away
and little or nothing was seen of Ben
Cravens. During the early part of
1902, it is said he adopted the disguise
of travelling salesman travelling about
the country under the very eyes of
officers who were constantly on the
lookout for the famous Ben Crayens.
Later in the year, officers received a
report that Cravens was at the head of
a gang of highwaymen who had held
up a party of oil men in the Usage
country taking big sum of money
from them In the early part of 1908
Cravens was reported on ranch in
Woods county A woman had tele-
phoned to Deputy Sheriff Jayne at
Perry that Cravens and her husband
were on a certain ranch. Sheriff Pat
Ootes of Alva and Sheriff George Fos-
ter of Perry headed a posse which in
yestigated. Cravens had gotten wind
of things and fed The officers learn
ed later that the woman had told the
truth
The next heard from Ben Cravens
was report to the effect that he was
in Mexico, there posing as the son OF
a Pennsylvania governor and about to
be married to millionaire miners
daughter. Oklahoma authorities in
vestigated this but were unable to learn
whether it were true or not.
Was in Oklahoma City.