The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-08-16

around the general store were several
men with revolveFs. knew they were
either deputy United States marshals
or horse thieves. In those early days
there was hardly any way to distin-
guish between them.
Il went into the store and bought
cheese and crackers, which | ate while
the men stood around and watched
me. Then | went out, mounted my
horse and rode quietly away. When
was hundred yards away the officers
and the merchant opened fire on me,
killing my horse and wounding me.
THE horse fell on me- but ! extri-
Gated myself and returned the fire.
put so many bullets close to them that
they fed for the timber. | limped
back to the store was frenzied with
madness and believed that the whole
world was against me- Laboring un-
der that belief, l committed the first
crime against the law. l robbed the
store Of $2750 out Of pure revenge. I
had seen the merchant shooting at me
and at the time it seemed right that
/ should take his money. My own
horse being dead | took one of the
horses hitched there and rode to the
Spike S. ranch, fifty-five miles away,
where arrived after nightfall.
Became Long Rider"
"The men on the ranch had been
branding cattle and were eating supper
when arrived. / told them the story
of my adventure. They were glad of
it. These men had long wanted my
brother and myself to join them, and
now they knew we were with them.
We'll, we joined the Long Riders
and for two years we went as wild as
March hares. 1t was wild, reckless
country, filled with outlaws, but we
were the widest of them all. 1t is not
| to be denied that We belonged to a
band of outlaws, but there seemed to
be no other way We we're outlawed
before we had committed the first
crime. We had been accused of train
robbery long before we had thought
Of doing such thing. In the next
1.-TWO years We stopped only short Of
murder We drew the line there, all
iof US, and that is more than can be.
said Of many of the outlaws in the
territory at that time.
Bands of deputy marshals hunted
us day in and day out, but we had rea-
son to believe that for months they
did not want to find us. October. 1897
I've of us stopped the southbound pas
senger train on a siding between Minco
and Chickasha at 1856 in the morn
ing. We attempted to rob the express
and failed Then we ordered every
body out ON the right-of-way, lining
them up against the wire fence, where
1--we robbed them.
When the Posse Found Them.
There had been many train rob
lberies about which We knew nothing
although they were charged to us. Dur
ling the next two months things werc
awfully hot Hundreds of men and
officers were burning the woods
Finally, December !, we rounded uI
at the Spike S ranch, staying all night
About 8 o'clock the next morning Mrs
Hairless brother, Dutch, went to the
well at the barn for water. He stayed
SO long that Mr. Hairless went after
him, but soon she returned, rushing
limits the house and exclaiming:
You are all surrounded and viii
be Killed.
Then she grabbed her little brother
and fled through the door Just a;
she left the door the first volley was
fired and dozens of bullets went crash
! ing through the house. was STANDING
by the kitchen window when the vol
ley came, breaking the glass and cut
i ting my face with the flying pieces.
was also wounded above the left knee
Probably four hundred shots were free
there and finally we left the house
running to a small peach orchard OF
the south. There we made anothel
stand and silenced the pursuers.
1--WE escaped by wading Duck creel
and then went into the mountains
Three of us were wounded My brothel
Frank had twenty-five bullet holes
through his clothing, but he was no
| injured
Betrayed by Supposed Friend.
Eventually we arrived at the hom'
of friend, where we were fed and ou
wounds dressed. While we were ther'
a horsethief by the name of San
Baker came to us and said we hat
killed three officers. He advised u!
to get away, as larger posse wa
coming, he. said The facts were, al