The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-08-16
THE LIFE STORY.
OF Al JENNINGS
q Was Good Robber And Will Be
Good Officer" Was the Former
Desperadc's Platform.

was train Fobber an doutlaw ! was
a good train robber and outlaw. If
you chose me as prosecuting attorney
will be good prosecuting attor-
ney."
That was the platform upon which
AL Jennings, notorious desperate of
the bad man" days in Oklahoma, and
once sentenced to life Imprisonment
for mail robbery, ran for the demo-
cratic nomination for prosecutor of
Oklahoma county, the most populous
yers and representative business men
took Jennings at his word and in the
primaries the ex-bandit received the
nomination by a large majority. And
the democratic nomination being
equivalent to election, Al Jennings
will be the peace officer in the terri
tory he once terrorized as a bandit.
While the democrats of Oklahoma
county were nominating Jennings for
prosecutor, the republicans of Musko-
gee county were naming Bud" Led
better, former hunter Of bad men, =
and deputy United States marshal, as
their candidate for sheriff. Jennings
and Ledbetter met fifteen years ago
when Ledbetter, at the head of a
posse, captured the outlaw. They now
are good friends.
Jennings Life Story.
Jennings told the story of his life in
his campaign, keeping back only the
details of some of the robberies in
which others besides himself we're in
volved. This is the story as given
by him.
q was born in Virginia in 1863 and
spent my early youth in the west. |
went back to Virginia later where
was educated in the common schools
and studied law in the state uniyer-
sity. came to Oklahoma in 1889 to
practice law. / found. though, that
the older men got all the practice. |
settled at Ell Reno, in Canadian coun-
ty, and was elected county attorney
in 1892.
After my term of Office was over
went on a visit to my father at Wood
ward / became involved there in a
qurrel with Temple Houston, son of
Sam Houston of early Texas fame.
After Houston and | had been separt-
ed | went home and it was agreed be-
tween my father, my brother, Ed Jen-
nings, and myself, that the matter
should go over unit 1.-The following
morning and that should then go to
Houston, hoping that he would be
sober and apologize for his action.
About midnight there was loud
rapping at the door and somebody
called out to father:
Judge Jennings, get us quick.
Two Of your boys have been killed.
Spirit of Revenge Started Him.
NO one can imagine the sick feel
ing that came over me- | dressed
hastily and ran out of the gate, where
! met my brother, John, who was sore
ly wounded He told me Ed was dead
= knelt there beside my brother
taking his head in my lap. He died
in my arms found two bullet Wounds
one in the back of the head and one
over the left ear, both Of them rang
ing forward.
Il knew then that he had been as
sassinated and all of the ambition OF
life went out of me- The future which
had seemed so bright to me as young
lawyer in new country, died there
with my brother when he drew his last
breath. admit here and now that
reverted to the primitive man that was
within me. There on my knees on The
floor, with my dead brothers head ii
my lap swore to kill the man wht
had murdered him.
The trial day came and through the
perfidy of the county attorney the two
men charged with the murder were ac
quilted. Then | telegraphed for my
other brother, Frank Jennings, wht
was living at Denver, and when he ar
rived we arranger to avenge the mur
der.
Falsely Accused of Robbery.
"One evening l went to my fathers
home at Tecumset, where he was ther
living, and he told me was accused
Of train robbery He was greatly dis
tressed, but convinced him Of ny
innocence He insisted that face m,
accusers, but had to tell him thai
it would be impossible for me to prove
an alibi, We had some heated words
and rode away again.
q slept out in the open that nigh
and the next morning vert to seminol.