The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-08-19

IltNk A'lN'9 t'fNNN
marshal, who died at Lawton, was
character.
No man knew Thomas better than
did Bill Tilghman, Oklahoma city
chief of police. They met before the
opening of Oklahoma Territory TWEEN
ty.three years ago, and did much
work together in the pacticatlon oil
jtbis section OF the Southwest When
/ Oklahoma Territory was opened bill
lIilghman received the appointment
! OF chief of police at Perry. Heck
Thomas was his assistant. There
Twas practically no law here then, no
aNed statutes for peace ohleeis 10
follow each situation had TO be met
as the circumstances warranted. ~
| Perry $4,000 people camped on the
Irrairie, of whom 10000 later stood
lin line as applicants before the led
leral land office Tilghman ana
, I homas saw the work completed IN
an orderly and non-trouble producing
way. Subsequently both operated as
deputy marshals from the Fort Smith
court Thomas for "A time being sta
toned at Vinita. but working over the
lentire Indian country. He and TllSh-
linan set out on many notable man
hunts together securing the prairies
then harboring men of record ana
dangerous leisure. Such dray-net
trips often extended as far west as
1.-THE Wichita mountains, and frequent
Ily the deputies would return with a
4agon load of people wanted.
Tilghman said recently that he and
Thomas had cut" more than $l2OOV
in rewards.
Native Of Georgia
Thomas was native of Georgia.
1.-TWO sons and a daughter. all mar
led and seven grandchildren now
reside in that state. AS youth he
went to Lees army with his uncle,
Gen. Edward l.. Thomas of the Con
iederate forces, whom ne served as
a courier. This was in 1862 and 1868,
In letter not long ago Thomas SAID
The second day after | reached Lee $
army the second battle of Manassas
+ Twas fought | can safely say that
> v hen | was little over l3 years OF
age | had seen at this battle, as well
Us those fought at Harpers Ferry
Sharpesburg, Fredericksburg and 9th
l,r places. at least 10000 dead. When
was Is years of age Il voted the
Democratic ticket in Atlanta for Sey
mour and Blair. Before IL was II
| was a member of the Atlanta police
force, and was wounded in a race riot
between the police and 800 negroes
Two police were killed and eight sc
, badly wounded that we had to be car
lied from the street
Probably the most dramtic incl
dent in his career was while SERVING
as messenger for the old Texas FIX
press company with run on the
, Houston and Texas Central railroad
Near Hutchns. a short distance south
If Dallas, Sam Bass STOPPED the tralr
= npon which Thomas was messenger
IT is related that Thomas had rec
= way bills calling for money conslsn
ments, in which was $4,000 in gold
Hiding himself in the freight and re
iusing to open the door caused the
= lrobber band to send bullets into The
; ear The engine and car were ther
!. detached from the train and moved
a few yards away. and as final ef
r fort to make Thomas open up, a ilrt
/ was started on the track While this
" was going on and the bombardmen
: aDated, Thomas secreted the gold II
the stove and covered it with Goa
: and hastily making UP dummy
+ package in which was placed enough
9 coin to jingle the door was thrown
. open. The robbers called for the
/, treasure Thomas, without much
: snow OF hurry, delivered the key tc
s the messengers safe, which the
leader, said to have been Bass, re
= turned with command for the mess
/ 10 op IN ma nj piptittutp tho lock and ltIr
: ny about it, Out came the DUNN,
= package onto the floor with a films
q that iingled the noin, amounting t.
about $50, which the intruders tool
= and thanked Thomas for his prompt
ness and show of intuition as tt
what the visitors wanted. The ganf
= departed. leaving Thomas bleedini
: from two wounds he received as the
: bullets came through the cars side
l and at his urgent request the cngi
heer got the train together and hur
: red away No one knew that th'
stove contained the real treasure un
! til the next station was reached A
a reward for his effort. Thomas wa,
made agent Of the express compan,
: at Fort Worth, a place he occupied
for seven years
IOklahoma's Three Guardsmen'
Closely associated with Thomas an'
ITilghman was Chris Madsen. of Guth
rie now chief deputy United States
: marshal for the Western district o
Oklahoma. Madsen served In IN,
royal army Of Denmark, later wen
with the French Legion to the Soudal
: and figured in the last siege of Paris
The trio operated considerably a
lpeace officers in the Southwest. The.
!. have been termed Oklahomas "Thre'
s" IGuardsmen A letter came TO Mad
4 sen not long ago from Lawton, writ
!. ten at Thomas dctation, sayiug h
& was sinking. One message was Don
:. you and Bill (meaning Tilghman
. Icome over and don't send any flow
), ers
4 Bill Doolin. the outlaw, was frs
3 arrested by Madsen and placed il
!. the federal Jail at Guthrie. Doolu
{ escaped and Thomas took the tral
: and recaptured the outlaw afte
wounding him. The "Guardsmen
were relentless in their warfar
n against the Doolins, the Datons an'
J Bert Caseys gang. all terrors in thei
n IGay.
Speaking OF Thomas operation
from the Fort Smith and the Pari
courts, Chief OF Police Tilghman said
+; | He worked from the Fort Smit