The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-02-02

latter part of 1904 in Oklahoma City.
A territorial official recognized him
and in order to make a successful cap
lture of the much wanted outlaw gave
another man some money with which
to get Cravens drunk thinking that ii
would then be easy to arrest him. How
ever, Cravens got the other man drunk
an dagain made an easy getaway
During August 1905, Cravens rode
in wagon with two travelling men,
George w. Tanning and Ed w. North
lington, from Glencoe to Morrison, Ok
lahoma. The driver knew Cravens
but made no attempt to arrest him.
The travelling men were both too
| frightened to attempt his arrest. Dur
| ing this trip he exhibited an ugly
wound which he said had been cured
by an aged Cherokee woman.
In December, Cravens was found
visiting relatives in the Seminole In
dian country near Wewoka. Sheriff
w. A. Grace and posse attempted to
capture him but were unsuccessful.
Reported Captured.
On March 23, 1906. he was reported
captured in Lincoln. Neb. The next
heard from him was his reported cap
ture in Cripple Creek, Colo.
Captured in Guthrie.
In October, 1906, Sheriff Bart Muir
ply arrested a man whom he thought
to be Cravens. Because of the failure
of Sheriff Foster to identify him he
was released Sheriff Murphy has al
ways been firm in his opinion that the
man he had was none other than the
famous Oklahoma outlaw wanted for
murder.
Captured Hebrew Pedder.
August 8, 1907, officers at Osceola,
Neb., reported that they had captured
Cravens. The prisoner was identified
by Chaplain J. D. McBrian, of Lansing
prison, was shackled and taken to pri-
son where it was soon afterward learn
ed that the man was Hebrew jewelry
peddler named Albert Scettler.
October 4th he was reported to have
been visiting his parents and brother
near Princeton, Mo. In June he was
identified on the Navajo Indian reser-
;x1 NTnvfa0 NH hn xpac
living as a Mexican. He escaped.
His Downfall Begins.
Cravens had about reached the end
of his rope and gradually, day by day
he got just a little closer to prison.
During the latter part of 1908, Cravens
was arrested in Missouri for horse
stealing. He was known as Charles
Maust and to prevent a thorough probe
into his past record, probably fearing
that the authorities would discover he
was the much wanted outlaw and pre-
ferring four year term in the pen he
plead guilty 1t was during the last
part of 1908 tnat he was taken to JEFF
ferson City.
Barber Tipped Him.
The first Tip" that Maust was Ben
Cravens was received by the prison
officials March 10th, 1911 from a bar
Der who had shaved Cravens in the
Kansas penitentiary. This followed the
visit of many people who knew Cravens
and his positive Identification.
Oklahoma authorities were notified
and the case placed in the hands of
United States Attorney John Embry.
A grand jury at Enid indicted Cravens
on the murder charge.
Cravens was then released from the
Missouri pen and Immediately arrest
ed by United States Marshal Martin
of Kansas City, who with Deputies j..
H. Livingston, Al Golf and Chris Mad
sen brought the prisoner to the federal
Jail in Guthrie He arrived here on
November 10 and was assigned a cell,
which he has occupied since.
Has a Wife And Child.
The prisoner, as Charles Maust, by
which name he is known to the jailers,
says that he has wife and child
somewhere in the northern states. He
knows not where they are and claims
that his. wife deserted him several
years ago, some time before he was
first arrested in Missouri for horse
stealing.