The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-02-24
NOTED OUTLAW
HAS HOPE Of
FREEDOM N
BEN CRAVENS, NOW IN FEDERAL
PRISON AT LEAVENWORTH
HAS AMBITION TO "GET EVEN"
WITH SOME.

WIFI OOmE.
Blackwell, Okla, Feb GA re-
cent statement, purported TO have
come from the noted outlaw, Len
Cravens, at the federal penitent' airy
at Leayenworth, Kan, tha: some day
he would get out, and that It would
be his sole ambition in lie TO get
the men who were implicated in his
capture, recalls the fact that in the
early days this outlaw was a terror
to southern Kansas AMI northern
Oklahoma and his capture, which was
made three miles east o. Blackwell,
Dec. ), 1896, ended a resi of Oat-
lawry he and his partre' Dynamite
Dick" had over this section of tine
country.
Dynamite" was killed in the fight
and Cravens captured with load Of
buckshot in his side and one shoulder
broken by a Winchester rifle bullet.
Alfred Lund of this city, at that
time a deputy marshal fired the shot
that killed Dynamite and the one
which broke Cravens' shoulder and
resulted in his capture.
Planned Robbery.
Just before Thanksgiving in the
year of 1896 Ben Cravens and his
partner came over from the Usage
country and put up with an old
friend three miles east of Blackwell.
AS the house was small. Cravens
went over to a neighbor's to spend
the night In the course of the con-
versation Cravens attempted to per-
suade the farmer, who was Bert Ben
jamin. to join him and Dynamite in
raid on the Blackwell bank early
in the month OF December. To keep
in the clear Benjamin pretended to
agree, but next day came to Black
we'll and reported to Alfred Lund
what had occurred.
Deputy Lund made preparations to
give the outlaws a warm reception
, if they should come into town and
| instructed Benjamin to watch for the
men and to report If they came back.
At midnight of December 4 Benjamin
came in and said the men were
there A posse composed of Alfred
! Lund. Josh Cox, now of Caddo county,
! Okla, Bill Sherr, John Hunter, j.
McClain and brother inl law of
Lunds who was visiting here at the
time, went with Benjamin out to the
place where the men were sleeping
with the farmer. There was dog
at the farmers, making it an I'm
possibility for the men to approach
near the house without giving the
| alarm to the occupants so the
posse was divided, Hunter Cox and
Clarke, going to one side of the
house, Lund, Benjamin, Sherr, and
McClain to the other. A little later
McClain was sent back to town for
more help and before daylight Sherr
also left. The remainder of the men
stayed in hiding until shortly after
the sun appeared. Dynamite Dick
came out of the house and began
washing his hands, no one of the
posse made a sound of any kind
as it was considered important to ge
both men at once 1t was three o.
four minutes later that Crayens alsC
came out and then Lund stood III
and gave them a chance to surren'
der. That, however, was the las
thing they were thinking of ant
both Jumped behind the house. Cra
' vens grabbed both Winchesters as h
went. As he started to give Dyna
mite a gun. Lunds rifle cracked ant
Cravens' arm hung useless. tn
shoulder being broken. In all hi
reign of outlawry this was the frs
time Cravens had been seriousl,
hurt, but the worst was yet to come
When the fight first started, Ben
iamin fired both barrels Of his shot
gun into the air and started run
ming. This left Lund by himself o
/ one side of the ravine. Dynamit
got into the ravine and started edg
ing slowly down toward Lund keep
ing out of sight of both parties
When about sixty yards from Lun
he started to drop his rifle to hi
hip. from where he always shot, br
: quick as a flash Lund covered hi
: heart and the second time that morn
ing his rifle cracked. This time
a was not a broken shoulder. but
dead man. for Dynamite droppe
: with the arteries leading to his heal
severed by the bullet which. afte
passing through him, went on an
l.