Pueblo chieftain., 1921-08-21

Sbdil llGu Win MS boots on
on February p this year. in the little
Ozark town OF Harrison, Ark, from
the result Of bullet wound received
four days before in the hold-up Of the
Peoples National Bank, of Harrison.
The Starr gang, as a gang, was
broken up years ago. II went the way
OF the James, the Younger and the
other less notorious brothcrhoods that
would ride horseback into a town and
rob bank, or a train, or a general
store, and go roaring away before prr-
suit could be organized. They belonged
to the period when the first railroads
were stretching out over the plains,
when cattle were driven up from Texas
over the old cattle trails, when the cow
boys jumped their ponies off the long
bridge at Wichita into the Arkansas
river, just to show that they could
and when Dodge and Abilene had half
dozen men TO bury every morning,
men who had died in the gurhghts Of
the night before.
Starr was Of these, He led the wild
est OF Wild gangs while a mere boy. He
was the greatest bank robber OF them
all He served more than 20 years of
his life in pcnitentiarics: he reformed
three different times and tried to so
straight. and each time broke away to
70 back to the old life.
M ,bo WuJ and UooIIr
Henry Starr was born near Fort
Gibson, l. T, December p 1873, of
Scotch-IrisA-In Indian ancestry His IA
,her. George Starr. was a half-blood
Cherokee Indian. and his mother
e,arter-blood The family's home was
log cabin. It's living came from 4
few poor acres OF land Young Starr
received only two years and half Of
schooling. riding four miles each day
horseback 70 an Indian school taught
by a Scotchuan. At the age OF II his
schooldays werc done, and he took up
&. the lifc OF a farm boy AZ the tail Of \
pillow. His father died two years later,
and when his mother married again he
ran away from home and began work
ing on cattle ranches, for the cattle
herds fourished in til, Indian country
then. He became an excellent horse
man and an expert rifle sliot although
he considered his ability in this latter
respect rather average and never boast
ed Of It.
Starr was working on a ranch near
Nowata, then small settlement at the
edge OF the Usage country. when one
day two horses st-ayed TO the ranch.
Following the custom ef the country
the horses were taken up n; the di-
reetion Of the ranch owner and pa, with
III, other horses Of the ranch hy Starr
to wait for a claimant. Starr diseov-
cred that one Of the horses had been
broken to the saddle. ard for a month
or so rode 1t in discharge Of his rapeh
dutiss. At the end OF that time man
n7ned Eaton came and claimed the
s,rays. He observed the excellent con-
di.ion thst the sadd'e horse was in, and
or learning that Starr had been riding
1t and looking after It with particular
care. Thanked hin and rode away.
Charged with Horsethiei.
A few weeks later a deputy marshal
,ouzh, OFT Starr in Nowaia and read
him warrant. cita girE him with steal
ing Eaton's horse Starr was placed
under arrest and taken 90 Fort Smith,
Ark. in handouts. but WAS promptly
dismissed for lack Of evidence.
Released from Fort Smith Jail, Starr
returned to work on the tanrii, and not
long after was riding in a buggy when
q stranger, on hor rbaek, asked him to
carry his valisc. The unsrspcciiug boy
was glad to accommodate.
Peddiins whisky in those days was
penitentiary offcnse IN the old Indian
Territory He had gone but short
way when he was stopped by two mar
shals. who searched the grip aud dis
covered the whisky The Judge was
icnient and half-inelinsd to believe the
boy was an innocent victim. and LET him
off with Si00 FIRE.
Starr vert back to Nowata in debt
for his fine and smartins under the
stigma that had been laid upon him hy
the injustice of the law He turned bad
all at once, and few DAYS later planned
and executed, with a companion, his first