Ottawa County, OK - Misc newspaper articles Submitted by: Mollie Stehno Shoop@tanet.net ---------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ----------------------------------------------------------------- AFTON WEEKLY HERALD July 20, 1894-Afton Weekly Herald--The situation at Round Pond, Oklahoma on the Rock Island railway, is growing worse. Here is what dispatches bearing date of July 19, says: Local county authorities are powerless to act, part of them having been driven out of town by an armed force that beat and maltreated them in a terrible manner. Telegrams are going hourly to Governor Lowe and United States Marshal Nix, asking for more troops and marshals, but they cannot get authority from Washington to give sufficient relief. Governor Lowe issued tonight a proclamation offering a $5000 reward for the arrest ad conviction of any person burning bridges or other property and calling upon all good citizens to aid in putting an end to the trouble and bring the guilty to justice. Troop A, United States cavalry, of Fort Reno, under command of Captain J. O. Mackey, which has been detailed to guard the Rock Island road, missed death at the hands of the train wreckers at 1 o'clock this morning by less than 00 feet. Two explosions of dynamite occurred within 300 yards of the south outskirt of the city, immediately after the special train carrying the troops from Enid to Pond Creek Station had passed. One of the shots exploded immediately under the track but did no damage, but the other blew out a cattle guard and shattered the rails, and would have completely demolished the train had it exploded a few seconds earlier. The wreckers were decidedly bold. The night was a full moon, was a clear as day and the dynamiters touched off their shots in full view of the train when so close that it could not be stopped until it had crossed the spots. The cattle guard was replaced and trains moved regularly this morning. Mayor C. B. Frank of Pond Creek has wired to acting Governor Lowe that on Saturday, July 21, the city authorities proposed to put into effect the ordinance requiring the Rock Island rains to stop at the principal streets of the city and flag the crossing. He wished the Governor to call for the assistance of the United States soldier to make the city ordinance effective July 20, 1894-Afton Weekly Herald-- As yet the deputies who killed the notorious Bill Dalton; have not received one cent of the reward offered for the bandit dead or alive. This is no way to treat the boys, who in our opinion earned their money and should have it. Such Actions as this on the part of the express companies and the bank officials will not have a tendency to check the career of the bandit in the future-State Herald July 27 1894-Afton Weekly Herald --Eufaula, I. T., July 3-Frank Hawkins a notorious Creek Seminole outlaw, was shot and instantly killed yesterday evening six miles east of here by Sam Chechota and Bill Narcome, two full blood Creeks. Something over two years ago, Hawkins was arrested by David Sizemoore, a deputy United States Marshal, but he murdered the officer and made his escape and has since been scouting and selling whiskey. Both the Federal and Creek courts wanted him and a reward aggregating $500 was offered for his capture. Saturday Chechota and Narcome located him and set a plan for his capture. When they went to the house at which he was topping, the outlaw met them. A fierce battle raged for a while and when the smoke was cleared away Hawkins was found lying in the corner of the house riddled with bullets. His body lay there unguarded until this morning, when a Negro and a white man wrapped it up in an old slicker and hurled it in the woods. July 27 1894-Afton Weekly Herald-- It seems that the last time Bill Dalton was killed he wasn't killed dead, or he has come back to life in some mysterious way known to magician William. The statement seems startling, but we have for our authorities no less a personage than Deputy U. S. Marshal Wallace Hilton, of Ft. Smith, who spent a few hours in Joplin Wednesday on official businessman, en route to Kansas City. He went to Carthage to transact some business at the county seat and will return to Joplin before returning home. Hilton was with the posse that is supposed to have shot Dalton,. He viewed the body and at first thought the dead man was Bill Dalton, but later became assured it was not. He says that Dalton's brother and wife had it arranged to recognize the man as Bill Dalton then hence forth he might be regarded as dead by the world and secure lifelong immunity from prosecutions of the law, Mr. Hilton declares that Dalton is no more dead than is Dr. T. Thatcher Graves, the condemned murderer of Mrs. Barnsby and who "died" in the Arapaho County jail, at Denver and whose coffin when opened at Middletown, Connecticut, was found to contain a log of wood. He further says that Dalton has enough wealth to keep him the rest of his days without work or worry,. Hilton believes the crime is diminishing in the territory-Joplin Herald VICTIM OF A MOB'S FURY July 27 1894-Afton Weekly Herald --Perry, OK, July 21-D. H. Nourse a newspaper editor of Wellington, Kansas, who was sent to Round Pond and Enid by a Kansas City paper to write up the war between the Rock Island railroad and the Government town sites, was arrested Wednesday, and his driver was hanged to the railroad bridge. Nourse was liberated this morning on his promise to leave town. While he was writing some dispatches, he was attacked by two railroad officials and badly bruised u. He was guarded out of town, and came to this place, where he is now in bed. BANDIT IN OKLAHOMA August 17, 1894-Afton Weekly Herald-- El Reno, Ok. Aug 11-A gang of bandits are still plying its vocation in this section of western Oklahoma. Today five of them entered a store at Northville, an inland village 15 miles west of here, and compelled the merchant to turn over to them all his cash amounting to several hundred dollars. The bandits then ransacked the store for provisions and, taking a good supply, they rode rapidly away. A few miles from the village they stopped a farmer by drawing revolvers and forced him to select from his herd five head of his choice horses, which they took. They are thought to have been members of a well-organized band now located southwest of here in the Kiowa and Comanche Indian country. BILL DALTON'S PICTURE August 17, 1894-Afton Weekly Herald-- A Frisco official who has just returned from the Indian Territory has brought with him a striking photograph, which will long be treasured as a memento of the reign of terror under which, until lately, the Dalton's held that region. The picture in question is one of Bill Dalton himself, and was taken a few hours after his death by a photographer at Elko, in the Chickasaw nation. Dalton was shot while running from the house in which the deputies surprised him. But one shot was fired and the robber fell with a fatal wound through the back. The shooting was done within a mile of Elko, and the picture represents him just as he ran from the house with his clothes half buttoned and his whole appearance betokening the hastiness of his exit. There seems no doubt as to his identity as he was recognized by his brother and his wife, who sipped the body through to California. He was a man of powerful build and with a good cast of countenance-Springfield Democrat WANTED FOR BRIDGE BURNING August 25, 1894-Afton Weekly Herald --Kansas City, No., Aug. 18-C. C. Cline, police reporter of the Times, was today arrested by Federal officers on the charge of destroying; property of the Rock Island road in Oklahoma. Cline was Mayor of the town of Round Pond, which was located near Pond Creek, and it was during his administration that the bridge was burned, track torn up, etc. The work of destruction was the result of the bitter fight waged between the two cities. It became necessary in time to declare the office of Mayor of Round Pond vacant and under the laws of the territory this could be done if the executive remained away from the city three months. Cline accordingly came to Kansas City and secured a position as police reporter of the Times. He returnees without a requisition, claiming he is innocent of the charge and will have no trouble to clear himself. THE COOK-DALTON GANG Deputy Marshal W. C. Smith Visits the Outlaw's Rendezvous September 21, 1894-Afton Week Herald- -Fort Smith, Ark., Sept 14-United State Deputy Marshal W. C. Smith has just returned from a trip that few men can make and return alive. He has just come back from the rendezvous Cook- Dalton gang, which was organized by the union of the Bill Cook gang and the remnant of Bill Dalton's old band. He went there, alone trying to induce Bill Cook, who formerly worked as a member of Smith's pose, to abandon his life of outlawry. Cook assured him, however, that he proposed to go ahead in his career, as it was now too late to turn back. There were 13 in the gang, and they are now as strong as Bill Dalton's old band ever was. Deputy Marshal Smith, who has the reputation of being the bravest man in the service of the United States Marshal here, found the whereabouts of the band in a rather peculiar manner. He learned that one of the band had a sweetheart at Sapulpa, I. T. and 10 days ago Smith went there to see her. After considerable persuasion he convinced her that he was alone, and prevailed upon her to pilot him to the camp of the bandits. A week ago Wednesday they left Sapulpa and traveled around several days rather aimlessly, and on Sunday morning reached the cap. This is the first authentic news of the movement of the band since the Red for, I. T. express robbery. September 21, 1894-Afton Week Herald --James Pendleton and Nancy Frutril, living northwest of town about a mile, eloped Sunday morning, and after being in biding all day, were captured late in the evening about a mile fro where they started by T. Stufflebeem and taken back. The cause of their rash act, it is said, was the refusal of the girl's father to consent to their marriage-Tulsa Review September 21, 1894-Afton Week Herald --Chute Starr has just been convicted in the Illinois district of the Cherokee nation for killing Glover Thornton near Braggs in January last. Chute Starr is a brother to Jack Starr who was assassinated about a year ago, and Thornton, was a member of the faction to whom the killing was charged. Both killings were the result of an old feud. Chute Starr is a cousin of Henry Starr--Phoenix September 21, 1894-Afton Week Herald-- Pat Murphy and John Crittenden two toughs from the Cherokee Nation were arrested on the streets Tuesday, by Deputy U. S. Marshal Pearman, of Neosho, on a charge of stealing a gold watch and $7.35 from a Cherokee by the name of Sam Cheeter. They were taken to Vinita Wednesday, where they will be tried before the U. S. Commissioner,. The watch and money was found on their person, and the same was identified.-Enterprise. September 21, 1894-Afton Week Herald --Luther Chaney was tried at Greenwood this week on a charge of horse stealing, and acquitted. He is a brother of Frank and Alf Chaney, of the Starr gang. Just after the Bentonville bank robbery a young man hired his horse to ride a few miles in the country, but he never came back. Chaney was identified as the man who hired the horse and was arrested. The horse has never been found and it is thought that Frank Chaney used it to make his way to Oklahoma, where he joined fortunes with Bill Dalton--Phoenix September 28, 1894-Afton Week Herald --The bandit leader, Bill Cook, and Miss Martha Pitman of Sapulpa, have been granted license to marry. September 28, 1894-Afton Week Herald --The A. H. T. A. of Blue Jacket elected the following officer last week: Tom Gambill, president; J. O. Hill, vice president; D. A. Wilson, secretary; T. S. Henley, treasurer; M. A. Gullet, marshal; U. S. Bradfield, door keeper. September 28, 1894-Afton Week Herald --Rufus Cannon, a deputy marshal served under Marshal Yoes, came to the city Monday morning and surrendered himself. While engaged in trying to arrest some desperadoes in the Creek country a couple of years ago a man by the name of Price was killed. Price's friends claimed that the killing was unjustifiable, and after several unsuccessful attempts succeeded in having Cannon and Stanfill another deputy, indicted. Cannon is a colored man.-Elevator THE COOK GANG October 12, 1894-Afton Weekly Herald --Since the wiping out of the Dalton and Starr gangs of outlaws, who terrorized this territory, the Cook gang has taken their place and now rule supreme in the field of outlawry, whose deed appears from time to time in the daily papers. Bill Cook leader of the gang is a young man, and formerly served as "posse" under U. S. Marshal W. C. Smith, of Ft. Smith, who recently paid a visit to the cap of the outlaws, situated in the Creek nation on the borders of Oklahoma. Smith and Cook had been great friends, and the deputy's visit was for the purpose of trying to induce the bandit leader to give himself up and quit his nefarious business, which sooner or later would and in his tragic death. In giving an account of his visit, Deputy Smith says: "Cook let me come into his camp with my Winchester and pistol in broad daylight, and I got to see most of his band. There are thirteen in the gang, but I only saw nine of them. The other four were in camp about twenty miles away. About half of the have belonged to other bands which preceded the Cook gang, and the others are new men. Id did not know all of them I saw,. Bill Dolan and Cherokee Bill are not with Cook, but I think Tulsa Jack is dead. I did not ask the names of the men I did not know, for I know they would not tell me. "The band when I camp spends their time sitting around, talking swapping jokes, but always have their Winchester laying across their laps and; pistols in their belts at their side. The boys chaffed me a good deal about the way the marshals were after them and I joked back. They said they could scare a number of marshals who had been chasing them; clear out of the country by simply coming out and telling who they were. "I talked to Bill Cook a long time but couldn't do any good. He and all the gang said they would like to be out of the trouble they have brought upon themselves by breaking the laws, but that it is too late now to think about it and that there is but one way for them to get out of it. "They say they have to live, and that their only way is to stick together and go on robbing trains and banks; that they are 'in the business for keeps,' and that they are going to 'hit them going and coming'" October 19, 1894-Afton Week Herald --J. C. Starr was married last Tuesday evening at St. Joe, Mo, to Miss Libbie B. Zimmerman. The marriage ceremony was solemnized in the Christian church. The young couple will reside at Grove. The News extends congratulations and well wishes. November 2, 1894-Afton Week Herald --The report that Bill Cook, the outlaw, and Miss Maria Pittman, of Sapulpa, were married some weeks ago is a mistake. Deputy Marshal Smith secured a marriage license for the couple, but the prospective brides father objected and the prospect of capturing the wiley outlaw attracted so many marshals to the neighborhood hat he considered it unsafe to appear-Tulsa Review. November 2, 1894-Afton Week Herald --Tahlequah, I. T. Oct. 27-F. R. Morgan, a representative of the Chicago Cottage Organ Company, had a queer and exciting experience with a couple of the notorious Cook gang of robbers. Mr. Morgan has been in the Territory for several years and is acquainted with a great many people here, including Bill Cook and several of his followers. He was riding in the vicinity of the desperadoes rendezvous when suddenly two armed men, one of whom he readily recognized as Bill Cook, sprang from behind trees, with their guns presented at him. Cook also recognized Morgan, and lowering his gun, he said" "Excuse us Mr. Morgan; you are a friend-but lend me a dollar; I am dead broke." Morgan cheerfully loaned the dollar and came on to Tahlequah and told of his experience. United States Marshal Bill Smith telegraphed the U. S. authorities at Fort Smith yesterday morning stating that he had arrested a party near Sapulpa, supposed to be a member of the Cook gang. The Winchester stolen from Pick Chambers the night of the holdup of the depot there was found on him. Chambers had his name on the inside of the stock, which had escaped the notice of the party. Smith expects to start to Fort Smith with his prisoner today. November 2, 1894-Afton Week Herald --Tahlequah, I. T., Oct. 27-Richard Crittenden is reported to have been murdered by the Cook gang. Crittenden was a member of the Sheriff's; posse that first attacked the Cooks and drove them to outlawry. He soon afterwards joined the Cooks, but was murdered for fear he would betray them. November 2, 1894-Afton Week Herald --The funeral of Mrs. Anna Thompson occurred Wednesday and the remains followed by a large concourse of friends in their last resting place Ballard's cemetery. Mrs. Thompson had gained the ripe old age of seventy-six years and her death was due to old age. She leaves two children, one boy and one daughter. Mrs. John Miller and twenty-two grandchildren to mourn her demise. She was an ardent Christian and a member of he Methodist faith. Peace to her ashes. TROUBLE WHEN THEY MEET November 9, 1894-Afton Weekly Herald --Where is the Cook gang? It sees that all efforts to capture them have been abandoned. Only last week, marshals, Indian police and a posse under Post Office Inspector Houk were after them.-and right at their heels too, according to report sent out by them. The Cook gang are no doubt, I hiding, two or three in a gang, within a radius of not more than 20 or 30 miles from this place and our opinion is that they will be heard of again until they have committed another robbery, like the Coretta train robbery. The marshals don't want them because they get nothing for it if they should capture them, and we do not blame them for when a man risks his life he wants some show to get something, should he come out victorious and accomplish his object without losing his life. Half the officers should meet the Cook gang a desperate fight will be made by them and no doubt will die fighting, this is the general opinion of everyday at least. The Cook gang will be hard to capture-Wagoner Record NOT LONG November 2, 1894-Afton Weekly Herald--How much longer is Bill Cook going to be allowed to terrorize the Indian Territory? That is one question we would like to have answered. For Smith News Record Bill Cook or his inevitable successors in brigandage, will be allowed to terrorize the Indian Territory just as long as its people are denied of the right of local self government and held as subject of foreign satraps who are not responsible to them for the condition of their office and who have no object higher than the dollar in its administration. When the Indian territory ceases to be a political colony of Arkansas, and Texas when it passes from the criminally vicious misrule of the deputy marshals to the strong, clean hands of its own people, then crime will be scourged from its borders and law and order reign supreme. That time will not be realize short of statehood-Chickasaw Chieftain