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You see the fellow at the top right of the Fort Worth Five image? That is one of the toughest, meanest, no-nonsense mankillers ever in the old west. Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan. I started writing a book on him many years ago. Never finished it.
Killed more lawmen than anyone ever has. Truly a DESPERATE man.
Will post on him
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Tonight it will be the story of "The Going Snake Massacre"
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/nativ...es/oldzeek.jpg
Eleven people were killed! It was a true shootout.
Zeke Procter was a Civil War veteran who had- it was adjudicated later-accidentally shot and killed "Aunt" Polly Beck. The fight began with Beck supporters and Procter supporters armed to the teeth and at the trial.
This trial had been moved to the "Whitmire school", seemingly in anticipation of trouble.
A real lead laden bloodbath here, folks.
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Ezekiel Procter was a full blood Cherokee, an ex-Union soldier, and a pretty good with a long gun or a Colt's revolver. Arrow straight, tree tall, and battle hardened he was not one to be trifled with.
This incident has as its genesis, a gunfight involving Jim Kesterson and Zeke at the old mill home of Kesterson (Hildebrand-Beck Mill) on February 13, 1872. The hatred that sparked the gunfight has multiple stories as to its origin. Kesterson was married to a woman known as Aunt Polly she was originally a Beck. Polly had married a man named Kesterson who been been killed in the Civil War. She came from a proud Cherokee family like Procter.
One account says that the Procter and Beck families hated each other over Civil War allegiances. The Becks being strongly southern in their allegiance and the Procters were unionists. Another has Zeke with very strong and proud Indian "nationalist" ties and vehemently disapproving of Polly's marriage to Kesterson, a white man. Another has it that their cattle (stock) issues between Kesterson and Procter. What follows is likely accurate, one should realize that "Mary" and "Aunt Polly" are the same person.
"One day Zeke dropped by to visit his sister Elizabeth. He was surprised to find her and her children alone and hungry with not much of anything in the house to eat. He learned that her husband, James Kesterson, had deserted her and their children. He took Elizabeth and her children to live with other family members. There is no record of why James left his family and moved out. Ezekiel Proctor was very angry with James for leaving his sister in this condition. After leaving Elizabeth, James had found a job with Mary Hildebrand and later married her.
Story has it that on Tuesday, 13 February 1872, Zeke with his wife and children while possibly visiting other family or friends in the area, may have thought it to be a good time to have a talk with Mr. Kesterson and decided to visit the mill. He dropped by the local watering hole and had a few drinks to help fortify him before he reached the mill. Also some people say Zeke had received complaints that Mary and James had been letting their cattle run loose and they were destroying crops of nearby farmers.
When Zeke arrived at the mill it didn't take long before he and James were in a heated argument. James reached for his gun but Zeke, being faster, beat him to the draw. Mary, who was trying to stop the men from fighting jumped in front of her husband, James, placing herself between the two men just as Zeke's finger pulled the trigger and discharged the 45. Mary caught the bullet in the chest and fell between the two mortally wounded leaving James a widower. Zeke fired off two more shots at James putting two holes in his coat as he fled to the second floor of the mill not knowing if Mary was dead or alive. He was also wounded by one of those two bullets.
Zeke knowing he had committed a crime went to the neighbor's house and confessed to his family what he had done. He then went to the home of Jack Wright the current Sheriff of the Goingsnake District to turn himself in. Being there were no jails Zeke was sent home with guards until his trial. "
This mill is the Hildebrand-Beck Mill replacement. It was built around 1900 as the original had been washed away in floods. It stood many years, obviously in disrepair.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hi...ds_Mill_OK.jpg
The Massacre. . .
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The Beck family, although Cherokee knew well that Procter was a big man in the community and that Cherokee courts often decided in favor of the defendant. The Beck patriarch, Aaron Beck, among other family members, convinced Kesterson to go to Fort Smith, Arkansas to seek a writ of arrest for Procter for assault with intent to kill. It was granted on April 11, 1872. Strangely Kesterson just disappears? So, two Deputy United States Marshals leave Fort Smith with instructions that IF AND ONLY IF Zeke is acquitted are they to serve the warrant. These deputies are accompanied by Beck family members, a "posse" if you will. Several of the Becks had accompanied Kesterson but evidently only the Becks rode to the trial site with the deputies. This group of Becks and supporters get referred to as a posse. And in later recitations even as US Marshals. I suspect that the figure of two deputies may actually be wrong. In fact I think three of four may be the proper number of LEGITIMATE deputies?
They go immediately to to the little schoolhouse where the trial is taking place. Less windows and better escape doors. The Cherokees knew this thing would not end well. Procter's supporters are inside the courtroom, well heeled. Beck's are outside in the schoolyard armed to the teeth.
Into this ride the deputies with the "posse".
It appears that the deputies both acted correctly and courageously in trying to follow their orders. But the Beck "posse" took control. Guards who were already in place were ignored, the deputies were ignored. Uh-huh. The Becks and their supporters in the "posse" burst threw the doors and hell grabbed them.
The Beck leader who erupted into the courtroom was Surry Beck. He was rolled in with a double barreled shotgun. Always a solid choice in these situations! He drew a bead on Zeke but before he could drop the hammer Zeke's brother, Johnson Procter, grabbed the barrel, for his trouble he received a one way ticket to oblivion courtesy of a lesad bath. He took a full bore to the chest. So, long. . . The second barrel left a hole in Zeke's leg. Surry was not big on game play it appears he meant business. A general melee ensued. Zeke grabbed a guard's gun and VERY likely killed at least one of the "posse". Surry was severely wounded but managed to escape. The firing went on for fifteen minutes and left a trail of dead. Gruesome!
The judge, Sixkiller, was shot, Zeke's defense attorney was killed, and Andrew Palone court clerk was also a victim.
This story gets shaded in some places, making it an attack by 10 deputies sent by the Feds to storm the courthouse and take Procter. You can decide for yourself.
Shotgunner Surry Beck:
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/nativ...s/whitesut.jpg
A newspaper account from someone who walked upon the scene just as it ended, fascinating.
"From time to time we have chronicled the postponement of the case of Ezekiel Proctor charged with the murder of (Mary) Polly Hildebrand, the last trial being set to come off last Monday, the 15th instant. We had business there, and arrived about half past 1 o'clock. And what a sight met our gaze when we rode up to the small school-house where the court had been called. Three men were lying just before the door-step in those negligent and still postures so terrifying to the living. Dark pools of blood issuing from each told the horrible story of the manner of their death. In the house, lying side by side, with their hats over their faces, lay three more bodies----one, all that was left of an old and valued friend (This may have been Mose Alberty the defending attorney). A few steps off, to the right of the door, lay the body of a man with light hair and blue eyes, which betokened his white extraction (probably George Selvidge). Next to the chimney, behind the house, was another, and near by, partly supported against the wall, was a man groaning in the anguish of a desperat wound probably William Beck). In the bushes, a little further off, was yet another corpse of a youth who had staggered there to die. Looking at the living we saw the presiding judge, B. H. Sixkiller, with his wrist bandaged, where he had been seriously wounded by two bullets. The prisoner was limping about with a bullet in the bone of his leg below the knee. Others were wounded more or less. At the nearest residence was lying, desperately wounded, Deputy Marshal Owens, a man generally respected on both sides of the "line". Some of the badly wounded we did not see, they having fled or been taken care of by their friends. The spectacle which harrowed our sight was the most awful, without any comparison, that we have ever witnessed."
In my opinion this is accurate accounting, roughly. It is from accessgeneology.com:
"Some members of the Beck family convinced James Kesterson to go to Fort Smith Arkansas and seek a writ for the arrest of Proctor for assault with the intent to kill. He did this on April 11th. After James filed the writ he disappeared and no one knows what happened to him. The court sent two deputy marshals with the writ for arrest to the trial. They were only to arrest Zeke if he was found not guilty.
Several Beck family members had accompanied Kesterson to Ft. Smith and they returned with the Deputy Marshals to Indian Territory and thus to the Whitmire School and arrived just after the trial had began.
The Judge sat at a small table at the rear of the one room schoolhouse facing the door to the west. Joe Starr, the court clerk, sat to the Judge's left and Mose Albberty, Proctor's attorney, sat to the right of the Judge. Proctor was sitting next to his attorney and one of his guards stood near him. The jury sat to one side of the room.
The one room schoolhouse was packed with spectators and many that could not get in were milling around the building on the outside.
Just as the trial began the Deputy Marshals and the Beck posse arrived. There were 4 guards outside of the building to keep out unwanted intruders. Deputy Owens told the posse not to try and enter the courtroom and remain peaceably outside until the court's decision was made. Surry Eaton Beck seemed to take command of the posse as they neared the building. There were other family members and friends who were waiting and the two groups merged as they went to the door of the school.
Surry or "White Sut" Beck had a double-barreled shotgun and he forced his way inside and others followed and the guards were over powered. They burst into the courtroom, guns in hand. "Sut" aimed his shotgun at Zeke. Johnson Proctor, Zeke's older brother, grabbed the gun barrel and one of the barrels went off and he received the full charge in the chest and immediately died. The other barrel then went off wounding Zeke in the lower leg below the knee. Zeke grabbed a guard's gun and began to fire it.
Surry Eaton “White Sut” Beck who led the assault was severely wounded but managed to escaped on horse back. Deputy Marshall Donnelly stated that Deputy Marshall J. G. Peavy helped Beck escape to Cincinnati, Arkansas. He had a close encounter there with Proctor’s friends, who were looking for him, but he narrowly escaped them.
Surry Eaton Beck - White Sut Beck
http://image2.findagrave.com/photos2...0816101473.jpg
Then pandemonium broke out as the Beck and Proctor factions fired wildly. The fight lasted about 15 minutes and the wounded, dead, and near dead lay everywhere inside and outside of the school. Most of the Beck faction fled and so did just about everyone who could get on a horse and ride.
Nine were killed outright and two died the next day. An unknown number had minor wounds. William Beck and Deputy Owens were mortally wounded and were carried across the street to a private home where they died a short time later. Owens stated before he died that he tried to stop the battle but could not. The lady who owned the house across the street got her sons to hitch up the mules to the wagon and with the help of others loaded the wagon with the dead. They laid them out on their front porch till family members could come and claim the bodies.
The wounded were taken inside and treated, the best she could by Mrs. Whitmire who was a widow.
"The dead were:
1. Johnson Proctor (Died immediately, older brother of Ezekiel)
2. Samuel Beck
3. Jesse "Black Sut" Beck (my [quoted writer] great grandmother's first husband. She was left with a son about a year old. Her mother had died in February at the mill and now her husband was gone too.)
4. Defense Attorney, Mose Alberty
5. Andy Palone
6. William Hicks
7. Jim Ward
8. George Selvidge (married to Sabra Beck)
9. Riley Woods
10. Deputy Marshall Owens (severely wounded and died the next day)"
This story gets shaded depending on the agenda of the teller. Truly many make it about the Federal government trying to impose on Cherokee Courts. There is truth there. There is also truth that Deputy Owens died after trying to stop the marauders from entering the "courtroom". Nothing can take away from the fifteen minutes of absolute death that occurred. Facts. I guess because no one walked off 20 paces and slapped leather that this is dismissed by the old west debunkers too, but it happened. Indeed, at least eleven died in a maelstrom of lead.
The very next day the court reconvened and acquitted Zeke Procter. He later went on to serve as a Deputy US Marshal for Isaac Parker, "The Hanging Judge".
Zeke:
http://www.visitroswellga.com/images...ke-Proctor.jpg
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There were some really bad hombres in the old I.T. But there some pretty tough lawman there who slowly winnowed out the badmen. The price paid by those lawmen was enormous. God only knows how many were killed chasing the outlaws of that area. The number boggles the mind, seriously.
See Nix's "Oklahombres", Harman's "Hell on the Border", Shirley's "The Law West of Fort Smith", etc.
For the lawmen sketches, I think Commodore Perry Owens standing alone in street facing multiple bad guys barricaded in a house, has to rank up with my favorites, for the lawmen. Harry Tracy epitomizes desperation. The Newton General Massacre is just unreal.
LEAD LAW :)
Adios, Amigo
New sketch tomorrow or Tuesday, stay tuned and see if you and catch a dim smell of black powder smoke :)
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"New sketch tomorrow or Tuesday..."
The sooner the better. Really good reading. History is a beautiful thing. Far safer than the real thing. God Bless and Thanks again for your effort
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Gibson Thanks for the writtings. They are a joy to read. As many times it has been said the main differance between the good and the bad is a badge.
Steve
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reckon it'll be these fellas and this incident today. 8 dead in 11 minutes qualifies. . .
http://www.histdocs.com/home/productimages/542_hr.gif
http://digital.library.okstate.edu/e...ges/DA006A.jpg
Stay tuned as I'm a bit lazy today; it might be a while.
http://img.kansasmemory.org/00138773.jpg
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jmortimer: Thanks, buddy!
gunseller: Even today those words certainly too often hold true. In days of yore, the men like Jeff Milton were exceedingly rare on the "frontier".
Sure glad you guys enjoy my drivel. I'll continue :)
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The Dalton brothers gang much like the James-Younger was nebulous. The core member were indeed core members but others were either in or out for a given job. These guys had a brief but lucrative career. They hit mostly trains; however their first robbery was that of a New Mexico gambling house, in late 1890. Their career extended for two years from late 1890 to late 1892.
The leader of the brothers and the gang was Bob Dalton, although significantly younger than Gratton he was the de facto leader.
It was the evening of October 4, 1892 and the riders decided to stop at Onion Creek to make camp before trying a feat no one had tried before. To pull off two daylight robberies, simultaneously. The would-be victims were the First National Bank and the C.M. Condon Co. Bank. Bob had decided that the gang needed a signature haul. Something no one had done and no one would forget. It was also decided by all members that things were just getting too hot. They were being chased now by one of the greatest lawmen who ever lived. Period. Deputy Marshal Heck Thomas. It was at this Onion Creek camp that the plans were gone over again and the disguises donned. Heavy mustaches and side whiskers possibly wigs, also, for a couple of the robbers. The men then rolled their Winchesters up with their slickers, mounted and began their ride to 8th Street and thence to the "Death Alley".
So, our band consisted of Bob, Emmett, and Grat Dalton, Dick Broadwell, and Bill Power also likely present was Bill Doolin. Into the breech AKA "Death Alley" these men rode. . . they pulled up and tied their horses to a fence- "The hitching post where they intended to tie their horses had been torn down due to road repairs. This forced the gang to hitch their horses in a near-by alley - a fateful decision."
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps...s/99IMG3Bh.jpg
These men were armed to the teeth there is long standing story that Bob Dalton outfitted the five robbers (Doolin may have been left in charge of the horses if present) with 10 new pearl handled and engraved Colt's .45 SAs, brand-new horses, fancy Mexican saddles, new clothes, and new Winchesters. Museum displays notwithstanding, I find this quote from a 1998 article compelling from its prior evidence "We can put eight of the 10 engraved pearl-gripped Colts in the hands of Grat, Bob and Emmett Dalton and Dick Broadwell on the day of the Coffeyville bank robberies. The death certificate of the fifth robber, Bill Power, didn't list any guns in his personal possessions, so his Colts were probably looted immediately after the shootout." These Daltons were indeed armed to the teeth and ready to rock. But the townsfolk were also!
It was 9:30 am, On October 5, as the men dismounted. The men gathered themselves. They pulled out their shiny new Winchester rifles from the slickers and checked their Colt's .45s, one in the shoulder holster and one worn sidearm; they then strode out into the street moving briskly and accelerating as they neared their destinations. Alex McKenna noted the five men and thought there were something very odd about the whole scene, especially the seemingly fake beards. The five men split up, "the three in the front file [Grat Dalton, Bill Power, and Dick Broadwell}went into C.M. Condon & Co.'s bank at the southwest door, while the two in the rear ran directly across the street to the First National Bank and entered the front door of that institution." McKenna peered through the window of the C.M. Condon Bank he was shocked to see a Winchester aimed at the bank teller! Before he realized what he was even doing, he gave voice to the alarm, screaming loudly, "The bank's being robbed, the bank's being robbed." This message was passed like wildfire fire among the folks on the Plaza.
"At the same time several gentlemen saw the two men enter the First National Bank, suspecting their motive, followed close at their heels and witnessed them 'holding up' the men in this institution. They gave the alarm on the east side of the Plaza. A 'call to arms' came simultaneously with the alarm and in less time than it takes to relate the fact a dozen men with Winchesters and revolvers in their hands were ready to resist the escape of the unwelcome visitors."
Back at the Condon Bank, at the point of his Winchester, Grat demanded that the employees "open the vault and do it quick!". A fast thinking cashier C.M. Ball stalled Grat, Power and Broadwell with the fiction that the time lock on the vault had not released, and would not until 9:45. This stall gave the townsmen time to fully organize themselves. Grat was in no mood to mess around and matter-of-factly told him, "Open it or I'll kill you" Out of fear the cashier quickly forked over 4K in silver coin hoping it would stall Grat, but he made it clear that he did not want the silver but wanted the 40K in the vault. It was now 9:42 am, seven minutes had passed since the teller had told Grat that the vault would open at 9:45 am. Grat decided to wait the three minutes. The townsfolk did not wait. They opened up with what they had and they had plenty. Rifles, revolvers, and shotguns.
Across the way Bob and Emmett had taken control in The First National Bank. Everything went off as planned. Bob Dalton tossed over a bag and demanded cashier Ayres fill it. He put 21K into the bag and was told no silver, after he had began to try and put it in also. The vault cleaned out and the firing started, "Bob Dalton then ordered the three bankers to walk out from behind the counter in front of him, and they put the whole party out at the front door. Before they reached the door, Emmett called to Bob to 'Look out there at the left.' Just as the bankers and their customers had reached the pavement, and as Bob and Emmett appeared at the door, two shots were fired at them from the doorway of the drug store… Neither one of them was hit. They were driven back into the bank… Bob stepped to the door a second time, and raising his Winchester to his shoulder, took deliberate aim and fired in a southerly direction. Emmett held his Winchester under his arm while he tied a string around the mouth of the sack containing the money. They then ordered the young men to open the back door and let them out. Mr. Shepard complied and went with them to the rear of the building, when they passed out into the alley. It was then that the bloody work of the dread desperadoes began."
As they left they encountered Lucius Baldwin coming at them with a revolver. Bob sent Emmett off with the take and raised his Winchester and dropped Baldwin where he stood. The single round taking effect in the left side of the man's chest.
Back to Grat's group. . . "The moment that Grat Dalton and his companions, Dick Broadwell and Bill Power, left the bank [the C.M. Condon Bank] that they had just looted, they came under the guns of the men in Isham's store. Grat Dalton and Bill Powers each received mortal wounds before they had retreated twenty steps. The dust was seen to fly from their clothes, and Powers in his desperation attempted to take refuge in the rear doorway of an adjoining store, but the door was locked and no one answered his request to be let in. He kept his feet and clung to his Winchester until he reached his horse, when another ball struck him in the back and he fell dead at the feet of the animal that had carried him on his errand of robbery. "
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/phot...leBank-500.jpg
Now, Bob and Emmett have headed down Union street and there see two men, boot makers, George Cubine and Charlie T. Brown. George has a Winchester but is not looking toward the Daltons, Bob raises his own rifle and shoots Cubine in the center of the back, the bullet passing through his heart. As he falls, his friend grabs his rifle but is also shoot dead by Bob with his trusty Winchester, with a single round. As the men raced around the next corner, they came face to face with the earlier mentioned cashier Ayres. Ayres having armed himself from Isham's Hardware store stood in the doorway of said hardware store. Bob raised his Winchester and shot him in the face, just below his left eye, SEVERELY wounding him.
No one better than David Stewart Elliot of The Coffeyville Journal as quoted from the web article, "The Dalton Gang's Last Raid, 1892" EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2001) to finish this story: "Grat Dalton, getting under cover of the oil tank, managed to reach the side of a barn that stands on the south side of the alley... [At this point, Marshal Connelly ran across a vacant lot into "Death Alley" from the south to the spot where the bandits had tied their horses.] The marshal sprang into the alley with his face towards the point where the horses were hitched. This movement brought him with his back to the murderous Dalton, who was seen to raise his Winchester to his side and without taking aim fire a shot into the back of the brave officer. Marshal Connelly fell forward on his face within twenty feet of where his murderer stood.
Dick Broadwell in the meantime had reached cover in the Long-Bell Lumber Company's yards, where he laid down for a few moments. He was wounded in the back. A lull occurred in the firing after Grat Dalton and Bill Power had fallen. Broadwell took advantage of this and crawled out of his hiding-place and mounted his horse and rode away. A ball from Kloehr's [John Kloehr, a townsman] rifle and a load of shot from a gun in the hands of Carey Seaman overtook him before he had ridden twenty feet. Bleeding and dying he clung to his horse and passed out of the city… His dead body was subsequently found alongside of the road a half-mile west of the city.
[As Marshal Connelly fell, Bob and Emmett Dalton - successfully escaping the First National Bank - ran down a side alley and into 'Death Alley' from the north.] When the two Daltons reached the junction of the alleys they discovered F.D. Benson in the act of climbing through a rear window with a gun in his hand. Divining his object, Bob fired at him point blank at a distance of not over thirty feet. The shot missed Mr. Benson, but struck a window and demolished the glass. Bob then stepped into the alley and glanced up towards the tops of the buildings as if he suspected that the shots that were being fired at the time were coming from that direction. As he did so, the men at Isham's took deliberate aim at him from their position in the store and fired. The notorious leader of the Dalton gang evidently received a severe if not fatal wound at this moment. He staggered across the alley and sat down on a pile of dressed curbstones near the city jail. True to his desperate nature he kept his rifle in action and fired several shots from where he was seated. His aim was unsteady and the bullets went wild… He arose to his feet and sought refuge alongside of an old barn west of the city jail, and leaning against the southwest corner, brought his rifle into action again and fired two shots in the direction of his pursuers. A ball from Mr. Kloehr's rifle struck the bandit full in the breast and he fell upon his back among the stones that covered the ground where he was standing.
After shooting Marshal Connelly, Grat Dalton made another attempt to reach his horse. He passed by his fallen victim and had advanced probably twenty feet from where he was standing when he fired the fatal shot. Turning his face to his pursuers, he again attempted to use his Winchester. John Kloehr's rifle spoke in unmistakable tones another time, and the oldest member of the band dropped with a bullet in his throat and a broken neck. "
This left only Emmett alive. He mounted his horse and was immediately slammed with a volley of lead. and hit multiple times. Rifles slugs in his right arm and left hip and groin, he still could have bolted to freedom BUT he rode back to where Bob was dying and attempted to help him onto his horse with him. BRAVE MAN. Bob, who had earlier told them he was done for, and to "DIE GAME, BOYS", now faintly said, "it's no use". Bob Died. Emmett now was BLASTED!, according to an old timer, here is what happened next:
"Carey Seaman (correctly spelled Cary Semans) was my gggreat grandfather. He was the town barber and had just came back into town from hunting. He was mostly the only one with his gun and ammo. He Unloaded both barrals into Emmett. When Emmett was released from Jail the Semans went into hiding unsure if Emmett would come after them."
The reports say Emmett had between 20-23 wounds. (I suspect that many were from this shotgun blast/s.)
A great online piece of contemporary history is from this article in The Indian Chieftan of October 6, 1892:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lc...rRange&index=3
"Hideout", complete with tunnel:
http://media.rd.com/rd/images/rdc/fa...hideout-af.jpg
Bob'c Colt:
http://www.christies.com/lotfinderim.../d1375852r.jpg
Another view:
http://www.kayempea.net/images/cvilleplan.jpg
Final tallies:
Citizens killed in the Raid were:
Charles T. Connelly, a 46-year-old school teacher who also served
as the Marshal.
Charles Brown, 59, a shoemaker.
George B. Cubine, 36, another shoemaker.
Lucius M. Baldwin, 23-year-old clerk in the Read Brothers store.
The dead bandits were:
Bob Dalton, leader of the band, who was 30
Grat Dalton, age 33.
Bill Power (Tim Evans)
Dick Broadwell
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Thoughts?
An armed citizenry can be formidable.
Years later, Henry Starr and cohorts would attempt a double whammy as well. Henry was indeed the last or one of the last of the old-time "badmen". We may try a sketch on him later. Certainly he died game.
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Gibson, I have been to the Dalton hide out and walked the tunnel. They had a good plan but did not have a look at what was going on in town before the they tried the robbery. Bonnie and Clyde had the same problem north of Dexter, Iowa. B&C got away but others did not. I have spoken with some of the locals who were there and held some of the firearms that were carried that day.
Steve
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Interesting stuff, Steve. Seriously, I appreciate you sharing.
I have never been to the that area. Later, some of the remnants of the gang fought the "Battle of Ingalls". Man, there was some lead thrown there! I learned about an interesting character known as "Arkansas Tom". The guy was a dyed-in-the-wool criminal. No kidding. He served a long stint, got out and went back to it. His criminal career went WELL into the 20th century. I have a sketch on Bill Doolin and the guys at Ingalls. I'll get to it. They shot it out with lawmen, intently, on that 1893 day.
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I wonder how much recon they did. Kicking a hornet's nest really bad idea. 4 and 4 good/bad casualties, not a great showing by the gang and their "mastermind."
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"We tried a desperate game and lost. But we are rough men used to rough ways, and we will abide by the consequences."
-Thomas Coleman Younger
It seems, according to Cole, that he was wounded a total of 11 times between 2:00 pm 7 September and 21 September, 1876. Make no mistake he was a large man for the day, he was roughly 6' tall and around 230 lbs. but even at that being shot 11 times, even if most were less than life threatening it is still amazing. One bullet entered the back of his skull and traveled to behind or near his right eye. (Note the picture) Rough men. . .
From what I have gathered it appears that eight men attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota. An old James Gang member Jim Cummins claimed to be there but it seems to me nonsense. Homer Croy referred to him as a sniveler and a "cry-baby".
So we have Jesse and Frank James, (never indicted nor named but. . .) the three Younger brothers, Charlie Pitts, Bill Chadwell, and Clell Miller. These men clad in, what I had always assumed was legendary BS, full length dusters, came to Division Street at different times but all within an hour. Cole indicates that Jesse, Bob Younger, and Charlie Pitts went into the bank. Most seem to believe it was Frank, Jesse, and Bob Younger. Whatever the case may be it seems pretty that at least one if not more were drunk.
Cole and Miller were outside the front of the bank. Everything went downhill from here for the outlaws. . . overzealous and creating a circus the three guys in the bank vaulted the counter (must have been a sight!) but bank acting cashier Heywood refuses to open the vault, giving the outlaws some excuse about a time lock. Apparently Bob knocked him almost completely out with his revolver, after Heywood made more trouble for them. Jesse then stirred him and put a knife to his throat, but it was still a no go on the vault. At this point townsfolk have become alerted after Miller turns away a customer. Cole fires off a round to signal the remaining three outlaws to come into the action. (So says Cole's account but I suspect it happened a bit differently, cf. below) They are operating as they had in times passed, "hoorah-ing" the town. But this time the citizens do run as wanted but then arm themselves and from cover begin a general lead-fest. People are shouting "robbery" and for the outlaws all has turned to chaos. Both inside and outside the bank. One employee attempts to escape from the bank and is shot by Bob. Cole is by now pleading for the three men to get out of the bank and make a run for it.
Odd thing, when this all started Clell Miller had a clean shot at a fleeing man named Wheeler. Strangely Cole leaves this completely out of his account but I suspect that the following is more accurate. Wheeler had heard the ruckus and was running down the street shouting about a robbery, Miller had a clean shot but sailed the bullet just over his head. If done on purpose to merely frighten him, it was the worst mistake Miller ever made. Shortly Wheeler would be back in the fight with an old Army carbine and shoot Miller graveyard dead.
These Minnesotans are really raining down lead on the bandits! A citizen spies three horses that belong to the outlaws, tethered. He shoots one of them, dead. This turns out to be Bob's horse. The same fellow, Manning, draws a bead on Cole and shoots him right in the forehead. Well, actually, he nailed Cole's hat putting it forever out of commission. Next, a citizen on the street who spoke little to no English, Gustafson, was shot and ultimately killed by parties unknown. Cole Younger plead guilty to the murder of Gustafson and has been quoted as yelling at him to "get out of the damned street". Shortly after ignoring that order he was shot. Cole probably shot him down for seemingly ignoring him. . .
Manning was now lined up on Bill Chadwell and despite prodding from multiple citizens took his time and made an absolutely perfect heart shot. Chadwell was sitting in his saddle randomly firing when the projectile pierced his heart, he "stood in his saddle and gasped for air, before tumbling out of it and falling to the dirt street below. He was dead before he hit the ground." Next it was Miller's turn to meet his Maker. Wheeler, with his "Army carbine", had a bead on Miller. He dropped the hammer on him. "The slug hit Clell just below the left shoulder, severing his subclavian artery. The blast knocked him off his horse and he landed face first in the dirt. With blood gushing out of his eye, face, and shoulder, he attempted to lift himself up on his arms, but after about three seconds of this, his strength gave up and he toppled over. Cole saw this and raced towards him. Reaching his body, he dismounted and, using his horse for cover, knelt to examine Clell. Discovering he was dead, he grabbed Clell’s pistols and cartridge belts and attempted to remount. As he was doing so, another bullet tore through his left thigh. He winced in pain, but managed to pull himself up on his horse and make another charge. He ran passed the bank door again and yelled inside, 'They’re killing our men! Get out here!'"
The last man out the bank door turned around, leveled a revolver on Heyward and blew his brains out. Historians generally believe this was Franklin James.
The bloody cold wet retreat was now on. Part two, upcoming: Hanska Slough.
Cole:
http://collections.mnhs.org/visualre...1/pf101854.jpg
http://collections.mnhs.org/visualre...9/pf069650.jpg
I believe this may be an actual duster worn by one of the outlaws:
http://jamesallder.files.wordpress.c.../09/duster.jpg
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I always thought that the dusters thing was Hollywood BS. BUT alas, it's fact. Can you see those guys(Chadwell was 6'4 1/2" and two of the Youngers were 6' or better) riding in on the finest of horseflesh beclad in long linen dusters? Now can Hollyweird really outdo that? The truth?
Certainly "The Long Riders" has it's flaws but I'd say the appearance of the riders was close to spot on.
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So, as they leave Northfield, Thomas Coleman Younger drops back and holds off the citizenry.
These guys were shot to pieces. "Cole Younger had been shot five times, in the left thigh, left hip, right arm, right side, and left shoulder. Jim Younger had been shot three times, once in each shoulder and in the back of his right leg. Frank James and Charlie Pitts had each been shot once; Frank in the right leg, above the knee, and Charlie in the upper left arm. Frank, however, also had his arm and hand slammed in the door of the vault of Northfield’s bank, and this wound cause him much pain for several days to follow."
The first posse did not follow long but the telegraphs go out everywhere and eventually you have 1000+ men searching for the outlaws. These men are struggling along but display grit in the extreme. It is a slow plodding and PAINFUL retreat. One cannot imagine what this must have been like. They survived on what they could scavenge for the most part. They managed to procure (steal) another mount, so all had horses. In short order, Bob continually falls from his mount due to blood loss from the elbow wound.
On the 8th of September a cold and dreary rain sets in and stays for a long while.
After days of struggling through this nightmare, even losing their mounts and managing to only steal two replacements, the guys run upon a farmer. Jesse wants to kill him to insure his silence but it appears that Cole stepped in and saved the guy. After being tied up for a bit he was freed and swore an oath not to reveal that they were there. (Suffice it to say, he did not keep it and soon the pursuers were back on the trail.)
With Bob continuing to fall off his mount, they gang decided to split up. The James' took the horses and the injured would remain afoot and take separate path. Strangely Pitts although not badly hurt, stayed. I suspect there was bad blood in this separation. So the James' head off rather westward, eventually making their way Iowa and then the Dakota Territory, and eventually made good their escape. Worthy of note is the fact that both were wounded in the leg by a posse member shortly after separating from the others.
Eventually Cole and his faction end up surrounded near Madelia in area known as Hanska Slough. And after an opening volley from the posse they took cover behind a deadfall.
For two full weeks these hard put and desperate men have survived, often afoot, in a totally strange land, and TERRIBLY wounded. Accounts differ. Either they had some horses secreted at this tiime and Cole told the men, it will be every man for himself as we run to the horses and any man who makes it try and and break through the posse's lines. Or more likely they simply were tired and fed up and decided to make a last fight. Pitts asked Cole if he should surrender, Cole replied, do as you want. Pitts declined. Charlie Pitts was a game man by all accounts that I have read of him.
Seven of the posse members advance on the deadfall, evidently Cole fires a shot which hits a posse member and Pitts jumps to his feet blazing away with two large revolvers. He is cut down immediately as the posse returns fire on what was a severely wounded party of three, as Bob could not fire and was relegated to reloading duties.
Pitts wad dead. Jim younger was unconscious, Cole was hit six more times, including the bullet that entered his skull from the rear and lodged behind his right eye; it ended his fight. So the posse advanced and demanded surrender. It seems that Bob held a bloody kerchief and surrendered for the lot of them.
Here is where you can take your pick:
Story one penned by a grown man who witnessed the outlaws being brought in at the age of nine. The remarkable thing is that he details going into town the next morning to find Cole Younger cuffed and standing bareheaded under a cottonwood tree being photographed. This man had taken 11 bullet wounds over the last two weeks! He is adamant about the following quote he clearly heard Cole say: "I want to tell these people that I think your sheriff and the posse are brave men, excepting one, who after we had surrendered and thrown down our guns and I was the only one standing (?), Willis Bundy, one of the posse shot my brother Jim, who was lying on the ground, in the chin, a cowardly thing to do and if I live to be a free man, I will hunt that man down and kill him."
Another account has Bundy shooting Bob through the chest after they surrendered. Suffice it to say, Bob was indeed shot through the lung and Jim suffered an unbelievably horrific wound to his face.
Still another account has Bob surrendering and then, "Cole was beginning to awake already and offered to fight the posse’s two best men in hand-to-hand combat. Bob walked over, wrapped his left arm around Cole, and whispered in his ear, 'Cole, it’s over. Give it up or they’ll hang us for sure.' Cole reluctantly agreed and also surrendered."
However the end came, it did come. The men were taken back and held for trial. On the way Jim hung his heard over the side of the transport because of the intense bleeding. A woman, along the way, ran from her house with a clean cloth and gave it to him. His brother Cole stood and nodded to a cluster of women gathered to watch the spectacle.
Just to drive home the point of privation due to weather that these men went through, when Cole's boots were removed everyone of his toenails fell off.
From their capture forward, neither Cole nor his brothers ever identified the James' as being there. Cole believed that one never did such a thing.
It was 25 years before Cole would ever have any semblance of freedom again.
The .32 Moore Rimfire taken from Cole by the posse:
https://contentdm.carleton.edu/cgi-b...B=1&DMROTATE=0
Possibly another gun taken from Cole:
http://www.geocities.ws/greyno1457/coleyounger_s_44.jpg
http://deadbutdreamin.files.wordpres...imyounger3.jpg
http://amberandchaos.com/tp/wp-conte...hfield0907.jpg
http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/americane...eline_1876.jpg
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I truly believe that this failure was due to three things:
1) Whiskey (although it has been disputed, more than one citizen reported smelling alcohol strongly)
2) Failure to destroy the telegraph lines
3) A VERY WELL ARMED CITIZENRY. Gun store owner was also passing out firearms.
Can you imagine this in modern times? Citizens would be completely out of bounds and the police would be hamstrung. . .
That said, I suspect a totally sober group of bank entrants may have rescued the plot, but maybe not. . . It's difficult say after all these guys were in the wide open street and the Lord only knows how many men were firing from all directions, from good cover, at this small group. Much like mice in a barrel.
An aside:
I once visited the old frame house of George Hite, uncle of the Jameses and friend of the Youngers, in Adairville, KY. Not far from the 1868 Russellville Bank robbery pulled off by the gang. . .
"The Hite Home, near Adairville, Logan Co., KY, was a favorite refuge for the James Gang. Jesse continued to suffer from the lung wound he received while attempting to surrender as the Civil War came to an end. He learned of a Doctor Eve in Nashville, Davidson Co., TN who specialized in treating such wounds. Jesse had joined the Anderson Gang at the age of 17. After the gang's bold robbery of Clay County Savings Bank in Liberty, Clay Co., MO on 13 Feb 1866, Jesse along with his brother Frank and the Younger Brothers Associated, took refuge at the home of George and Nancy. From there, Jesse sought treatment from Doctor Eve and recuperated for several months. As he regained strength, and by now needing money, Jesse along with Frank James, Cole Younger, Jim White, John Jarret and George Shepard, who had all served together with Quantrill during the Civil War, chose to rob the Southern Deposit Bank of Russellville, Logan Co., KY on 20 Mar 1868. Somewhat more confident from their success they had in their first bank robbery in Liberty, Clay Co., MO, the gang took between 9 and 14 thousand dollars and once more took refuse at the Hite home. The James' always considered them-selves Missouri-Indian Territory folks, though they had major ties to Fort Scott."
The passage quoted above ^ is uncorrected but probably still has less typos than my scratch. . .
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Here is link to free book from the Gutenberg Project "The Story of Cole Younger, by Himself by Cole Younger."
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24585 I will for sure download and read.
5/5 at least on the tough guy scale. Good News was that he was Saved on or about 8-21-1912 so we will enjoy his company in Heaven.