By J. M. Hall

© Karolyn Kay Garland 1997

Page # 53

crimes and were, in effect, fugitives from justice. Their clash with the others resulted in a number of killings.

Muddiloca, a very fine Creek full. blood, was assassinated at the corner of First Street and Boulder avenue. Barnett took advantage of him by hiding behind a blacksmith's shop and shooting as he passed. Muddiloca was on his way home from a meeting of leading Creek citizens who were discussing ways and means to end the guerilla warfare. Soon after this Barnett was killed by Wallace Menack. Between these two sensational deaths, that did much to shock both sides into a truce, several Indians were killed.

The Creek outlaws were not the only ones who gave trouble, Many bad men had come into the country from Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. They banded together for protection and systematic plundering.

Tulsa's first band of outlaws was known as the Glass gang. They made a trip into Kansas in 1884, bought a lot of whisky and stole some horses. Two men followed them across the border and then circled around them to reach Tulsa first. They called for volunteers to help them make the capture and a number of early Tulsans enlisted. The gangsters were over taken on a ferry boat north of the present site of the railroad bridge over the Arkansas. They were commanded to surrender. One negro in the bandit party gave up and came ashore. As he was being taken in charge a shot pierced the thigh of one of the Coffeyville men. This confused the pursuit. The Tulsa volunteers started back to town with the wounded man, forgetting their negro prisoner for the moment. He seized a rifle the writer had loaned the wounded man and escaped to the boat. Then all the outlaws escaped across the river. One was wounded in the parting exchanges of shots. Their horses, wagon and most of their whisky had been deserted and was taken back to town, after which a number of Indians and some others had a sustained drunk.

DALTON BOYS LIVED IN TULSA

The Dalton boys, another wild west gang, lived in Tulsa. They were Grant, Bob and Emmet Dalton. They never molested anyone in Tulsa but committed systematic robberies elsewhere. Two or three other men were usually associated with them. The end to this gang came one day in Coffeyville, Kan., when they essayed to rob two banks at the same time. Grant, Bob and another man was killed by a posse of citizens and Emmet was badly wounded and captured. Only one of the robbers escaped. Emmet is now said to be living an ordinary life in California.

The Bill Doolin gang members often visited Tulsa but never harmed anyone here Later Doolin was killed along with several lieutenants of his band and it was broken up.

Probably the meanest gang of early day bandits were the Bucks. There were five members of this outfit. They went too far early in their careers, outraging a young farmer's wife east of where the town of Beggs is located now. A posse of farmers and townsmen surrounded them and captured all. They were hustled to Fort Smith, convicted and hanged within 30 days.

COOK OPERATED NEAR HERE

The Bill Cook gang was another of the type that did not harm individuals but planned robberies on a big scale. They tried to rob an express messenger on a Frisco train when it stopped at Red Fork but he dropped his package of money and they failed to see it. They were more successful in many other hold-ups, however.

Cherokee Bill was one of the individual bad men of the Territory. Some times he had a few men under his command. Many crimes were traced to him.

Henry Starr was a so-called high-class robber, who confined his activities principally to banks. He met United States Marshal Floyd Wilson in the road in the neighborhood of Nowata one day and successfully resisted arrest, killing Wilson. Starr often visited Tulsa and it was from here that he went to his death a few years ago, while attempting to rob an Arkansas bank.

FIRST CHINAMAN

The fate of the first Chinaman to make Tulsa his home may have had its effect on others of his race. Anyway, years elapsed between the murder of the first one and the arrival of the second. The first, like some of the white men, must go without a name in this story, though he was willing to tell his to all who could understand, He had a restaurant in a tiny shack on the south side of the Frisco. He was a splendid cook and hunters would bring him choice bits of game to prepare for them. A man by the name of Cox laid claim to the little shack and ordered the Chinaman to move. He refused. One day when he went to the butcher shop at Main and First streets Cox followed him in and shot him to