Advice From An Old U.S. Marshal

There is a magazine published quarterly here in Oklahoma known as "Oklahombres". The subjects of this magazine are the outlaws who terrorized and lawmen who protected the Indian and Oklahoma Territories.

Today we have a letter from that magazine written by retired U. S. Deputy Marshal Chris Madsen for the benefit of new lawmen. Madsen was one of the "Three Guardians" which included Heck Thomas and Bill Tilghman. Hope you enjoy this article and can appreciate the absolute life and death situations the old lawmen of the Twin Territories dealt with on a daily basis.

This article is written at the request of some of the officers of our association. It is not intended to be a boast for, or a criticism of any officers now in the service, but to point out some mistakes as are often the cause of new inexperienced officers falling down in the war against criminals, - not for the lack of courage or fearlessness, but on account of inexperience and a desire to rush in heedlessly where caution should be the guide.

Too much publicity is often indulged in by new men who like to see their names in print, or boast about what they are going to do. That should be left till after the work is done. Many a well-planned raid has been made a failure because some one of the party had told his wife, a personal friend or a sweetheart of the dangerous work he had been selected for. And regardless of how much confidence one may have in his kinfolks and friends, and how anxious they may be to keep the secret, some word or some action may warn the ever watchful friends of the outlaws, who often have spies among the better people, and even in the offices of the officers.

It has often been told about me, that whatever success I had in the days when I was engaged in chasing outlaws, was not on account of any superior, intelligence or fearlessness, but because I never told anybody where I was going when I started out, and half the time did not know it myself.

Some of the failures that have marked many a well-laid plan and caused me much chagrin at times, may well be warning to others. They can laugh at my experience, but I cannot.

At the time when Dewey County was quite a notorious rendezvous for outlaws, Fred Hoffman, who was then county Treasurer and married to a sister of Jim Riley's wife, had been giving me much information about the coming and going of the various bandits who were always welcome at Riley's place.

He had also assisted the Santa Fe officers by keeping them posted about proposed raids to be made by the outlaws. Some special agent for the company, Mr. J.J. Kenney, received a letter from one of the spotters for the outlaws, offering his service to the company, but received a reply from Mr. Kenney that the company already had Mr. Hoffman employed.

On his next trip to Taloga, Fred was waylaid and killed. His body was found a few days later covered with snow on the banks of the South Canadian river. I was in Washington on business at the time, but was ordered by the Attorney General to return to Oklahoma at once to form a posse and endeavor to apprehend the killer or killers.

A short time before this, the sheriff at Canadian City, Texas, had been killed while attempting to arrest some would-be express robbers, and Captain Arrington of the Texas Rangers had been appointed temporary sheriff. I conferred with him in regard to making a combined attack on the various holdouts between Canadian City and Taloga, and about the first of February I started from El Reno with a large posse, at the same time Arrington started down along the (Canadian) river with a number of Texas Rangers.

We reached Taloga in a blinding snowstorm, and before any of the citizens were aware of our presence every place, private or public was under guards, and more than twenty men were arrested. Some to be tried in the Oklahoma courts and others taken to Texas to be tried for the murder of the sheriff and the attempted robbery of the express. Several of them were convicted, some turned states evidence and others were turned loose on account of insufficient evidence, but the outlaws stronghold in that part of the county was broken up for good.

But Fred Hoffman, a good citizen, had been sacrificed because a fool of a detective did not know better than to tell the outlaws, or their agent, who to look out for. During the time when the Casey gang was terrorizing the country, I obtained the services of a boy whose mother had formerly been the wife of Jim Hughes, at or near whose place on the Washita, that outfit frequently found food and shelter.

Lute Houston got a job to break horses for his former brother-in-law, and when several of the band were there, he sent a telegram to me at Chickasha to come at once. Sheriffs Porter of Enid, Jim Thompson, Caddo County and Pat Oaks from Alva started with me, but heavy rain had washed out the railroad between Chickasha and Mountain View, and we had to hire teams to take us there, which took two days through rain and mud - and only to learn that the birds had flown. I learned later that a bus driver had gone into the agents office at the telegraph station, and had read the telegram and sent world to the outlaws to clear out. His name was Smith Brown, and he died shortly afterwards with his boots on.

But shortly thereafter, Casey, Simms, Lockwood and Hudson induced Lute to go with them to rob a bank at Cleo, west of Enid. Lute dared not to refuse because he feared that such refusal would strengthen the suspicion that he was spying on them. They had not gone far when they let him know that they were onto him, and that he was doomed to die. They took him to near Swan Lake in Caddo County where they hung him and perforated him with bullets. They were kind enough to send us a postal card telling me where I could find my "Spotter" hanging in a tree, and warned me that the same fate awaited any other spy I might send and me too if they could get me.

But Bill Fossett who was then United States Marshal at Guthrie, had better luck, and through his efforts two men were allowed to leave the jail at Guthrie on condition that they would join the Casey gang and cause their arrest. The two men, Lockwood and Hudson, watched their chance and before they reached Cleo, killed Casey and Simms. Later Hudson tried to kill Jim Bourland, deputy sheriff at Anadarko without getting hurt himself, but failed as Bourland after being mortally wounded had the strength left to fire his gun. Both died a few days later, and Lockwood was later killed after leaving Oklahoma.

So Lute Houston was avenged, and the Casey gang practically exterminated, except for those who had been arrested and were serving time in the penitentiary. Moran was caught by me near Durant, and while I was searching his house for evidence obtained a gun which a woman had hidden under a newspaper on the table. I looked up from the trunk I was ransacking in time to get the drop on him, and then made him, the woman and a brother of hers, get into a farm wagon which had just arrived. I was taking no chances of having the woman and the man gather up any of the outlaw neighbors, and forced them to drive me to Tishomingo, about 35 miles, during the night.

Moran, Perkins and Casey were changed with killing of Dr. Beanblosson's son, a boy about 12 years old, between Rush Springs and Lawton, the night before the opening of the Lawton Townsite. Many other killings were said to have been committed by Casey - among them Sheriff Smith of Caddo county.

The two killings of Fred Hoffman and Lute Houston were the direct result of information leaking out and reaching those for whom it should have been kept secret. Hence I feel that I am justified in giving the advice to present day officers, to keep their plans and goings to themselves until the task they start out to do has been completed. In the case of raiding the dugout near Ingalls, I and the posse started in pursuit of those who had escaped.

About noon we came to an Indian's house and inquired if we could get something to eat and feed for our horses. The Indian informed us that dinner was ready for us, and he would take care of the horses. After getting our dinner I asked him how much I owed him and he told me that for myself and the men with me, it would be about two dollars, and for the other party that had been there in the morning the charge would be the same. He then told me that the party that had been there in the morning had told him that Chris Madsen would be there later and would pay for all.

That convinced me that Doolin had notice of my party coming. As I could well understand that the Indian took us for pals of Doolin, and that he was friendly to them, I thought best to let him remain in ignorance and paid the bill, as I might some other time come there again seeking information.

Some time after Doolin had been arrested by Tilghman I took Doolin to dinner at Guthrie, and told him about the trick he had played on me. He told me he was sorry, but was out of founds just then, but would reimburse me after he got out of the jail and could make proper arrangements at some bank for money. As he failed to do so, I never received my money back.

In the Hoffman case I received a letter 10 years after he was killed. It had been written by him on the day before he started for Taloga, but had not been mailed, and had probably been found after the death of Riley. He told me that a man had followed him out of Taloga one evening, and told him if he did not quit writing to me, something would happing to him. The description of the man fitted Tulsa Jack (Blake), who was soon afterwards killed near Dover after the train robbery at that place.

Many similar cases could be cited, and while I am writing this, I learn that the sweetheart of Ford Bradshaw, who was recently killed, has stated to the police at Kansas City, where she has been in custody, that the recent raid on the Osage and Cookson Hills by the combined forces of many Pease Officers, had been a failure because the outlaws had advanced information as to where the raid was to be made, and had left for other places.

There is another drawback to a successful raid. An inexperienced man, or one easily excited may spoil all the caution the leader counts on for success, and a rash or untimely act may endanger the life, not of himself, but of others in the party. A man of that kind should never be allowed to be a member of a raiding party. He will do more harm than good, although he may otherwise be a good officer and trustworthy. Any person accepting a place on a posse should do so with the understanding that he is to obey, without question, the leader on whom the responsibility rests. Advice and information should be giving the leader. When deemed necessary, but his decision should be final.

I am of the opinion that a force of state police is absolutely needed if the criminal element is to be subdued. A sheriff or other peace officer has all he can do in his own county or district, and as there is no provisions for paying his expenses when outside his own jurisdiction, he should not be expected to work outside his allotted territory.

A force of independent State Police, free from all political influences, even if small, under a competent leader, could do more in one month to eradicate the outlaws than all the sheriffs and other officers could do in a year, and properly attend to their home duties. Old tried officers, and men who have received military training, if otherwise qualified, should have preference, and the meddling of politicians with appointments and conduct of the men, should be an offence punishable by fine and imprisonment.

Contributed by Dennis Muncrief - January 8, 2005