THE LAST SHOOTOUT

As the "Wild West" slowly faded into legend and Oklahoma became a state, the old U. S. Marshals were retired from federal service. Many went into farming and ranching just thankful they had lived long enough to reach retirement. Others assumed duties as peace officers in the new state.

Heck Thomas became city marshal of Lawton, OK where he died of Bright's disease in 1912. Chris Madsen was later appointed as chief of police in Oklahoma City and died in Guthrie in 1944. Bill Tilghman retired and was also appointed chief of police in Oklahoma City in 1911.

Wanting to return to law enforcement, in 1924, at the age of 70, Tilghman accepted the position of city marshal of Cromwell, Ok. On November 1, 1924, he was killed while trying to arrest Wiley Lynn, a corrupt prohibition officer.

Cromwell was an oil boomtown that had a very unsavory reputation. Gambling, alcohol, drugs, prostitution and general mayhem was the rule. The appointment of Lynn as prohibition officer seemed to be the answer for all the illegal liquor that was present. But Lynn began taking kickbacks from the saloonkeepers and was a suspected dope dealer according to some reports. This created great friction between Lynn and Tilghman.

On the ill-fated evening Tilghman went to a saloon to investigate a minor disturbance. He encountered an intoxicated Lynn and tried to arrest him. Tilghman had looked the Devil in the face many times but never suspected that another law officer would draw down on him. Tilghman got five bullets in the chest for his carelessness.

Lynn was tried and acquitted by reason of self-defense, nobody could understand why since Tilghman was unarmed at the time of the shooting.  He did get ninety days in jail for dropping his gun in the courtroom during the trial. After Lynn was released he went to his home in Madill, OK where his mother had a ranch. Also living in Madill was Crockett Long.

Several years earlier, Crocket Long, a Chickasaw, was a deputy sheriff of Marshall County. In the performance of his duties, he had arrested Wylie Lynn for public intoxication, which was not an uncommon condition for Lynn. Lynn didn't want to be arrested and a struggle ensued. Crockett Long pulled his gun and pistol whipped Lynn into unconsciousness and hauled him to jail.

This started the bad blood between the two men. Long knew that Lynn had murdered Bill Tilghman and had gotten off scott-free. With Lynn's constant drinking and Long's hatred for him for the killing of Tilghman, a showdown was sure to come, and soon.

On July 17, 1932, things came to a head. On the hot Sunday afternoon, Long entered the Corner Drug Store in Madill. The crowded ice cream parlor was filled with folks trying to get relief from the heat.

Long saw a friend in which he was about to go into business. As he sat at the table with Bill Baker discussing the business venture, Wylie Lynn walked into the drug store not knowing that Crockett Long was there. At first Long did not notice Lynn. Lynn walked up and told Long, "I am going to kill you, you son of a b____".

In an instant, Long jumped to his feet and in a flash drew his .44 Smith & Wesson and began firing at Lynn. Lynn drew his .38 Special and returned fire. Lynn always preferred to use steel-jacketed .38 caliber ammo.   Both men were struck and Long fell to the floor. Long continued firing while lying on the floor and Lynn continued firing while walking toward Long.

Both men emptied their guns into each other. When the guns were emptied and the firing stopped, the men were only five feet apart. Witnesses stated to police that they could see Long's .44 bullets pass through Lynn's body but they seemed to have no effect. Each man was shot four times. This incident seems to dispel the notion that a man will drop when shot with a .44 pistol. Wiley Lynn had two .44 slugs in the chest and still walked out of the drug store.

Bullets that passed through Lynn's body wounded two bystanders. Two young boys were hit by the frenzy of flying lead. John Hilburn was shot in the knee and 22-year-old Rhody Watkins was fatally struck in the spine.

As lead began flying, everyone in the ice cream parlor hit the floor with the exception of one stranger. A woman, who had just gotten off the bus, sat quietly in the corner eating her ice cream and never flinched during the shooting affray. Witnesses speculated that she must have been accustom to such occurrences or was not the nervous type.

Lynn then walked out the back door and across the street to the Watt and McAfee Funeral Home where he told the astonished undertaker " I'm afraid I'm going to die, Crockett Long has killed me. I'm all shot to pieces". He was right; Crockett Long had put two bullets in Lynn's chest, one in the stomach and another in his arm.

All victims were transported to a hospital in Ardmore where they underwent surgery. Long died that day as did Watkins but Lynn lasted until the next morning. Before he died, Crockett Long apologized for shooting young Watkins stating that he could not see him standing behind Lynn.

All three bodies were laid out at the Watts Funeral Home in Madill. The curious and morbid flocked to the funeral home wanting to get a glimpse of the shootout victims. The frustrated undertakes finally had to flush the covey of onlookers, locked the doors of the funeral parlor and went home.

© - Contributed by Dennis Muncrief - December, 2003