100 Oklahoma Outlaws, Gangsters & Lawmen

Laurence Yadon

Pelican Publishing, Sep 23, 2010 - History - 336 pages

The only thing wilder than Oklahoma in the late nineteenth century are the tales that continue to surround it. In the days of the Wild West, Oklahoma was teeming with assassins, guerillas, hijackers, kidnappers, gangs, and misfits of every size and shape imaginable. Featuring such legendary characters as Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde, Machine Gun Kelly, Belle Starr, and Pretty Boy Floyd, this book combines recorded fact with romanticized legend, allowing the reader to decide how much to believe. Violent and out of control, the figures covered in 100 Oklahoma Outlaws, Gangsters, and Lawmen often left behind numerous victims, grisly accounts, and unforgettable stories.

Included are criminals like James Deacon Miller, the devout Methodist and hired assassin. Righteous and devious, he often avoided the gallows by convincing others to admit to his murders. Rufus Buck, a man of Native American descent, targeted white settlers. His crimes against them became so heinous as to cause the Creek nation to take up arms against him. The answer to criminals such as these came in the form of Hanging Judge Parker and other officers of the law. Although they were greatly outnumbered, they provided some balance to the chaos. This historical compilation covers every memorable outlaw and lawman who passed through Oklahoma.

Contents

• Rufus Buck A Man Too Bad for Hollywood: 11
• Oklahoma Assassins: 25
• Raiders and Guerrillas: 41
• Whiskey Towns of Oklahoma Gunfights Naked Men and Debauched Women: 45
• Billys Best Friend: 59
• Oklahoma Bad Girls: 73
• Bonnie and Clyde and Them: 103
• Woulda Coulda Shoulda: 131
• The Adaptable Henry Starr: 147
• Celebrity Outlaws: 153
• Lone Wolves: 171
• Kidnapping Inc: 191
• Old Creepy: 211
• Just Passing Through: 225
• 18391939: 235
• Notes: 295
• Bibliography: 309
• Acknowledgments: 319
• Index: 321

About the author

Dan Anderson is a former newswriter, photographer, features writer, and columnist. A seasoned news professional, he has more than seven years' experience covering a diverse array of Oklahoma's regional events, from high-profile crime to politics and general interest topics. He has been honored with multiple awards from the Associated Press in the Carl Rogan Memorial News Excellence Competition. In 2001, he placed third for graphics and illustration as well as spot news reporting and also received an honorable mention for investigative reporting. In 2003, he placed first for the spot news photo division. Anderson was awarded the Oklahoma Press Association Annual Award in 2004, placing first in the newswriting event category. Anderson studied business at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Oklahoma. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, he studied history from Tulsa Community College. Before his journalistic career, Mr. Anderson served as a private security firm director, reserve police officer, private investigator, and remodeling contractor. He has also been a Methodist lay youth director and home-improvement salesman. Reluctant to call himself an expert on any topic, Anderson sums up his wide-ranging career with the comment, "I always learned and I was never bored." While he considers reporting to be one of the most rewarding careers he has experienced, Anderson has moved on and now resides in Katy, Texas, with his wife, Julie. He finds time for reading, photography, hiking, trekking, golfing, and swimming. He continues to write about historical characters of the Old West. Laurence J. Yadon is an attorney, mediator, and arbitrator. He has assisted the Department of Justice in litigation matters before his local United States district court and has successfully argued before the US Supreme Court. He is the co-author of Pelican's 100 Oklahoma Outlaws, Gangsters, and Lawmen: 1839-1939; 200 Texas Outlaws and Lawmen: 1835-1935; Ten Deadly Texans; Old West Swindlers; Arizona Gunfighter; and Outlaws with Badges. Yadon resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Bibliographic information

• Title: 100 Oklahoma Outlaws, Gangsters & Lawmen
• Author: Laurence Yadon
• Contributor: Dan Anderson
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing, 2010
• ISBN: 1455600040, 9781455600045
• Length: 336 pages
• Subjects: History / United States / State & Local / Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX)