The Chandler Tribune (Chandler, Okla.), Vol. 15, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 1, 1915 Page: 1 of 8
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THE CHANDLER TRIBUNE
VOL. XV
CHANDLER, OKLAHOMA, THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1915
NO (>.
\
STROUD VISITED BY
BANK ROBBERS
Henry Starr, for Whom the State
Offered Reward of $1,000 was
Shot and Captured
THE SHERIFF AND POSSE RIGHT ON THEIR JOB
Fifteen Minutes After News was Received Here
Sheriff Arnold and Four Auto Loads
of Militiamen Start for Scene
The boldest bank robbery in the history of the great south-
west was committed at Stroud, seventeen miles east of this city,
between the hours of eight and ten last Saturday morning.
Shortly after eight o’clock Saturday morning, Henry Starr,
notorious outlaw, accompanied by six other desperadoes, entered
the town of Stroud in a covered wagon, four horses were in tow
behind the wagon. As covered wagons of immigrants in that
country are a usual sight no unusual attention was attracted by
■ this wagon that contained the surprise of the town’s history. The
wagon was left by the men at the stock yards two blocks south of
the First National Bank. The horses were unhitched and the
harness thrown in the wagon. Saddles were placed on all horses.
It has been alleged that one man was left in the stock yards to
watch the animals but this report cannot be confirmed.
The robbers divided into two bands of three men each, one
band went north to Main street at the intersection of which is the
First National Bank. The other three went east along the rail-
road tracks and then north to the Stroud National Bank.
When the bands got to Main street they were two blocks
apart and were signalling to one another. Both entered the banks
at about the same time. At the Stroud National Bank, Henry
Starr led and Lee Patrick, vice president, was the first man met.
The robbers commanded, Lee Patrick, J. B. Charles, Jr., bookkeep-
er, and J. M. Reed a customer, to throw up their hands, which they
promptly complied with. Starr relieved Patrick of his diamond
stud pin and watch. He afterwards gave the watch back to Pat-
rick but kept the pin until captured. Patrick was told to open the
safe but refused to do so on the plea that the time lock was on.
This scheme worked so Patrick was told to open the little
safe, which he did. Starr held a sack which was filled by Patrick
with gold, silver and currency. While this was in progress a little
six-year old girl, Miss Lorena Hughes, entered the bank. Upon
the plea of Reed not to harm the girl, Starr placed her upon the
bookkeeper’s stool and filled her lap with pennies, telling her to
keep them and buy a dollie. After completing their work at this
bank the robbers marched the officers of the bank and the cus-
tomers west two blocks and south one block where they met the
other trio of bandits
A scene similar to the one that
happened at the Stroud National
Bank had taken place in the First
National Bank. Those in the bank
when the robbers entered were, Presi-
dent Grecian, H. E. Breeding, cashier,
W. A. Chastain, bookkeeper, Claude
Hood, clerk, Joe Evans, H. M. Fen-
der, Charles L. Woods and Julian
Gallaway, customers. The cashier
and fall from his horse where he was
shortly picked up by a possee of
Stroud citizens who were following
the bandits on foot.
The Chandler county officials were
notified of the robbery by phone and
were leaving Chandler in cars be-
fore the robbery was completed. Hi
Frisby, deputy sheriff; Walt Marsh,
, chauffeur and J. C. Kerby, Jr., news-
was asked for, and upon the reply of paper mall| left in the first car and
Breeding that he was the cashier he fo]lowed shortly by Sheriff Arnold,
was told to produce the money. j some mi]itiamen and then by others
Breeding gave the robber a quantity, jn cars Frisby reached the scene
of silver, gold and currency amount- j thirty_seven minutes later and after
ing to $4,1^5. I making a few inquiries proceeded to
While this was going on a barber follow the bandits. It was reported at
whose shop was across the street this time that the robbers were sur-
wandered into the bank and was rounded a short distance east of
promptly taken in charge by the rob- Stroud. This was a mistake, Frisby
bers. As the barber was the largest went east two miles and rould find
man in the crowd he was deputized to j no trace of the robbers nor of a posse
carry the money. j jn gearcb of them. He came back
The band then proceeded from the i toward Stroud and met a new posse
First National Bank toward the stock! bcaded east. The chase then corn-
yards. Paul Curry, a nineteen-year j menced The Quig{j farm, about
old youth employed in his father’s i seven mjleg cast of str0ud was reach-
grocery store across the street from. ed by Frisby Here the car was
Ihe First National, heard there was a , j0jned by three other cars containing
robbery in progress. He grabbed a | jn a„ eighteen or twenty armed men.
Winchester and rushed it"
through a field one quarter of a mile
north, fifteen minutes before that
time, at 3:15 p. m., and seemed to be
headed toward Rocky Ford on Deep
Fork. Pursuit was taken up and fol-
lowed east of Arno for about one half
mile until the car stuck in the sand.
The two armed men in the car then
proceeded on foot and the driver and
the newspaper man were left high
and dry. In the meantime the cars
containing the other possees had
passed through Arno and taken the
south road with the idea that the
bandits would cut across at Rocky
Ford. The bandits fed their horses
one and one-half miles east of Arno
(Continued on page five.)
GOVERNOR RECEIVES A LETTER
FROM STARR SATURDAY.
A few days before the Stroud rob-
bery a letter was received by Gover-
nor Williams purported to have been
written by Henry Starr regarding
the rewards which were offered for
him. In this letter the writer, sign-
ing the name of Henry Starr, denied
a lot of the crimes charged to him,
and asked the Governor to not con-
demn him.
Judge Roy Hoffman, of this city,
has this letter in his possession, and
showed it to Starr Wednesday, ask-
ing him if he wrote it. Starr denied
the authorship and said he knew
nothing of the letter. A comparison
of Starr’s handwriting and the letter
referred to, does not show the same
authorship, and we are inclined to
think Starr did not write the afore-
said letter.
-CT-
SAMUEL W. SCOTT DIES.
start, and will take runK in the first
array of the legal profession. The
Tribune extends congratulations and
best wishes.
Since writing the above Col. Hoff-
man informs us that his legal firm
here, Hoffman & Harris, will remain
as it is, and that he does not intend
leaving Chandler. He will simply be
connected with the new firm. The
good people of Chandler will be glad
with us, that the Colonel and his
good family are to still remain cit-
izens of this city.
--CT-
BRISTOW GOOD ROADS
MEETING HELD.
Samuel W. Scott, a resident of this
city for twenty years died at his home
202 West Third street, at four o’clock
Thursday morning.
Mr. Scott received a fall about two
months ago and never fully recovered
from the results of the fall. The ef-
fects of the fall paving had something
to do with his death.
Mr. Scott was born February 15,
1839, at Sunbright, Morgan county,
Tennessee.
He died April 1, 1915, at Chandler,
Oklahoma.
Funeral services were held at the
Christian church Friday afternoon at
2 o’clock.
-CT-
NEW DRY GOODS STORE FOR
CHANDLER.
A good roads meeting was held in
Bristow Monday evening and the fol-
lowing Chandler citizensc attended:
J. A. McLaughlin, L. B. Nichols and
L. L. Lewis. S. J. Thompson, H. M.
Williams, W. T. Lunn, Ray Thompson
and J^hn Dunham of Wellston were
also in attendence. Representatives
| from Luther, Depew, Kellyville and
Sapulpa were also present.
! Resolutions were adopted express-
ing the belief that Governor Williams
would appoint a competent and prac-
tical highway commissioner.
Elmer E. Brown, secretary of the
Oklahoma City Chamher of Com-
merce, was present and announced on
behalf of Oklahoma county that ar-
rangements had been made at Luther
to hafe the delegates meet in Luther,
Tuesdrfy, May 11.
S. A. Hughes, immigration agent
for the St. Louis & San Francisco
Railroad company, was among the
speakers who addressed the delegates,
and he promised enthusiastic co-op-
eration in the road building work, in
behalf of the Frisco Railroad cam-
pany.
Other delegates who addressed the
meeting were: Alfred Hare of Okla-
homa City, president of the Oklahoma
County Good Roads association; John
Letcher, secretary of the Tulsa Cham-
ber of Commerce; Tow Ray of Luther,
Job’‘Townsend of Wellston and A. J.
McLaughlin of Chandler. Many wom-
en were present at the meeting and
served refreshments to the delegates.
Several weeks ago a meting was held the trail for three miles, only to lose
road, leading over rocks and down
through the black jacks, the car run-
ning in the middle being without a
light struck a stump with the front
axle and was put out of commission.
The occupants of this car filled the
other two and proceeded at a very
slow pace. They arrived at Depew
about milnight and it was decided
that Capt. Gilstrap, Sheriff Arnold
and others should go ahead in the cars
to Bristow and secure what informa-
tion they could, as the robbers had
been reported to be traveling north-
east at a distance of ten miles north-
east of Bristow. The rest of the party
was left to follow on “The Governor”
at 2:50. Still thinking that the rob-
bers could be headed the entire party
boarded the train for Kellyville. Af-
ter reaching Kellyville, Arnold and
George Mills went on into Sapulpa.
Another party of searchers from
Chandler, in the original cars by this
time had shown up in liaggs, then to
Mounds and Keifer and from Keifer
into Sapulpa, where George Arnold
got the cars and came back to Kelly-
ville. The search was renewed at
this time.
The telephone operator had been
busy and the robbers were located as
passing a farmer’s house at 12 o’clock,
picked up the trail and followed it,
but it is believed that at this, point,
about eight miles west of Kellyville,
the robbers had planned to lose the
posse. Up to this time they had made
absolutely no effort to conceal their
tracks. A series of criss-crosses and
double-backs and wading streams and
a lot of false wire cutting was com-
menced and most every farmer re-
ported traces of the bandits all giving
different directions as to the ways
the robbers had gone. The character
of the country in here was extremely
mountainous and rough and the wag-
on roads very bad and hard to track.
All day Sunday was practically
spent in finding the right trail. All
trails were followed only to be lost
and the party had to return to the
original spot and pick out a new trail.
Later in the afternoon Cleveland and
Wheeler made the final search going
up on top of a mountain and following
NORTH AND SOUTH PUBLIC
ROAD FOR LINCOLN COUNTY
in Chander, at which time citizens of
Lincoln county, made arrangements
to complete the road through Lincoln
county; Tulsa county has male similar
arrangements, and the meeting at
Luther will be for the purpose of
it again. The signal was given for
the cars that the search had been un-
successful.
The searchers then went to Bristow
and found that the marshal at the
heod of a posse and another posse had
Arrangements are under way for
the building of a state highway from
north to south through Lincoln coun-
ty. The plan is to start from Arkan-
sas City, coming south to Pawnee,
then to Stillwater, then to Ripley then
to Agra then to Chandler then south
via Meeker, Shawnee, Asher, then
west to Purcell, thence south to Sul-
phnr, Ada to Dennison, Texas, this
is to be a dirt road and will be prob-
ably called the Kansas, Oklahoma and
Gulf Trail, in any way, but just as
it becomes necessary or the great
railroad to shorten their lines, in the
same way, it is necessary to shorten
the lines of the public road, that they
may open up new fields, and make a
more complete net work of good roads
It has been the desire of the people
of Lincoln, Payne and Pottawatomie
counties to have a road connecting
their county seat towns, for a long
time, ns was evidenced by the build-
ing of the 33 miles of good road in one
day, across this county, Lincoln, a
few years ago. Many miles of this
road is in good shape yet, and it would
be a good plan to keep this fact in
mind in locating the K. O. & G. trail.
We here in Lincoln county had ought
to get busy and prepare for the lo-
cating of this trail. The new road
law provides that the Board of County
Commissioners shall designate, and
select not less than ten per cent nor
more than fifteen per cent of the total
mileage, same to be main traveled
roads of the county, and which must
connect the principle market places
of the county, as well as connect with
the State Roads in adjoining counties,
for improvement, and thereafter will
be known as state road system, these
roads would have to pass the in-
spection of the Commissioner of High-
ways, so you can see the necessity of
getting busy, to secure this highway
from norh to south, if the commercial
clubs of the diffrent cities along
this trail will co-operate with the
farmers and each other, it won’t b«
long until this trail will be built-
-CT-
THE BIG EASTER OPENING.
It is reported througll good author-
ity that Alfred1 Heinemann and Sam
Goldstein have leased the building
now occupied by the A. A. Mascho
grocery store and will have the build-
ing remodeled and will be ready for,
business sometime this month, with
a line of dry goods, clothing and
shoes.
A. A. Mascho has purchased the
stock of groceries of his brother, Ed.
and will move his present stock of
groceries to the buildng now occupied
by Ed Mascho.
-CT-
NEW ENTERPRISE.
out of til
store. Curry shot at and hit the
While a consultation of war was go-
Sicre v>urry suov u. «.«. «... ...» bandits cut across within
bandit, Lewis Estes. Upon seer- ? , r Qn„„n \ c
. „ , , . . i a quarter of a mile of the scene. As
that Estes was struck Starr stop,: d, ^ f. glafi, s it is prac.
and inquired of him the trouble. Es< . • certain tbat thc fm,r cars and
pointed toward the boy and said tl ’ j ’ nts wtre sctn by the rob-
the boy shot him. As Starr took a;m| ,, .
, J , , , . , , hers as the robbers were on a hillside
to shoot the boy he was struck by one
of the bullets from Curry’s gun and
fell to the street, wounded bandly in
the leg just below the hip. Before v,e
could rise from the ground Curry b id
him covered and Stsrr gave up a: y
further attempts to effect an esc?;■?.
He was taken to Dr. J. W. Adr~
office and his wound was (Ires d.
There was $1,019 in currency ta1 an
from his person and Lee Patrick’s
stud pin.
Estes, the other wounded robber
was helped to his horse by his com-
panions and the citizens in the group
and rode south on the public highway.
He was badly wounded in the neck
and was finally forced to give his
share of the loot to the other robbers
in the woods and the searchers in
the open in the valley. Cars were
sent from here in all directions and
the car on the hill to the west of the
Quigg farm reported traces of the
bandits headed in a southeasterly di-
rection.
Frisby’s car then proceeded east
and after taking the turn in the road
south a fence at the corner of 14-14-7
was found cut and very fresh traces
of the robbers were seen on the roads,
in fact none was heard cf until reach-
ing Arno, a little country store about
fifteen miles south and east of Stroud,
here a phone message was receive!
saying that the bandits had cut
J. J. Egbert, formerly of Chandler
but late chief clerk of the Skirvin
hotel, at Oklahoma City, has, we un-
derstand, leased the Bassett office
building at Oklahoma City and is
having it transferred into an up-to-
date hotel. His brother, Chas. Egbert
of Tulsa, is associated with him in
the enterprise.
The new hotel will contain 140
rooms, 00 with bath and all together,
will be modern in every detail.
’ -CT-
A STRONG LEGAL FIRM.
Word has reached the Tribune of
the organization of a new law firm
in Oklahoma City, which will make
one of the very strongest, legal firms
in the State of Oklahoma.
The firm will be composed of Judge
J. B. A. Robertson, formerly of Chan-
dler, Col. Roy Hoffman, of Chandler
and Judge J. H. Burford, of Guthrie,
who is well known here. The firm,
as we understand it, will be known
as Burford, Robertson & Hoffman.
Judge Burford was the last Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court for the
Territory of Oklahoma, and is well
and favorably known all over Okla-
homa. Judge Robertson is too well
known to all our people for us to
mention further. Col. Roy Hoffman
is an ex-judge of the 19th judicial
district, and is, also too well known to
all our people to need further men-
tion.
We congratulate the bar of the
state on having such a strong legal
firm, and the people, al».<, who need
the services of good attorneys. We
feel as though this firm will enjoy
a ve.y lucrative practice from the
making arrangements to complete the also returned to Bristow reporting
last stretch of the road into Oklaho- ' utter failure in their efforts to fol-
ma City.
low the bandits. The Bristow men
About 150 delegates were present I were firm in their beliefs, knowing
at the Bristow meeting Tuesday night, i the country as they do, that the ban-
which adjournel to meet in Luther.
--CT-
ROBBERS CHASED BY MILITIA.
Captain Harry Gilstrap, Corporal
dits were gone for good.
Late in the evening following a
“council of war” between members
of the Chandler posse who were of
a bull-dog tendency were loath to
V. B. Cleveland and Private Bill J give up and decided to make one final
Coombs, Sidney Wheeler and Henry | effort as they had received informa-
Duncan came in Monday morning in! tion that led them to believe that
a car from Bristow. They left Bris-1 the robbers were spending the night
tow at four in the morning and ar-
rived' here at nine. These men had
in a cabin about ten miles in the
mountains. It was later learned from
been following the Stroud hank rob-1 reliable sources trat the mep were
bers ever since Saturday at noon. In not there so there was nothing to do
all they followed them about 200 but go to bed. Getting up at four
miles, about twenty miles each day | o’clock they returned home, making
was made on foot. They report that! the journey in three hours running
the trail left by the robbers was very i time,
plain.
Of the Jacobs’ Department Store, this
city, last Saturday was a grand suc-
j cess, and the amount of business done
by this big store on that day was
a complete satisfaction to the owners.
The display windows in front were
thrown open for inspection bright
and early Saturday morning, and they
displayed a most wonderful and
lovely and artistically arranged lot
of new spring goods that were equal
to any store, anywhere, even in cities
of much larger pretentions than
Chandler. Those in charge of this
display deserve credit for their work,
and are to be commended upon their
energy and intelligence.
The Tribune is glad to call atten-
tion to this worthy and wide-awake
firm, an directs its readers’ attention
to their announcements as made con-
tinuously through these columns.
-CT--
ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL MEET.
Near Rocky Ford they were told j CHANDLER BUSINESS COLLEGE
by a farmer that the bandits were I OPENS.
making for the Rocky Ford crossing I -
of Deep Fork. This latter proved j The Chandler Business College
untrue Acting on the information j under the management of A. J. Dix,
secured, they left the course and went, opened with an enrollment of twenty
to Rocky Ford on Deep Fork crossing j in the McGuire building, Monday eve-
trere. The swamps in and near there \ ning.
wore then completely searched ami ; The rooms have been fitted with
no trace of the bandits found. The j scbool furniture and equipped in every
party of searchers then again crossed vvay to muke or tend to make a good
Deep Fork on a pontoon bridge and j school.
'vent north, and Geo. Arnold, sheriff,] The Dix brothers came here from
and two other men picked up the trai1 ; jbe southern part of Georgia and true
and followed it quite a distance, j Georgia blood, they are southern
Thinking that thev could go around j gentlemen. For years M. A. Dix has
and head the robbers off they left [ bcen connected with the Southern
the trail and were making for Depew I Husjne.ss College, one of the very
when darkness overtook them. | largest business colleges in the south,
The rest of the searchers were covering five states. Their head-
working north behind the sheriff s j quarters are in Tampa, Florida,
trail. The sheriff left word behind | a number of the sons and daughters
at every house passed after leaving j 0f Chandler’s most prominent citizens
the trail to have a rig ready for the bave enrolled for business courses in
The Annual High School track meet
I will be held in Davenport the 9th and
(lOth of April. This is an annual
| event of much interest and will be
| well attended by Chandler boys and
girls.
Here’s hoping that we come out
victors.
-CT-
COUNTY PROGRAM FOR
W. C. T. U. INSTITUTE
following party in order that the
hand of searchers could be rebanded
without loss of time. The entire party
stopped at the home of Mr. Utter,
about eighteen miles south of Depew.
Supper was eaten here and as soon as
arriving phoned to Depew for auto-
mobiles to bring them in, still think-
ing that they might be able to head
off the escaping robbers. After con-
siderable delay the three automobiles
arrived. The original cars had been
left at Rocky Ford. The cars were
this new college and we are sure
that they will have no cause to regret
the step.
Chander should take pride in this
new school and do all they can to
boost it.
-CT-
A practice dance was held at the
armory Monday evening. An infor-
mal dance, one of the most delight-
ful dances of the season was partic-
ipated in by about twenty-five couples
at the Armory Wednesday evening.
The dance was held under the man-
loaded about eight o’clock in the
evening and the chase was on again. . agement of Harry Steer ond the
After traveling about six miles | music was furnished by the High
over the roughest trail to be called a School Orchestra.
At the Presbyterian church Tues-
day, April 6. Everyone invited.
Forenoon Session.
10:00—Devotional service.
10:15—Greetings and words of cheer.
10:30—Symposium: “Best plans for
local unions.”
(a) For collecting dues.
For raising money for
temperance work.
For arranging the regu-
lar programs.
For advertising the reg-
ular meetings.
For securing new mem-
bers.
11:15—Reading: “How Can I win
New Members.”
Afternoon Session.
2:00—Devotional service.
2:15—Why Shoull we Continue W. C.
T. U. Work in a Prohibition
State.—Mrs. Abbie B. Ililler-
man.
2:30—National Prohibition a Benefit
to Missions—Mrs. Almira M.
Straughen.
2:45—A Suffrage Program — The
Chandler Union.
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
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Kerby, J. C., Sr. The Chandler Tribune (Chandler, Okla.), Vol. 15, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 1, 1915, newspaper, April 1, 1915; Chandler, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc915261/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.