G'day Harriette, As promised, below is an account of the aftermath of the 1896 Blackwell outlaw incident, it was kindly passed on to me by list member Susan Scott. I originally came across the story on the "Oklahombres" page. "Bad Day at Blackwell, The True Story" by Terry Whitehead. Looks like Mr Whitehead was privy to information that wasn't available to the newspaper reporter of the day when he named the dead outlaw Buck McGregg. ----------------------------------- The Times-Record Blackwell, Kay County, Oklahoma Territory, Thursday, Dec 10, 1896 BLACKWELL IS VISITED by Deputy Marshals, Jailors and Sheriffs During the Past Week Since the capture of the two outlaws by Deputy Sheriff Cox and posse near this city on last Friday morning, mention of which appeared in these columns last week, the city has been visited daily by deputy United States marshals, from all parts of the territory, jailers and officers from bordering Kansas counties, and others whose curiosity led them hither to see a dead and a wounded desperado. The identity of the dead man, at this time is still in doubt. some of the visitors who have viewed the remains positively identify them as the notorious outlaw, Dynamite Dick, while others are just as positive that the remains now lying under guard in Blackwell are those of "Skeeter Dick" or "Three-Fingered Jack," or some other equally as desperate man. The wounded man, Ben Cravens, does not deny his identity, but now says positively that his dead comrade is not Dynamite Dick. He knew him as Mack Gregg, and has traveled with him for nearly a year, and was with him at the time of the Guthrie jail delivery, when it was purported that Dynamite Dick was among the number who escaped from jail at that place. At that time Cravens and Gregg as he is pleased to call his partner were operating in Missouri. Cravens further says that he and the dead man had been located near Venita, Cherokee Nation, since last August, where they were making hay and trading horses for a living, until the last few weeks. They passed through Blackwell about three weeks ago, on their way to the Osage Nation and it is very probable that on this trip they had noticed opportunities which caused them to commit the fatal mistake of returning to this vicinity. Cravens' aged father, who had known nothing of the movements of his erring son for the past six years arrived here last Sunday morning in answer to a telegram announcing that Ben was seriously wounded. The horse ridden by Cravens was recognized on Monday, by Fred Gaddie, of Hewins, Kansas, as one which was stolen from him early in November. Mr. Gaddie identified Cravens as the man, who in company with Horse Thief Pete and the unidentified dead man, held up and robbed the store of Hopper & Tweedy, at Hewins, at the time his horse was stolen, and as he happened to be in the store at the time of the above-mentioned holdup and was forced to stand and deliver at the point of a Winchester in the hands of Mack Gregg, his identification is very liable to be correct and authentic. The receipts of this robbery were said to be about $50.00 in cash and $300 in merchandise. The humorous side to this bold robbery, according to Mr. Gaddie, were the orders coming from the man who held the gun, to his confederates, while the work of searching their victims was going on, as he frequently commanded them to "frisk em," or "razzle em." Cravens is a man of more than ordinary intelligence and good business qualifications. He is in the prime of life, able-bodied and of rather prepossessing appearance, and his downfall is possibly due to evil associations, which through choice or chance he has trained with, for the past few years. A noticeable feature which is said to be characteristic of all fugitives from justice, is the searching glance which is cast at every visitor as they enter the room where he lays, slowly recovering from two serious wounds, which would have proved fatal to any man of less vitality and nerve. The bullet which caused the wound in his right shoulder was located near the point of the shoulder blade on last Tuesday evening, and was removed by Surgeons Padon and Elliott and since then his suffering has been greatly alleviated. -------------------------------------------- The previous weeks paper is missing. Blackwell paper is just a weekly. Regards, Hugh _--_|\ email: hewmac@bigpond.com.au / \ web: http://www.users.bigpond.com/hewmac.htm \_.--._/ ___ Hugh McCallum o Melbourne Australia