In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Battle of Ingalls, Oklahoma
searcher5
Member Posts: 13,511 ✭
It is my understanding, that Arkansas Tom (either Jones or Daugherty) made his stand in the Ingalls hotel, shooting out of a hole he made in the roof. They were going to dynamite the hotel down around him, but the owner of the hotel pleaded with law officers not to do so until she had a chance to talk to Tom, as the hotel was her sole means of support. She told Tom what they were getting ready to do, and he told her that he would give himself up, if he was assured that he wouldn't be hanged on the spot. He got his assurances, came down and surrendered without further damage to the hotel, and was promptly arrested, but not hanged.
The Battle of Ingalls, September 1, 1893
The Battle of Ingalls (September 1, 1893) was a gunfight between US Marshals and the Doolin-Dalton gang, during the closing years of the Old West, in Ingalls, Oklahoma.
The Doolin-Dalton gang, also known as the Oklahombres or the Wild Bunch, had been involved in a number of train robberies and bank robberies, beginning around 1891. They had found a safe haven in the town of Ingalls, which unwittingly harbored many outlaws during that period. On September 1, 1893, a posse was organized by the new U.S. Marshal, Evett Dumas "E.D." Nix, which entered the outlaw town of Ingalls with the intent to capture the gang. The lawmen were engaged in a gunbattle in which three of the fourteen lawmen carrying Deputy U.S. Marshals' commissions would die as a result of the battle.
The gunbattle began when the US Marshals, led by Deputy Marshal John Hixon, engaged "Bittercreek" Newcomb, which resulted in a shootout exchange that left Newcomb badly wounded after firing at the most two rounds. By a first hand account given later by US Marshal Nix, a large number of the outlaws then opened fire from a saloon, resulting in the lawmen returning fire, killing one horse and firing in such a manner as to force the outlaws to flee out a side door of the saloon, taking refuge in a large stable. A civilian known only as Murray, who owned the saloon, then engaged the Marshals in a shootout from his saloon's front doorway, during which the marshals shot him in the ribs and arm. Murray was badly wounded and arrested. He pursued damages against the government two years later, but lost his case much thanks to US Marshal Nix staunchly defending his deputy marshals actions.
From an extremely good and elevated angle, "Arkansas Tom" Jones then opened fire with a rifle. Having an advantage over the marshals, he was able to push them into points of cover, during which he shot Deputy Marshal Thomas Hueston. Hueston would die the next day. It had been Deputy Marshal Hueston who, on November 29, 1892, along with Ford County, Kansas Sheriff Chalkey Beeson had shot and killed Doolin Dalton gang member Oliver Yantis. Ingalls bystander Young Simmons[1] was fatally shot by a stray round as he attempted to take cover inside Vaughn's Saloon. Another bystander, known as Old Man Ramson[2], was hit in the leg.
Bill Doolin, the co-leader of the gang, shot and killed Deputy Marshal Richard Speed, while co-leader Bill Dalton shot Lafeyette Shadley[3], who died the following day. Shadley had fired on Dalton prior to himself being shot, breaking the leg of the outlaw's horse and toppling Dalton to the ground. Dan "Dynamite Dick" Clifton was then hit and wounded, but still able to ride. Deputy Marshal Jim Masterson[4] eventually threw dynamite into where Jones was hiding, stunning him, after which he was captured.[5]
Of the outlaws, "Bittercreek" Newcomb was seriously wounded but escaped, "Dynamite Dick" Clifton was slightly wounded but escaped, and "Arkansas Tom" Jones, who had shot at least one of the deputies and one citizen, was stunned by the dynamite and captured. The saloon owner, Murray, who had taken up arms and sided with the outlaws, survived, spent some time in prison and later sued the marshals over his being shot. The rest of the gang escaped unscathed. Gang member Charley Pierce, who escaped, was later said to have been wounded during that gunfight, and was known for a fact to have gone into hiding with Newcomb shortly after the gunbattle, at which time both men were cared for by Newcomb's girlfriend Rose Dunn[6].
Eventually, the gang was wiped out, some by capture, but most being killed by Deputy US Marshals. Most were brought down by the infamous Three Guardsmen, Deputy Marshals Heck Thomas, Bill Tilghman and Chris Madsen. Two of the gang, "Bitter Creek" Newcomb and Charley Pierce, were killed by the Dunn Brothers, who were bounty hunters. The last of the gang to fall was Richard "Little Dick" West, killed in 1898 by Deputy Marshal Madsen.
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ingalls
My notes:
[1] Del Simmons, 14, was the one who initially identified "Bitter Creek" Newcomb to one of the marshals. Dick Speed. As mentioned, he was killed in the battle as he was running down the street.
[2] "old man" Ransom was a partner with Murray. It was called the Ransom and Murray Saloon.
[3] Lafe Shadley was a Deputy Sheriff in Montgomery County, Kansas, near Coffeyville at the time of the Dalton Raid there.
[4] Jim Masterson was the brother of Bat.
[5] "Arkansas Tom" Gave up when Mary Pierce, who owned the hotel, begged him to not let the hotel be dynamited, as was threatened. He surrendered after he was promised by John Hale that he would not be lynched. The hotel was not dynamited.
[6] Rose Dunn was known as "The Rose of the Cimarron", and was a sister to the Dunn brothers, Bill, Dal & John, who eventually killed "Bitter Creek" Newcomb, and "Blackface" Charlie Bryant. Another story is that Heck Thomas and Bill Tilghman, accompanied by Bill Dunn, actually killed them. The concensus of opinion is that the Dunns done it.
Comments
I thought the Doolin Dalton gang had been wiped out several years earlier in Coffeville Kansas.
That is a great story, I love the wild west stories.
I thought the Doolin Dalton gang had been wiped out several years earlier in Coffeville Kansas.
The Dalton gang was comprised of a lot of different off and on members. Bob & Grat Dalton, Bill Powers and Dick Broadwell were killed in Coffeyville, and Emmett Dalton shot up badly, and then incarcerated. That was in October of 1892. There were, however, a lot of gang members left that weren't in on the Coffeyville debacle. A Dalton brother, Bill, and a member, Bill Doolin, were the major players in the Doolin-Dalton gang.
W.D.
But, what happened to their dog? [;)]
[:D], We never did find out did we [;)]
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
One grandfather of my better half was a deputy involved in capturing the Daltons at some point in their carreer. She remembers reading newspaper clippings with his name. I went to Coffeyville to have a look at the musuem and have done some reading about the Daltons, but so far have not tracked down when and where he was a deputy involved with the Daltons. Maybe Ingalls? Hmmmm.
E-mail me the name, if you want. I have a pretty extensive library and research material on the subject, and I'll see if the name pops up. Dan
baker7@ckt.net