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12-21-1981 Red Buck: The nknoU wn Outlaw Randy Beutler Southwestern Oklahoma State University, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Beutler, Randy, "Red Buck: The nknoU wn Outlaw" (1981). Faculty Articles & Research. 1. https://dc.swosu.edu/cas_ss_articles/1

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Social Sciences at SWOSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Articles & Research by an authorized administrator of SWOSU Digital Commons. An ADA compliant document is available upon request. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ILLU S TR A TIO N BY KEVIN W A U G H

RED BUCK: THE UNKNOWN OUTLAW RELICS

- R an dy B eutler

Before Oklahoma became a state its towns were far shall Neal Brown left Guthrie on a cold wintry day, and few between. The lawmen were understaffed and hunting the location of the Doolin gang. The officers underpaid. This environment bred trouble and it came in came in sight of the Rock Fort dugout and Tilghman the form of the outlaw. The Oklahoma outlaw was a decided to go inside to get warm and ask directions. bank robber, horse thief, and when the time proved right, He went in and walked across the dugout, over to the a murderer. One such outlaw of earlier days was the fireplace where he turned around and saw gun barrels little known bandit Red Buck. sticking out from behind blankets stretched across the George Weightman, alias Red Buck, was likely born bunk beds. in sometime in the 1860’s. He was of medium “I guess I’d better be leaving,” Tilghman shakily said. height, stockily built, with dark red hair and a large “How does a person get out of here?” he asked. moustache of the same color. “The same way he came in,” was the reply. Tilghman Red Buck presumably came to walked out the door, got into the wagon, and left. Red from Texas where, in the fall of 1889, he was arrested Buck wanted to kill Tilghman, but the other outlaws by Marshall for horse stealing. He was restrained him from doing so. The bandits left the dugout convicted and served four years in the penitentiary. that night fearing an attack later in the night. Thirty days after his release he stole seven good horses On the night of April 3, 1895, two men silently board­ and started riding for Ingalls, Oklahoma Territory, where ed the No. 1 southbound, Rock Island train at Dover, he joined the Doolin gang. nine miles north of Kingfisher. The men made the engin­ 35 A posse of deputies, out after the Doolin gang, reached eer stop the train while three other outlaws jumped Ingalls the night of August 31, 1893, and camped in a aboard. The outlaws started for the express car where wooded ravine southwest of the town. At dawn the next they found a way safe. The safe supposedly contained morning the lawmen sent Deputy Red Lucas into town the payroll, but it couldn’t be opened and the to find the whereabouts of the outlaws and report back. bandits abandoned the plan. The desperadoes then started When Lucas returned, he reported that , Bitter looting the passengers of their money and jewels, leaving Creek Newcomb, Red Buck Weightman, Dynamite Dick, the train about $1,500 richer. A posse started out after and Tulsa Jack were all in the Ransom-Murray saloon the gang, but the bandits split-up, never to rejoin again. drinking and playing poker. Red Buck then came to the part of Oklahoma The deputies knew that the outlaws were deadly shots, Territory where he went under the aliases of Tom Weight­ so they placed their wagons into strategic positions man, Charles Evans, White Horse Doolin, Gant, Bert around the town. When the lawmen had settled into their Collins, and Bill Doolin No. 2. Red Buck and a partner, positions, one of the deputies called on the outlaws to Charlie Smith, murdered Gus Holland and stole his cat­ surrender. Doolin jumped up from the poker table ran tle from the head of Creek on September 1, over to the door and yelled: “Go to Hell!” The deputies 1895. Later Weightman was accompanied by two Texas then opened fire on the saloon, wounding Newcomb as bandits, Joe Beckham and Elmer “Kid” Lewis. he came out the front door. Bitter Creek jumped on a Beckham met up with Lewis and headed north where nearby horse and sped out of town with bullets whist­ they joined Red Buck. About two months later these ling by his head. The other outlaws were still in the bandits were the trio who robbed the Noyes General saloon shooting at the deputies. They found a back door, Store in . Charles E. Noyes, who owned the snuck out to the livery stable, saddled their horses, and store, was just closing up one evening in October, when rode out of town to a nearby cave. After the battle was Red Buck and his partners stormed into the store with over, three deputies and two residents had been killed. their guns drawn. Red Buck went through the cash drawer The next escapade of the Doolin gang was at South­ and found only a small amount of money. The outlaw west City, Missouri, on the afternoon of May 10, 1894. demanded to know where the money was hid. Noyes Seven of the outlaws rode to a high ridge south of the told him the cash had been sent to the bank in El Reno Missouri town and then swooped down to rob the bank. by mail hack. The bandits then loaded up with goods As the bandits fought their way out of town, two citi­ from the shelves. Red Buck took Noyes gold watch and zens were killed and one was wounded. The townspeople demanded that Alice Noyes give him her diamond wed­ formed a posse and started in pursuit, but lost the outlaws ding ring. When she refused to give it up he decided to in the Nation. The robbery netted the gang take it by force. This made her refuse even more and about $4,000. Red Buck stared at her for a moment and then ran from In January, 1895, Marshall and Mar­ the store.

WESTVIEW RELICS

The three outlaws escaped from town and hid for a themselves in a crib and behind a haystack. Glover then few weeks. At about seven p.m. on December 4, the trio called the outlaws out of the canyon and told them that rode into Taloga and held up the Shultz & Alderice Store the coast was clear. While Red Buck, Miller and Glover getting away with a quantity of clothing and one hun­ walked back to the dugout, the lawmen called out to dred dollars. The desperadoes then headed south for them to surrender. The outlaws answered with a volley Texas, with the outlaw Mill Loftos, where they robbed of gunfire and as Glover tried to escape to the dugout, Waggoner’s store in Wilgarger County. Later the same Miller turned and shot him in the right temple. The bullet night the bandits took seven hundred dollars worth of passed entirely through his head killing him instantly. merchandise from Alf Bailey, who ran a store a few miles Miller and Red Buck then jumped on their horses and south of Waggoner. The Texas Rangers chased the outlaws escaped. across the Red River to a dugout where Red Buck and The outlaws rode north about thirty miles to their his gang took shelter. Sergeant W. J. L. Sullivan, Company hideout on the Canadian River, in the edge of Dewey B, Texas Rangers, recalls the following battle County. Officers of that county learned the whereabouts We started toward the dugout in a gallop,. . .1 fell off of the bandits and attacked them. Miller and Red Buck my horse and faced the four men. Three of them were drove the lawmen back with their gunfire and they es­ in a trench leading into the dugout, and the fourth, caped southward toward the Wichita Mountains. Custer Redbuck, was standing in the door of the dugout. County officers, citizens, and Dewey County deputies I opened fire on them, as they were already shooting Joe Ventioner, Bill Quillin, and William Holcomb, fol­ at us, and my first shot struck Redbuck just over the lowed the outlaws to the mountains where Red Buck 36 heart, and he fell backward into the dugout. The ball and Miller separated, trying to elude the officers. The had only struck his breast-plate, however, and he lawmen soon discovered the change and turned back. fainted, but recovered in a few minutes and again The officers found the bandits trail again and followed joined in the fight. I found out afterward that we it to the mouth of Elm Creek. From there the officers hit him again, shattering his collar bone and shoulder traveled up Elm Creek to Oak Creek where the posse blade. . . The firing was kept up until we had emptied reached the Dolph Picklesimer dugout on the afternoon our Winchesters and reloaded them. of March 3, 1896. The Rangers fought the bandits until the weather be­ Walter Armstrong, a nephew of Picklesimer’s, recalls came so cold that they couldn’t pull any cartridges from what he was told by a member of this posse: their belts. The Rangers retreated back to their camp The posse rode to the dugout that night and they saw twenty-five miles away. Red Buck fled from the fight Red Buck's and Miller's horses in the corral They were and a friend hurried him out of the country. Days later sure that the bandits were in there. The possemen he showed up at the Dolph Picklesimer dugout, five then scattered up and down the creek and back west miles north of Canute in Custer County, where he ob­ o f the dugout up on a higher hill Before daylight, tained food and lodging. Dolph Picklesimer came to the spring in the creek George Miller, a forty-year-old cattleman, was visiting and got a bucket of water. The posse man said that he Picklesimer at this time. Miller, Picklesimer, and Red was so close to Picklesimer that he could have reached Buck had all known each other from earlier days in Jones out and touched him. After this the possemen could County, Texas. see a light in the dugout They waited until it got Red Buck stayed at the Picklesimer dugout for a few light enough that they could see, and they started days until his wounds healed, then Miller and Red Buck shooting into the dugout Dolph then ran out o f the left the dugout together. On the night of February 13, dugout with his hands up and run towards the creek. 1896, they showed up at the W. W. Glover dugout about That fust left Miller and Red Buck in the dugout five miles west of Arapaho. They requested food and The possemen started shooting into the dugout sei eral lodging for the night. The next morning they asked Mr. timet The desperadoes came out on top of the dugout Glover to go to Arapaho and get them some whiskey and started shooting in the direction that the posse and cartridges. Miller and Red Buck hid themselves in men’s fire was coming from. Finally one of them hit a canyon near the dugout until Glover returned that night. Red Buck enough to kill him and another one shot When Glover arrived at Arapaho he informed the off Miller's arm. local authorities. Undersheriff Montgomery and Con­ stables Shahan and Womble, and they formed a posse The Arapahoe Argus of March S, 1896, states of six men. The posse arrived at Glover’s dugout and hid . . . George Miller and Picklesimon / sic/ came out and

WESTVIEW IL L U S T R A T IO N BY KEVIN W A U G H 37 RELICS from C. E. Noyes. Having both his hands shot up, and and up, shot hands his both Having Noyes. E. C. from rig o eoe h^ vdne f h Nys tr rob­ Store Noyes the of evidence ^ th remove to trying ey Mle to te ac of e Bc wt hs teeth his with Buck Red off watch the took Miller bery, fo r his revolver, and ju st at that juncture a ball from ball a juncture that at st ju and revolver, his r fo tre t te o, t s upsd ofed ter horses. their d fee to supposed is it lot, the to started n of te fies us ae i do i iig into firing it drop him made guns officers the f o one dugout calling fo r R ed Buck to com e to his assistance. his to e com to Buck ed R r fo calling dugout oe, h bl asn o us aoe h lf hp . . . the hip. ab­ left at er the low the above shooting st in ju t ou scene shot passing was the ball the Ventioner on domen, Officer appeared officers. Buck ed R h ofcr cle o te t sredr Mle went Miller surrender. to them on called officers The tr oe i hd lpe Mle cle out o the to t u o called Miller elapsed had e tim some fter A the r fo ade m then Miller time. same the at ground the fies o o t hm s e a so l t pieces. to all shot was he as him to e com to officers a kle, n Mle hd erae it te dugout. the into retreated had Miller and killed, was The firing was kept up on both sides until R ed Buck ed R until sides both on up kept was firing The Red Buck still had on the gold watch he had stolen stolen had he watch gold the on had still Buck Red

t slo i Ptaaoi Cut aon 10. He 1908. around County Pottawatomie in saloon a at a kle wie lw fie a Tre ad, Oklahoma* Sands, Three at officer law a while killed was Picklesimer where they found Red Buck dead and Miller Miller and dead Buck Red found they where feet. his Picklesimer with dugout the in it buried and the stub of Miller’s severed arm and applied hot ashes ashes hot applied and around arm cloth severed a Miller’s of wrapped stub Picklesimer the wounded. seriously Miller and the dead outlaw’s body in a wagon and headed headed and wagon a in body outlaw’s dead the and Miller ent. treatm a as smut and corpse up against the courthouse and photographed it it Red claimed Buck’s one photographed no Red that and Since dead. propped was Arapaho courthouse outlaw officers at the the the prove arrived against to day up posse next The corpse The Arapaho. night. to back homa Territory. He became a body guard and bartender bartender and expense. guard body a county’s became the He at Territory. buried homa was he body, Buck’s The officers crowded into the dugout with Dolph Dolph with dugout the into crowded officers The The officers tied Red Buck to a wooden board, loaded loaded board, wooden a to Buck Red tied officers The ere ilr a nvr re fr i cie i Okla­ in crimes his for tried never was Miller George WESTVIEW