Oklahoma Scoundrels: History's Most Notorious Outlaws, Bandits & Gangsters

by Robert Barr Smith & Laurence J. Yadon, Laurence J. Yadon

Overview

Early Oklahoma was a haven for violent outlaws and a death trap for deputy U.S. marshals. The infamous Doolin gang's OK Hotel gunfight left five dead. Killers like Bible-quoting choir leader Deacon Jim Miller wreaked havoc. Gunslinger femme fatale Belle Starr specialized in horse theft. Wannabe outlaws like Al Jennings traded train robbing for politics and Hollywood films. And Elmer McCurdy's determination and inept skill earned him a carnival slot and the nickname "the Bandit Who Wouldn't Give Up." Historians Robert Barr Smith and Laurence J. Yadon dispel myths surrounding some of the most significant lawbreakers in Sooner history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467135191
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	11/07/2016
Series:	True Crime
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	679,320
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Robert Barr Smith, a commentator and published authority on military history and legal writing, is a professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Smith, a retired U.S. Army colonel, lives on Missouri's Table Rock Lake.

Laurence J. Yadon is an attorney, mediator and arbitrator with a lifelong interest in Oklahoma and criminal history. Yadon has investigated litigation issues for the Department of Justice and helped prepare a case successfully argued before the Supreme Court. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

1 Belle Starr: A Legend in Her Own Mind 11

2 The Daltons: A Lovely Autumn Day in Kansas 21

3 Bill Doolin: Gunfight at the OK Hotel 31

4 Henry Starr: From Horseback to Cadillac 39

5 Terminally Dumb 45

6 Deacon Jim Miller: The Worst Alan T Ever Knew 53

7 Ma Barker and the Central Park Gang 61

8 "Machine Gun" Kelly: King of the Tulsa Rumrunners 65

9 Bonnie and Clyde: Bad Seed Bandits 71

10 "Pretty Boy" Floyd 79

11 The Fairfax Terror 85

12 Zip Wyatt: Wanted Alive but Not Dead 89

13 The Unchristian Christian Boys 93

14 Ned Christie: The Dog Town Murder 105

Selected Bibliography 113

Index 119

About the Authors 123

Editorial Reviews

Together, [the authors] write with authority about the state's outlaw past The Oklahoman

From the Publisher