Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1895 — HE COULDN’T MARRY HER, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HE COULDN’T MARRY HER,

And That’s Why Bill Cook Became the Famous Outlaw He Is. The band of outlaws now operating in Indian Territory in the Southwest is perhaps the most daring that has ever been formed in this country. Its leader, Bill Cook, is a young man less than 22 years old, but he has all the daring and courage of a dozen Daltons. Were it not for a love affair this young man, of mixed Indian and white blood, would in all proba-

bility be a decent member of society in Indian Territory to-day. When Bill was a schoolboy at Fourteen Mile Cre.ek, midway between Fort Gibson and Talequah, he fell in love with a pretty girl, Martha Pittman. Their romance ran along smoothly enough until Bill was convicted of smuggling whisky into the Territory—an offense that a great many people are guilty of. Then Martha’s father vowed that his daughter would never marry a criminal, and when Bill got out of jail he was refused permission to call on Martha. Like a true sweetheart Martha stood by her lover, but Bill refused to marry her without the old man’s consent and swore that if he could not obtain it he’d go on the warpath and put the whole Indian Territory on the run at the point of his Winchester. To the warpath he consequently took when Martha's father remained obdurate, and it must be said that he has kept a considerable portion of the Territory on the qui vive ever since. And here the strangest part of the romance comes to light. All through Bill's train robbing episodes and robberies Martha remained true, and finally her father, impressed with Bill’s nerve, withdrew his objections to the marriage and is as anxious to have Bill as a son-in-law. It is now said that

Martha has gone to join her lover, bearing her father’s blessing. Associated with Bill are some desperate characters, whose names repeatedly crop up in newspaper reports. One of these is “Skeeters.’’ His right name is Thurman Baldwin and he hails from Arkansas. He is white. Another trusty lieutenant is Cherokee Bill, a mixture of white, negro and Cherokee. His right name is Crawford Crosby and he is 18 years old. These are the most trusty members of the gang over, which Bill Cook holds sway. Recently Cherokee Bill Sustained a serious' injury in tight with deputies at Talala.

BILL COOK.

"SKEETERS" AND “CHEROKEE BILL."