Richard "Dick" Speed, Perkins City Marshal 1891-1893

The following information is an excerpt from the book entitled, DEADLY AFFRAYS; THE VIOLENT DEATHS OF THE U.S. MARSHALS, which, incidentally, was authored by the current Chief of Police Bob Ernst's father, Robert R. Ernst.

The Doolin gang of outlaws was a wanted outfit. They'd pulled off train robberies in Perry in May 1891, Wagoner in September 1891, Red Rock in June 1892, and Adair in July 1892. The gang was composed of Bill Doolin, George Newcomb, Red Buck Waightman, Dynamite Dick Clifton, Tulsa Jack (real name: William Blake), Bill Dalton and Arkansas Tom Daugherty. A reward of $5,000 had been posted for their arrest, making them the most wanted outlaws in Oklahoma Territory. U.S. marshals learned that the gang frequented the town of Ingalls, hanging out in the local saloon and the Bill Dunn Ranch, located two and a half miles southeast of town. Ingalls at the time was composed of one hundred fifty residents; it had no lawman of its own.

In August 1893, Deputy U.S. marshals Doc Roberts and Red Lucas entered Ingalls posing as surveyors for a railroad. The two hung around and even played cards with Bill Doolin in the Ransom Saloon. After several days, they reported back to U.S. Marshal Nix that all the gang members were in Ingalls.

A plan was worked out for a raid on Friday, September 1, 1893. On Thursday, eleven lawmen left Guthrie and Stillwater in two covered wagons and met at Lucas' camp southwest of Ingalls. At daybreak on Saturday, Lucas entered Ingalls to scout the town, returning to camp a few hours later and reporting he had personally seen Doolin, Newcomb, Waightman, Clifton, Dalton and Tulsa Jack in the Ransom Saloon. The only member of the gang not in the saloon was Arkansas Tom; Lucas said he had no idea where he was.

The lawmen climbed into the wagons and started for Ingalls, coming in from different directions. Logan County Deputy Sheriff and Deputy U.S. Marshal James Masterson, brother of Bat Masterson of Dodge City fame, drove wagon number one. Concealed in the wagon were Logan County Sheriff John Hixon, Osage Indian Police Chief and Deputy U.S. Marshal Lafe Shadley, and Deputy U.S. marshals Doc Roberts, Ike Steel and Steve Burke. The wagon slowly entered Ingalls from the south on Oak Street and stopped in a grove of trees just north of Doctor Pickering's home and office.

Wagon number two, driven by Perkins City Marshal and U.S. marshals posse Richard Speed, entered from the west. Concealed in the wagon were Stillwater constables and Deputy U.S. marshals Tom Hueston and his brother Ham, Logan County Undersheriff and Deputy U.S. Marshal H.A. Thompson, and Deputy U.S. Marshal M.A. Iauson. As the wagon slowly came in from the west it turned south on Ash Street, with the lawmen dropping out of the wagon and taking cover behind buildings and brush. Speed stopped the wagon in front of Hostetter's Livery, climbed down and walked into the building where he covered two men and announced lawmen were raiding the town. He stepped back out the door and saw a man walking his horse up the street toward the town's watering well; Speed asked nineteen year-old Dell Simmons who the man was. Simmons pointed at the man and told the officer that it was Bitter Creek Newcomb. The outlaw saw Simmons pointing at him and grabbed his rifle from the saddle scabbard as Speed took aim with his own rifle. Speed fired first, the bullet hitting Newcomb's rifle and ricocheting into his leg. Newcomb tried to climb into the saddle as Speed fired a second shot.

Unknown to any of the lawmen, Arkansas Tom was in his room at the OK Hotel, sick with the flu. He heard the gunfire and grabbed his rifle, looked out the second floor window and saw Speed firing at Newcomb. Tom took aim and fired, hitting Speed in the shoulder. Speed dove behind the wagon but was still in range; Arkansas Tom again aimed and fired, hitting Speed in the chest, killing him instantly. In the meantime, Newcomb rode south out of town, drawing fire from the rest of the lawmen.

The gunfire brought the rest of the gang to the door of the saloon and they opened up on the lawmen as Dell Simmons ran out the back door of Vaughn's Saloon, where he had taken refuge. Arkansas Tom, probably believing he was a lawman, shot and killed him. The officers from the other wagon moved behind the town's buildings toward the Ransom Saloon. As soon as they were in range they shot and killed a horse in front of the saloon. N.A. Walker of Cushing ran out of the saloon and was shot by marshals who believed he was one of the outlaws. Hit in the side, he fell to the ground. As the fight became general, Ransom was hit in the leg and Murray, the bartender, took slugs in the ribs and arm as he opened the front door.

Doolin, Dalton, Waightman, Clifton and Tulsa Jack ran out the saloon's side door and into the livery stable next door. Tom Hueston took cover behind Perry's Dry Goods to cover the rear of the Ransom Saloon. Unknown to him, he is clearly visible to Arkansas Tom, who fired two quick shots, hitting the lawman in the left side and lower abdomen. He dropped to the ground, moaning in agony, but still alive.

Doolin and Clifton, their horses saddled, galloped out the rear door of the livery and headed southwest out of town. Dalton, Waightman and Tulsa Jack rode out the front door with lawmen shooting at them. John Hixon's shot hit Dalton's horse in the jaw; Lafe Shadley's bullet hit the horse's leg. Dalton was knocked from his mount and fell to the ground as Shadley ran toward him. Arkansas Tom, from his second floor location, cut loose at Shadley and hit him in the right hip, with the bullet ranging upward into his chest. As the gang rode south, Masterson, Hixon, Roberts, Steel and Burke all opened up on them; Clifton is hit in the neck and knocked out of the saddle. As other members of the gang rode by, he was lifted onto the back of one of the horses and the gang continued its escape out of town. Frank Briggs, son of Dr. Briggs, ran into the intersection of 2^nd and Oak to watch the outlaws escape. The gang, moving southeast across Oak Street, fired back at the lawmen and hit the young man in the shoulder.

As the gang got out of town, officers surrounded the OK Hotel and demanded that Arkansas Tom surrender. After a long period of time, he emerged and was arrested. Later, he was tried in Stillwater and convicted of murder.

Dell Simmons and Posse Richard Speed were dead at the scene. Tom Hueston, the Stillwater constable and deputy U.S. marshal, died the following day. Lafayette "Lafe" Shadley expired on September 3^rd. N.A. Walker succumbed to his wounds on September 16^th.

After this disaster, the pursuit of the outlaws never let up. On June 8, 1894, Bill Dalton is killed by deputy U.S. marshals in Ardmore. Tulsa Jack went down to marshals' bullets on April 4, 1895 in Ames. The following month, on May 3^rd, George Newcomb and Charlie Pierce died in a gunfight with deputy marshals at the Bill Dunn Ranch. Deputy sheriffs at Clinton killed Red Buck Waightman on March 5, 1896. Bill Doolin was gunned down by Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas at Quay on August 24, 1896. Dynamite Dick Clifton was killed by lawmen in Checotah on November 7, 1897.

Arkansas Tom Daugherty went to prison and served time until 1910 when he was paroled. He moved to Drumright and worked as a cook in a restaurant for a few years. In December 1916, he committed a bank burglary in Missouri and went back to prison, this time being released on November 11, 1921. Only two years later, on November 26, 1923, Tom and three others robbed a bank in Asbury, Missouri. Joplin, Missouri police located Daugherty on August 16, 1924 and tried to arrest him. He resisted and was killed in the ensuing gunfight.

Tom Hueston was buried in Stillwater. At the time of his death he was the Noble Grand of the Order of Odd Fellows and a highly respected lawman. Richard Speed's funeral was held at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Stillwater, conducted by the Association of United Workman's Lodge #5. He was then buried in the Perkins Cemetery. He was twenty-six years of age and left a wife and three children. Lafe Shadley was the Chief of the Osage Nation Police and made his home in Pawhuska. He was a former Montgomery County, Kansas deputy sheriff and a well respected and experienced lawman. His body was taken by train to Independence, Kansas for burial.

Richard "Dick" Speed is listed on the Honor Roll of the US Marshal's Service in Washington D.C., The National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C., and the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial in Oklahoma City, OK.