Rufus Buck Gang
Encyclopedia
The Rufus Buck Gang was an outlaw
multi-racial gang of members who were part African American and part Creek Indian. They operated in the Indian Territory
of the Arkansas
-Oklahoma
area from 1895 to 1896.
Formed by Rufus Buck, the gang consisted of Lewis Davis, Sam Sampson, Maoma July, and Lucky Davis. The gang began building up a small stockpile of weapons while staying in Okmulgee, Oklahoma
until killing U.S. deputy marshal John Garrett on July 28, 1895 the gang began holding up various stores and ranches in the Fort Smith
area during the next two weeks. In one incident a salesman named Callahan – after being robbed – was offered a chance to escape if he could outrun the gang. When the elderly Callahan successfully escaped the gang killed his assistant in frustration.
At least two women victims who were raped by the gang died of their injuries.
Continuing attacks on both local settlers and Creek indiscriminately, the gang was captured outside Muskogee
by a combined force of lawman and Indian police of the Creek Light Horse, led by Marshal S. Morton Rutherford, on August 10. While the Creek wanted to hold the gang for trial the men were brought before "Hanging" Judge Isaac Parker
where they were hanged on July 1, 1896.
Following Rufus Buck's death a picture of Buck's mother was found in his cell along with a poem written on the back.
A slightly modified account of the Buck gang's crimes is the basis for the novel, Winding Stair, by Douglas C. Jones
.
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
multi-racial gang of members who were part African American and part Creek Indian. They operated in the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
of the Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
-Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
area from 1895 to 1896.
Formed by Rufus Buck, the gang consisted of Lewis Davis, Sam Sampson, Maoma July, and Lucky Davis. The gang began building up a small stockpile of weapons while staying in Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Okmulgee is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 12,321 a loss of 5.4 percent since the 2000 census figure of 13,022. It has been the capital of the Muscogee Nation since the United States Civil War. Okmulgee means "boiling waters" in the Creek...
until killing U.S. deputy marshal John Garrett on July 28, 1895 the gang began holding up various stores and ranches in the Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
area during the next two weeks. In one incident a salesman named Callahan – after being robbed – was offered a chance to escape if he could outrun the gang. When the elderly Callahan successfully escaped the gang killed his assistant in frustration.
At least two women victims who were raped by the gang died of their injuries.
Continuing attacks on both local settlers and Creek indiscriminately, the gang was captured outside Muskogee
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
by a combined force of lawman and Indian police of the Creek Light Horse, led by Marshal S. Morton Rutherford, on August 10. While the Creek wanted to hold the gang for trial the men were brought before "Hanging" Judge Isaac Parker
Isaac Parker
Isaac Charles Parker served as a U.S. District Judge presiding over the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas for 21 years and also one-time politician. He served in that capacity during the most dangerous time for law enforcement during the western expansion...
where they were hanged on July 1, 1896.
Following Rufus Buck's death a picture of Buck's mother was found in his cell along with a poem written on the back.
A slightly modified account of the Buck gang's crimes is the basis for the novel, Winding Stair, by Douglas C. Jones
Douglas C. Jones
Douglas Clyde Jones was an American author of historical fiction, including alternative history fiction. As a boy, he had lived for a time in Fort Smith, Arkansas, adjacent to former Indian territory....
.
External links
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Buck Gang
- Annual report of the Department of the Interior, Volume 2 1896 .p.158
- http://www.jcs-group.com/oldwest/outlaws/rufus.html