Wiley Lynn
Encyclopedia
Wiley Lynn was a corrupt American
prohibition
agent during the early 20th century, best known for having murdered legendary lawman Bill Tilghman
, on November 1, 1924, in Cromwell, Oklahoma
.
s and saloons that were located there. The town was out of control by that time, with no law in force. Wiley Lynn, the prohibition agent assigned to the area, was a big part of the problem. For a number of years, Lynn worked deals with bootlegger
s and other illegal factions, keeping them out of jail in exchange for money paid to him.
Bill Tilghman
, a former Deputy US Marshal, was retired from law enforcement by 1910, and was 70 years old in 1924. However, he had a stellar reputation, and was a legend for his part in bringing down the Doolin Dalton Gang
in the 1890s. Tilghman had been elected to the Oklahoma Senate
. He also accepted the position of police chief of Oklahoma City
in 1911. In 1915
, he co-wrote, directed, and starred in the movie The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws
, which dramatized the law enforcement activities of Tilghman and the other members of the Three Guardsmen
, which included Heck Thomas
and Chris Madsen
. The film is noted as an early attempt to de-glamorize the image of outlaws. In 1924, Tilghman accepted a position as marshal of Cromwell, Oklahoma, to "clean up the town".
From early on in the job, he and Lynn were clearly rivals. Tilghman made several arrests for prohibition violations, only to have Lynn step in and set his prisoners free. Despite Tilghman suspecting Lynn, he had no definite proof with which to expose Lynn. Tilghman had been welcomed in by the towns non-criminal element, but was not popular with the brothel and saloon owners or patrons.
On November 1, 1924, Tilghman was seated inside Murphy's Cafe with a friend and his Deputy Marshal, Hugh Sawyer. Wiley Lynn pulled up outside in a vehicle along with prostitute Eva Caton and her companion, a US Army sergeant
named Thompson, as well as prostitute Rose Lutke. Lynn exited the vehicle, and discharged his pistol into the street. He was obviously intoxicated, and Tilghman immediately responded. Tilghman grabbed Lynn, and along with Sawyer disarmed him. However, Lynn had a second pistol which he quickly drew and shot Tilghman twice in the stomach and chest at point blank range. Tilghman slumped, then fell into the street. Wiley Lynn then fled the scene, turning himself in at the Federal District Headquarters in Holdenville, Oklahoma
, pleading self defense.
Deputy Hugh Sawyer never fired a shot. Had Tilghman had an experienced deputy, Lynn would have likely been killed on the spot. However, Deputy Marshal Sawyer was inexperienced, and froze when the shot was fired, watching Lynn as he fled, then going to Tilghman's aid. He also later testified that he could not see clearly exactly what happened.
Remarkably, Lynn was acquitted after a trial. One key eyewitness failed to appear in court for the trial, having fled to Florida
after having been threatened and in fear of his life if he testified. The witness did write a letter to former U.S. Marshal Evett Dumas Nix
, in Guthrie, Oklahoma
, in which he stated there was no doubt what he saw, and that there was no doubt that Wiley Lynn murdered Tilghman. However, a letter would not suffice. Also, eyewitness Rose Lutke had disappeared, and never resurfaced. To make matters worse for the prosecution, Deputy Marshal Hugh Sawyer, whether he was coherced or incompetent, testified that he could not see clearly as to what actually happened.
One month after the murder, the town of Cromwell was burned to the ground, with every brothel and saloon being torched. There was no investigation into the arson, and no arrests were made. It was always suspected that lawmen who were friends to Tilghman torched the town. Cromwell never recovered, dwindling to just over 300 residents.
and Shawnee, Oklahoma
, as well as other minor offenses.
Years passed, and by 1932 he was in Madill, Oklahoma
, living five miles out of town with his parents. He had clashed on more than one occasion with Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
Agent Crockett Long, who was assigned to that area, and who had made no secret that he disliked Lynn, Long having known and been friends with Tilghman. Agent Long had arrested Lynn several times, and Lynn blamed Long for his failure to be hired by the State Bureau of Investigations. Crockett Long had a substantial reputation for being good in a gunfight. He had previously that same year been involved in a gunfight with Pretty Boy Floyd
, with Floyd escaping.
On the night of July 17, Wiley Lynn came into Madill, apparently searching for night watchman John Glenn initially, with whom he'd argued previously. Lynn entered the Corner Drug Store, intoxicated, where Long was visiting with stock buyer Bill Baker, and the local undertaker Paul Watts. Lynn approached the men with his pistol in his hand, and stated to Long "Put em up you son of a bitch, I'm going to get you sometime so it might as well be now".
Long, who was hard of hearing, actually didn't hear Lynn at first. However, when he noticed that several store patrons were scrambling to leave the store, Long turned to see Wiley Lynn with his pistol pointed at him. Long quickly and calmly said "Put that gun down Lynn". Despite Lynn having his pistol pointed at Long, the latter drew his own gun and the two men fired simultaneously, with witnesses saying it sounded like only one shot, despite there having been two. By that time, the store owners Forney Keller and Jack Blalock had fled, and patron Knute Turley had dropped to his hands and knees crawling outside.
Rody Watkins and John Hilburn, two young men who were standing at the soda fountain
, were both hit by the bullet fired by Wiley Lynn, which had passed through the body of Crockett Long. Patron W. C. Wynne was standing at the door when the shooting started, and saw the first exchange. Both men continued to fire at one another until their weapons were emptied. Both were hit five times each, at close range, and while advancing on one another.
Wiley Lynn staggered out of the store and across the street to a service station, where citizen Clyde Lewis took him to a doctor. Agent Crocket Long was taken by ambulance to the Von Keller Hospital in Ardmore, Oklahoma
. John Hilburn was not seriously wounded, but Rody Watkins was also rushed to the hospital. Agent Long, Wiley Lynn, and bystander Rody Watkins all died while in surgery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
agent during the early 20th century, best known for having murdered legendary lawman Bill Tilghman
Bill Tilghman
William Matthew "Bill" Tilghman was a lawman in the American Old West.-Early life :Bill Tilghman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on July 4, 1854. He became a buffalo hunter at age 15 and claimed he killed over 1000 bison over his five years of activity...
, on November 1, 1924, in Cromwell, Oklahoma
Cromwell, Oklahoma
Cromwell is a town in Seminole County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 265 at the 2000 census.-History:Cromwell was a wild and wooly town in the early 1920s. The town was said to be full of saloons, brothels and outlaws...
.
Prohibition agent, Cromwell, Oklahoma
In 1924, Cromwell was a seedy and extremely dangerous town, which thrived on the many brothelBrothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s and saloons that were located there. The town was out of control by that time, with no law in force. Wiley Lynn, the prohibition agent assigned to the area, was a big part of the problem. For a number of years, Lynn worked deals with bootlegger
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
s and other illegal factions, keeping them out of jail in exchange for money paid to him.
Bill Tilghman
Bill Tilghman
William Matthew "Bill" Tilghman was a lawman in the American Old West.-Early life :Bill Tilghman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on July 4, 1854. He became a buffalo hunter at age 15 and claimed he killed over 1000 bison over his five years of activity...
, a former Deputy US Marshal, was retired from law enforcement by 1910, and was 70 years old in 1924. However, he had a stellar reputation, and was a legend for his part in bringing down the Doolin Dalton Gang
Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch, also known as the Doolin–Dalton Gang or the Oklahombres, was a gang of outlaws based in the Indian Territory that terrorized Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Territory during the 1890s—robbing banks and stores, holding up trains, and killing lawmen. They were...
in the 1890s. Tilghman had been elected to the Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
. He also accepted the position of police chief of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
in 1911. In 1915
1915 in film
The year 1915 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 8 : D.W Griffith's The Birth of a Nation premieres at Clune's Auditorium Los Angeles and breaks box office and film length records, running at a total length of 3 hrs 10 minutes.* June 18 : The Motion Picture Directors...
, he co-wrote, directed, and starred in the movie The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws
The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws
The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws, subtitled Picturization of Early Days in Oklahoma, is a silent movie produced by the Eagle Film Company in 1915 depicting the end of the outlaw gangs which operated freely during the closing days of the Twin Territories...
, which dramatized the law enforcement activities of Tilghman and the other members of the Three Guardsmen
Three Guardsmen
The Three Guardsmen is the name popularized in Old West literature describing three lawmen who became legendary in their pursuit of many outlaws of the late 19th century. Deputy U.S. Marshals Bill Tilghman , Chris Madsen , and Heck Thomas were The Three Guardsmen, working under U.S...
, which included Heck Thomas
Heck Thomas
Henry Andrew "Heck" Thomas was a lawman on theAmerican frontier, most notably in Oklahoma.-Biography:Thomas was born in 1850 in Athens, Georgia, the youngest of five children of Lovick Pierce Thomas, I and Martha Fulwood Bedell.At the beginning of the American Civil War, at age 12, he accompanied...
and Chris Madsen
Chris Madsen
Chris Madsen was a lawman of the Old West who is best known as being one of The Three Guardsmen, the name given to Madsen and two other Deputy US Marshals who were responsible for the apprehension and/or killing of several outlaws of that era...
. The film is noted as an early attempt to de-glamorize the image of outlaws. In 1924, Tilghman accepted a position as marshal of Cromwell, Oklahoma, to "clean up the town".
From early on in the job, he and Lynn were clearly rivals. Tilghman made several arrests for prohibition violations, only to have Lynn step in and set his prisoners free. Despite Tilghman suspecting Lynn, he had no definite proof with which to expose Lynn. Tilghman had been welcomed in by the towns non-criminal element, but was not popular with the brothel and saloon owners or patrons.
On November 1, 1924, Tilghman was seated inside Murphy's Cafe with a friend and his Deputy Marshal, Hugh Sawyer. Wiley Lynn pulled up outside in a vehicle along with prostitute Eva Caton and her companion, a US Army sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
named Thompson, as well as prostitute Rose Lutke. Lynn exited the vehicle, and discharged his pistol into the street. He was obviously intoxicated, and Tilghman immediately responded. Tilghman grabbed Lynn, and along with Sawyer disarmed him. However, Lynn had a second pistol which he quickly drew and shot Tilghman twice in the stomach and chest at point blank range. Tilghman slumped, then fell into the street. Wiley Lynn then fled the scene, turning himself in at the Federal District Headquarters in Holdenville, Oklahoma
Holdenville, Oklahoma
Holdenville is a city in Hughes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,732 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hughes County....
, pleading self defense.
Deputy Hugh Sawyer never fired a shot. Had Tilghman had an experienced deputy, Lynn would have likely been killed on the spot. However, Deputy Marshal Sawyer was inexperienced, and froze when the shot was fired, watching Lynn as he fled, then going to Tilghman's aid. He also later testified that he could not see clearly exactly what happened.
Remarkably, Lynn was acquitted after a trial. One key eyewitness failed to appear in court for the trial, having fled to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
after having been threatened and in fear of his life if he testified. The witness did write a letter to former U.S. Marshal Evett Dumas Nix
Evett Dumas Nix
Evett Dumas Nix, often known as E.D. Nix, was a US Marshal in the late 19th century handling the jurisdiction that included the wild Oklahoma Territory, later to be the state of Oklahoma...
, in Guthrie, Oklahoma
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Guthrie is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 9,925 at the 2000 census.Guthrie was the territorial and later the first state capital for Oklahoma...
, in which he stated there was no doubt what he saw, and that there was no doubt that Wiley Lynn murdered Tilghman. However, a letter would not suffice. Also, eyewitness Rose Lutke had disappeared, and never resurfaced. To make matters worse for the prosecution, Deputy Marshal Hugh Sawyer, whether he was coherced or incompetent, testified that he could not see clearly as to what actually happened.
One month after the murder, the town of Cromwell was burned to the ground, with every brothel and saloon being torched. There was no investigation into the arson, and no arrests were made. It was always suspected that lawmen who were friends to Tilghman torched the town. Cromwell never recovered, dwindling to just over 300 residents.
Shootout in Madill
Wiley Lynn survived the trial, and amazingly continued to work in his prohibition agent position for a very short time, but eventually lost his job. He was married, and had two sons, but his life had taken a downward spiral since the Tilghman shooting. His wife had taken their children and left him. He had been arrested several times for drunkenness in Wewoka, OklahomaWewoka, Oklahoma
Wewoka is a city in Seminole County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,562 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Seminole County.Wewoka is the capital of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma.-Geography:Wewoka is located at ....
and Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area; it is also the county seat of Pottawatomie County and the principal city of the Shawnee Micropolitan Statistical...
, as well as other minor offenses.
Years passed, and by 1932 he was in Madill, Oklahoma
Madill, Oklahoma
Madill is a city in Marshall County, Oklahoma, United States. The city was founded in 1901 and is named for George Alexander Madill, an attorney for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, popularly known as the Frisco. The 2009 population estimate was 3,781...
, living five miles out of town with his parents. He had clashed on more than one occasion with Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is an independent state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. The OSBI assists the city police departments of the state and is the primary investigative agency of the state government...
Agent Crockett Long, who was assigned to that area, and who had made no secret that he disliked Lynn, Long having known and been friends with Tilghman. Agent Long had arrested Lynn several times, and Lynn blamed Long for his failure to be hired by the State Bureau of Investigations. Crockett Long had a substantial reputation for being good in a gunfight. He had previously that same year been involved in a gunfight with Pretty Boy Floyd
Pretty Boy Floyd
Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was an American bank robber. He operated in the West South Central States, and his criminal exploits gained heavy press coverage in the 1930s. Like most other prominent outlaws of that era, he was killed by law enforcement officers...
, with Floyd escaping.
On the night of July 17, Wiley Lynn came into Madill, apparently searching for night watchman John Glenn initially, with whom he'd argued previously. Lynn entered the Corner Drug Store, intoxicated, where Long was visiting with stock buyer Bill Baker, and the local undertaker Paul Watts. Lynn approached the men with his pistol in his hand, and stated to Long "Put em up you son of a bitch, I'm going to get you sometime so it might as well be now".
Long, who was hard of hearing, actually didn't hear Lynn at first. However, when he noticed that several store patrons were scrambling to leave the store, Long turned to see Wiley Lynn with his pistol pointed at him. Long quickly and calmly said "Put that gun down Lynn". Despite Lynn having his pistol pointed at Long, the latter drew his own gun and the two men fired simultaneously, with witnesses saying it sounded like only one shot, despite there having been two. By that time, the store owners Forney Keller and Jack Blalock had fled, and patron Knute Turley had dropped to his hands and knees crawling outside.
Rody Watkins and John Hilburn, two young men who were standing at the soda fountain
Soda fountain
A soda fountain is a device that dispenses carbonated drinks. They can be found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores...
, were both hit by the bullet fired by Wiley Lynn, which had passed through the body of Crockett Long. Patron W. C. Wynne was standing at the door when the shooting started, and saw the first exchange. Both men continued to fire at one another until their weapons were emptied. Both were hit five times each, at close range, and while advancing on one another.
Wiley Lynn staggered out of the store and across the street to a service station, where citizen Clyde Lewis took him to a doctor. Agent Crocket Long was taken by ambulance to the Von Keller Hospital in Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore is a business, cultural and tourism city in and the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 24,283, while a 2007 estimate has the Ardmore micropolitan statistical area totaling 56,694 residents...
. John Hilburn was not seriously wounded, but Rody Watkins was also rushed to the hospital. Agent Long, Wiley Lynn, and bystander Rody Watkins all died while in surgery.