Bill Cook – Leading the Cook Gang
The annals of the American West are replete with tales of daring outlaws, men who carved their names into history with bullets and bravado. Among these figures, William "Bill" Tuttle Cook stands out as the leader of a notorious band that terrorized the Indian Territory, leaving a trail of robberies and bloodshed in their wake. This is the story of Bill Cook, a man who transitioned from a scout for the U.S. Marshals to the head of the infamous Cook Gang.
Born in 1873 near Fort Gibson, in what was then the Cherokee Nation and is now part of Oklahoma, William Cook’s early life was marked by hardship. By the age of 14, he was orphaned following the death of his mother in 1887. Despite this difficult start, Cook initially pursued a path of integrity. He found employment as a scout, guiding U.S. Marshals from Fort Smith, Arkansas, through the treacherous terrain of the Indian Territory. His knowledge of the land and its people proved invaluable to the lawmen as they pursued their quarry.
However, the allure of easy money proved too strong to resist. Cook soon strayed from the straight and narrow, engaging in the illegal trade of whiskey to the Native American population. This transgression did not go unnoticed. In 1893, he was apprehended and sentenced to 40 days in jail by the stern Judge Isaac Parker, a figure renowned for his unwavering commitment to justice in the Wild West.
It was within the confines of that jail cell that Bill Cook’s transformation into an outlaw began to solidify. Imprisonment ignited a fire within him, a burning desire for revenge and a rejection of the societal norms that had led to his incarceration. He vowed that upon his release, he would assemble a gang of outlaws and wreak havoc upon the very system that had confined him. True to his word, the following year, he began to make that pledge a reality.
By June 1894, Cook had gathered a formidable group of men, each with their own reasons for living outside the law. The ranks of the Cook Gang included his brother, Jim Cook, and the infamous Crawford "Cherokee Bill" Goldsby, a man whose name alone inspired fear throughout the territory. The gang also included Thurman "Skeeter" Baldwin, Jess Snyder, William Farris, Curtis Dayson, Elmer "Chicken" Lucas, Jim French, George Sanders, Sam "Verdigris Kid" McWilliams, Lon Gordon, and Henry Munson. These men, bound together by a shared disdain for authority and a thirst for illicit wealth, formed the core of the Bill Cook Gang.
Operating under a variety of aliases, including the Cherokee Kid, John Williams, and John Mayfield, Bill Cook led his gang on a reign of terror throughout the Indian Territory. They targeted banks, trains, post offices, stores, and even individuals, leaving a trail of robberies and violence in their wake. Their brazen acts of defiance quickly attracted the attention of law enforcement, and a relentless pursuit began, with dozens of lawmen determined to bring the Cook Gang to justice.
The gang’s activities escalated rapidly. In June 1894, a confrontation occurred near Fourteen Mile Creek, close to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Cherokee Bill, Jim, and Bill Cook were confronted by lawmen attempting to serve a warrant for Jim’s arrest. The encounter quickly turned violent, resulting in a deadly shootout. Cherokee Bill fatally shot lawman Sequoyah Houston. Jim Cook was severely wounded in the exchange. Forced to abandon him, the two fled to Fort Gibson. Jim was later captured.
Undeterred, the Cook Gang continued their spree. On July 14, they held up a stagecoach, and just two days later, they robbed a man named William Drew. On July 18, they targeted the Frisco train at Red Fork. However, this particular robbery proved less fruitful than anticipated. The express messenger, anticipating trouble, had hidden the money behind some boxes, leaving the gang with a meager haul.
Their boldness reached a peak on July 31, 1894, when the gang robbed the Lincoln County Bank in Chandler, Oklahoma. This robbery was marked by violence and tragedy. The gang stole $500 and they killed one person and wounding others. During the robbery, gang member Elmer Lucas was shot and captured by authorities.
The law was closing in. On August 2, 1894, the Cook Gang found themselves surrounded at a friend’s home approximately 14 miles west of Sapulpa, Oklahoma. A fierce gun battle erupted, resulting in one of the lawmen being severely wounded. Two of the gang members, Lon Gordon and Henry Munson, were killed, and Ad Berryhill was captured. The remaining members of the gang managed to escape, but the noose was tightening.
The gang’s desperation grew. On October 20, they robbed the Kansas City and Missouri Express at Coretta, Oklahoma, followed by a series of robberies targeting stores and company offices, from which they stole large payrolls. During a robbery at the Schufeldt and Son store in Lenapah, Cherokee Bill killed a man, further intensifying the lawmen’s pursuit.
The relentless pressure from law enforcement eventually took its toll. One by one, the members of the Cook Gang were either captured or killed. Curtis Dayson, Thurman Baldwin, Jess Snyder, and William Farris were apprehended and sentenced to long prison terms. Jim French, George Sanders, and the Verdigris Kid met their end in violent confrontations with lawmen, resisting arrest and paying the ultimate price for their defiance. Cherokee Bill was captured and subsequently hanged at Fort Smith, Arkansas, bringing an end to his violent career.
Bill Cook’s reign as leader of the Cook Gang came to an end in January 1895, when he was finally apprehended. He was brought before Judge Isaac Parker on February 12, 1895, and tried for bank robbery. Found guilty, he was sentenced to a lengthy term of 45 years in federal prison. He was sent to Albany, New York, to serve his sentence.
Bill Cook died on February 15, 1900, succumbing to consumption while still incarcerated. His body was returned to Hulbert, Oklahoma, where he was laid to rest. The legacy of the Cook Gang, however, lived on, becoming a part of the folklore of the American West. The story of Bill Cook serves as a reminder of the turbulent times and the allure of a life lived outside the boundaries of the law.