Cherokee Bill – Terror of Indian Territory
Crawford Goldsby, notoriously known as Cherokee Bill, remains a figure shrouded in both fear and fascination within the annals of the American West. Operating primarily in the tumultuous Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) during the late 19th century, he led a band of outlaws whose deeds of theft and murder etched his name into the history books as one of the era’s most dangerous men. His story is a complex tapestry woven with threads of racial identity, familial discord, and the brutal realities of life on the frontier.
Crawford Goldsby was born on February 8, 1876, in Fort Concho, Texas, a frontier outpost steeped in the rugged atmosphere of the era. His parentage was a blend of diverse heritages. His father, St. George Goldsby, was a mulatto man hailing from Alabama, a sergeant in the Tenth United States Cavalry, and a proud member of the famed Buffalo Soldiers – African American soldiers who served with distinction on the Western frontier. His mother, Ellen Beck Goldsby, was a Cherokee Freedman, a designation acknowledging her descent from individuals of African ancestry who had been enslaved by or affiliated with the Cherokee Nation. This gave her a rich mix of African, Native American, and white ancestry. This complex heritage would significantly shape the life and experiences of the man who would become Cherokee Bill.
The early years of Crawford Goldsby’s life were marked by instability. By the age of seven, his parents had separated, prompting his mother to relocate him to Fort Gibson in Indian Territory. Seeking to provide him with opportunities, she enrolled him in an Indian School in Kansas, where he spent three years. Following this, he was sent to the Carlisle Industrial School for Indians in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, for a further two years. These institutions were part of a broader effort to assimilate Native American children into mainstream American society, often through forced cultural adaptation. However, despite these educational endeavors, some accounts suggest that Crawford struggled with reading and writing, hinting at a deeper resistance to the imposed structure.
At the age of twelve, Crawford abandoned his formal education and returned to Fort Gibson. It was during this period that rumors began to circulate about a violent incident that would forever alter the course of his life. According to some accounts, Crawford confronted his brother-in-law, who had instructed him to feed the hogs. In a fit of rage, the young Crawford allegedly grabbed a gun and fatally shot him. Due to his age, he was never formally prosecuted for the alleged crime.
A year later, his mother remarried, and Crawford found himself at odds with his new stepfather. This familial tension coincided with his increasing association with a rough crowd, leading to the consumption of alcohol and a general defiance of authority. By the age of fifteen, he had moved out of his mother’s house and into the care of his sister, Georgia, and her husband. For a time, at the age of seventeen, he worked on a ranch and earned the respect of those around him. However, this brief period of stability would prove to be fleeting. The following year, Crawford Goldsby embarked on a path that would solidify his notoriety as Cherokee Bill, one of the most feared and dangerous outlaws in Indian Territory.
The spring of 1894 marked the beginning of Cherokee Bill‘s descent into a life of crime. At the age of eighteen, he shot a man named Jake Lewis for allegedly assaulting his younger brother. Although Lewis survived the attack, Bill, believing he had committed murder, fled to the Creek and Seminole Nations, seeking refuge among other outlaws. There, he joined forces with Jim and Bill Cook, forming a formidable alliance that would soon terrorize the region.
In June 1894, the trio encountered law enforcement officials near Fourteen Mile Creek, close to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The officers possessed a warrant for Jim Cook’s arrest, leading to a violent confrontation. During the ensuing shootout, Cherokee Bill fatally shot lawman Sequoyah Houston. Jim Cook was severely wounded, and the two remaining outlaws transported him to Fort Gibson. They were soon forced to abandon him, and he was subsequently apprehended by lawmen. Cherokee Bill, meanwhile, sought refuge at the home of his sister, Maud Brown. When her husband, George Brown, a known drunkard, began to physically abuse Maud for failing to respond promptly to his commands, Bill intervened, shooting and killing him.
Following this incident, Bill Cook and Cherokee Bill gathered a gang, largely composed of black men with Indian ancestry, and initiated a campaign of terror throughout Oklahoma. Initially, their crimes were relatively minor, involving whiskey charges and horse theft. However, they quickly escalated to robbing banks, stores, and stagecoaches, displaying a ruthless disregard for human life. They were known to shoot anyone who stood in their way.
On July 16, the gang allegedly robbed a man named William Drew, and two days later, they held up the Frisco train at Red Fork. However, their efforts yielded little reward, as the express messenger had cleverly concealed the money behind some boxes.
On July 31, 1894, the gang targeted the Lincoln County bank in Chandler, Oklahoma, stealing $500 and killing one person while wounding others. During the robbery, one of the gang members, Elmer Luca, was shot and captured by authorities.
Pursued relentlessly by law enforcement, the Cook Gang was cornered at a friend’s residence approximately fourteen miles west of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, on August 2, 1894. A fierce exchange of gunfire ensued, resulting in the severe wounding of one of the lawmen. Two gang members, Lon Gordon and Henry Munson, were killed, and Ad Berryhill was taken into custody. The remaining members of the gang managed to escape.
Undaunted by these setbacks, they continued their criminal activities, robbing the J.A. Parkinson & Company store in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, on September 21, making off with over $600.00.
Several weeks later, the gang displayed increasing audacity, robbing the depot of the Missouri Pacific Railroad in Claremore, Oklahoma, on October 11. Less than two hours later, they robbed the railroad agent at Chouteau.
Nine days later, they derailed the Kansas City and Pacific Express five miles south of Wagoner, Oklahoma, stealing its contents.
As their reign of terror continued, Bill and several other gang members rode into Lenapah on November 8. While robbing the Shufeldt and Son General Store, an innocent bystander named Ernest Melton, drawn by the commotion, peered inside to investigate. His curiosity proved fatal when Cherokee Bill raised his rifle and shot him in the head. Shortly thereafter, U.S. Marshals received a tip regarding the outlaw’s whereabouts; however, Bill managed to evade capture.
Cherokee Bill skillfully evaded the posse for a period, remaining a constant target of law enforcement efforts. His final act of outlawry occurred on December 31, 1894, when he single-handedly robbed the train station at Nowata, Oklahoma.
With the help of acquaintances seeking to claim a $1,500 reward, he was apprehended on January 30, 1895, and promptly delivered to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to await trial for murder. On February 26, Cherokee Bill was tried for the murder of Melton before Judge Parker and found guilty. On April 13, the seemingly unconcerned Crawford Goldsby was sentenced to death.
It was later revealed that Cherokee Bill‘s apparent indifference stemmed from a daring escape plan. He had somehow acquired a gun, smuggled to him by a trustee. On July 26, 1895, he attempted a jailbreak, triggering a gun battle with the prison guards, during which one of them was killed. The shootout resulted in a standoff, with the guards unable to disarm Cherokee Bill. However, another notorious outlaw, Henry Starr, was also incarcerated at the time. Starr, an acquaintance of Bill, offered to disarm him if the guards promised not to harm him afterward. The promise was made, and Henry entered the cell, informing his friend that his escape was impossible. Cherokee Bill surrendered his revolver, and Starr handed it over to the guards. This incident later contributed to Henry Starr’s own eventual release.
In the meantime, Cherokee Bill‘s lawyer was pursuing an appeal, arguing that Bill had not received a fair trial in Judge Isaac Parker’s court, who had characterized him as a "bloodthirsty mad dog who killed for the love of killing" and as "the most vicious" of all the outlaws in Oklahoma Territory.
However, the appeals proved unsuccessful, and on March 17, 1896, federal officials hanged him before a large crowd of spectators. When asked if he had any last words, he reportedly said, "I came here to die, not to make a speech."
At the young age of 20, Crawford "Cherokee Bill" Goldsby met his end at the gallows. His mother retrieved his remains and returned them to the Fort Gibson area, where he is buried at the Cherokee National Cemetery.
Throughout his brief but violent life, Cherokee Bill was said to have killed eight men.
“This is as good a day to die as any.”
– Cherokee Bill, March 17, 1896, as he stepped into the courtyard at Fort Smith and saw the gallows.