William E. "Bert" Casey (died 1903) was a violentInterview with

Horace Speed Horace Speed (January 25, 1852 – December 28, 1924) was an Oklahoma pioneer and the first United States District Attorney for Oklahoma Territory. Speed was born in Nelson County, Kentucky, and was a prominent attorney in Indiana with B ...

irst United States attorney for Oklahoma Territory ''Stevens Point Daily Journal'' (Stevens Point, Wisconsin), February 10, 1913: "The most bloodthirsty man that ever came under my observation was Bert Casey, one of the last outlaw leaders in the Southwest." outlaw who operated out of the

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as th ...

. He and his gang were responsible for several savage murders, including the eleven-year-old son of Dr. Zeno Beenblossum, Deputy U.S. Marshal Luther "Lute" Houston, and

Caddo County Caddo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,600. Its county seat is Anadarko. Created in 1901 as part of Oklahoma Territory, the county is named for the Caddo tribe who were ...

Sheriff Frank Smith and his deputy, George Beck. One of the most senseless killings attributed to Casey was his judging the range and accuracy his new Winchester rifle by shooting a farmer working in his field some away. Belonging to Casey's gang at different times were Fred Hudson, Ed Lockett, Joe Mobley, George Moran, Bob Sims, and Pete Williams. James and Ben Hughes (father and son) also participated with the gang; although opinions differed as to whether they were members or employers. However, the Hughes ranch was Casey's hideout. Casey was finally stopped by two of his former gang members (Fred Hudson and Ed Lockett) who were given Deputy U.S. Marshall commissions and promised a pardon if they captured or killed Casey. They killed him. His body remained unclaimed and he was buried in the Boot Hill section of

Summit View Cemetery Summit View Cemetery (established 1890) is a historic cemetery located in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Operated by the city of Guthrie (the territorial capitol) since 1915, the cemetery is the final resting place for many prominent Oklahoma pioneers, includ ...

in the territorial capitol of Guthrie.

Footnotes

Sources

*Butler, Ken. ''Oklahoma Renegades: Their Deeds and Misdeeds''. Pelican Publishing, 1997.

External links

The Hughes Ranch
Year of birth missing 1903 deaths Outlaws of the American Old West Criminals from Oklahoma {{Oklahoma-stub