The Jennings Gang (c. 1897) was a gang of

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...

s in the closing days of the Old West, notable in that one member was a former Wild Bunch gang member,

Richard "Little Dick" West Richard "Little Dick" West (December 31, 1860 – April 13, 1898) was an American outlaw of the Old West, and a member of Bill Doolin's gang. Early life and background West was born in Texas, supposedly in 1860. He was working as a cowboy on the ...

, and the leader of the gang, Al Jennings, ran for

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in 1914. The gang originated in Oklahoma, following the downfall of the Wild Bunch at the hands of three Deputy US Marshals,

Heck Thomas Andrew "Heck" Thomas (January 3, 1850 – August 14, 1912) was a lawman on the American frontier, most notably in Indian Territory. He was known for helping bring law and order to the region. In 1889 as a deputy in Fort Smith, Arkansas, he trie ...

, Bill Tilghman, and

Chris Madsen Chris Madsen (February 25, 1851 – January 9, 1944) 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 ki ...

. Following the killing of outlaw and Wild Bunch leader

Bill Doolin Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

, by Heck Thomas in 1896, "Little Dick" West joined up with Al and Frank Jennings, and Morris and Pat O'Malley, to form what would be known as the Jennings Gang. However, the gang was less than successful. They conducted a series of failed

train robbery Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains. History Train robberies were more common in the past when trains were slower, and often occurred in the American Old West. Tr ...

attempts, one of their last being a case where they blew up an entire train car, only to find that there was no money in the train's safe. Another time, they robbed a general store, receiving only $15 for their troubles. Less than a year after they were formed, they broke up. Al and Frank Jennings, as well as both O'Malley brothers, were captured and sentenced to prison. "Little Dick" West eluded capture until later in 1898, when he was killed by Deputy US Marshal Madsen, in Oklahoma. In 1914 Al Jennings ran for Oklahoma Governor, but was soundly defeated.

External links

Jennings Gang

* ttp://www.lindapages.com/cwar/15wvi-jenningsgang.htm The Jennings Gang Outlaw gangs of the American Old West History of Oklahoma Territory {{Oklahoma-stub