William E. "Bert" Casey (died 1903) was a violent[1] outlaw who operated out of the Oklahoma Territory. 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 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 400 yards (370 m) 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 in the territorial capitol of Guthrie.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Interview with Horace Speed [first 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."

Sources

  • Butler, Ken. Oklahoma Renegades: Their Deeds and Misdeeds. Pelican Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1-56554-231-2


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