I known I posted back in 2005 asking questions about my granddad but I thought maybe some new blood on here might know somthing more than what I found out back then. My granddads name is Orrington ( Red ) Lucas He was a U.S. Marsall and worked for Judge parker He also was on the Tulsa police force. He did a lot of his work I guess as you would call it now as an under cover agent. Also his twin brother worked for parker and the Tulsa police dept. If anybody would have any INFO. I would really like to hear about it.Also would like to find out about my grandmother her adopted name was Emma Lee Howall I guess my granddad met her while floating down the river towers Ft. Smith they were married in Spiro Ok. If anyone has any info. I would appriceate it. Thank You

Lucas
Jesse James III wrote a letter to marshal Tighman’s widow in 1954. It was a lengthy letter claiming his Grandfather Jesse Woodson James came out of hiding in Lawton, OK in 1948. The general consensus was that Mr. James was not legimate.

He professed to know your Red Lucas and wrote in his letter to Mrs. Tilghman and wondered if Orrington “RED” Lucas was still alive? He said he met and knew “RED” Lucas a good many times and that was why he was writing her, thinking perhaps she might know where he was. He said he last saw him at Cooper Hotel, April 1953 and believed, if alive, would be around 98.

He went on to say “RED” Lucas, an old time US Deputy Marshall in the early days worked mostly in Oklahoma, I. T. He added that “Red” knew the James boys very well since 1878 or 1879, and was one of the dozens of grand old pioneers and ex-gunmen, etc etc that gave us very very valuable help and cooperation. (I assume he was referring to his attempt to prove Jesse James was still alive)

So, take it for what it's worth.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Norm,

Research from Richard King on Lucas:

Lucas, Orrington “Red” was commissioned deputy marshal in 1882, in the Western District of Arkansas. Lucas’ first assignment from Judge Parker was to keep watch over the stagecoach line between Ft. Smith and Muskogee. Judge Parker knew Red Lucas’ strong suit was his ability to investigate and plan. The deputy found several men living between Big and Little Vian whom he felt were robbing the stage. Deputy Marshal Heck Thomas assisted Lucas in serving the warrants. This ended all of the stage hold ups in that area. In February of 1893, Red was sent to help Marshal Evett Nix of Oklahoma Territory to identify the members of the Bill Doolin gang. Bill Doolin was playing havoc with the marshal’s forces causing embarrassment to them. The newspapers were making a hero out of Bill Doolin. It seemed every time the deputy marshals tried to capture the Doolin gang they were one step behind. Red Lucas employed the ugliest man that he could find to serve as his partner while investigating the Doolin gang. The two set up camp thirty-five miles northwest of Ingalls, on Black Bear Creek where they posed as fishermen. Red and his friend made regular trips to Ingalls where they sold their fish to the outlaws. The gang members gave it to the owners of the saloon and restaurant that catered to them. After being accepted and gaining trust of the gang, Red set up a tent in a vacant lot next to the saloon. Bill Doolin returned from a raid in Arkansas, where he received a wound on his foot and head. Medical attention was not available for Bill Doolin because he had a $2,500 reward on his head, “Dead or Alive.” This was the break that Red Lucas had been waiting for. Lucas’ knowledge in handling wounds made Doolin obligated to him. The wound to Doolin’s foot left him permanently lame, while the bullet was left lodged in his skull because it could be life threatening. On September 1, 1893, the time was right to capture Bill Doolin and his gang. Red Lucas contacted the marshal’s force to proceed with a plan to capture the gang. Eleven officers were summoned from the eastern district at Stillwater and eleven officers came from Guthrie. Two covered wagons were used to conceal the deputy marshals. The deputy marshals traveled to the outskirts of the town and were in the process of surrounding the town when the gang learned of their involvement. Outlaw Dynamite Dick quickly suspected Red Lucas and Catfish Jack as their betrayers and he decided to eliminate them. Bill Doolin stepped in to stop Dynamite Dick because he didn’t agree with him. The fast thinking Red Lucas attacked Catfish Jack knocking him to the ground, where he continued punching him until he knocked him unconscious. With the heat off, Red Lucas made his way to the livery stable where he was to meet the marshal to make the plan of attack. Feared outlaw, Bitter Creek Newcomb, took cover at the town well when Officer Tom Houston shot him in the leg. Bitter Creek shot back immediately striking Houston’s hat, just missing his head. At the same instant a shot came from the upstairs window of the hotel, which passed through Houston’s stomach. In a split second, a second slug tore through Houston’s stomach again in the same area. As the critically wounded Houston sank to the ground he said, “I would like to see the man that shot me.” A third shot came from the hotel window which fell Deputy Marshal Lafe Shadley, then another shot rang out which dropped a curious thirteen year old boy who was an innocent bystander. By this time the wounded Bitter Creek made his way to a cornfield south of town. Bill Dalton mounted his horse, hoping to find an outlet in the wire fence, four and one-half blocks northwest of the saloon. A surge of gunfire from the officers pelted around Dalton and his mount, hitting him under the arm, before striking his horse on the leg. Bill Doolin, seeing his second in command in an adverse situation, picked up the wounded Dalton as he passed by. Most of the marshal’s force was compelled to take cover as the lone outlaw in the upper hotel window continued to blaze away. Officer Dick Speed from Perkins made a move to try to gain an advantage point on the gunman in window, knowing something had to be done before he killed more of the marshals’ force. Dick Speed’s move proved to be fatal as he became the new target. A slug tore into Speed’s body which forced him to the ground where he tried to continue to crawl to safety. The wounded lawman crawled nearly a hundred yards as five bullets were shot at him before he was killed. The leading Deputy Marshal, John Hixon, realized the only way to stop the gunman was to use dynamite. The lady who owned the hotel came outside of her establishment with her three small children when she became aware that her hotel was targeted. Hixon told the lady her hotel was going to be blown up but she could save it if she could talk the outlaw in the upstairs part to come down. The lady persuaded the gunman, Roy Daugherty, alias” “Arkansas Tom” alias “Tom Jones” to surrender. Deputy Marshal Lucas took “Arkansas Tom” to the dying Tom Houston showing him the man who shot him, giving Houston his death wish. “Arkansas Tom” was the only outlaw from the “Battle of Ingalls” to be arrested. Red Lucas and fifteen other deputy marshals, under the charge of Captain Lillie, traveled to Alva by train, then headed southwest to the Gloss Mountains. The posse found one member of the Doolin gang in a dugout near Chimney Rock. Lucas entered the dugout where he had a row with the outlaw. The fight came to an abrupt end when Red sank his Bowie knife into the outlaw’s neck. Another man called Flatnose was arrested but released for the lawmen felt he was not involved. They learned later the outlaw known as Flatnose had a $1000 reward on his head. Red specialized in capturing horse thieves. Red helped to break up a band of outlaws that stole horses and used the profits to purchase whiskey, which was in great demand in Indian Territory. In 1889, Red played an active role in the Land Rush of Oklahoma Territory, working all of the rushes. Guthrie was the wildest rush, which Red worked with his twin brother Worrington Lucas. Red remained in Guthrie until 1895. Bob Dalton served as a deputy marshal in his early years, often riding with Red Lucas. Red was well familiar with William Dalton, a brother to the Dalton gang and member of the Bill Doolin gang. Red always felt that William Dalton was never killed but fabricated his own death. William Dalton collected the reward, then moved to California with his wife. Deputy Marshal Lucas served as deputy marshal giving forty years of service until retiring in 1902. Red Lucas was born in 1858 and was still alive in 1930, living at Wagoner, Oklahoma.
(Indian Pioneer History - W. F. Jones) (Indian Pioneer History - Orrington “Red” Lucas) (Bill Doolin O. T.) (Experiences of A U.S.
Deputy Marshal) (Outlaws on Horseback) (Tales Of Old Fort Gibson) (Ft. Smith Federal Court Employee Database) (Ft. Smith Historical List shows Orrington Lusac, which is in error)

I said the researcher's name is Richard King, correction his name is Robert King.

I remember finding a thin book (less than 100 pages?) by Jones that had a lot of this information in it at the Poteau (Buckly) Public Library about ten years or more ago. I went back to find it a year ago and it was gone. As I recall, it had a lot of really good first hand information about territorial law enforcement and also about the Seminole lynching and the investigation and punishment of the people involved.

I think I found the book I was talking about on Abe Books, for $250.00.

Jones, W. F.
Bookseller: Oak Tree Books
(Tulsa, OK, U.S.A.)

Bookseller Rating:

Quantity Available: 1
Book Description: Tulsa, 1937. Wraps. Book Condition: Good. First Edition. In ink on first page " this was belong to Leo E. Jones 3-18-39 / author of this book W. F. Jones " all in the same hand. Probably written by Leo F. Jones. Covers coming loose at spine. 40 pages. Signed by Author. Bookseller Inventory # 018390

"Orrington 'Red' Lucas: Little Known Territory Lawman", by Bill Kelly (Oklahoma State Trooper magazine, Winter 1999, pp. 23-28.)(Note: Rare photo of 'Red' Lucas in his Tulsa Police uniform on page 27 - courtesy of Ron Trekell's collection and his book, "History of Tulsa Police Department".)

Bill Kelly's 'Research Sources' include:

"The Story of U.S. Marshal Red Lucas", by John Wallace (Frontier Times, June-July 1974, Vol. 48 No. 4 #80 pp. 6-11, 24, 64-66.)

"The Experiences of a Deputy U.S. Marshal of the Indian Territory", by W.F. Jones, Tulsa, OK 1937.

"Burs Under the Saddle", by Ramon F. Adams, 1964.

"A Dynasty of Western Outlaws", by Paul I. Wellman, 1961.

"Road Agents and Train Robbers", by Harry Sinclair Drago, 1973.

"Oklahombres", by Evette D. Nix, 1929.

I recently obtained a copy of "A Dynasty of Western Outlaws" and on page 198, Wellman told about the Doolin gang going into hiding after deviding loot.

He wrote, "At this time Orrington (Red) Lucas, who held a deputy marshal's commission, had gone "into the brush" to try and find where the outlaws were hiding. He learned of their visits to Ingalls, and posing as a harmless and none too bright fisherman, selling yellow channel catfish for a living, put up a tent in the town itself. There he became acquainted with the outlaws, sometimes played poker with them, sold them fish, and meanwhile checked them as to weight, height, scars, and other identification."

"They won the goodwill of the people around Ingalls, Lucas later said, bought food and provisions for the needy, and set themselves up as Robin Hoods, taking from those who had plenty and giving to those who had nothing. That's why peace officers received no cooperation in their attacks on this gang."

Wellman added, "It was Red Lucas, in his daring role as a scout masquerading as a simple-minded fisherman, who got word to Guthrie that the outlaws might be expected in Ingalls at almost any time. Nix called some officers together and organized a posse to investigate. They posed as hunters and Lucas rode into their camp Sept. 1, saying the gang was in Ingalls.

The deputies concealed themselves under a canvas covered wagon and all were armed with 2 six-guns each as well as winchester rifles. The Trilby Saloon had been indicated by Lucas as the chief gathering place for the gang."

Wellman goes on to cover the gun battle in great detail (very interesting).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Norm,

It has been a pleasure reading about your post. Thank you for describing impressions and details so carefully. I look forward to hearing your thoughts after you have had some time to digest and reflect on everything you have seen and heard. Thank you!

quote:

Originally posted by Oklahoma Kid:
I said the researcher's name is Richard King, correction his name is Robert King.

I am trying to learn more about Robert King, being a King descendent, can you provide any information?
Thanks