George Newcomb (Outlaw)
Encyclopedia
George "Bittercreek" Newcomb (1866-May 2, 1895) was an American
outlaw
of the American Old West
. He was a member, first, of the Dalton Gang
but after being called "too Wild" by Bob Dalton
, he and Bill Doolin
started the Wild Bunch
gang.
in 1866, although the exact date of his birth is not certain. Coming from a poor family, he began working as a cowboy
early in life, at the age of 12. His first employment was on the "Long S Ranch", under ranch
er C.C. Slaughter. He later drifted into Oklahoma Territory
, around 1892, where he first met Bill Doolin, who had formerly rode with the Dalton Gang
.
The Wild Bunch had its origins following the Dalton Gang's botched train robbery in Adair, Oklahoma Territory
, on July 15, 1892, in which two guards and two townspeople, both doctors, were wounded. One of the doctors died the next day. Bob Dalton told Doolin, Newcomb, and Pierce that he no longer needed them. Doolin and his friends returned to their hideout in Ingalls, Oklahoma Territory
. It was fortunate for the three, because on October 5, the Dalton Gang would be wiped out in Coffeyville, Kansas
.
Doolin organized his own gang in 1893, calling them the Wild Bunch, with Newcomb as a member. Newcomb also began a romantic relationship with a 14 year old girl named Rose Dunn
around that time, who had four brothers who were minor outlaws and who knew Newcomb, but that later worked as bounty Hunter
s, calling themselves the Dunn Brothers
. By 1895, Newcomb was a wanted man, and had a $5,000 bounty for his capture or death. During this time, Rose Dunn was traveling with him, helping to supply him and other members of the gang, since she could easily go into a town to purchase supplies.
The gang often took refuge in the town of Ingalls, Oklahoma
, which was frequented by numerous outlaw gangs of the day, and in which the local residents often defended the outlaws and assisted in hiding them from lawmen, due to the outlaws contributing greatly to the local economy. In one shootout with lawmen in Ingalls, called the Battle of Ingalls
, during which three lawmen and three outlaws were shot, Rose Dunn was alleged to have helped save Newcomb's life after he had been wounded, by running through the gun-battle bringing him extra ammunition, and firing a rifle at lawmen while he reloaded his pistols. However, that is believed to be legend, and by the US Marshals account, Newcomb fought less than admirably, firing at the most two shots before being wounded and fleeing. After several shootouts with lawmen, Newcomb fled with outlaw Charley Pierce
to a hideout near Norman, Oklahoma
, both of them having been wounded in the Ingalls shootout with US Marshals.
It is not known as to whether Rose Dunn assisted in this or not. There has been much speculation that Rose Dunn was in contact with her family, and that her brothers followed her to the ranch, then waited for her to leave before they entered and killed the two outlaws. She denied that she had betrayed Newcomb, and her brothers supported her version of the story, indicating that she had no knowledge that they were tracking Newcomb, for their fear that she would reveal this to Newcomb and thus eliminate their ability to surprise the outlaws. Bill Dunn, the leader of the Dunn Brothers, was killed shortly thereafter when he fired two rounds at Sheriff
Frank Canton, a well known gunman, due to Canton investigating the brothers for cattle rustling, at which time Canton returned fire, killing Dunn.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
of the American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. He was a member, first, of the Dalton Gang
Dalton Gang
The Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
but after being called "too Wild" by Bob Dalton
Bob Dalton (outlaw)
Robert Reddick Dalton , better known as Bob Dalton, was an American outlaw in the American Old West. He led the ill-fated Dalton Gang raid on two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas. Ambushed by town citizens Bob, Bill Power, Grat Dalton and Dick Broadwell were all killed.-Early life:The Dalton family...
, he and Bill Doolin
Bill Doolin
William "Bill" Doolin was an American bandit and founder of the Wild Bunch, an outlaw gang that specialized in robbing banks, trains and stagecoaches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas during the 1890s.- Early life :...
started the Wild Bunch
Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch, also known as the Doolin–Dalton Gang or the Oklahombres, was a gang of outlaws based in the Indian Territory that terrorized Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Territory during the 1890s—robbing banks and stores, holding up trains, and killing lawmen. They were...
gang.
Early life & career
Newcomb was born near Fort Scott, KansasFort Scott, Kansas
Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas, United States, south of Kansas City, on the Marmaton River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,087. It is the home of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and the Fort Scott National...
in 1866, although the exact date of his birth is not certain. Coming from a poor family, he began working as a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
early in life, at the age of 12. His first employment was on the "Long S Ranch", under ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
er C.C. Slaughter. He later drifted into Oklahoma Territory
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 the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
, around 1892, where he first met Bill Doolin, who had formerly rode with the Dalton Gang
Dalton Gang
The Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
.
The Wild Bunch had its origins following the Dalton Gang's botched train robbery in Adair, Oklahoma Territory
Adair, Oklahoma
Adair is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 790 at the 2010 census, compared to 704 at the 2000 census. Named for two prominent Cherokee brothers, the town was established in 1883 and opened a Cherokee school.-History:...
, on July 15, 1892, in which two guards and two townspeople, both doctors, were wounded. One of the doctors died the next day. Bob Dalton told Doolin, Newcomb, and Pierce that he no longer needed them. Doolin and his friends returned to their hideout in Ingalls, Oklahoma Territory
Ingalls, Oklahoma
Ingalls is a small community in Payne County, Oklahoma, about 10 miles east of Stillwater. The town was settled out of the "Unassigned Lands" in 1889, and had a post office from January 22, 1890, until October 31, 1907. It was named for Senator John J. Ingalls of Kansas.Ingalls was the site of a...
. It was fortunate for the three, because on October 5, the Dalton Gang would be wiped out in Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295...
.
Doolin organized his own gang in 1893, calling them the Wild Bunch, with Newcomb as a member. Newcomb also began a romantic relationship with a 14 year old girl named Rose Dunn
Rose Dunn
Rose Dunn , also known as Rose of the Cimarron, was best known for her good looks and for her romantic involvement with outlaw George "Bittercreek" Newcomb when she was a teenager during the closing years of the Old West....
around that time, who had four brothers who were minor outlaws and who knew Newcomb, but that later worked as bounty Hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
s, calling themselves the Dunn Brothers
Dunn Brothers (bounty hunters)
The Dunn Brothers were a group of brothers from Pawnee, Oklahoma who worked as Old West bounty hunters. They are best known for having killed George "Bittercreek" Newcomb and Charley Pierce, members of the Wild Bunch....
. By 1895, Newcomb was a wanted man, and had a $5,000 bounty for his capture or death. During this time, Rose Dunn was traveling with him, helping to supply him and other members of the gang, since she could easily go into a town to purchase supplies.
The gang often took refuge in the town of Ingalls, Oklahoma
Ingalls, Oklahoma
Ingalls is a small community in Payne County, Oklahoma, about 10 miles east of Stillwater. The town was settled out of the "Unassigned Lands" in 1889, and had a post office from January 22, 1890, until October 31, 1907. It was named for Senator John J. Ingalls of Kansas.Ingalls was the site of a...
, which was frequented by numerous outlaw gangs of the day, and in which the local residents often defended the outlaws and assisted in hiding them from lawmen, due to the outlaws contributing greatly to the local economy. In one shootout with lawmen in Ingalls, called the Battle of Ingalls
Battle of Ingalls
The Battle of Ingalls was a gunfight on September 1, 1893 between United States Marshals and the Doolin-Dalton Gang, during the closing years of the Old West era, in Ingalls, Oklahoma. The Doolin-Dalton Gang had been involved in a number of train robberies and bank robberies, beginning around 1891...
, during which three lawmen and three outlaws were shot, Rose Dunn was alleged to have helped save Newcomb's life after he had been wounded, by running through the gun-battle bringing him extra ammunition, and firing a rifle at lawmen while he reloaded his pistols. However, that is believed to be legend, and by the US Marshals account, Newcomb fought less than admirably, firing at the most two shots before being wounded and fleeing. After several shootouts with lawmen, Newcomb fled with outlaw Charley Pierce
Charley Pierce
Charley Pierce was an American outlaw in the American Old West who rode with both the Dalton Gang and the Doolin Dalton Gang during the 1890s. He and "Bittercreek" Newcomb were killed by friends, the Dunn brothers, for bounty money....
to a hideout near Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, both of them having been wounded in the Ingalls shootout with US Marshals.
Death
On May 2, 1895, Newcomb and Charley Pierce rode up to the Dunn ranch, possibly to visit Rose. As soon as they dismounted, her brothers opened fire, dropping both outlaws. The next day, the Dunn brothers had loaded the two bodies into their wagon and were driving it into town to collect the reward, when Newcomb suddenly moaned and asked for water, to which one of the brothers responded with another bullet.It is not known as to whether Rose Dunn assisted in this or not. There has been much speculation that Rose Dunn was in contact with her family, and that her brothers followed her to the ranch, then waited for her to leave before they entered and killed the two outlaws. She denied that she had betrayed Newcomb, and her brothers supported her version of the story, indicating that she had no knowledge that they were tracking Newcomb, for their fear that she would reveal this to Newcomb and thus eliminate their ability to surprise the outlaws. Bill Dunn, the leader of the Dunn Brothers, was killed shortly thereafter when he fired two rounds at Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Frank Canton, a well known gunman, due to Canton investigating the brothers for cattle rustling, at which time Canton returned fire, killing Dunn.