William "Tulsa Jack" Blake was a famous gunslinger in the Wild West. He was a member of the Wild Bunch gang and had been a cowboy in Kansas prior to coming to Oklahoma. He died at a young age, like many outlaws of the Old West.
Outlaw and Death
William Blake was born in 1859 and lived in Kansas until he moved to the Oklahoma territory.
While in Kansas, he worked as a cowboy and learned to ride, herd, and do other ranching duties. However, he seemed to always have that wild streak in him, and by 1892, he was living in Oklahoma Territory.
While in Oklahoma, he met outlaw Bill Doolin and joined Doolin's Wild Bunch gang, sometimes called the Oklahombres or the Doolin-Dalton gang.
On the night of April 3, 1895, this gang decided to rob a southbound Rock Island train. The five of them stormed the train and ordered it to be opened. When messenger J.W. Jones refused, they fired 20 rounds into the car.
Jones refused to give up his hold until random bullets got him in the wrist and leg. By orders of the conductor, who was worried they would kill the passengers, he let the bandits on the train.
They stormed on with guns drawn, ready to kill anyone who got in their way. William Blake and "Red Buck" were put in charge of patrolling the passenger cars while the others watched the safe in front of the train.
Blake and Red pushed the train porter to pick up and empty grain sack and pillage the passengers of their wallets, watches, and jewelry. Blake had a gun to his back, and "Red Buck" walked behind to make sure they were covered. They made off with $400 in cash and some other goods and rode off into the night.
They were on the run for most of the night, just slipping away from the law. By the next afternoon, they had been spotted by William Banks and six other men. Not bothering to hide on their path home, William Blake and the others of the gang were taking a break with their horses.
When the law tried to call out to them, Blake fired a shot in their direction. The gang was able to escape.
William Blake participated in many bank and train robberies and played a key role in the gang's shootout with the US Marshals in Ingalls, Oklahoma.
During the shootout, there were three Deputy Marshals killed, which allowed the gang to escape. However, on April 4, 1895, the gang was tracked to their hideout in Major County, Oklahoma.
Deputy Marshal William Bartling Murrill and his posse came on the outlaws and surprised them. William Blake was able to hold the posse off until he tried to escape and was shot and killed by the Deputy Marshal.
This marked the beginning of the end of the Wild Bunch Gang.