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Archiver > OUTLAWS-OF-THE-OLD-WEST > 2004-02 > 1075700146


From: "Mary Lou Hudson" <>
Subject: [OUTLAWS] Deputy U.S Marshall George G. Starmer
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 00:57:33 -0500


George G. Starmer
Oklahoma Lawman
Compiled By Lois Laird, Dighton, Kansas 67839

Source:
Excerpts from OKLAHOMBRES, PARTICULARLY THE WILDER ONES, by Everett Dumas Nix, as told to Gordon Hines, concerning the activities of George G. (Hunk) Starmer, while he was a U.S. Deputy Marshall in Oklahoma Territory. E.D. Nix was the United States Marshall for the Territory.

Page 73 - Men doing outstanding work:
Bill Tilghman, John Hixon, Chris Madsen, Frank Canton, Heck Thomas, C.F. Colcord, Forrest Halsell, Ed Kelly, Frank Rinehart, Jim Materson (brother of the celebrated Bat Masterson), W.E. (Pat) Murphy, George Starmer, Frank Lake, John Hubatka, Jack Love, Gus Hadwinger, E.W. Snoddy, F.W. Langly, W.A. Ramsey, Steve Burke, Joe Severns, W.M. Nix, W.O. Jones, Frank Cochrane and Sam Bartell were just a few of the men who did outstanding work during my administration.

Page 111 - The Fight at Ingalls
Deputy Hale and Nix were soon in their buggy rushing to Stillwater where they quickly organized a posse to chase the outlaws. Deputies George Starmer, Steve Burke, W.O. Jones and three Indian scouts joined them and they were soon on the best Mounts to be had equipped for a real battle if possible to overtake the Doolin gang.

Page 144-45 - Cattle Thieves, etc.
Deputy Marshall George Starmer was assigned to the job and he succeeded in finding a number of small operators who were quickly convicted, but principal source of the counterfeit money continued to pour its stream of coins into circulation. Starmer finally located the hiding place of this counterfeiting organization in a large cave in the Creek County. Organizing a posse, he raided the place and captured a very complete layout of equipment, including a set of dies that were perfect. Quite a stock of counterfeit money was also confiscated and Maden and his wife surrendered without resistance. They were tried at Guthrie, pleaded guilty before Justice Dale and sentenced to ten years in the federal penitentiary.

Page 145-149
Out of sixty thousand arrests made by my force during my administration, it is strange that the incident regarding F.M. Baker, his wife and Bill Thomas should be so outstanding in my recollection, considering that these people were neither notorious or desperate. United States Commissioner C.J. Wrightsman of Pawnee had issued warrants against them for cattle thefts and Deputy George Starmer was sent out after them. He organized a small posse and succeeded in locating the offenders near Catossa. There was a brief fight but no one was injured and the outlaws made their getaway. A few days later they were located on Bird Creek on what was known as the Bill Halsell ranch. Their camp was surrounded at night and they were taken before they could resist.
They were brought before commissioner C.J. Wrightsman at Pawnee for a preliminary hearing and committed to the federal jail at Guthrie pending their trials.
Starting for Guthrie in the afternoon following the hearing, it was necessary for Starmer and his assistant officer, Charles Dugger, to hold the prisoners over night in camp when they reached Bird Creek. Beds were made on the ground near the wagon wheels and the captives shackled to the wheels of the vehicles in such a position that they could not reach each other. The officers were pretty tired, having spent the preceding night in search for these outlaws before their capture and they slept soundly.
Just before daybreak Starmer heard a noise. He roused himself quickly and found that Baker had managed to get out of his handcuffs and was racing toward he creek. The deputy was immediately on his feet after him. Baker jumped into the stream and Starmer began to shoot into the air about the man, hoping that it would scare the outlaw and cause him to surrender. He did not attempt to injure the man, for he had positive instructions from my office never to shoot a prisoner for an offense of this character. As soon as it was light enough to trail the man Starmer left Dugger to guard the others while he crossed the creek to make a search in the surrounding woods. He was unsuccessful and after a time returned to camp, setting out with Mrs. Baker and Thomas for Guthrie.
While she was being held in the federal jail the Baker woman sent word that she wanted to talk to me and I had her brought to my office. When she entered the room she started a tirade against my deputy, George Starmer, charging that he had stolen her husband's necktie and coat, then killed him while he was attempting to swim Bird Creek and that he had made no effort to locate the body. She ranted and raved and used considerable bad language, but I listened to her as any gentleman would listen to a woman and told her I would be very glad to investigate the case. When she was returned to the jail she immediately wrote a very bitter letter to the authorities in Washington. Although it passed through my hands before it was mailed, I allowed it to go on without comment.
George Starmer had told me his side of the story and I placed so much confidence in what he said that I did not take the trouble to call him in to question him about it. A week or ten days later, however, I received a letter from the Department of Justice requesting a full report on the case. Starmer happened to be in Guthrie on the day it arrived and I sent word to him that I wanted to talk to him.
When he walked into my office I assumed a very serious manner and handed the letter over to him. "That looks pretty bad, George, what have you got to say about it?" I could see Starmer's color rising in his face as he read the letter and by the time he finished he was almost speechless. He looked at me and gulped a time or two before he could speak. "Why, Marshall.......its........a .......damn.....lie."
Of course I knew it was a lie and I would not have questioned the veracity of George Starmer's first story to me - but this was too good an opportunity to pass up for having a little fun. I looked Starmer in the eye very seriously and said in a rather abrupt tone: "That may be true, George, but it looks to me like it is up to you to prove it. This woman tells a pretty straight story and Washington seems to be taking it seriously."
Starmer was absolutely nonplussed. It never occurred to him that I would question his story, and I could see that his dander was rising.
"Well, Marshal, what do you want me to do about it?" he said in an attempt at a matter-of-fact tone that could not conceal his nervousness.
"There's only one thing for you to do George...if this man is alive, it's up to you to produce him."
Starmer looked at me a monent, the said: "Alright Marshal, give me ten days."
"Well, George - it's up to you."
Without a word he turned and left my office and I did not hear from him again until he walked in about a week later with F.M. Baker neatly handcuffed to his arm. This time he was grinning. "Here he is, Marshal."
I looked up from my owrk. "Here who is, George?"
"The corpse!" he exclaimed.
"What corpse? He looks like a pretty live man to me."
George refused to be flustrated by my question.
"This is the body of that man, Baker, his wife is raising so much hell about, and he's got on the necktie and coat!"
I looked Baker over seriously and turned to George. "How do you know it's Baker? We will have to bring the woman over from the jail to identify him."
Starmer knew that I was prolonging the kidding and he refused to be bothered by my attempt at having a good time.
Baker was soon restored to the arms of his spouse and, from the reception he received at her hands, I have often wondered if he wouldn't have preferred to have been shot at Bird Creek. I have heard tongue lashings before, but hers eclipsed them all. Where had he been? What had he been doing? Why had he been doing it? Who had he been with? Eternal woman!
Starmer had located Baker at Vinita, Oklahoma, and had had no toruble in catching him and bringing him back. The three members of the gang were convicted and sent to the federal penitentiary. When my administration as Marshal ended, Starmer left the territory. It was almost twenty-five years before I saw him again. We met at St. Joseph, Missouri, where he held the office of Assistant Chief of Police.
George Starmer declares to this day that he knew all the time that I was just fooling him. He took the incident pretty seriously, though, and I know he heaved an immense sigh of relief when he got handcuffs on F.M. Baker. again.

End of excerpts.

This ends the saga of George G. (Hunk) Starmer as a U.S. Deputy Marshal in Oklahoma Territory. He did indeed, return to Missouri and worked on the police force there. He later became postmaster. His father was James Starmer, brother to Jacob Starmer and his mother was Dina Blakley, sister to Elizabeth Blakley who married Jacob Starmer. James died early leaving Dina with three children. Jacob and Elizabeth Blakley Starmer took Hunk to raise and he grew up with their children, more like their brother than a double cousin.



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