William D. "Bill" Fossett
BILL FOSSETT, UNSCATHED BY OUTLAW’S BULLETS IN LONG AND COLORFUL
CAREER AS PEACE OFFICER, DIES—IN BED
Terror of Early-Day Desperadoes in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma Dies quietly In Kingfisher
Honored by ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt
March 11, 1940—The Kingfisher Free Press--Last rites for W. D. Fossett will be held at 9 o’clock Wednesday morning at the Catholic Church in Kingfisher, Rev. Theo Van Hulse officiating. Interment will follow in Kingfisher cemetery. Arrangements are in charge of Bracken funnel home.
“Be you born to die in bed, bullets in their deathly course will bend around you. Lethal lead will never lay you low.”
This comment written in a story concerning W. D. “Bill Fossett of Kingfisher, became an actuality at 10:10 o’clock Saturday morning when the great frontiersman and pioneer peace officer breathed his last in bed. He had been ill for several weeks.
In the whole history of Oklahoma, perhaps, more hot lead streamed by the form of Bill Fossett without touching him than shot alongside any mortal in this region. No one was more frequently exposed to danger than he—yet he lived healthily to an age, which long since had surpassed the ordinary span of life.
Age Not Definite
Just how old Fossett actually was at the time of his death is in doubt. Some reliable sources said he was 90. Date of birth given on his social security card was November 3, 1851, which would fix his age as 88. However, the “Portrait and Biographical Record” volume published in Chicago in 1901, statement was made that Fossett was born in Watertown, N. Y. on November 3, 1852, which would make his age 87 years.
Fossett was city marshal of Caldwell, Kans., in the wide-open frontier days when that city was at its roughest and toughest. He also was the first city marshal of Kingman, Kans., and as a deputy United States marshal. In the early days before Oklahoma statehood, his career became part and parcel of the evolution of this commonwealth.
Staked First Claim
“Uncle Bill,” as many Kingfisher people had affectionately called him in recent years, staked the first claim in Kingfisher. After an all-day and all-night ride over the uncharted prairies from the present vicinity of Alva, he arrived on the line west of Kingfisher only a few minutes before the shot was fired that started the race for homes.
His horse, though tired from the forced journey, led the procession into Kingfisher and Fossett dismounted and staked his claim on the quarter section now occupied by the post office (at that time by the land office). Many others claimed that this land should have been divided into town lots and that Fossett had no right to claim the entire acreage, but he and his Winchester “defied the world:” and won. No one dared set foot on Fossett’s homestead, and in court he later was able to establish his right of ownership to the tract.
Knew Chisholm Trail
Few persons were so well informed concerning the Chisholm Trail days preceding the opening of Oklahoma to settlement as Fossett. In 1873—16 years before the opening Fossett traveled the cattle trail from Abilene, Kans., to Wichita, where he struck the Chisholm Trail for the first time and followed it into Oklahoma. He traveled the trail on many occasions during the years that followed, and said that the lonesomest night he ever spent was a night on the bank of Kingfisher creek when the Indians were holding a big pow-wow and he found it prudent to stay awake all night lest ill fate befall him while asleep.
Fossett was best known, though, for his accomplishments as a peace officer. For 50 years in various capacities in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma, he was the terror of outlaws and lawbreakers in general. For a number of years he was a special officer for the Rock Island railway, and during that time he brought an end to the careers of several notorious train robbers. At one time he was chief of police in Kingfisher.
President Praised Him
As a deputy United States marshal he got results that others before him had been unable or unwilling to produce. President Theodore Roosevelt, who had appointed him chief deputy in 1907, called him to Washington an honored him at a dinner in the White house. Roosevelt, in a talk at the dinner, placed his hand on the should of Fossett, who sat next to him and said:
“I have had a good deal of trouble with my marshal appointments in Oklahoma, but gentlemen, I made mo mistake when I appointed Mr. Fossett.”
The United States attorney general voiced similar expressions of gratitude for a job well done at that time. Fossett, unlike some other early day officers who preyed upon unfortunate homesteaders who because of the press of adverse circumstances were forced to cut protected timer or indulged in other minor infraction of law, turned his attention to the “big time” law violators and did much to bring order to a new land where every man had been obliged to be his own protector.
Was Crack Shot
Alva McDonald, who at tome time
was Fossett’s boss when the latter was a deputy United States marshal, said
Saturday in El Reno:
He was one of the most feared officers in the history of the southwest,
and I consider, him the best shot with rifle or pistol in the history of
Oklahoma.
“Why, that man could shoot a bird out of the sky with a rifle, and he could snap a barbed wire fence with a pistol while riding in an automobile.”
Fossett was born of Scotch-Irish parents, and came west with them when he was four years old. In 1872 he went to Kansas, and engaged in the cattle business on the Smoky River, near Solomon City. For several years he dealt exclusively in livestock, often going to Monterrey, Mexico, and driving as many as 500 horses at a time to Emporia, Kans., where he shipped the animals to Michigan and other eastern points.
In recent years Fossett had lived quietly in Kingfisher. His greatest enjoyment was to renew old friendships with pioneer people whom he had not seen for many years. Last April 22, when Kingfisher celebrated its golden anniversary, he was particularly overjoyed when visited by David Leahy of Wichita, Kansas., who was a newspaper correspondent here at the opening and became one of the fist mayors of the twin cities of Kingfisher and Lisbon. It was the first reunion of the two colorful characters since shortly after the opening of the country to settlement. The picture on this page was taken at the time.
Fosset was married several times, and a wife Laura, still resides in Enid. A son, Louis, resides in Tulsa, and a daughter Mayme, died a number of years ago. Three nephews and two nieces also are known to be among his survivors. They are listed as follows: C. S. Fossett, Caldwell; Winifred Fossett, Wellington; B. V. Mangold, Oklahoma City; Mrs. H. W. Grabber, Minneapolis; and Mrs. George Nivar, Oklahoma City.
Recently he had made his home at the Utley residence on West Broadway.
FOSSETT LED SCOUTS AT TIME OF INDIAN SCARE IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS IN THE EIGHTIES
(From Wichita Eagle)
March 21, 1940—Hennessey Clipper—Mrs. Fritz Klaver, of Belmont, Kingman County, granddaughter of William D. Fossett, veteran Kansas and Oklahoma peace officer who died March 9th at Kingfisher, has given a fairly accurate guess of Bill Fossett’s age. She says that he was 100. Fossett lived at Kingman during the 1880’s when the noted “Indian Scare” swept over southwestern Kansas Bill Fossett, led a scouting expedition to locate the reedmen on the warpath.
Mounted and armed with a rifle and pistols, Fossett led a part of armed men southwest from Kingman. He met frantic settlers fleeing from imaginary foes. Some of these settlers had abandoned nearly everything they had in their haste to flee.
Fossett and his scouting party saw so many fugitives that they were certain Indians would be encountered along the Chickaski River in southern Kingman County.
The scouts rode through tall bluestem to keep out of sight and Fossett rode out in front a mile or so to spot the savages. He reached the Chickaski River. There were no Indians but everywhere he saw deserted homesteads. Doors were left open; cattle were bawling for water where there were no creeks, but still no Indians. The scouting part me three other scouts from the southern part of Kingman County also looking for Indians. They did not recognize each other and for an hour, the scouts played hide and seek.
Saddle observed on horses tipped both parties off to the fact they all were white men and instead of opening fire, as they were about to do, the two joined forces.
They rode nearly all night, getting into Barber County, where there were deserted homesteads. At one place they found a settler and his family who had not heard about the Indian Scare. When told what was going on, the farmer hitched up, turned the lines of the team over to his wife and told her to drive to Kingman with the children and “a few things.” He took his rifle and joined the scouts.
Some time during the night they heard shots and prepared for battle, although they thought it queer that Indians would be raiding at night, for as a rule Indians never fought night battles. A bunch of settlers had collected at a ranch house of one of the numerous tributaries in the Medicine or Elm Creek and decided to hold off the Indians. Somebody had shot a cow during the night, thinking it an Indian and firing started at imaginary foes.
Some of the scouts put up there for the rest of the night to rest their horses while others, on fresh horses, rode on. They slept a little, each going about 100 yards from each other and picketing his mount to his foot. In that way, they argued, the Indians would not get more than one of them before the rest were warned.
But there were no Indians. The scare was traced to it source. It was said that ranchers in Comanche County had started the report to scare settlers off free grazing land. This event happened between 885 and 1887, possibly 1886, the year of the big blizzard. It was in the summer.
Some of the settlers who fled from the country never returned. Two young wives raced clear to Hutchinson, took a train back East and sent word to Kansas that if their husbands wanted to live with them they would have to pull up stakes from such a wild land. They did.
THOMPSON'S SECOND TERM
Went To Perry to Take Oath of Office
February 7, 1902--Guthrie, I. T.-- United States Marshal Thompson returned this morning from Perry, or he took the oath of office and entered upon his second term as United States Marshal. Mr. Thompson went up to Perry to take the oath of office owing to the absence of Judge Burford from this city.
The entire field in office deputies were reappointed today and sworn into office. The deputies are as follows:
W. D. Fossett, chief deputy; J.P. Jones and George A. Foster, field deputies; V. W. Whiting, N. E. Sison, M. O. Billings and E. V. Billings office deputies.