William 'Bill' Doolin, a 37 or 38-year-old male, met his end on a moonlit night near Lawson in the Oklahoma Territory. Having recently escaped from jail in Guthrie, Doolin had sought refuge with his wife and child. His freedom, however, was to be short-lived. A posse led by the relentless Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas had picked up his trail and was closing in.
Thomas, a formidable lawman, was determined to bring the notorious outlaw to justice, dead or alive.
On the night of August 24, 1896, Thomas and his men set an ambush near Doolin's father-in-law's farm where he was known to be staying. As Doolin emerged from a barn, he was ordered to surrender. Instead of giving up, he chose to fight, firing his Winchester and revolver at the lawmen. The posse returned fire, and a blast from a double-barreled shotgun struck Doolin, killing him instantly. Reports indicated he suffered numerous buckshot wounds to the chest.
The man primarily credited with firing the fatal shot was Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas, though other members of the posse also fired their weapons. The posse, which included Bill Dunn and his brothers, as well as Tom and Charlie Noble, had been assembled by Thomas to ensure Doolin's capture. Following his death, Doolin's body was taken to Guthrie for identification, where it was put on public display before being buried in the Summit View Cemetery. A reward of over $1400 was collected by Thomas and divided among the seven members of his posse.
