In the annals of the Old West, the story of William 'Tulsa Jack' Blake, a man of about 35 years, came to a violent end in Major County, Oklahoma. His life as a cowboy had taken a turn in 1892 when he joined the notorious Wild Bunch gang, also known as the Oklahombres or the Doolin-Dalton Gang. This path led him to participate in numerous bank and train robberies, establishing his reputation as a formidable outlaw.
One of his most infamous moments came in September 1893, during a deadly
shootout with U.S. Marshals in Ingalls, Oklahoma, which resulted in the deaths of three deputies. This event undoubtedly solidified his status as a wanted man. The final chapter of his life began to unfold on the night of April 3, 1895, when he and his fellow gang members robbed a southbound Rock Island train. After a tense standoff where they fired numerous rounds into the mail car, they made off with cash and valuables from the passengers.
The outlaws were on the run throughout the night, but their freedom was short-lived. By the following afternoon, a posse of U.S. Deputy Marshals, led by Deputy Marshal William Banks, had tracked them to a hideout in Major County. The lawmen cornered the gang, and a fierce gun battle erupted that lasted for over 45 minutes. 'Tulsa Jack' held off the marshals with a barrage of gunfire.
In a fateful move, Blake broke from his cover in an attempt to flee, but he was struck down by a bullet from a deputy's gun on April 4, 1895. His death marked a significant blow to the Wild Bunch and was seen as the beginning of the end for the notorious gang. The lawmen involved in the shootout that ended Blake's life were identified as a posse led by Deputy Marshal William Bartling Murrill or Deputy Marshal Will Banks. In the context of the gunfight, the lawmen who shot him were not considered suspects in a crime, but rather officers carrying out their duty to apprehend a wanted outlaw.
