Oliver Yantis
Encyclopedia
Oliver Yantis, known as Oliver "Ol" Yantis (1869 - November 30, 1892) was an outlaw
of the Old West, best known for being a member of the Doolin Dalton Gang
.
Yantis was born in Kentucky
, and worked as a cotton
farmer
near Orlando, Oklahoma
until he met outlaws Bill Doolin
and George "Bittercreek" Newcomb. Yantis joined Doolin's gang in 1892, which Doolin had formed and co-led with Bill Dalton
. It is believed that he first met Newcomb, who at the time was involved romantically with Yantis' sister.
Yantis was with the gang when they committed bank robberies
in Caney, Oklahoma
on October 14, and Spearville, Kansas
on November 1, both in 1892. The gang quickly became one of the most pursued gangs in Old West history, with several members having a bounty of $5,000 on them for their capture or death. Ford County, Kansas
Sheriff
Chalkey Beeson and Deputy US Marshal Tom Hueston trailed Yantis to the McGinn farm
near Dodge City
, but he had already left. On November 29, 1892, they trailed him to his sister's home outside of Orlando. The two lawmen announced themselves and demanded his surrender. Yantis walked out, and as he acted as if he was putting his hands up, he drew a revolver
and fired on the officers, who both returned fire, hitting Yantis in the leg and stomach. The lawmen nursed his wounds, and took him to a hotel
in Orlando, where he died that next day.
Yantis became the first of the Doolin Dalton gang members to fall, thus he is less known than his fellow gang members. He was buried in Logan County, Oklahoma
, in the Roselawn Cemetery. Deputy US Marshal Hueston would later be killed during another shootout with gang members in Ingalls, Oklahoma
, in the infamous Battle of Ingalls
.
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
of the Old West, best known for being a member of the Doolin Dalton Gang
Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch, also known as the Doolin–Dalton Gang or the Oklahombres, was a gang of outlaws based in the Indian Territory that terrorized Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Territory during the 1890s—robbing banks and stores, holding up trains, and killing lawmen. They were...
.
Yantis was born in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and worked as a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
near Orlando, Oklahoma
Orlando, Oklahoma
Orlando is a town in Logan and Payne counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 201 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Orlando is located at ....
until he met outlaws Bill Doolin
Bill Doolin
William "Bill" Doolin was an American bandit and founder of the Wild Bunch, an outlaw gang that specialized in robbing banks, trains and stagecoaches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas during the 1890s.- Early life :...
and George "Bittercreek" Newcomb. Yantis joined Doolin's gang in 1892, which Doolin had formed and co-led with Bill Dalton
William M. Dalton
William Marion Dalton , called Bill Dalton, was an American outlaw in the American Old West. He was the co-leader of the Wild Bunch gang and he was the brother of the founders of the Dalton Gang, Gratton, Bob and Emmett....
. It is believed that he first met Newcomb, who at the time was involved romantically with Yantis' sister.
Yantis was with the gang when they committed bank robberies
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
in Caney, Oklahoma
Caney, Oklahoma
Caney is a town in Atoka County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 199 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Caney is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land....
on October 14, and Spearville, Kansas
Spearville, Kansas
Spearville is a city in Ford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 773.-19th century:The land for the townsite of Speareville was deeded by the Santa Fe to the Arkansas Valley Town Company in March, 1873, and was surveyed and platted. The town was named for...
on November 1, both in 1892. The gang quickly became one of the most pursued gangs in Old West history, with several members having a bounty of $5,000 on them for their capture or death. Ford County, Kansas
Ford County, Kansas
Ford County is a county located in southwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 33,848. The Dodge City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Ford County. Its county seat and most populous city is Dodge City. The county is named in...
Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Chalkey Beeson and Deputy US Marshal Tom Hueston trailed Yantis to the McGinn farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
near Dodge City
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
, but he had already left. On November 29, 1892, they trailed him to his sister's home outside of Orlando. The two lawmen announced themselves and demanded his surrender. Yantis walked out, and as he acted as if he was putting his hands up, he drew a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
and fired on the officers, who both returned fire, hitting Yantis in the leg and stomach. The lawmen nursed his wounds, and took him to a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Orlando, where he died that next day.
Yantis became the first of the Doolin Dalton gang members to fall, thus he is less known than his fellow gang members. He was buried in Logan County, Oklahoma
Logan County, Oklahoma
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population as of 2009 was 39,301. Its county seat is Guthrie. Logan County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, in the Roselawn Cemetery. Deputy US Marshal Hueston would later be killed during another shootout with gang members in Ingalls, Oklahoma
Ingalls, Oklahoma
Ingalls is a small community in Payne County, Oklahoma, about 10 miles east of Stillwater. The town was settled out of the "Unassigned Lands" in 1889, and had a post office from January 22, 1890, until October 31, 1907. It was named for Senator John J. Ingalls of Kansas.Ingalls was the site of a...
, in the infamous Battle of Ingalls
Battle of Ingalls
The Battle of Ingalls was a gunfight on September 1, 1893 between United States Marshals and the Doolin-Dalton Gang, during the closing years of the Old West era, in Ingalls, Oklahoma. The Doolin-Dalton Gang had been involved in a number of train robberies and bank robberies, beginning around 1891...
.