Rose Dunn
Encyclopedia
Rose Dunn also known as Rose of the Cimarron, was best known for her good looks and for her romantic involvement with outlaw
George "Bittercreek" Newcomb
when she was a teenager during the closing years of the Old West.
. Her family was poor, but she received a formal education at a convent
in Wichita, Kansas
. Her two older brothers became minor outlaws by the time she was 12. She learned to ride, rope and shoot from her brothers. Through them, she met and became involved romantically with George "Bittercreek" Newcomb around 1893, when she was either 14 or 15 years of age. The gang that Newcomb ran with worshipped her due to her good looks and her calm and kind demeanor, and were fiercely defensive of her, spawning her loyalty to them.
She was completely infatuated by Newcomb, and began supporting Newcomb's outlaw life by venturing into town for supplies, as he was a wanted man and could not. Newcomb by that time was riding with the Wild Bunch
gang led by famous outlaw Bill Doolin
. Her brothers, however, had left the outlaw life and had become well-known Bounty Hunter
s, calling themselves the Dunn Brothers
.
On September 1, 1893, the gang was cornered in Ingalls by a posse
of U.S. Marshals, in what became known as the Battle of Ingalls
, resulting in an intense shootout. A western legend
has it that Newcomb was badly wounded, and while he lay in the street, Rose Dunn is alleged to have run from the "Pierce Hotel" to his location with two belts of ammunition and a Winchester rifle
. She fired the rifle at the Marshals while Newcomb reloaded his revolvers, and Newcomb was able to escape. However, that account has never been verified, and was never mentioned by the US Marshal official report, which indicated that Newcomb at best fired two shots then fled.
Three Deputy Marshals were killed during the shootout. Newcomb and Charley Pierce
were wounded but escaped. Gang member "Arkansas Tom" Jones
was slightly wounded and captured by Deputy Marshal Jim Masterson
. Together with Newcomb and other members of the gang, Rose Dunn hid out for at least two months nursing the remaining gang members back to health.
By 1895, Newcomb had a $5,000 bounty
placed on him, dead or alive
. Newcomb and Charley Pierce began hiding out near Norman, Oklahoma
, both of them having been wounded in a gunbattle with US Marshals. On May 2, 1895, the Dunn Brothers shot and killed both Newcomb and Pierce as they dismounted in front of the Dunn house to visit Rose. The brothers collected the bounty, believed to have been $5,000 each.
. She eventually married a locally known politician
, and lived the remainder of her life as a respectable citizen. She is believed to have died in 1953, at the age of 73.
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...
George "Bittercreek" Newcomb
George Newcomb (Outlaw)
George "Bittercreek" Newcomb was an American outlaw of the American Old West. He was a member, first, of the Dalton Gang but after being called "too Wild" by Bob Dalton, he and Bill Doolin started the Wild Bunch gang.-Early life & career:...
when she was a teenager during the closing years of the Old West.
Early life, involvement with Newcomb
Rose Dunn may have been born in 1879 near IngallsIngalls, 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...
. Her family was poor, but she received a formal education at a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. Her two older brothers became minor outlaws by the time she was 12. She learned to ride, rope and shoot from her brothers. Through them, she met and became involved romantically with George "Bittercreek" Newcomb around 1893, when she was either 14 or 15 years of age. The gang that Newcomb ran with worshipped her due to her good looks and her calm and kind demeanor, and were fiercely defensive of her, spawning her loyalty to them.
She was completely infatuated by Newcomb, and began supporting Newcomb's outlaw life by venturing into town for supplies, as he was a wanted man and could not. Newcomb by that time was riding with the Wild Bunch
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch was one of the loosely organized outlaw gangs operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall in Wyoming during the Old West era in the United States. It was popularized by the 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and took its name from the original Wild Bunch...
gang led by famous outlaw 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 :...
. Her brothers, however, had left the outlaw life and had become well-known Bounty Hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
s, calling themselves the Dunn Brothers
Dunn Brothers (bounty hunters)
The Dunn Brothers were a group of brothers from Pawnee, Oklahoma who worked as Old West bounty hunters. They are best known for having killed George "Bittercreek" Newcomb and Charley Pierce, members of the Wild Bunch....
.
On September 1, 1893, the gang was cornered in Ingalls by a posse
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
of U.S. Marshals, in what became known as the 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...
, resulting in an intense shootout. A western legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
has it that Newcomb was badly wounded, and while he lay in the street, Rose Dunn is alleged to have run from the "Pierce Hotel" to his location with two belts of ammunition and a Winchester rifle
Winchester rifle
In common usage, Winchester rifle usually means any of the lever-action rifles manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, though the company has also manufactured many rifles of other action types...
. She fired the rifle at the Marshals while Newcomb reloaded his revolvers, and Newcomb was able to escape. However, that account has never been verified, and was never mentioned by the US Marshal official report, which indicated that Newcomb at best fired two shots then fled.
Three Deputy Marshals were killed during the shootout. Newcomb and Charley Pierce
Charley Pierce
Charley Pierce was an American outlaw in the American Old West who rode with both the Dalton Gang and the Doolin Dalton Gang during the 1890s. He and "Bittercreek" Newcomb were killed by friends, the Dunn brothers, for bounty money....
were wounded but escaped. Gang member "Arkansas Tom" Jones
Roy Daugherty
Roy Daugherty, also known as Arkansas Tom Jones, was an outlaw of the Old West, and a member of the Wild Bunch gang, led by Bill Doolin....
was slightly wounded and captured by Deputy Marshal Jim Masterson
James Masterson
James Masterson, also known as Jim Masterson, was a lawman of the American West and the brother of gunfighters and lawmen Bat Masterson and Ed Masterson.-Lawman career:...
. Together with Newcomb and other members of the gang, Rose Dunn hid out for at least two months nursing the remaining gang members back to health.
By 1895, Newcomb had a $5,000 bounty
Bounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
placed on him, dead or alive
Wanted poster
A wanted poster is a poster distributed to let the public know of an alleged criminal whom authorities wish to apprehend. They will generally include either a picture of the alleged criminal when a photograph is available, or of a facial composite image produced by a police artist...
. Newcomb and Charley Pierce began hiding out near Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, both of them having been wounded in a gunbattle with US Marshals. On May 2, 1895, the Dunn Brothers shot and killed both Newcomb and Pierce as they dismounted in front of the Dunn house to visit Rose. The brothers collected the bounty, believed to have been $5,000 each.
Later life
After killing "Bittercreek" Newcomb, Rose Dunn was often accused of having set him up, revealing to her brothers as to where the outlaws were hiding. She denied this, and her brothers later defended her, stating that she had no knowledge of their intentions, nor did she reveal the hideout to them. She was never prosecuted for her involvement with the gang. Her short outlaw life launched her to the level of western legendLegend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
. She eventually married a locally known politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and lived the remainder of her life as a respectable citizen. She is believed to have died in 1953, at the age of 73.