The American Old West was a crucible of legendary figures, and among the most notorious was George Newcomb, better known by his ominous aliases “Bitter Creek” Newcomb and the Slaughter Kid. Born in 1866, George Newcomb’s life trajectory from a humble cowboy to a hardened outlaw embodies the tumultuous spirit of the late 19th-century frontier.
Early Life and the Path to Outlawry
George Newcomb hailed from a poor family in Fort Scott, Kansas. His childhood was marked by hardship, which led him to seek work at a remarkably young age. At just 12 years old, Newcomb began his career as a cowboy, a common path for young men seeking opportunity in the developing West. He found employment with C.C. Slaughter on the expansive Long S Ranch in Texas, where he honed skills that would paradoxically serve him later in a life of crime.
By approximately 1892, the allure of a different kind of life drew Newcomb to Oklahoma, a territory then rife with lawlessness and burgeoning criminal enterprises. It was here that he fully embraced the outlaw lifestyle, quickly integrating himself into the ranks of the era’s most feared gangs.
Joining the Dalton Gang
George Newcomb soon became a prominent member of the infamous Dalton Gang, a group of brothers and associates who terrorized the Indian Territory and Kansas with a string of train and bank robberies. Newcomb’s involvement solidified his reputation as a dangerous and committed criminal.
The Adair Train Robbery
One of Newcomb’s earliest notable actions with the Dalton Gang was his participation in the ill-fated train robbery at Adair, Oklahoma, on July 15, 1892. This brazen attack proved to be a bloody affair, resulting in two guards and two townsmen being wounded, with one of the townsmen succumbing to his injuries the following day. The Adair incident highlighted the increasing brutality of the gang’s operations and Newcomb’s willingness to engage in violent confrontations.
Exclusion from Coffeyville
Despite his involvement in the gang’s activities, Newcomb was eventually deemed “too wild” even by the ruthless Bob Dalton, the gang’s leader. This judgment led to his temporary separation from the main group. Along with fellow outlaws Charley Pierce and Bill Doolin, George Newcomb retreated to a hideout in Ingalls, Oklahoma. This decision, perhaps seen as a setback at the time, ironically saved Newcomb from certain death. On October 5, 1892, most of the remaining members of the Dalton Gang, with the notable exception of Emmett Dalton, were annihilated during their disastrous attempt to rob two banks simultaneously in Coffeyville, Kansas. Newcomb’s perceived wildness thus proved to be his unexpected salvation.
The Birth of the Wild Bunch
Following the decimation of the Dalton Gang, George Newcomb found a new criminal partnership with Bill Doolin. Together, they formed a new, equally notorious outfit that came to be known as the Wild Bunch, also frequently referred to as the Doolin Gang or Oklahombres. This new gang quickly filled the vacuum left by the Daltons, continuing a reign of terror across the region with their own series of daring robberies and shootouts.
A Life on the Run
By May 1895, Newcomb’s reputation and criminal exploits had earned him a substantial bounty of $5,000 on his head, a testament to the persistent efforts of law enforcement to bring him to justice. The relentless pursuit by federal marshals and local posses forced the Wild Bunch to frequently splinter and regroup, constantly evading capture. The price on Newcomb’s head made him a target for both lawmen and those looking to profit from his capture.
The Betrayal and Demise of George Newcomb
After the Doolin Gang eventually began to fracture, George Newcomb and Charley Pierce decided to visit the Dunn Ranch on the Cimarron River. Their intention was to see Newcomb’s lover, the famed “Rose of Cimarron,” Rose Dunn. They also sought to collect a sum of $900 that Rose’s brothers supposedly owed Newcomb.
However, this visit proved to be a fatal miscalculation. As the two outlaws approached the ranch house, they were ambushed. Rose’s brothers, likely motivated by the significant bounty on Newcomb’s head, opened fire, shooting both Newcomb and Pierce from their saddles. This act of betrayal from within his circle of associates underscores the brutal realities and constant dangers of the outlaw life.
Both bodies were then transported to Guthrie, Oklahoma, for official processing. Tragically, George Newcomb was still alive when he arrived. When he stirred and pleaded for water, he was met with another bullet, bringing his tumultuous life to an end. His father, James Newcomb, claimed his son’s body and buried George on the family farm near Nine Mile Flats, southwest of Norman, Oklahoma, on the north bank of the Canadian River.
Conclusion
The life of George “Bitter Creek” Newcomb serves as a stark reminder of the violent and unforgiving nature of the Old West. From a humble beginning as a Kansas farm boy and a Texas cowboy, he chose a path of crime that led him to the highest echelons of outlaw notoriety with the Dalton Gang and the Wild Bunch. His dramatic end, betrayed by those he trusted, encapsulates the treacherous existence of those who lived outside the law. Though his life was short and marked by violence, Newcomb’s story remains an indelible part of the rich tapestry of American frontier history.
