On this night in 1896, the notorious outlaw Bill Doolin met his end, in Lawson, Oklahoma, when a posse tracked him down and killed him.

William Doolin, born in 1858 in Arkansas, was not as ruthless as some of his infamous associates. He ventured west in 1881 and found work on a large Oklahoma ranch owned by Oscar D. Halsell. Halsell saw potential in the young Doolin, teaching him basic writing and arithmetic and eventually appointing him as an informal foreman. Over the next decade, Doolin earned a reputation as a reliable and skilled worker for various ranchers.

However, by the 1890s, Doolin had turned to a life of crime, becoming a part-time thief and participating in numerous bank and train robberies, often alongside the notorious Dalton gang. Unlike many outlaws of his time, Doolin was meticulous in planning his heists, which helped him survive several gunshot wounds without sustaining serious injuries.

Doolin’s success as a criminal eventually led to increased pressure from law enforcement. In 1895, he and several of his accomplices fled to New Mexico to evade capture. During this time, Doolin attempted to negotiate a surrender in exchange for leniency, but his offers were declined. In January 1896, the legendary lawman Bill Tilghman apprehended Doolin at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where the outlaw had been seeking the reputed healing properties of the local mineral waters. Caught off guard, Doolin was arrested without incident and taken to Guthrie, Oklahoma, to await trial.

While imprisoned in Guthrie, Doolin escaped on July 5, 1896, and evaded authorities for nearly two months. When the posse finally cornered him in Lawson, Oklahoma, Doolin made it clear he would not be captured alive. Despite being heavily outnumbered, he drew his gun, prompting the posse to open fire. Doolin was killed instantly in the hail of shotgun and rifle fire. He was 38 years old and was later buried in Guthrie, Oklahoma.