Marshal Bill Tilghman
Before Oklahoma became a state, it was a wide open territory settled by few people. As such, it was the perfect place for outlaws to hide from the law. One lawman that brought order to the new Oklahoma was Bill Tilghman. Like many people on the frontier, Tilghman tried many different jobs before finally becoming a lawman. At age 15, Tilghman was a buffalo hunter with his brother and claimed to have killed over 12,000 buffalo in a three year period. He scouted for the United States Army and he operated the Crystal Palace Saloon, even though he personally did not drink. Finally, he tried his hand at law work as a deputy sheriff and later as City Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas.
When Oklahoma was opened to settlement with the Land Run of 1889, Bill Tilghman moved to Guthrie, where he was quickly hired as a deputy marshal. One year later, Tilghman was appointed a United States deputy marshal. Tilghman, along with Heck Thomas and Chris Madsden became known as “The Three Guardsmen”. These three lawmen cleaned up most of the outlaws in Oklahoma. Tilghman gained further fame when he captured notorious outlaw Bill Doolin alive and without firing a shot.
Tilghman retired as a lawman in 1910 and was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate. Old habits die hard, when Tilghman resigned his office in the senate to become the Oklahoma City Chief of Police. As a champion of law and order, he wrote and directed a silent film, The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws, a film dedicated to saluting lawmen. At age 70, Bill Tilghman was still doing law work in the booming oil-town of Cromwell, Oklahoma. On Halloween night in 1924, Tilghman was shot down in the street. His killer was never convicted and Bill Tilghman was hailed by the nation as one of the best lawmen ever.
First City Officers of Perry that included Tilghman