Texas history professor retells Marlow Brothers story at museum exhibit opening

While most Marlow residents know the general story of the Marlow Brothers – George, Boone, Alfred, LLewellyn *Epp, and Charlie – there are many new people in the area who aren’t as familiar with the 1880s saga.

It was a mixture of both sides in the audience of a presentation held at the Stephens County Historical Museum in Duncan last Thursday.

“It has been awhile since the Marlow Brothers story has been told,” said Kyle Collins of Marlow, and president of SCHM. “I’ve seen some newspaper clippings, we’re talking like 1997, so it’s been probably 25 years (since it’s been told).”

Against a backdrop of five large reproduced images of the Marlow Brothers, Travis Madison Childs shared the retelling of accounts using articles from many newspapers published during that time. A Texas native, Childs is a professor of 18th – 19th Century U.S. History at Cameron University in Lawton.

The presentation was shared in connection with the exhibit opening, Wanted: Dead or Alive, which features notorious Oklahoma outlaws from the 1880s – 1950s.

Childs doesn’t claim to be an expert on the Marlow Brothers, but he pointed out that the classic movie, “The Sons of Katie Elder” based on the five brothers, contains inaccuracies.

“John Wayne was a questionable character. He’s never really the best guy. He might be the hero of the story, but … count how many times he was divorced or separated from his wife. That’s the story of the west. We like heroes and villains.”

“Even the people who had written about the (Marlow Bros.), aren’t really sure what they are talking about. If you have differing opinions, I’ll ask what are your sources. History is all about the sources.”

And it was those historical newspaper articles he cited to share the story of the Marlow Brothers. He pieced together a fascinating tale, peppered with murder, Texas Rangers, Winchesters, shackles and a mob. The articles date to the late 1880s, up to 1946.

“Something happened with horses. Or so somebody said. In doing some research, it’s

not even clear where it happened. Some say in Colorado. Some say here in Oklahoma. It’s 1890, the end of the west,” he began. “There’s two people per square mile (per Census). Vigilante justice to court decisions … it also signals the end of the Wild West.”

An entertaining storyteller, Childs outlined the history and alleged crimes of the Marlow Brothers. Marlow residents listening discovered they didn’t really didn’t know the entire story.

“Part of the Marlow story is where one of them goes, the rest of them go. In 1888, they returned back to Indian Territory from Colorado to an area near Anadarko.”

That wild west vigilante justice was prominent as Childs created a visual image of the mob, mixed with some lawmen, who went after the Marlow Brothers. He mentioned Dr. Williamson Marlow. “He had a practice in Marlow Grove, right on the Chisholm Trail.” It was after the death of Dr. Marlow that the events began – “something about a horse.” (Was it stolen or not?)

While they were labeled Outlaws in Oklahoma and Texas, they were not deemed as criminals in Ouray, Colorado. “They were known as good and law-abiding citizens. Whatever happened in Oklahoma and Texas, well, in Colorado they served with law enforcement.”

**From the Montrose Daily Press (ca. 1890) - The Wildest Western fictional magazines have never produced men of greater courage, or more daring in remarkable incidents that were enacted in real life than by these famous brothers. Arriving in this country, the Marlows were always perfectly law-abiding citizens and earned hundreds of friends and not one of whom was ever let down.

“History is controversial. Leave people’s past in the past. They did what they did. We can’t make them into better people or worse people. They are gone, they lived their lives and it’s no dishonor to point out what they did,” he told the crowd early in the talk. As a history educator, he encourages people to make up their own minds.

“We’re having these history wars all over the place. We just want you to decide. Read for yourself.”

There’s many who have told the story and realized they didn’t know all the story.

Robinson is one of those old Wild West fans.

“I did not know about Boone being wanted for murder, and also did not know about the three crooked lawmen appealing to the Supreme Court and were never tried. That case is still on the books today,” he said. “Quite interesting, all the research he had done on the court records.”

Collins and Cova Williams, director of the museum, were both extremely pleased with the attendance of the night.

“It’s a good story, an important story. It is a story that gives courage to our football team – because the football team never gives up. Nor did the Marlow Brothers,” said Collins.

Childs’ specialty is 18th-19th century United States history. From Henrietta, Texas, he is a member and former president of the Clay County Historical Society. He serves on the Clay County (Texas) Historical Commission and works there with the 1890 Jail Museum and Heritage Center. You can watch the exhibit talk at this YouTube channel.&t=2s