Tom Starr: Outlaw Turned Righteous

Illustration 7. Tom Starr, a half-breed Cherokee Indian, was one of the most daring and cunning desperadoes that ever ranged through the Indian Territory. He never was captured. He finally was pardoned and lived a law-abiding life until his death.

Sitting one night beside a campfire, with a number of white men, one of them asked him if he were not sorry for his deeds of blood. After thinking a moment, he said, ‘Yes, for one thing.

I and my men, as we supposed, killed all the members of a family that I hated. Then we set the house on fire and were on the point of leaving when a little child came toddling out of the burning building.

I took the child up in my arms and walked up to the red flames and tossed him into the leaping fire. Just as I let go of him, he looked into my face and smiled. Then I tried in vain to regain my hold of him and the next moment his voice rang in my ears.

I sprang on my horse and as I dashed away into the darkness, I could still see the child’s face smiling at me and could hear his voice ringing in my ears. I see him often at night when I try to sleep—that innocent face looking at me and I hear his voice when I think I am alone.”

That gigantic man arose to his feet, paced to and fro before the fire / and then, turning to us, he said, “I would give both of these hands if Y could get rid of that face and voice.”