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Show BANDIT HARRY STARR IS REPORTED ON DEATHBED Wu Part Cherokee Indian and Began by Killing Detectire HARRISON. Ark Feb. Jt. "I was la debt 12000 and I - didn't have the' money, so I turned bank robber again," aald Henry Starr, "the praying ban-' dlt. who. was shot through the spine while he and several companions were attempting to hold up the Bank of Harrison. ' ' ' Following his reiease from the Oklahoma Okla-homa penitentiary several years ago, where he was serving a twenty-five-year sentence for bank robbery, Btarr announced that he had "reformed." When Ktarr and his companion backed President Myers and other bank employes In the vault yesterday, the 63-year-old bank president emerged through a trapdoor and began firing with a rifle. A bullet clipped Starr's spinal column. "Don't shoot, boys, make your getaway," get-away," Starr cried to his companions ' "1 gueaa I've robbed as many bmnka as any man in the Vnited States, but I've never killed anyone." Starr told J. H. Fowler, the jail physician, after he had been removed to prison. "My poor mother! 1 know her heart will b tvrukeit when Fheriears ihls." WITH BOOTS ON. Harry Starr is today passing out In the old time way with his boots on. One guard, heavily armed, sat at the head of the bed where the wounded man was lying. Another sat at the foot while a third paced up and down outside the door. Starr was suffering from a rifle bullet bul-let wound, received when he and two othera attempted to rob the People's State bank here. Htarr was shot by W. L Mayers, a bank employe, who had a rifle concealed In a vault la preparedness for such an occasion. PART CHEROKEE. Henry Starr was bom at Fort Gibson, Gib-son, Indian Territory, December I. 1S72. His father waa George Starr. known as "Hop" Starr, and was a half breed Cherokee Indian. Ills mother was one-fourth Cherokee. Henry grew up in the Cherokee nation and at the aire of 10 became a cowboy. Starr's first notorious act was the killing: of Floyd Wilnon, a railroad detective, de-tective, in 1895. Starr and Wilson roda up to each other on the road and fought a duel to the death. Wtarr was arrested with "Kid" Wilson Wil-son at Colorado Springs and taken to Ft. .Smith. Ark., where thev were tried in federal court for the many crimes they were alleged to have committed com-mitted In that state. They were convicted con-victed and sen ten red to life Imprison Impris-on men in the federal prison at Columbus, Co-lumbus, Ohio. Starr served only m short time, however, his sentence being be-ing commuted by President McKinleyi His citizenship was restored by President Presi-dent Roosevelt In 1907. CRIPPLED BY WOUND. - When captured in 1915. following robbery fo two banks at 8troud, Okls., Starr was wohnded and permanently crippled.' He waa convicted In August, 1916, for the Stroud robberies and sentenced sen-tenced to twenty-five years in the penitentiary, but waa paroled March IS. 1919, by Governor J. B. A. Robertson Robert-son of Oklahoma. The last report from Starr, on file at the state pardon and parole office in Oklahoma City, Is a letter from Kansas City, written November 1, 1920, In which he said he was "getting along al light," in a moving picture venture. |