Rose Dunn was born Sept. 5 in either 1878 or 1879. Rose was born to poor parents, but she was lucky enough to have had the opportunity of a formal education in a convent in Wichita.

She was a beautiful young girl, by all accounts. She was known as “The Rose of Cimarron.” Rose had two older brothers, both of whom were minor outlaws, although both became bounty hunters later in life. They called themselves the Dunn Brothers.

As the younger sibling, Rose looked up to her two brothers, who taught her how to shoot, rope cattle and ride a horse. They also introduced her to George “Bittercreek” Newcomb, with whom she became romantically involved at the age of 14.

George, also an outlaw, ran with a gang – the Dalton gang – which absolutely adored Rose. They appreciated her beauty and her calm and sweet personality.

Rose adored Newcomb and loved the outlaw life. She supported the gang by running into town to purchase supplies. Since Newcomb was a wanted man, he could not do this himself. Rose became a valuable member of the gang.

In 1893, outlaws Bob Dalton and Bill Doolin started Wild Bunch gang. Newcomb joined the Wild Bunch, and Rose followed. The Wild Bunch robbed banks and trains and got into trouble everywhere they went.

Once they took refuge in Ingalls, Okla. It was there that, rumor has it, they got into a gunfight with lawmen. This was known as the Battle of Ingalls. Three lawmen and three outlaws were shot.

According to legend, Rose saved Newcomb’s life after he had been wounded by running through the middle of the battle to bring him more ammunition. It is also said she fired a rifle at the law while Newcomb reloaded his guns. This account never appears in the marshal’s account of the shootout, however. Although wounded, Newcomb was able to flee with another outlaw named Charley Pierce.

Two years later, on May 2, 1895, Newcomb and Pierce rode out to the Dunn ranch to see Rose. Rose’s brothers shot both Newcomb and Pierce and collected the $5,000-apiece reward.

Some said Rose told her brothers that Newcomb and Pierce were coming to visit her. Her brothers said this was not true.

The brothers were later investigated for cattle rustling. The sheriff shot Bill Dunn during an altercation, bringing an end to the Dunn Brothers bounty hunters (and probable cattle rustlers).

Rose married a local politician, Charles Albert Noble, and lived a respectable life until she died at age 76 on June 11, 1955, in Salkum, Wash.

Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel is executive director of the Community Hiking Club and president of the Santa Clara River Watershed Conservancy. Contact Dianne through communityhikingclub.org or at zuliebear@aol.com.

Related

The Thorny Rose

Laura Bullion was born in October 1876, most probably on the 4th, and died Dec. 2, 1961. She was a well-known outlaw of the American Old West. In the 1880s, Laura was a member of Butch Cassidy’s famous Wild Bunch Gang. She rode with the Sundance Kid, Black Jack Ketchum…

Sunday, Oct 11, 2015

Bandit Queen

Myra Maybelle Shirley, alias Belle Starr, was born in a log cabin in Carthage, Mo., on Feb. 5, 1848. Her mother was a member of the famous Hatfield clan. The family raised wheat, corn, hogs and horses on a farm outside of Carthage. In 1856 they sold their farm and…

Sunday, Sep 20, 2015

12 Arrests in Raid on Vagos Motorcycle Gang

[California Attorney General's Office] - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the arrests of 12 members of the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, along with the seizure of more than 300 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition, in San Bernardino, Imperial, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Santa…

Thursday, Oct 6, 2011