On Saturday, October 1st, the Medicine Park Marauders had three performances at the Southern Kiowa County Fall Festival in Snyder, OK. The Law, consisting of Marshal Payne, Odie and Pack Mule, was after Miss Floozy Coozy who was wanted for impersonating a beauty queen without an impersonating permit. She was also wanted for embezzling money from the town of Minco where she was the dormer Town Treasurer. However the Medicine Park Law was not concerned with the embezzlement charges as Minco was out of their jurisdiction. Seth Wright and gang members; Rattlesnake Bill, the Crisco Kid and Cerveza de Vaca, were out with their usual mischief and mayhem. Also on hand was Madam Olga. Doozy Floozy and Miss Stacey (another floozy).

The Marauders open their performances with Madam Olga leading the the three floozies in the marauder song on the downtown stage. Cerveza de Vaca joined them providing sound effects. While they were warbling on stage the rest of the Seth Gang harassed the audience and took an onlooker, who was not giving the floozies their deserved attention, off behind the stage and shot him. The outlaws moved up in front of the stage to hassle the singers. Upon hearing the gunshot the law came in looking for the fugitive Floozy Coozy. The Marshal lead the deputies on a search of the audience checking the women’s forearms against the picture of Floozy Coozy’s forearms on the wanted poster. The identifying tattoos on her arms were the only way they could make sure they had the right person.

One of the onlookers pointed out that one of the singers on the stage had those tattoos and the law moved in for an arrest. Pack Mule went up and made the arrest. He spotted Cerveza de Vaca from an old wanted poster and arrested him too. As the Law started to haul them off the rest of the Seth Gang confronted them. A gunfight soon started and the outlaws escaped when the Law ran out of bullets. When the gun smoke cleared Cerveza de Vaca had made a get away with the rest of the gang, but Pack Mule still had Coozy Floozy in custody.

The Law, with their horses worn out from the hard ride to Snyder, decided to take the 12:45 train back. Somehow they forgot there is no train into Medicine park. With Floozy Coozy in irons they boarded the train. Madam Olga and Doozy Coozy also caught the same train. Doozy was sporting a fancy parasol with a strange looking long handle she claimed came all the way from Paris. She did not specify if it was Paris, France or Paris, Texas. While waiting to board the Marshal picked out few able looking young men to deputize and help watch out for the outlaw gang. Once on the train Pack Mule was left to guard Foozy while the Marshal and Odie settled in at the back of the train. Meanwhile madam Olga amazed the passengers with her ability to see future events correctly forecasting that the Seth Gang would stop the train.

About three miles outside of Snyder the Seth Gang struck. As the train stopped Doozy Coozy reveled herself to be Floozy’s twin sister and an accomplice of the Seth Gang. That fancy parasol she was toting turned out to have a 12 gauge shotgun for a handle which she quickly whipped out and got the drop on the law as the outlaws boarded the train. The gang relieved the law of Floozy and along with her sister Doozy they all got off the train from the front. While they were getting off the law, along with madam Olga, grabbed their guns and headed to the rear of the train where they jumped down and the gunfight was on. When the law ran out of bullets and the smoke cleared the outlaws had fled. With no extra horses Floozy and Doozy got left behind where the law quickly nabbed them.

With the two Coozy sisters in irons the law got back on the train for a return to Snyder. On the train ride back the law rewarded the temporary deputies with wooden Marauder Bucks and Madam Olga astounded the passengers with her ability to read the future. But Madam Olga missed foretelling which side of a Marauder Buck would come up when a young man flipped it. The Marshal, knowing her normal, unfailing accuracy figured it must have been due to the Marauder Buck being mad of wood which does not transmit energy like a silver or gold coin.

The Marauders were scheduled to do a third show on the 2:45 train with a robbery of a strongbox guarded by the law planned. But the train ride was changed to 2:00 without the Marauders being informed. Being as quick on ad libbing as they are are on the trigger, the Marauders went off via a van to “head ‘em off at the pass.” The train had gone by when we got to the normal stop, but it had to come back to Snyder. With all of the Marauders outside the approaching train we decided to all be outlaws and rob the train. The law removed their badges and we boarded the train. Passing back through grabbing hats, a bag of cookie crumbs and other small items the Marauders filled the loot bag. Off the train the quickly revised plot called for an argument over the loot  to lead into the inevitable gunfight, but Cerveza de Vaca grabbed the bag and took off. As he ran a zig-zag course across the field the rest of the Marauders drew their guns and fired at him until they ran out of bullets again. Cerveza de Vaca dropped the bag of loot which was retrieved by Madam Olga. She and the Coozy sisters got on the train for the return to Snyder. On the way back they decided, with these hard times, they had to return the stolen loot to the rightful owners.

Great fun was had by all even with the last train time mix up. We hope to ride to Snyder again for next year’s Fall Festival.

Rattlesnake Bill with Doozy & Floozy Coozy.

Little Britches had dug into the outlaws stash and brought along a bag full. She parceled it out tween the Marauders. The wagons rolled around 2:00 a heading’ into town. As the Medicine Wagon neared town the Marauders cut loose with a few blast from their six-guns. Just to let folks know we were a comin’. As we rode through town the Marauders just up and tossed the coins to the folks a watchin’ the wagon train go by. It was a great delight to the crowd, especially the youngins, that had gathered to watch.

Once through town the wagon train broke up and the Marauders made their way back to winter camp. Sure as shootin’ when spring comes they’ll be back, and this time the hostilities between the law & the outlaws will resume with a bang.

Calamity Lee fires on the outlaws.

On October 2 the Medicine Park Marauders held a three part show in Snyder, OK.For the first show the Law was guarding a shipment of gold from the Medicine Creek Mining Company being sent by rail. About 5 miles out of Snyder the Seth Gang stopped the train. Little Britches was on board in disguise and got the drop on the law. The gang boarded and  managed to steal the strongbox. Off the train, they tried to shoot the lock off the box with no luck. The law got off the train and the Marshal shot at the gang, but knocked the lock off. The outlaws grabbed the gold and made their getaway.

With the gold gone the train & the law went back to Snyder. There Calamity Lee lead us in the Marauder Song. As the song ended the Seth Hang made a brazen appearance. A gunfight broke out which ended in the capture of Seth.

The law then took Seth, in irons, on the train bound for prison. But again the Gang was waiting. They stopped the train. Grabbing the conductor hostage they sprang Seth. The law gave a short persut, but soon ran out of bullets.

Special thanks to photographers Heather Morefield & Randy Warren for great pictures.

Click here for pictures.

The Medicine Park Marauders rode for three days last week (May 20, 21 & 22). Starting with the Crosby Park 1st grade coming to Medicine Park on Thursday morning (See the previous post). That evening rehearsal for Friday’s and Saturday’s shows included new lines to practice for a never run skit and a new original song.

Friday the Marauders rode into Lawton for three shows at Central Middle School where the theme was Americana Days. (Our appearance was arranged by Dwight Cope.) We started each show with a little history about the Old West in Oklahoma Territory. Little Britches related the exploits of the real Little Britches & Cattle Annie, and Marshal Payne followed the tale with how they were captured by the law. Calamity Lee, spoke about the history of the Wichita Mountains, Medicine Park, and how and why the Marauders were formed.

Odie took center stage to lead the audience in the Medicine Park anthem, “The Possum Song”. The kids were warned they must sing along to the chorus or they would be brought up in front to help lead the others. Lee, Little Britches, the Marshal, Rattlesnake, Dog and Cactus Jack rounded up a few from each class and one teacher to come up front and lead.

It could not be a Marauder Show without a gunfight ending. Calamity Lee brought out a bag of loot, which she claimed was the lunch money from the school. She no sooner got to talkin’ when one of the outlaws grabbed the bag and took off hiding among the kids. The culprit was soon found and the gunfight was on, ending when they ran out of bullets. The outlaw left holding the bag was brought up and the bag returned to Lee, but the Marshal demanded a reward. A volunteer student was picked to draw the reward from the bag which held Wilber, the rubber rattlesnake and led to much screaming.

Medicine Show photos by Larry Morefield
Memory Walk Photos by Michael Fahrion

Saturday was the Southwest OK Alzheimer Memory Walk fund raiser in Medicine Park and we performed the Buffalo Elixir Medicine Show. The Medicine Wagon was setup down by the Old Plantation. The show kicked off with Seth Wright and the outlaw rowdies causin’ trouble. The law told them if they settled down they could stay and watch. Odie did the possum song and the Marshal made the outlaws temporary deputies to watch for non-singers. Calamity Lee, with an outlaw chorus, sang her (Lee Hibbetts) new song, “Seth Wright & the Wrongs”. The premiere of the new skit “The General Store” followed. Little Britches played the proprietor with Cactus Jack as her new employee. Odie, Dog & the Marshal filled in as customers. I’ll leave out the details so’s not to spoil it when you come out to the next Medicine Show.

Calamity pitched the Buffalo Elixir and Elle Mae, Dog & Rattlesnake acted as shills to show the wonders of Buffalo Elixir. The pitch over, Lee brought out the money bag with the show’s take which the outlaws quickly grabbed. “They’re robbing the stage!”, Lee shouted. Which brought in the law for a rousing gunfight. Out of bullets the outlaws surrendered. The law, with the money bag in hand, demanded a reward. A lady was picked from the audience to pull the reward out, starring Wilber the Rattlesnake.

During the final bows the Marshal got a telegram with a warrant for the arrest of Keili McEwen fer walking without a permit. Keili is the Oklahoma Alzheimer’s Association lead in charge of the Memory Walk. The warrant was just a ruse to get her up on the stage where she was presented with flowers and a thank you for pulling off the successful event, doubling last years turnout as her mother-in-law, Vycke McEwen, Southwest OK Memory Walk Chairperson, beamed from the sidelines.

The weather for all three days was hot and very humid. After all the running around in the heavy cowboy outfits the Marauders were certainly “put up wet.”

After a question & answer session about the book Seth tells them they must learn the Medicine Park anthem before they can go on the tour. Of course the anthem is the Possum Song. Odie leads the singing and the rest of the Marauders make sure all the kids, and teachers, sing along to the chorus. Caus’ if they don’t they have to come up in front a lead the singing of the next chorus.

After singing the Possum Song Seth leads the kids on a tour around Medicine park pointing out the places that are in the book, and Bill Wallace’s family cottage. The cottage is no longer used.

The pictures are from May 20th when the kids form Crosby Elementary School where here. We have kids from as far away as the Fort Worth, TX area. The largest group this year was 146 kids from Burkbernett, TX. For one of the field trips this year we actually had Bill Wallace come down and he too sang along to the Possum Song.

They finally found place to to park their ride and trailed off on foot. Little Britches quickly strode over to a likely bunch and said; “Any Moms riding with this outfit? We’re holding up Moms to give ‘em a howdy and a little token on their special day.” Why with that fine remark the Moms quickly fessed up. Little Britches was a totin’ an old bank “withdrawal” bag that was full of Marauder cards with little roses attached. All them Maws were left holdin’ one of them cards and wearin’ a big smile. Little Britches also had a pocket full of Marauder reward tokens. If the Maws said the youngins were bein’ good she gave them a reward token fer it.

The Marshal & Little Britches trailed on up to the Old Plantation where good sized herd of Moms and their young ‘ins were corralled the porch, which made fer an easy roundin’ up. They soon roped a sizable bunch of Moms and went into their Mom Day Howdy. Leavin’ that herd with Marauder cards and happy faces, Little Britches and the Marshal headed down the street. Comin’ onto the stores they found a crowd of stray Moms which they cut out and Marauder Carded. The two Marauders moseyed on to the Riverside restaurant leaving more happy folks on their back trail. There was a small herd in a jail right in front of the Riverside chuck wagon. Marshal said he reconned they’s was put there so’s not to get away befer a table was ready. Seemed like a good bunch even if they was jailed so Little Britches gave the Moms a card and the youngins a reward token.

Inside the Riverside was another passel of Moms ready fer a Marauder Card and a Howdy. The Marshal went up to one table with a passel of adults and a couple of kids and said; “Looks like there’s Mom or two here, or they’ve been out roundin’ up strays.” Turned out there were four Moms in that bunch.

Little Britches and Marshal Payne started out with 75 Marauder special Mom Day Howdy cards and in just 45 minutes they was plum out. Why they sure could a used a bunch more. All the folks really enjoyed it and some remembered when they did the round up last year.

Marauder Style
by Michael & Muriel Fahrion

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the bunkhouse

Not a creature was stirring, ‘cept an old field mouse;

The boots were placed by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

Marauders in bedrolls were all snuggled down,

With visions of six-guns shooting up the town;

I was a hangin’ my hat up for the night

Geared up to bed down ‘n blow out the light,

When out in the corral there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Grabbin’ my six-gun and cockin’ the hammer,

I slipped to the window in a shifty manner.

The moon on the brown grass of the prairie below

Gave the objects a strange, spooky glow,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature wagon, with an eight mule team,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his mules they came,

And he whistled, and hollered, and called them by name;

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the fence! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As tumble weeds before the wild tornado fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the housetop the mules they flew,

With the wagon full of loot, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I holstered my gun, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was all duded up in homespun, from head to foot,

And his outfit was all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of loot he had flung on his back,

Why he looked like a peddler opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks all sun burnt, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

His jingling spurs were shinny and bright,

And glittered and sparkled in my lamp light;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

I squinted and stared at that dusty old sprite,

A thinkin’ he was the outlaw Seth Wright.

No gun belt was circling his middle spread,

Which gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He weren’t a jawin’, but went straight to his work,

And filled all them boots; and turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his wagon, to his team gave a whistle,

Off they skedaddled like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him hollar, ere he drove out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Marshal Payne, the only lawman on duty, was making the afternoon rounds when the outlaw Little Britches came riding into town all by her lonesome. Well almost by herself, she did have Wilber, the gang’s pet rattlesnake, wrapped around her neck. Knowin’ she was bag of tricks the Marshal eased his hand toward his six-gun. Little Britches stopped short and called fer him to hold his play til’ she explained the game.

Little Britches said, “Now I ain’t dealing no tricks today, I just got a bag treats fer the youngins and other visitors.” With that she tossed a bank bag to the marshal sayin’, “Here’s my anti fer today’s game.” Checking the bag Marshal Payne found it did contain a lot of loot, but not from any bank robbin’. The bag held a bunch of candy corn attached to a Halloween special Marauder card.

A quick look around showed there were no other outlaws trying to cut in, so the Marshal said, “I recon that sounds like right good idea. Deal me in. I’ve got a bag of Marauder Bucks with which I’ll call yer bet.”

With a temporary truce in place the outlaw and lawman headed out together. They went through town and the eating establishments wishing everyone a happy Halloween and handin’ out reward treats and Marauder Bucks. The youngins got a real kick out of it and the adults enjoyed it too.

The game played out with no gunshots rattlin’ the town. As Little Britches rode off, Marshal Payne watched her go glad he did have to go over to town hall and ask fer more bullets.

]]> http://medicineparkmarauders.com/2009/11/02/halloween-marauding/feed/ 0 http://medicineparkmarauders.com/2009/08/05/marauders-help-celebrate-tipton%e2%80%99s-centennial/ http://medicineparkmarauders.com/2009/08/05/marauders-help-celebrate-tipton%e2%80%99s-centennial/#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:21:11 +0000 http://medicineparkmarauders.com/?p=200 by Muriel Fahrion (aka Little Britches)

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

Tipton Centennial Celebration became several firsts for the Medicine Park Marauders: our first grand finale, first outing for our new gold domed tent, and the first selling (and signing) of the Marauder Comic book outside the Park. Before the show some of the Marauder’s sold comics and t-shirts and other’s wandered warming up the crowd. Tipton entertainment offered some very talented ladies singers which inspired Slim, Dog & Rattlesnake who stood front and center, took off their hats and listened to “A Rose Among The Thorns” which brought tears to their eyes. However when Rattlesnake thought one might make a good wife she rebuked him with “I don’t date men over 40”. The Marauder’s were next up after the calf judging held on the other end of town, about 7:30 and the crowd drifted back from the judging. The announcer introduced us and it was Show Time. We started off with Madam Olga leading the Marauders in singing the “Ballad of the Medicine Park Marauders’. The song ended we drifted off leaving Madam Olga Seesall to start the action by reading a few palms of the fine people of Tipton. While the Slim, Little Britches, Rattlesnake and DOG cased the local banks lookin’ to make a few withdrawals.

The Outlaws arrived in the center of town and scaring the good town people away from Madam Olga. Slim insisted she read his palm. Madam Olga could barely see through the dirt on Slim’s hand until he spit on it and wiped it on his pants. His fortune was of evil doings and dark trouble. Having received only disastrous news, the gang disparaged the Gypsy’s abilities. A disgruntled Olga walked off in a huff muttering “you will have much sorry for insult”.

The law had arrived in hot pursuit of the Marauders and Madam Olga eagerly informed them of the gang doings in Tipton. The Marshals recruited young deputies from the locals handing, them wanted posters and promising them a reward. In short time the new recruits “brought them in”. Shooting was about to break out when the news that a few stray calves gotten loose from the livestock judging. (Marauders may not respect each other but they do respect cattle).

Little Britches agreed to give Odie the bank bag if he would let them go in exchange for the loot. Slim & Little Britches both grabbed a hostage from the crowd. The Law, remembering how tricky the gang could be, wanted a volunteer to stick their hand in the bag first. Odie tried to get one of the hostages to pull out the contents, but the gang stopped him. As the law suspected the bank bag held a rattlesnake. It was Olga’s missing pet, Wilber. Slim carried another bag; the Law demanded he hand it over. Slim passed the bag off to his hostage and bag was then quickly passed around the outlaws while Odie desperately tried to find out who had it. Miss Goodbody having hid the bag in her bustle, tripped and the bag fell to the ground.

Across the bag the word “Laundry” had been embroidered. The law deduced that it must mean the gang was laundering stolen money. The Law immediately starting digging through bag in anticipation of stolen loot but instead pulled out a pair of drawers with hearts on them. (Odie needed a new pair). Next was unearthed some foul smelling socks, old long johns and some mighty fancy bloomers (which they figured could attract a floozy or two). Yes, the law was tricked again; it really was the gang’s dirty laundry.

With no loot to swap things quickly broke down into a gunfight. The outlaws made a clean get away while gun smoke still filled the air and once again the law had run out of bullets. And so goes the story.

As the Marauder’s rode off after sundown it was remarked that there was never a finer audience than that in Tipton, Oklahoma. Medicine Park Maruader’s thank you for puttin’ up with us.