On May 5 the Marauders made the grand opening of the new Medicine Park Self-Serve Library. Madam Olga presided over the ceremonies since she had foreseen it all happening. The Law (Marshal Payne, Deputies Elmer Fudge & Pack Mule) came with the Marauder Comic Book. “The Great Stagecoach Holdup” for the first book. The Seth Wright Gang (Seth, Rattlesnake, Little Britches & Tex Critter) showed up with the Marauder Comic Book, “The Great Train Robbery.” The Law argued the Train Robbery was just a bunch of lies as it depicted the Gang getting away with the Gold. The Gang said the Stagecoach book was all wrong as they had never been caught doing anything wrong. While both side argued Little Britches tried to peddle fake library cards to unsuspecting citizens. Thing escalated into a gunfight. Madam Olga held both books while the bullets flew. Soon all were out of bullets and things were still not settled. Madam Olga declared it a draw and that both books would go into the new library at the same time. Tow of our fine ladies, Mrs Linda & Pistol Annie, wished everyone could just get along. That thought lead to a sing-along and we all joined in with the Possum Song lead by deputy Odie.

Little Britches fake library card.

]]> http://medicineparkmarauders.com/2012/05/06/medicine-parl-library-opening/feed/ 0 http://medicineparkmarauders.com/2012/04/20/oklahoma-arts-council-show/ http://medicineparkmarauders.com/2012/04/20/oklahoma-arts-council-show/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:11:03 +0000 http://medicineparkmarauders.com/?p=446 The Oklahoma Arts Council rode into town on April 18^th fer a two day meeting and to have a look around our fine camp. On the 19^th they went a wanderin’ round scountin’ what the town had to offer. Seein’ how they’s a bunch of tenderfeet about this here parts the law decided twas best to go out a let them know about how wild it still was here. You never know when that Seth Gang, or some other wild cowboy, might decided to ride into town and cause trouble. Marshal Payne, Calamity Lee, Pack Mule and Cactus Jack set out to find they before the outlaws did.

Sure e-nuff the law no sooner started to warn them when Miz Linda and Pistol Annie came a running up shoutin’ fer the law. The Marshal settled them down so’s to figure out what they were so riled up about. Miz Linda related that she was accosted by some varmint and robbed of proceeds of her shop on her way to the bank. It happened right outside Pistol Anne’s shop as witnessed by Miz Annie herself. Nether one know the name of culprit, but both got a good look and could describe him.

The Marshal figured they best be getting a wanted poster out quick before that varmint could get out of the territory. The law needed one of them composite drawin’ done from the description those two fine ladies could give. The Marshal figurin’ there must be an artist in that crowd, asked, “Is there an ar-teest in the house?” Unexpectedly the notorious Little Britches step forward sayin’ she was a good quick drawer. Seth Wright was with her and the law was ready to arrest them, but both Miz Linda said it wern’t them that done it.

Seth agreed that Little Britches was a real good fast drawer. He said she could clear leather and sling lead faster then anyone he knowed. Little Britches said this time she was a talkin’ about a lead pencil, not hot lead. The Marshal figured this might be one the outlaw’s tricks and ask her were she’d learn to draw anything besides a six-gun.

Little Britches explained that when she was a youngin, “knee high to a grasshopper,” she found some of them dime novels stashed under her pappy’s mattress. (She taught herself to read usin’ them novels.) One time she found one with a coupon in the back fer learnin’ how to draw. She figured she could use some fancy gun work, sos she sent it off. Turned out to be a correspondence course fer drawing pictures but she took it anyway. She summed things up statin’ she was good at quick drawing in more ways then one.

Since she and Seth were cleared this time, the Marshal agreed to let her have a go at drawing up a picture of the culprit from Miz Linda & Pistol Annie’s description. When they described the villain as having long hair and a big hat, the Marshal spotted a woman in the Arts Council crowd that fit that description and pointed her out. She said it wasn’t her that done it, and the witnesses said it Weren’t her.

After a working on the drawin’ a bit Little Britches realized it was Rattlesnake, one of the Seth Gang and tried to hide the pictures from the law. Deputy Pack Mule was behind her and saw the drawing. He pointed out Rattlesnake who was trying to hide in the crowd. Rattlesnake quickly passed off the bank bag evidence to Miz Denise, who was local trail boss of the art herd, and an innocent by stander in this outlawin’.

The law quickly moved to arrest Rattlesnake. Seth stepped in sayin’, “You can’t arrest him. That’s not a legitimate wanted poster. That’s a poor-trait.” Every one agreed Rattlesnake has a lot of poor traits, but right now he was wanted fer stealin’ Miz Linda’s money. The law told seth they could arrest him too fer aidin’ & abettin’ a wanted man. Seth said; “Abettin’? I aint abettin’. I don’t even have a deck of cards.”

The law moved in to make the arrest. Little Britches jump in to help her fellow gang member get away. Six-guns blazed and bullets flew. Once agin the Seth Gang made a get away as everyone ran out of bullets. When the gun smoke cleared it was seen that Miz Denise had the bank bag. Miz Linda was so grateful she told her to open the bag and help herself to a reward. When Miz Denise reach in she found that those evil outlaws had taken the money and put Wilber their pet rattlesnake in the bag. She tossed Wilber out and he just lay there posin’ fer some pictures.

Meanwhile the Law is still a lookin’ fer this culprit:

Have you seen this outlaw?

We will be gathering at the Park Stomp in Medicine Park on March 18 around 3:00 O’Clock. This will be to pay a tribute to one of our star performers, Larry Morefield, aka Slim. Slim rode off to that great range in the sky last year.

For some fun and a bit of gun slinging come on out the first annual Medicine Park  MPEDA Barbecue Cook-Off on June 15 and 16. We’ll have the old chuck wagon out and the Seth gang will surely try to take over. More details on this event coming soon. Check the Medicine Park website at www.medicinepark.com.

Last year we did a Train Robbery Show in Snyder, and the pesky Seth Gang will be trying to rob it again this year. The Snyder, OK event is the first saturday in October and, even if it is another hot summer, it will be cooled down by then.

Watch for more Medicine Park Marauder events posted here and on the Medicine Park website as they are scheduled.

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.