Dunn Brothers (bounty hunters)
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The Dunn Brothers were a group of brothers from Pawnee, Oklahoma who worked as Old West bounty hunters. They are best known for having killed George "Bittercreek" Newcomb and Charley Pierce, members of the Doolin Dalton Gang.
The brothers, Bee, Calvin, Dal, George, and Bill Dunn, ran a boarding house near Ingalls, Oklahoma, and a meat market in Pawnee. Bill Dunn was the leader, and the oldest of the brothers. By the 1890's the brothers were working as bounty hunters, although they themselves had been involved in cattle rustling and robbery. Their teenage sister, Rose Dunn, became romantically involved with "Bittercreek" Newcomb, having met him through her brothers. On May 2nd, 1895, when Newcomb and Charley Pierce rode up to the Dunn house to visit with Rose, the brothers shot and killed both outlaws as they dismounted. They then collected the bounty on both, believed to have been $5,000 each, mostly due to the notoriety of the gang by that time.
On August 25th, 1896, it is believed that Bill Dunn led Deputy US Marshal Heck Thomas to the hideout of outlaw Bill Doolin. Some have speculated that it was actually Dunn who killed Doolin, however official reports from the time discount this, indicating that Thomas actually killed him. By late that year, people around Pawnee were beginning to complain that the brothers were involved in rustling and robbery, and Sheriff Frank Canton, a gunman with a substantial reputation, began investigating. Canton had previously arrested Bill Dunn for rustling.
On November 6th, 1896, Bill Dunn rode into Pawnee intent on killing Sheriff Canton. As Canton walked out of a restaurant after having dinner, Bill Dunn fired two shots at him with a revolver, missing with both. Canton drew and quickly fired two shots, killing Dunn. The shooting was ruled self defense. Bill Dunn's death effectively ended the bounty hunting for the Dunn Brothers, as their already questionable reputations suffered greatly.
