William Hale (cattleman) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William King Hale
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Hale in 1922
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| Born | December 24, 1874 Greenville, Texas, U.S.
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| Died | August 15, 1962 (aged 87) |
| Other names | Bill Hale |
| Occupation | Cattleman, murderer, criminal |
| Known for | Masterminding Osage Indian murders |
William King Hale (December 24, 1874 – August 15, 1962), or Bill Hale, was an American cattleman and convicted murderer. Hale was a prominent figure on the Osage Indian Reservation, in what was then the Indian Territory, where he built the noted Hale Ranch and made a fortune raising cattle. When Oklahoma gained statehood in 1907, the land occupied by the reservation became contiguous with Osage County, Oklahoma.
A power player on the Osage reservation, Hale rose to local prominence through years of bribery, extortion, and intimidation. In 1921, he ordered the murders of his nephew's wife and mother-in-law, followed by her cousin, sister and brother-in-law two years later, to gain control of their oil rights.
Conviction and later life
After four trials, Hale was convicted before a Federal District Court in 29 October 1929 for only one killing - that of the shooting death of Anna Brown's cousin, Henry Roan, and sent to the Leavenworth prison in Kansas. Hale had attempted to cash in a $25,000 insurance policy on Roan's life only a week after the man's death; obligingly, Hale had also served as one of Roan's pallbearers. He was sentenced to life but was paroled on July 31, 1947. He spent some of his life in Montana, working as a ranch hand for Benny Binion. He died in Arizona in 1962 and was buried in Wichita, Kansas.
Bryan Burkhart turned state's evidence and never served time. His brother Ernest was sentenced in state court to life in prison and was sent to Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. He was released in 1959 and received a pardon in 1966 from Governor Henry Bellmon.
See also
In Spanish: William King Hale para niños
