Henry Grammer

Henry Grammer was an American cowboy, bootlegger, and murderer from Texas. Grammer was among the perpetrators of the Osage Indian murders. He died in 1923 under suspicious circumstances during a federal investigation of these events. For his career as a cowboy, he was posthumously inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2000.

Henry Grammer
Born(1883-07-20)July 20, 1883
Marlin, Texas, U.S.
DiedJune 14, 1923(1923-06-14) (aged 39)
Shidler, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupation(s)Cowboy, bootlegger
AwardsNational Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee (posthumous)

Early life and conviction

Henry Grammer was born on July 20, 1883, near Marlin, Texas where he was raised.[1] By age 15 both of his parents had died, and he began working in the Texas rodeo circuit. Around 1901, he first moved to the Osage Nation (later Osage County, Oklahoma after Oklahoma statehood in 1907).[2] In 1904, he was arrested in Montana and served a three-year sentence for murdering a sheepshearer.[3]

Rodeos

After his release, Grammer returned to Osage County. He participated in rodeos from Fort Worth, Texas to Madison Square Garden in New York City. He participated in the annual Dewey, Oklahoma "Dewey Roundup" every year between 1908 and 1922. From 1909-1910, he traveled across South America touring with J. Ellison Carroll and the IXL Wild West Show. In 1912, he helped Guy Weadick stage and participated in the first Calgary Stampede. In 1914, he toured in London with the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. In 1916, at Weadick's Sheepshead Bay Stampede, he won the title "World Champion Steer Roper." From 1920 to 1922 he was a judge at the annual Fort Worth Fat Stock Show Rodeo.[1]

Osage Indian murders

In the 1920s Grammer ran the moonshine industry in Osage County. He employed many individuals who were also local thieves, robbers, and cattle rustlers. Writer David Grann alleged in his 2014 book on the murders that Grammer had ties to the Kansas City Mob. His operation included at least five stills and a small power plant to supply electricity.[3] In August 1920, he was acquitted for the killing of Jim Berry, a ranch hand employed by his brother-in-law.[4]

Grammer had met rancher William King Hale in 1909 when they competed in a rodeo together. When Rita and Bill Smith's house was blown up during the Osage Indian murders, Grammer was Hale's alibi, as the pair had traveled to the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show Rodeo during the bombing.[5]

Death and legacy

Grammer died in an automobile accident on June 14, 1923 when his Cadillac spun out and flipped near Shidler, Oklahoma.[5][2] David Grann alleges William King Hale may have been involved in his death by tampering with the steering wheel and brakes.[5]

In 2000, Grammer was posthumously inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame.[6]

Representation in other media

He was portrayed by Sturgill Simpson in the 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon, about the Osage murders.[7]

References
  1. "Henry Grammer - National Rodeo Hall of Fame". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  2. Nobles, Mike (September 2, 2001). "`Grammer Saga' is rip-roaring tale". Tulsa World. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. Grann, David (2017). Killers of the Flower Moon. London : Simon & Schuster. pp. 86–87. ISBN 978-0-85720-902-3. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  4. "Aug. 11, 1920". Tulsa World. August 11, 1920. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. Grann, David (2017). Killers of the Flower Moon. London : Simon & Schuster. pp. 174–176. ISBN 978-0-85720-902-3. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  6. Painter, Bryan (October 14, 2000). "Roper makes right 'game-time' call". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  7. Tramel, Jimmie (8 April 2021). "Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson among new 'Killers of the Flower Moon' cast members". Tulsa World. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
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