Martin Scorsese is about to take us back to one of the most gruesome and vile events in US history… once again.
Set in the 1920s, his upcoming film, Killers of the Flower Moon will portray a crime case that took the lives of many Native Osage at the hands of greedy white men who wouldn’t stand seeing Native Americans rightfully earning a fortune.
The Osage Indian Murders, as remembered in history were a series of cruel and bloodthirsty murders in Osage County (Oklahoma) that took place between the 1910s and the 1930s. The number of victims and the cruelty with which they were killed gained it the name of the Reign of Terror. But what happened and who were the culprits? Although this is history, it might be a huge spoiler alert of the movie, so you’ve been warned.
The Wealthy Osage County
As we all know, since the arrival of pilgrims on American soil, most Native American tribes were constantly relocated and pillaged. The Osage Nation wasn’t the exception. Like many groups, this native tribe, originally from the Great Plains, was deprived of their lands in Kansas and relocated to a reservation in northeastern Oklahoma in the late 19th century.
At first glance, the new lands of the Osage seemed rough and rocky; quite inhospitable to even make a living. But in a karmatic turn of a screw, that move backfired for the whites in power, and the new Osage County turned out to be a gold mine. In the 1890s, the Osage discovered huge oil deposits, one of the largest in the entire United States.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs immediately took hands in the matter and granted the Osage and their legal heirs royalties in oil production based on their allotments of lands. This made the Osage nation one of the richest in the entire country. According to data, the Osage people received collectively over $400 million in today’s currency, and they took advantage of their new fortunate situation. Many sent their kids to private schools, others built mansions in the territory, and many more started living a lavish life with servants and chauffeurs.
But, naturally, white folks weren’t happy with this turn of events and the law gave them a weapon to once again deprive the tribe of their wealth. The aforementioned law made by the Bureau of Indian Affairs had a clause that became key for white men to put their hands on these riches. The Osage and their heirs, whether pure Osage or half-blood, were entitled to the oil royalties. You might be guessing where this is going.
The native population was seen as inferior, and the benevolent white people wanted to help them manage their wealth… not! Many groups did everything to make laws to force the Osage to grant white people rights to their wealth. In 1929, Congress passed a law that appointed guardians for half-blood Osages; they would manage their finances and lands.
Most guardians were local white lawyers and businessmen, and naturally, this became an incentive for greedy men to make easy money… and commit crimes. This situation could only hit the fan. As Robert Allen Warrion wrote, some white men were so keen to take a cut from this money that they were willing to even become criminals and commit murder if necessary. And that’s exactly what happened.
A Wave of Mysterious Murders
While many cities were enjoying the lavishness of the roaring twenties, the Osage nation began a period of pure terror. In May 1921, local hunters discovered the body of Anna Brown. Since they couldn’t find a culprit, authorities ruled her death as an accidental alcohol poisoning. The case was closed… until little by little, the bodies of more Osage citizens started to appear. Not only that, many of the victims were close and distant family members of Brown.
Two months later, Lizzie Q was found dead; the motif was suspected of poisoning. Shortly, Lizzie’s daughters and her husband saw the same fate when their house was destroyed by a blast. As these murders happened, many white locals started increasing their fortunes as they inherited the estates and wealth of the victims thanks to the law.
By 1925, the number of rich Osage victims rose to 60. All their wealth and lands passed to their guardians. The cases rapidly reached the ears of the Bureau of Investigation, which eventually became the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI. Detectives and investigators were sent undercover to the Osage Nation to infiltrate businesses and find the culprits.
Mystery Solved
Since most of the victims were related to the first victim, Anna Brown, investigations started with their new white relatives. One of them was Ernest Burkhart, the husband of Mollie Kyle, cousin of Brown. Burkhart was the nephew of William Hale, known as the “King of the Osage Hills,” thanks to his businesses. Hale’s and Burkhart’s fortunes increased as the Osage were killed, which automatically pointed them as the main suspects.
Hale convinced his nephew to marry Mollie Kyle putting into motion a plan to put their hands on the Osage money. After two years of investigation, Hale and Burkhart were arrested in 1926 for their participation in the conspiracy and crimes. Kelsey Morrison, accomplice of Hale, was found guilty of the murder of Anna Brown, the first victim. He later confessed that he was just one of the many hired assassins Hale used for his scheme.
Mollie Kyle, Burkhart’s wife, surprisingly survived. Her husband’s accomplices had been poisoning her hoping to inherit her lands and cash her insurance. She discovered the scheme and told her local priest about her suspicions. The priest alerted the FBI and Mollie recovered from the poisoning. She passed in 1937 at 50 and her children inherited all her state.
