BLACK GOLD AND BLOOD

Why the ‘devil’ decided to slaughter a tribe of Native American oil millionaires in shocking saga of greed, deception and murder

Discovering who that 'devil' was would unravel a tale of vast oil riches, greed, murder and a Wild West-style lawman hell-bent on uncovering the truth

WHEN author David Grann visited the museum on the Osage Native Americans’ reservation in Oklahoma five years ago, a photo caught his eye.

Taken in 1924, it was an epic panorama of the locals — but with one section removed.

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Devil in the detail . . . part of a panoramic 1924 photo of the Osage tribe before this left-hand section with evil Bill Hale, circled, was removed

When David asked a museum worker why, he was told chillingly: “The devil was standing there.”

Discovering who that “devil” was would see David unravel a tale of vast oil riches, greed, murder and a Wild West-style lawman hell-bent on uncovering the truth.

In the early 1920s, the Osage tribe became super-rich after oil was found on their land.

Victims... murdered Anna Brown, centre, with sisters Minnie, left, and Mollie, right
The killings began in May 1921, when 25-year-old Anna Brown's decaying body was found by hunters in a ravine

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Very soon these people, who had always lived off the land, were enjoying chauffeur-driven limos, terracotta mansions, fancy clothes and hiring white people as servants.

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