Shootout in Madill
Wiley Lynn survived the trial, and amazingly continued to work in his prohibition agent position for a very short time, but eventually lost his job. He was married, and had two sons, but his life had taken a downward spiral since the Tilghman shooting. His wife had taken their children and left him. He had been arrested several times for drunkenness in Wewoka, Oklahoma and Shawnee, Oklahoma, as well as other minor offenses.
Years passed, and by 1932 he was in Madill, Oklahoma, living five miles out of town with his parents. He had clashed on more than one occasion with Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Agent Crockett Long, who was assigned to that area, and who had made no secret that he disliked Lynn, Long having known and been friends with Tilghman. Agent Long had arrested Lynn several times, and Lynn blamed Long for his failure to be hired by the State Bureau of Investigations. Crockett Long had a substantial reputation for being good in a gunfight. He had previously that same year been involved in a gunfight with Pretty Boy Floyd, with Floyd escaping.
On the night of July 17, Wiley Lynn came into Madill, apparently searching for night watchman John Glenn initially, with whom he'd argued previously. Lynn entered the Corner Drug Store, intoxicated, where Long was visiting with stock buyer Bill Baker, and the local undertaker Paul Watts. Lynn approached the men with his pistol in his hand, and stated to Long "Put em up you son of a bitch, I'm going to get you sometime so it might as well be now".
Long, who was hard of hearing, actually didn't hear Lynn at first. However, when he noticed that several store patrons were scrambling to leave the store, Long turned to see Wiley Lynn with his pistol pointed at him. Long quickly and calmly said "Put that gun down Lynn". Despite Lynn having his pistol pointed at Long, the latter drew his own gun and the two men fired simultaneously, with witnesses saying it sounded like only one shot, despite there having been two. By that time, the store owners Forney Keller and Jack Blalock had fled, and patron Knute Turley had dropped to his hands and knees crawling outside.
Rody Watkins and John Hilburn, two young men who were standing at the soda fountain, were both hit by the bullet fired by Wiley Lynn, which had passed through the body of Crockett Long. Patron W. C. Wynne was standing at the door when the shooting started, and saw the first exchange. Both men continued to fire at one another until their weapons were emptied. Both were hit five times each, at close range, and while advancing on one another.
Wiley Lynn staggered out of the store and across the street to a service station, where citizen Clyde Lewis took him to a doctor. Agent Crocket Long was taken by ambulance to the Von Keller Hospital in Ardmore, Oklahoma. John Hilburn was not seriously wounded, but Rody Watkins was also rushed to the hospital. Agent Long, Wiley Lynn, and bystander Rody Watkins all died while in surgery.
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