Book Review: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

 Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, Doubleday, New York, 2017.

Since this came out in movies I have been intrigued by the story.  However I did not want to venture to an R rated movie.  Reading the book has been a happy alternative.  

This book touches on the surface the evil that existed in Osage County, Oklahoma.  What is worse the corruption permeated the community.  William Hale, who turned out to have orchestrated much of the violence was a well repected community member.  He offered a reward for finding the killers.  Such two- faced people are really disturbing.  

The Osage were very wealthy.  At one time the wealthiest area in the United states.  When the government allotted their land, the tribe kept the head rights.  This meant they kept the rights to what was under the ground.  When oil was discovered they all became very wealthy.  The white community that lived next to them did not think the deserved so much money.  And through different means they hoped to take thos head rights, and the money for themselves, but whatever means.  There were poisonings, bullets to the head, people thrown from trains and even a house being blown up to kill those inside.  There was marrying an Osage for the chance to kill them and inherit their wealth.  

Part of the problems was the federal government did not think the Osage could handle their wealth.  Guartdians were appointed for many.  The guardians were prominent white community members.  This much money tended to corrupt these men.  They would manipulate the money and often scheme of getting it for themselves.  Hundreds of Osage were killed.  The records showed many of those with guardians ended up dead.

When you able people as "less than," even if they have lots of money, you can justify yourself in doing any kind of evil.  You can kill people, afger all she is just a "squaw."  Mollie Burkhart was a Native American woman whose siblings and mother were all killed.  Her own husband, Ernest Burkhart turned out to be enmeshed with William Hale, and one he participated in the killings.  And one point she and her children could have been killed as they were suppose to visit her sister who was blown up in a house explosion.  They did not go as her son was feeling sick.

At the end of the book the author points out the problem as much bigger than the official investigation.  Mysterious deaths abound, likely by poison, which were never investigated.

This book is worth the read.  I highly recommend it.