Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-12-19
Banditti Redivivius.

The bandit Cleveland rode into Kansas
City, Mo-, one day during the war, with ff-
teen followers, right under the nose of Col.
Jennison and his regiment of Jayhawkers,
and robbed the banks of that city. Every
body laughed then and said it was only an
"incident" of the war. Some years afterwards
a train of cars was stopped in Cass County,
and number of officials who had been in
strumental in the issue of the bonds of that
county for the benefit of some impecunious
railroad company, were murdered in their
seats. Everybody. looked serieus then, but
they said it was the indignation
of the people against bond thieves "
that prompted the deed, and
the atrocity was soon forgotten. Subsequent
Iy three outlaws rode into the midst Of thou
sands of the departing visitors to the Kansas
City Industrial Exposition, and, after firing
into the crowd and wounding women and
children, seized the cash-box and retired with
it to a place Of safety. People were aston
ished at the boIdness Of the deed, though
they gloried in it as an exhibition Of pluck
scarcely paraleled since the days Of Dick Tur-
pin and Claude Duval. Then came the stoppage
of railroad train in Iowa, the murder of the en-
gineer, and the robbery of the passengers and
the mails. This created universal astouish-
ment all over the country, to put 1t mildly,
and there were Governmental proclamations,
the detail of detectives, the following OF
trails, arrests followed by releases
when it was discovered that the per
sons arrested were not the offenders, and
then the whole matter was forgotten and al
lowed to drop out of public recollection. All
these things occurred in that region border
ing on the Indian Territory. Whether Of
fenses were committed in the border land OF
Kansas, Missouri or Iowa, offenders found q
secure haven and immunity from arrest and
punishment by just stepping over into
the Indian Territory, where State pro
cesses could not reach them, and where
the life of United States Marshal was no
worth the crack of Texas herder's whip
There is very little doubt that all these offens
es were perpetrated by a single band unde
the leadership of an intelligent and mild-man
nered person who rejoices in the name o
Cleveland. Within the organization are EN-
braced men of all conditions in life, from tn
rough, uncouth outlaw of the western from
tier, to the beglOved and perfumed city gen
IlGIl1Il, lltClDRCuL anu uhu NbpdDlC "
shining in the best society. When work is L
be done, the intelligent head of the organiza
tion selects his men, according to their capaci
| ty, and directs them accordingly Beyond al
occasional murder of a ian, and the plunde
of some belated traveller, the band has, unit
recently, kept quiet, since the stoppage of tn
| Iowa railroad train. .r
| A few days ago, just as the shades of even
ing began to settle on prairie and woodland
two young men sauntered into the store @
Bryant & Chandler, located on the Missoul
State line about forty miles south of Kansa
City, and not far from the village of West
point. The store was decent frame buildin
at the cross roads, half mile from the Kansa
line, and was filed with the miscellaneou
assortment of merchandise usually kept
what are known aseountry stores-dr goodl
boots and shoes, hardware, notions, groceriC
and whisky, commodities alike affected by tn
cit and the frontiers man. These young me
were between twenty four and twenty-elgt
years old, elaborately dressed, and wore the
hair and whiskers In quite the prevaiIin
mode. They walked up to the stove to war;
themselves, and entered into pleasant a.
ly they purchased a wooden scarf, and move
again to the stove. Mr.. Bryant turned his bac
to them and proceeded 10 replace the good
he had taken down. This labor accomplshd
he turned again to his pleasant-looklng Jus
toners, and found himself confronted b.
two stern-looking men, and two ugly loOkinl
reyolvers, in very uncomfortable proxinity L
his head, The robbers in a very business-lik
tone demanded his available cash, and, as Mr
Bryant seemed inclined to dispute the demand
they quietly threw the rev wooden scarf the
had just purchased over his mouth, an
pinioned his arms and legs and set him u
helplessly on the counter. They then rife
the store of S40o cash and a large quantity q
dry goods, and put themselves outside ;eaI
enable quantity Of whisky. While thu
engaged, farmer came in TO pass away tn
evening and talk over the news aroand th