The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-09-18
HUNTED TO pEAxH.


Fink aad jim Lee.Two Noterioo and Red. !.
Handed Texas Despersdoss,. Tracked tS--
Their Retreat and shot To- Death--k
Weil-Earned Reward which Thr~s De-
terminsd Men Have Become Eatiti. "a To-
GAINESVILLE, TEX. September a.
This community was startled at daylight
yesterday morning BY the anuounc sment
that the famous Lee brothers, the terror
of North Texas, had actually been killed.
The hrst intimation of tho killing was
the arrival Of q farmers wagon about
one o'clock In the morning, containing
the dead bodies of the notorious outlaws,
Jim and Pink Lee. The story Of the kill
ing Is brief. Ever since the brutal mas
sacre Of the two Rolf brothers and their
companions in the Indian Territory in
April last, the authorities have been
securing the country In search OF jim
Lee, tho leader of the terrible Lee gang.
1nnumcrable rewards have been offered
for tine capture. dead or alive, OF Jim and
Pink Lee. The total rewards reached
$1,000. The rewards drew host OF de-
tec.ivcs to this part Of the country. As
many as forty Northern and Eastern de-
tectivcs have visited this region in the hope
OF basgirg the big reward 1t remained
Forth Worth, to vanquiSh the outlaws.
Thomas learned through some unknown
means, that the Lee brothers were in
the vicinity OF Harris Township, near
the village of Dexter, living under as
sumed names. Taking with him two
trusty and brave companions named
Jim Taylor aud Jim Settles, both OF
Cook County, he started out Monday
morning in search of his human
game. Each officer carried one sixteen
repeating Winchester, with an extra one
slung on his saddle. Their side arms
were two forty-four calibrc Colts, and \
flask of whisky. The Lee brothers were
well known to each of the three officers.
After riding about ten hoSrs and visit
Ing numerous ranches, showin: photo
graphs of the Lees, the officers finally
learned their exict location, and reached
the John Washington place ut four
O'Clock in the afternoon. Thomas soon
spied the two outlaws, who were at that
moment engaged in cutting John Wash
in.tOn'S pasture fence. The three off,
GERS rode up wit hin fiftv yards of the
outlaws before the latter discovered
them. They dismOunted and Thomas
called on them to surrender. Taken
unawarcs though they were, the outlaws
answered with their revolvers, when the
detectives opened fire with their deadly
Winchesters. As the detectives raised to
fire both of the Lees, by Jim's orders,
laid fiat on the ground. Pink Lee was
struck at the first fire, and writned about
the ground, croanin. piteousiy, until the
next vOlley put an end TO his suff rings.
Jim Lee returned their fire very rapidly,
although he had bullet In his neck.
After emptying his own revolver,
Jim craw'ed over TO where his
dead brother lay and, grasplng
Pink's weapon, he empiied it also
at the officers. About forty shots were
fired at Jim before he CEASED to move,
but strangely only two shots were fatal.
A farmers wagon was procured and
the officers threw the bodies on pile of
straw and started for this CITY. The
COroBcr's inquest was held yesterday
afternoon, and the bodies were identified
so rs TO secure the large rewards to-
Thomas and his two assistants The
entire population of Gainesville turned
out to view the bodies of the two no
iorious outlaws, which are still lying in
the Court House.
Perhaps no band of criminals in the
United States ever did sucn bloody work.
in 80 brief a period as the Lee gang,-
healed by jim and Bill and Pink Lee.
Within two years from the FIRST Oflast~
May forty-twO human lives were taken by
this baud of cattle and horse thieves
Their principal rendezvous was Delaware
Bend in this county, just across from the
Indian Territory. They stole thousands
OF cattle and drove them into the Ihdian'
Territory.
Bill Lee was captured in MAY last,
with three other members of the Fang,
and has been taken to Fort Smith, Ark.,-
TO stand trial for the murder Of the
two Rolf brothers and Deputy Enitedt
States Marshal in the Chickasaw Ma
ton. At the time when Bill and the
Stems were captured thev oam.-
near being lynch-d by the ci,izers of
Sherman, Tex, whers they were first
taken. 1t is believed that the other
II embers of the notorious gang have
left the country. Thus ends one of the-
bloodiest chapters in Texas frontier
lie.