Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-04-06
Murder Was TlGir Trade.
A WHOLE FAMILY OF cUTTHKoATs.

A WHOLE FAMILY OF CUTTHKOATs.
NEW YORK, March 2i.-The
New York Times prints today a
special from Kansas City Mo-,
which says that band OF mur'
derers and thieves, whose chief
was a girl 20 years of age, and
whoseoperations extended through
out Southern Kansas, has Just been
run TO earth and its principal
members captured. The name OF
the Grimm al queen is Clara Bla-
lock, who for a year has had
charge of the First Ward school
IN the town of Columbus, Kas.-
The members Of the gang which
recognized her sway are John, Bill
and Clay Blalock, her brothers;
her father, William Blalock her
mother, Ann BIalock; Dan, Pete
and Andy Fry, and Bill and Grant
Alley. The Frys and Alleys are
cousins. All the men are property
owners. Twenty miles from Colum'
bus is the scene of the Bender
family discl osur es, which we're
made a dozen years ago. The
details are not completed, but
enough has been ELECTED to demon
strate that the entire family was
united IN the pursuit of blood and
plunder.
Sometime after the awful dis
coveries in connection with the
Benders, the Blalocks took up
their residence in Columbus. The
evident desire not to mingle with
the people of the town. Their list
of acquaiDtances was, in conse-
ouence, quite small. Clara Bla-
locks beauty gained her friends, as
the years went on, her exclusive
ness departed in a measure and
she became quite popular. Over a
year ago she graduated at the
high school with 6rst honors. She
was bright and quick, and at the
composition contest last fall she
won the gold medal by the unani-
nous vote OF the audience. Soon
after graduating she was appointed
principal of the first ward school,
where she speedily won fresh
favors as a teacher. For several
years after the Bender disclosures
southeastern Kansas was cOmpara'
lively free from lawlessness. Grad
ually this immunity ceased. Rob
berries became frequent. Houses
and barns were burned and horses
and mules we're stolen.
For a long time these criminal
acts we're ascribed to thieves from
Kansas City and other towns. No
organized effort to detect the perpe-
traitors was made for long time.
After while murders beca me fire.
quent in the region. Oyer a year
ago the Gulf House, hotel at
Columbus, was burned, aud the
charred remains Of man supposed
to have been murdered was found
in the ruins. The fire was the
work of incendiaries. Shortly
afterwards the Hazeltine magazine,
owned by st. Louis parties and
containing more than a carload OF
powder, was blown into the air,
and a fire was started in LOwen's
hardware store. The Baxter post
Office was robbed, aud then the
Gulf Station safe was blown open.
A bold attempt at robbing was
made at Cresteline, in which shots
were exchanged between the cltl-
zens and the outlaws. The Lowell
post Office was broken open and
plundered short time after. Then
the Bee II i've factory and Berr Il
Adams place were fired. A big
horse steal was made from Chew ~
Saunders, and the culprits succeed
ed in completely covering up their
tracks.
Their crimes caused the people
of Columbus and vicinity to band
together for mutual prOtection.-
Detectives we're employ ed, but to
no purpose. Grimes continued to
be committed, but their perpetra'
tors we're too cunning to be appre-
hended.
Constable David Gordon, of Co
lumbus, was a shrewder man than
all the detectives combined. lie
studied the features of the case
very carefully and said little. After
several days work on the case he
went to the county sheriff, and he
and his officers were astonlshed
when he announced that the Bla-
locks were members of the gang and
that their rendezvous was at the
Blalock residence itself. The con-
stable then explained how he had
worked the case.
Night after night he had watched
the streets of the town, noting
what persons we're abroad after a
certain hour. The Blalocks live in
the extreme east part OF the town
and the boys rarely passed through
the town at night, but circled 1t
when necessary and came in from
the country. The constable was a
long time discovering this, but
when he did it aroused his sus-
picions, for night after night he
found the boys were away from
home. 81 am going to watch the
house tonight he said to the city
,oorahalI He then ranaired fO hia