The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-03-29
DEAD TO RIGHTS.
A Band of Desperadoes Finally Brought
to Justice.

"A o@nu Vi Desperauoes t1nally Brought
to oJustice.
HUNTINGTON, w. Va, March 90
Especial. There is some indications
that the people of the counties of West
Virginia and Kentucky, lying along
Big Sandy River, will be released from
the domination of the band of robbers.
murderers, and outlaws, which has
ranged. up and down the country over
an area of more than one hundred
square miles, during the past eighteen
months, robblng stores, pOstOffices and
dwellings,, and not hesitating to com
nit murder when necessary to secure
safety for themselves or grasp
the plunder they coveted. In
Cabell, Wayne and Logan counties.
this State, these outrages have been
most frequent but Boyd county,
hyp ana the adjacent country also suf-
tered severely, and even the Ohio side
OF the river has been subjected to their
unlawful excursions. The gang was
recruited from all three States. and its
number has been placed at from ten to
twenty-five men by those more or less
familiar with them and their opera
tlonS. SO successful were the outlaws
Ill avoiding arrest that little is known
OF their strength. Lately there has
been exceptional number of rObberies
and officers started after the gang
determined not to stop in the pursuit
until all had been put under arrest.
The band was known to be in Wayne
county, and there, after persistent eff
tort, two ringleaders, brothers, named
CHARLES and Stephen Kelly, were cap
cured. The two men were confined in
the county jail, and in hope of better
ing their prospect at their trial, they
made a confession, which, although
startling In Its nature, only confirms
what has been generally known. The
hellys say they. were members of
Daud OF twelve men, recruited in Ohio,
Kentucky and West Virginia, which
had induIged In rObberies and murder
as a trade, but ther motto was:
Never Kill unless compelled to do so
to gain your end" In their confession
the hellyS named as member of their
band a man named workman, who has
served his time. They further said they
shot and killed Edward Bush, near
Credo last year, and that they had rob
bed 7. Lyman Il Brother at Dunkirk,
at the mouth of Berry Fork and several
private residences and stores at Guy
andotte, across the river from this
place. Tho gang robbed upon in
formation Furnished by a wo-
man named Melissa Bartram.
This woman was used as decoy to
find out if Bayard had money in his res
idence. The woman is under arrest
here. The prisoners stated that on the
night General Walker was wounded
near Huntington they were on their
way from that place and shot at some
one supposed to be Walker, They in
tended to kill him. They recently rob
bed country store in Ohio not: far
from the river and in the neighborhood
of Huntington, besides participating in
various other robberies. Last Thurs
day night they intended to rob M. l..
Lander e. Cos store at Round Bottom,
and Monday night intended robbing
Cox's store, at Cox's Landing, Cabell
county, after which they would have
transferred operations to Kentucky.
The names of the gang are known, and
more arrests will be made in a few
days.