Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-27
A Gang of Murdcrers Hun to Earth.

A Huntington CIV. Va special says ::
There is at last some indication that the
people of the counties of West Virginia
and Kentucky lying along the Big Sandy
river will be released from the DONNA
ton OF the band of robbers, murderers,
and outlaws which has ranged up
and down the country over an
area of more than 100 square
miles during the past eighteen
months, robbing stores, post-oiilces, and
dwellings, and not hesitating TO commit
murder when that crime was necessary
to secure the safety of themselves or
grasp the plumber they coveted. In Ca
bell, Wayne, and Logan counties, in this
State, these outrages have been most
frequent, but Boyd county, Ky, and the
adjacent country has also suffered Sc
verely, and even the Ohio side OF the
river has been subjected to the unlawful
excursions.
The gang was recruited from all three
States, and the number has been placed
at from ten TO thirty-hve by those more
or less familiar with them and their ope-
rations. And so successful were the out
laws in evading arrest that little was
known OF their strength or personnel
Lately there has been an exceptional
number Of robberies, and officers were
started after the gang, determined
not to stop pursuit until they had
been put under arrest. The band was
known to be in Wayne county, and
there, after persistent effort, two of the
ringleaders (brothers) named Charles
and Stephen Kelly, were captured. The
two men were confined in the county
Jail, and in the hope of bettenng their
prospects at their trial, they made con-
fession, which, although startling in its
nature, only confirms what has been
generally known.
The Kellys said they were members OF
a band of twelve men recruited in Ohio,
Kentucky, and West Virginia, who had
INDUCED in robberies and murder as a
trade, but their motto was, "Never Kill
unless compelled to do so to gain your
end" In the confession the kellys
named as O member OF their band an
old man named Merida Workmen, who
has served his time. They further
said that they shot and killed Ed
ward Bush near Ceredo last year, aud
that they hadrobbed Z. Lyman q Brother
at Dunkirk the store of j. b. Newman
d Co., at the month of Berry Fork, and
several private residences and stores at
Guyandotte, across the river from this
place. The gang robbed, upon iniorma-
ton furnished by woman named Me-
LISA Badtram. the honse of NJ. II. Bayard
near Guyandotte. This woman was used
as a decoy to find out if bayard had
money in his residence. The woman IS
under arrest here.
The prisoners stated that on the night
General Walker was wounded near Hunt
ington they were on their way home
from that place and shot at some one
supposed to be Walker. They intended
to kill him. They recently robbed
a 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 NJ. Ian
der & Co. Is store at Round Bottom, and
Monday night they intended robbing
Cox's store st 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 few days.