Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-21
FEMALE BANDITS ARRESTED.
Captured By a MarShal'S Posse in the
Cherokee Strip.
They Are Mrs. Belle Black and Mrs.
Jennie freeman, and Participated
in the Exploits of a Gang Of Out
laws-Objects Of Interest in the
Guthrie Prison.

| Guthrie Prison.
| Guthrie, O. T., April 2O.-Among the
scores Of criminals confined in the
United States Jail in this city, the cen
| ter of attraction to the many visitors in
the large outer corridor are two female
bandits, captured in the Glass noun
tains, in the western part Of the Cher
okee Strip.
Contrary to the female bandit of ro-
nance, these prisoners are neither
young nor handsome, and, when captur-
ed, instead of being dressed in the dash
ing cowboy garb pictured in the sensa-
! tiOnal novel, they wore the attire usual
to the wives of farmers and working
men, save that one wore boots and
I spurs, to aid her in urging her horse
when attempting to outride the deputy
marshals.
For a year past the gang OF notorious
desperadoes led 10y Zip Wyatt, an out
law guilty of a dozen murders. has de-
fed the deputy marshals, as we'll as the
sheriff's posses of different counties.
During all this time it was never known
! that there were two female members
of the gang, as they always appeared in
mems attire when On the raids, and at
other times, dressed as farmers wives,
would enter the towns, buy provisions,
and often dispose of considerable plum
! der without causing suspicion or COM
ment, so well did they play their part.
One OF the recent raids was on Fair
view town and pOstoIilce, about four
] weeks ago, when the stores of the place
were looted Of everything valuable.
| Immediately following this raid a large
posse of deputy marshals took up the
| trail of the bandits and followed them
to where they were fortified, in the
Glass Mountains. After besieging the
gang for three days the officers saw two
women coming from the cave of the
outlaws. After long chase they were
over.aken, placed under arrest and TAX
en- before the L. S. commissioner
at Alva, where search of their persons
revealed large sum of money and con-
siderable property known to have been
stolen in the Fairview raid.
This was the first intimation that
there were female members in the gang,
and they were brought to the Federal
Jail in this city and held as accessories
to the robbery OF the postoffice. They
admitted being members of the ging
| One proved TO be Belle Black. wife of
one of the outlaw members of the gang,
and the other Mrs. Jennie Freeman,
wife of Matt Freeman, who formerly
resided here. and left her husband
nearly year ago to elope with Zip
Wyatt, the outlaw leader, and has since
remained with him. Mrs. Black is small
and heavy set, with dark hair and blue
| eyes, rather pleasant look upon her
face, and has not the least appearance
Of being a desperate criminal. Mrs.
Freeman is tall and slender, with snap
ping black eyes, tnaick black hair, and
| has a peculiar sinister look
When they were thoroughly searched
at the jail upon Mrs. Black was found
| a photograph Of dead outlaw Tulsa
Jack, who was killed the day after the
Dover train robbery; also pictures OF
Deputy Marshals Porter and Banks,
| who killed Tulsa Jack. The photo
/ graph had been taken in a group after
! the dead outlaw was in his coffin. with
one OF the officers standing on each side,
but the woman had cut the men in the
group apart. having each picture sep
arate, and mad evidently murdered the
| brave deputies in her heart, as the eyes
Of Porter had been dug out with a pen,
and Banks pictured body was stabbed
through the heart and the neck.
Wyatt, the chief outlaw, used to be
cowboy in this vicinity, and came to
Guthrie once a month TO spend his
wages in a wild carousal. and it was on
one of these trips that he formed the
| acquaintance of Mrs. Freeman. and af-
| ter he murdered the sheriff of Green
wood county. at the Fourth of July Gel
ebration two years ago, and became a
fugitive from justice, and later an out
law leader, he kept up a correspondence
with her, which resulted in her finally
leaving her husband to join him in his
| deeds of crime and violence. She was
an Illinois girl. well brought I'D and
educated, but became full of distorted
romance as the result of reading innu-
merable cheap novels.
A mystery has puzzleI the officers
time and again. when two or three OF
them have fired at Wyatt point blank
at good range. but never did he show
the least effect from the deadly Win
| chester balls. Mrs. Freeman SAYS that
he wears at all times steel plate upon
his breast. back and thighs. and also
says that Wyatt realizes that he will
receive no mercy in the courts. and is
| determined never to BE- taken alive. OF
the mysterious member Of the gang
who always appears with a white mask
, over lis face and is known as the
ghost she refuses to say anything be-
ycnd admitting that he is an outlaw.
long since supposed to be dead. When
first arrested. Mrs Freeman said the Of
ficers were wasting time in trying 10
capture the gang as they would escape
and leave no trail, which prediction
was but too true.
Mrs. Black and her husband came
from Western Kansas six years ago
and becoming financially embarrassed,
resoTted TO cattle stealing. and wers
| compelled to hide ont. which resulted
in their forming their associations
with the noted outlaws.