The San Francisco call., 1896-03-20
OFFICERS RETICENT.
Beliere They Haze CtesUs of Great Inn
pOrtance.

Beliere They Haze CIesUs of Great Inn
portance.
FRESNO, CAL, March r9.-The officers
refuse to tell what cIews they have for fear
it would interfere with their search for the
suspected parties. but the following facts
are learned from unquestionable authority ::
More than week ago it was ascertained
that one of the Dalton gang, formerly
operating in Indian Territory and Okla
homa, had put in his appearance in Tulare
County, and it was believed that holdup
would be attempted in few days. The
officers at Fresno, as we'll as other points
along the line, were notified to be on the
lookout.
About the same time, or day or two
elater, two suspicious characters were
seen in Fresno. They were not known
by name, but their actions at once at
trac:ed suspicion. Hi Rapelje, who
fought Evans and Sontag at Stone Cor
raj, was put on the track of these men,
and he, in company with John Barrett
of the Fresno police force, shadowed
them for several days and nights. IL
was discovered that they invariably
kept out of sight by day and at night
remained in the background. They
could be seen in back alleys of China
town late at night, and if they had
not been watched for special reasons their
general conduct would have excited sus-
picion anyway. They were strangers
here, and seemed TO be putting in their
time while waiting for orders from else
where.
Their orders were evidently received
yesterday, for about the same time that
the Tulare officers learned, through the
weakening of one of the gang there
that the hold-up was ready to be put
into execution the men in Fresno dis
appeared. It was supposed they had
left town, but watch was kept for them
and it was rewarded by a discovery
which is almost conclusive evidence that
these men belonged to the gang. When
the train from San Francisco arrived there
these suspicious characters put in an ap-
pearance and boarded the train as pas
sengers. Since then they have not been
heard of, but it is believed they were on
the train at the time OF the attempted
robbery.
1t is believed here that although the
officers were informed of the intended
hold-up, with the exact place and nearly
the exact hour, Deputy Sheriffs Daggett
and Reed were nevertheless taken by sur
prise, and were not looking for a hold-up
at that time, but believed it was planned
for the northbound train, which
would be due at Goshen about an hour
later. 1t is thought that Daggett and
Reed were on their way from Goshen to
Tulare for the purpose of boarding the
northbound train at Tulare and guarding
it toward Fresno, believing it was the
northbound train which was to be held up.
So when Mccall crawled over the ten
der he caught them by surprise, and when
he saw them and it flashed on him that he
was in for it he opened fire. He shot
twice before the officers could raise their
guns and his aim was accurate, as the first
shot passed through Daggett's body, and
it is feared will prove fatal, and the second
struck Reed, making wound that is not
30 serious.
Daggett fired both barrels of his shot
gun at once, and the charge passed
through McCall's abdomen, killing him
instantly. In fact, his body was nearly
torn asunder, and he dropped his rife
and rolled off the tender. The train
did not stop till it reached Tulare, five
miles distant. The northbound was
stopped at the place where Mccall fell and
found his body lying by the track. The
body was carried to Goshen.