The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-20
RENO GANG IS WIPED OUT
Lyle Levi Mas the Eleventh Member
to BE Lynched.
THE STORY OF WILLIAM PINKFRT0N,
The Famous Detective Knew All Of
the Men Well ana Hnd Met
Them Professionally.
Chicago Tribune.

OF tho once notorious Reno gang Of des
peradocs, who for several years terrorize
Indiana, Iowa and Kansas by the boldnes
Of their operations and the extreme cruelt
with which they avenged themselves o.
| their enemies or those who resisted them
| OF a gang OF twenty desperate men, Lev
| was the eleventh to meet his death at tn
hands of lynchers, the remaining known
members Of the gang having died in prison
| with the exception OF John Reno, the lead
er, who was pardoned from a Missouri
penitentiary few years ago, only to di'
year later by disease.
The Reno gang outdid the famous
Younger brothers gang or the James boy'
in the magnitude of their operations, bu
differed from the James and Younger
gangs in their methods. They committed
few murders. Robbery and holdups, train
wrecking and arson were the trade OF the
Reno gang, but murder seemed never tc
have been resorted to only when escape
was made impossible by other means
William Pinkerton, head of the Pink
erton detective agency. probably is better
acquainted with the history of the REM
gang than any other living person, he
having done his first "btg work." as he
explains it. on their trail.
Shortly after the close Of the war, -
said Mr. Pinkerton, John, Frank, Sim,
Billy and Clint Reno settled with their
parents on a large farm Just outside OF
Seymour, Ind. The boys were all pretty
well grown up, and were known to have
been bounty jumpers and deserters from
the army and allspround tough characters.
The old folks, however, were decent Ger
mans. Shortly after the family settled in
Indiana several trains were held up in
the southern parr of the State. My father
was authorized by the Adams Express
company to run the robbers down. and l.,
then a youngster was sent out on the
case with several other men. There was
scarcely any law, or rather the courts were
in demoralized condition at that time
and. though we were certain that the Reno
boys were the train robbers, we were UNI
able to secure any convictions.
BY 1857 the gang had grown stronger
In numbers and holder In operations, and
the entire State and, for that matter the
adjoining States were being terrorized by
the gang. Raids were made periodically
and money amounting 0o hundreds Cd
thousands OF dollars was stolen. Small
towns were cleaned out by night and
trains were held up and robbed in broad
daylight.
THE first big shaul the gang made was
the robbery of the county treasurer's Of
nee at Clinton, Mo-, when $4,000 was
taken In lump. Two of the gang were
captured in this raid, one died of his
wounds, and the other died In prison. The
Reno boys escaped but John Reno, the
Oldest OF the boys, was captured some
months later and sentenced to twenty
years In prison.
Within few months q dozen or more
county treasurers were robbed in Iowa
and Kansas, several thousand dollars be-
Ing stolen In each OF these raids. The
county treasurer's safe at Magnolia, low
was robbed one night in May, 1867, and !
happened to be a few miles away, and
when ordered by my father to go to work
on the case jumped to Magnolia, arriv-
ing there only day after the robbery.
After few hours work | got a clew
TO work on. A wealthy land owner named
Mike Rogers. who lived at County Bluffs
thirty miles away, had carefully examined
the safe day or so befsre the raid was
made. No one suspected hiH. but | fol-
lowed the clew just the same. soon
learhed that Rogers had bsen seen in com
pahy with three other men the night OF
me robbery, walking along the railroad
tracks toward Magnolia. With my assist
anus an we kept watch ON Rogers house. and
ers and three men leave in a wagon.
We were unable to follow them without
pelhg discovered. and SO awaited their
return they returned toward morning
CARRYING with them a big bag. which
seemed heavy. A few hours later the news
was received that the treasurer's office
at Glenwood. few miles south, had been
eouoea during the night Of $11 600. | mott
heu the county sheriff of what we had
seen, and we made raid ON the house
capturing all four Of the men. who wer.
attempting to burn the paper money evi-
uentiy knowing that they were helm.
watched. We recovered several thousand
ao.iars and made four prisoners.
-, rrank Keno, AL Sparks and Miles Oyle
al members OF the Reno gang, We're Roy,
,ns, eonpanions, and from billy and other
he recent robberies ON them Ths ~eu w a..
oeked up In the Glenwood jail and an
IRA guard had to be kept around Tho
an 10 prevent lynching. On the LEI ~,
iprii' 1868, the four prisoners wrote .Anni,
0or all over the Jail walts and escannd
by the aid of outside accnn,'
,o,,, - month later train was held up near
,evnour and the express messenger l;iiad
"niie resisting and 800 600 was s,nien
rom the Adams Express comnanv,s safe
hSseii and three or four other de,sc.
IN
Nss were near the scene of the rohharv
'hu assisted In arresting the members of
ne sang-ierald. Moore. Sparks nnd Gin
W. nah OF whom were caught red handed
'ut ~. ,he Reno bows escaped.
!, lne prisoners were turned over IN the
' 1e IN who started to the iail with then,
az was met lust outside the town and the
OUT prisoners were taken away from him
,iiu Whched by 200 citizens. Sim AVA n;Ii
.sno FOUND things pretty warm around
'eemour and went in hiding in indian
lnons' where they We're arrested INV anr
, nen. FRANK Reno and pal escaped IN |
,ahsaa, where they were located. and af.
81 . hard legal fight. were extradited and
rnousnt PACK to the scene OF the ronberv
n ne We're locked up in the jail at New
,loanv with Sim and Bill Reno and ,,srs
, ~ trial on the charge of murdsrinp
ne ne eNptess messenger and several other
LIKES; when mob OF farmers hroka
own the 'ail doors one night and tco,s
ne prisoners out and hanged them to tsle,
me other members OF the gang held
osether ana kept at their old ,ricks In,
ne ov one were caDtured and sent 10 reis
a. wo others were lvnched. spine wero