The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-06-29

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The frs, steps Dodsworth took was tc
60 to Perry. o. T.. a. cierk in the pos;
Office. After remaining there for sew
eral weeks he went to Guthrie and work.
ed in the pos:omoe there until he go
acquainted with the friends Of the Dali.
ton gang. The postmaster at Guthrie
was appraised OF the scheme. and so wa.
United States Marshal Nix of Okiaho.
ma. who issued deputy marshaPs com
mission to Dodsworth and supplied HIN
with six shooters, Winchester, horse
saddle and outfit. Dodsworth's next
step was TO gain the good will of the
| desperadoes. In order 20 avert suspi.
cion and make himself acceptable to the
cards printed giving a description OF
himself and Offering a reward OF $500
for his capture for Z eaking into the
postofftce at Mulhall The cards were
nailed up III conspicuous places.
| 4 few days afserward fDodsworth
walked into the posioffice at ingalls,, O.
=. and. upon seeing one OF the postal
cards conspicuousiy displayed and a
Crowd reading IL. remarked hat ne did
no; consider the card ornamental and did
not care 10 be advertised in that way.
AZ the same time he'd rev one of his six
shooters and proceeded to shoot the card
ful. OF holes The crowd quickly scat
| tered and the frightened postmaster beat
a basty retreat. Dodsworth mounted
his horse and rode leisurely out OF town..
| A deputy niaehal was soon in pursuit
he found Dodsworth before he expected
| -. for the latter was hidden in ambush
| near the trail in the woods, and before
the deputy marshal could draw a gun
Dodsworth had him covered with a
Win chester and compelled him to throw
up his hands The officer was disarm-
ed and sent back to town. These two
incidents soon got abroad, and exagger-
ated stories OF Dodsworth's exploits were
told. Friends Of the Dalton gang ad-
vised him to join the outlaws, and ne
expressed a willingness 10 do so. A
rancmnaa arranged a meeting between
the new outlaw and the old ones, and
Eodsworth was accepted by the gang.
Dodsworth tells an interesting story
OF his wanderings with these hunted
men, who were being pursued by scores
OF deputy marshals. detectives and 9TH
ers. tempted by the big rewards. He re-
manned with hem for six weeks and was
all the time between two fires-being
watched by the outlaws, who were sus-
picious ofe verys tranger and even Of
one another. The shooting that ended
Jesse James career seemed to be con-
stantly in The minds of Bill Dalton and
Bill Doolin, both of whom were in con-
slant dread Of trechery on the part of
soma member of their gang.
During these six weeks the outlaws
never spent more than one night at one
place. They were constantly changing
their camp and scarcely ever slept in
house. The woods, prairies and hills
were their only homes. and they slept
wherever night overlook them. One Of
the gang would always act as sentinel
while the others slept They never per-
mirted Dodsworth to act as sentinel.
They were never absolutely certain Of
his fidelity and could not afford to take
any chances where II was game OF life
and death, and to be off their guard for
single moment might mean assassin
alton. While on the march also they
watched their new companion with
certain degree of suspicion. He was
never allowed to ride behind or ahead
but was always kept in the middle of
the gang. So uneasy and suspicious Of
treachery had they become that Dalton
ani Dcolin were even afraid to trust
each other. It was life Of constant
fear and dread, with officers and blood
money huners trailing them from place
to place and constant danger Of betray-
a.: ss-.,--- M
They ate their meals very trregularly
whenever they got hungry and were
safe from pursuit. They would cut
sticks with bowite knives and impale a
bird or squirrel or rabbit on them, and
cook 1t over hastily built fire in the
woods or prairie. Some times they
meat they wanted and leave the rest for
the buzzards and coyotes. Frequently
their meal would consist Of but a loaf
OF bread or a few crackers. Although
one Of their gang was always on guard.
these outlaws slept with their guns at
hand Their pistols were under their
heads and their Winchesters were at
their sides, and even in sleep they kept
their hands upon their rifles. Ere
quently while asleep in the woods bird
or an animal would break a small twig
or cause the leaves to ris;le. These light
sieepers were awake in an instant, their
Winchesters grasped, ready for danger,
So accustomed were they TO be on the
alert for officers that they seemed to
sleep with one eye open.
The bandits often got hard up and re-
sorted to robbery and petty theft, but
this was cDly when they were short Of
means. On one occasion when they had
been in hard luck for several days, they
met a lone traveller near ingalls,, who
was going to town TO buy supplies. He
was ordered TO throw up his hands,
which he did, and upon searching him
they found s35 in his pockets.
After taking his money Dalton asked
him what ne was going 10 Ingalls, for.
The man said he was going to buy a
Winchester, a pistol, some cartridges
and sack Of -four, and 10 have his horse
shoi. Dalton asked him what each
item would cost. The man answered
promptly. Dakon marked down The fig
ures on an envelope. added them up and
found they aggregated s2&.50. Then he
counted out SIS Of the money ne had
taken and handed it back to the man
ss wing:
I'VE DON. want TO leave you strapped.
We will give You the S2450 for the
things you need and add so cents 20 1t
FOR your dinner and dinner for your
horse"
The other SO the outlaws kept for
their own needs. On another occasion.
ubila +-n-7 ingalls, m Stfllrra-or