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

I
50 every person they met DodEworth
says he lived twenty years during the
six weeks he speD:>-witb the Dalton
gang. He committed many acts Of law
nessness during that time. and there
were more than q dozen warrants out
for his arrers,. He had to play his part
! well 70 avert suspicion of the outlaws
! and was in constant danger OF being
killed by government officers. who were
| in pursuit OF che gang.
He soon discovered that the life Of an
outlaw is anything but pleasant. and
that constant scouting from place 20
place to escape the SCORES of reward
hunters is wearisome as well as hazard
Gus. He says the outlaws were ex-
/ tremeIy tired Of this way Of living and
sick OF their life OF la wlessness, and
/ would willingly surrender if they could
| get of with only a few years n the
penitentiary. bu, since surrender mean,
{, hanging or life Imprisonment. they were
determined never to give up.
The gang consisted OF Bill Dalton, Bill
Doolin. Bitter Creek" Tulsa Jack. :"
and a negro named Israel Carr. While
they were always called the Dalton
gang, Bill DooIin was really the leader,
and was the nerviest man Of them all.
Blu. the negro Carr was SAID to have
killed more men than all the rest Of the
gang put together.
Dodsworth found It more difficult TO
get away from the Dalton gang than TO
join them. He had come to the con-
clusion that it would be folly to attempt
10 get the drop on any Of them. so he
abandoned all such ideas soon after
Joining the gang. At last, being unable
TO endure the life any longer. and I'M
willing to incur further risk, he devised
plan Of escape. While camping near
the edge OF a prairie one night he tied
his horse in such a way that the animal
could easily get loose. Just as day was
breaking the next morning he went to
look for his horse, and, as was expected,
the horse was gone. He borrowed the
horse Of Bitter Creek" which was
the best in the bunch. put his saddle on
II. and rode ieisurely over the hill In
the direction his horse was supposed TO
have taken. AS soon as he was out of
SIGHT Of the gang he put spurs to the
horse and never stopped to eat or drink
until he had reached Perry. ninety miles
away.
Uupon arriving at Perry, tired and
thirsty. Dodsworth wen, into a saloon
to get drink. He took several, and
soon began to feel pretty good. BY this
time deputy marshal had been ap-
praised OF his presence, and while the
drink a Winchester rifle was put to his
breast and he was ordered to throw up
his hands. He grabbed the marshal's
Winchester, and would have disarmed
him had not the bartender covered him
with a six-shooter and ordered him TO
surrender. Dodsworth gave up and was
taken to Jail. He had been in Jail only
few hours when he was released by
order Of United States Marshal Nix. HA
made his report in full to Marshal Nix.
who supplied him with money and ar
ranged for him to get his portion Of the
reward as soon as Doolin and Dalton
were captured.
The gang has been completely wiped
out. Bill Dalton was killed at Gidding's
ranch, near Elk, I. T.. in April. 1894, by
Deputy MarshL Los Hart and posse.
He was stopping over night at the ranch
and the officers. being informed OF his
whereabouts, surrounded the house.
Dalton would not surrender, and then
they started to burn the house, he
jumped out Of the door and began fir
ing and tried to fight his way through.
There were too many OF them and he
was riddled with bullets and fell dead
just outside the door.
Bill Doolin was taken unaware in
barber shop at Eureka Springs, Ark, a
year later, by Deputy Marshal Bill
Tilgnman. and. having no chance what
ever, surrendered. He was taken to
Guthrie and put in Jail, but escaped on
July 4, 1895. He was pursued by a
score Of officers for a year and was fin
ally ovevr.aken by a party under Dep
uty Marshal Heck Thomas last summer
in q blacksmith shop in the northeastern
part of Oklahoma It was just at day.
break when Thomas and his party rode
up. Doolin was having his mules shod,
preparat tory to fleeing with his family
down into Mexico. Doolin saw his pur-
surers as soon as they saw him and pre-
pared to defend himself, but they gave
him no show.
All opened fire upon him at once with
out ordering him 10 surrender Twenty
seven bullets pierced his body and Bill
Doolin died with his boots on. Tulsa
Jack" had had already met the same
fate at the hands Of deputy marshals
and Bitter Creek" too was killed by
posse in the Creek nation while resist
ing arrest Israel Carr succeeded in
lodging deputy marshais until a few
days ago, when he. too. was overtakeu
and killed by his pursuers in the Creek
nation.
Rundle o( Naexea.e