The San Francisco call., 1897-05-11
Capture of the Leader
of a Gang of West
ern Outlaws.
Wounded by Deputy Mar
shall He Is Finally Tracked
to His Lair.
This CIever Stroke OF the Officers
Breaks Up His Band Of
CutthroatS.

WICHITA, KANs., May 10.-A dispatch
from Newkirk q. T.) says: The Newcomb
band of outlaws has been completely
broken up, the capture of Ed Newcomb o,
the leader putting an end to the organiza-
tion. Deputy United States Marshal P. I.
Brown arrived in the city last night hav-
ing in charge a bunch of United States
prisoners, and related the facts connected
with the capture of Newcomb. Deputy
Brown, in company with Deputy Lead
better, had been securing the Indian coun-
try for two weeks in search of the New
comb gang. The officers became sepa-
rated upon reaching a stream, Brown
searching the tim Der on one side of the
river, while Leadbetter performed like
service upon the other side.
Brown was on foot, leading his horse,
when, at turn in the road, he came face
to face with the notorious outlaw, Ed
Newcomb. The outlaws Winchester i'm
mediately went 10 his shoulder, but be-
fore he could fire Brown spreng behind
tree and the outlaw i'm m ediately followed
the example and sought safety behind
tree.
The officer and the outlaw, each using
tree for breastworks, began firing at each
other when either would expose himself
the least bit. One bullet passed through
the crown of the officers hat, while sew
eral times the bullets cut the tree so close
TO his head that the flying particles of bark
would strike INN in the face. The tree
behind which the outlaw sought shelter
was not as large as the one that protected
the officer, and the outlaw fully realizing
this fact darted away through the thick
underbrush and mounting his horse took
10 the hills.
Next morning both officers, confident
that the outlaws were in hiding some
where in the vicinity, began a careful
search, each taking a different direction.
Deputy Leadbetter had not gone far when
he met physician, who informed him
that he had been hastily summoned to at
tend man who had been shot the night
before. Lead better, surmising that the
wounded man was Ed Newcomb, followed
the physician at a safe distance, and q
ride of few miles brought them to a
cabin in a heavy bunch of timber under
the bluffs near the river bank.
Dismounting and leaving his horse in
the bushes, the officer crawled cautiously
To the cabin door and entered suddenly
with cooked revolver in each hand. He
covered the surprised inmates with his
guns and beheld Newcomb lying upon a
bed in a corner of the room. The officer
having the drop on all present there was
no resistance. and in a short time he had
his man loaded in a wagon and on his way
TO the United States prison.
The arrest of Newcomb virtually breaks
up the last of the organized band of rob-
bers that have terrorized the Indian Ter
ritory. Newcomb is an old hand at the
business, having trained with the Dal-
tons, the Cooks, Cherokee Bill, Slaughter
Kid, Dynamite Dick, Bill Dooiin and
like gentry of si1-shooter fame, but has
always heretofore managed to elude the
officers. a few months ago he organized
a band consisting mostly of young half
breeds, the majority of whom are now be.
hind prison-bars, and began system of
robbery that was terrorizing the country,
but with the arrest of Ed Newcomb the
last one of the old original train and bank
robbers passes off the scene of action, and
law and order VIII reign supreme until
another Richmond takes the field.