The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-04-09
/ WAS RUN 70 EARTH.
WUTlAW DICK WEST JOINS
THE DO0LlN GANG
ACROSS THE BIG DIVIDE,
xIIIed Yesterday by Posse Of omeer'
Arter Hard Rattle with Guns
Large Reward onered for
r This Had Man by Rail
road aud Express
Companies

one OF the hardest and most desper-
.te criminals in the southwest was
,hot and killed Yesterday at about :
n. m. by posse of United States
narahals on the farm OF Harmon
Arnett, four miles south OF this city.
The identity OF the dead man has been
Established and he Is none other than
oDck West, tram robber horse thief
'olesperado and all-around bad man.
a gweet had gained the reputation OF a.
vIough rider without an equal and his
cunning and daring, coupled with the
4 Afaet that he was handy with gun,
vnAde him hard customer. He WAS
dxnown to have been ia at least three
'osAilroad hold-ups, and WAS suspected
Of completely in several bank robberies.
II has been definitely known by
n Officers in this city that Dick was
pcouting around near here ever since
fhe O'Mslly boys and the jennings
nbrothers were arrested last fall. lie
thad been a member Of that gang, after
othe DAltons and the Doolins had been
n sent over the divide. Previous to his
Il sjoining this last gang he was sut-
apected OF scouting, but sufficient evil
( udence could not be secured TO convict
rhim.
West first came TO the notice OF the
authorities as train robber when the
"a Rock leland was held up at Chickasaw,
/. T., October /, 1897. He made has
M frat record As a train robber as the
leader OF the Jennings gang, lie,
with the two Jennings boys and the
Il two OMally boys, was in this robbery.
Another move Of his was the robbery
eof the Santa Fe train at Edmond on
1.-THE night of August IS, 1897. Ever
since this robbery the United States
officers have never rested on the trail
of the gang and they are now all
landed. The Jennings and O'Mally
! boys were captured near Muskogee
last fall and are now in the federal
II Jail at that place awaiting trial Dick
"a West was with the jennings boys
when they were captured, but as they
were used to comforts, they slept in a
house, and were surrounded and fell
an easy prey TO the ofiieers but Dick
true to his cowboy nature, was just
outside, sleeping in blanket under a
tree, and so he escaped TO meet his
itdeAth yesterday while resisting arrest
Sheriff Rinehart came into informa-
tion which led him TO suspect that
West was under cover southwest Of
TOWN, either stopping with Harmon
tArnett or with Ed Fitzgerald, who
Join farms, and are we'll known IN this
city.
Wednesday afternoon Arhett came
s'to town and the Off ,ers kept close
"a watch upon his movements. Enough
was gathered 20 warrant that be knew
i, something OF West Thursday night a
posse was organz I'd, consisting OF
a Deputy Fossett. Sheriff RinehArt, Dep.
q uties Ti'ghman aud Thomas and
Possemen A. NJ. ThomAs aud Ben
Miller
The officers frat went TO Fitzgerald
s. but found no traces OF their man.
u They then cut across the fields TO
> Arnett's farm, about mile distant
When they had gone a short distance
they saw man scouting along the
Ia timber TO their left. Tighman and
II hC Thomas went across toward the man
he changed his course upon seeing the
officers. Fossett, Rinehart and the
possemen proceeded on to Arnetts 5
&c from the front and went around toward
n the barn. Fossett and RinehRrt were
together, the possemen going in an
~ other direction to search. When they
came In sight OF the barn man was
+. standing by a shed connected with the
= barn. He stepped behind the barn and
started TO run toward the tim Der. The
officers ran up TO the barn, and seeing
the man running called 10 him TO halt.
h He replied by tvrning and firing three
shots at the officers with a revolver.
One shot went dangerously near Rino.
hart and one by Fossett. The officers
then began firing. Sheriff RinehAri
h fired two shots with double -barreled
4 shotgun, and Deputy Fossett fred
three shots with Winchester. At the
first shots Vest turned aud fred again
and as he did so started TO run again,
loading his revolver as he ran. The
:, second shot from the Winchester struck
him In the left side and passed clear
through him, coming out OF his right
= shoulder. he fell forward and was
nltead when the officers reached hls side.
The body was brought TO town and
:, placed In charge Of Undertaken Reder
Coroner Arnett was summoned and
called jury, composed Of j ID Thorpe
Harrison Reed, Hugh MeCrRry, Ed
Laws, M. NJ, Meek and ED Vanderpool
This jury, after hearing the evidence
p,.-s,rned the following verdict;
~ came to his death AZ the hhndi
Thaos smr Fossett while resisting arrest
w ~ a. United States warrants in the
.,,crv Officers Fossett and Rine
ass uen. Jus' AArnett, at whose home Wes'
81 3SUhfd far soopping, and Ed Fitzgerald
4 i-s 4.--lsed yesterday for hArborinG
A h -. -
IL developed that West has been EN-