The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-23
BLOOD FLOWS.
Two Men Killed In Battle With
Bandits Near AtehisOn.
Atchison Policeman Shot Dead
After Bandits Are at Bay.
ROBBING A STORE.
Little Town of DOniphan the
Scene.
Son of, Postmaster Loses His
Life There.
STORE KEEPER HURT.
One of the DesperadOes Is Shot
In the Face.
Survivor Drags Him Away and
Both Escape by Boat.
Son of, Postmaster Loses His
Life There.
STORE KEEPER HURT.
One of the DesperadOes Is Shot
In the Face.
Survivor Drags Him Away and
Both Escape by Boat.

n.
son. an Atchison policeman, was shot
and killed last night by the robbers VINO
held up Charles Kuch in his store at
Doniphan Saturday night. Dickerson
was a member of a posse which had
located the robbers on an island in the
Missouri river and was attempting to
captIlre them. James Hays. of DOni-
phan. another member of the posse, was
shot in the arm.
Saturday night at o'clock when
Kuch was alone in the store at Doni-
phan two men entered, one masked
with a red handkerchief and the other
with a white one Kuch was ordered to
hand over his cash, which he did,
amounting to s12, all he had in the
house He was ordered to open the
safe, in which there was no money,
however AS he was complying, John
Braun. aged %. son of Anton Braun. the
postmaster, made a dash for the store
with a revolver. He was met at the
door by one of the robbers and told to
halt Instead, he began firing. Just as
he entered the door, he fell dead, a
Winchester ball plowing clear through
his head.
By this time the whole town was on
the scene with guns. and as the rob
bers emerged, John Grace a 16 year old
lad, fired with a double barreled shot
gun and one of the robbers fell on the
porch His partner returned and drag
ged him across the street. where both
dropped on their faces and began
puTQping it into the crowd with Win
chesters. Kuch rushed from the store,
firing, and was pierced through one
arm by a ball from one of the robbers,
who then rose and made their escape,
with a wild and disordered posse in
pursuit
The pursuit was soon abandoned un-
til daylight Sunday morning, when it
was continued The red handkerch hief
with which one of the robbers was
F1TTT ~,f
saturated with blood. It had been cut
from the face, and two teeth were found
in the handkerchief Near by was a
hat spattereG with blood and a bullet
hole in the crown.
The two men were trailed by the
blood, and indications were that one
had been partially dragged the entire
way. The trail was carried until the
river bank was reached, opposite the
island two miles north of AtchisOn.
At 8 o'clock Sunday afternoon, Dep
uty Sheriff Nestal. of St. Joseph, came
in with two blOOdhOunGS, and started
out with Sheriff Lazalier. of Doniphan
county, Sheriff Hartman. of Atchison;
Chief Seip, of AtchiSOn. and members
of the police force, followed by about
so citizens, some mounted and some in
vehicles. At the point where the trail
was lost yesterday morning, they We're
met by about 100 citizens and officers of
DOniphan. The hounds, which were the
same that successfully tracked the man
who shot Marshal Stump. of Falls City.
some months ago. were put on the scent
and quickly located the robbers on the
island.
officer Dickerson. Sheriff Hartman
and Chief Seip ventured close to where
the robbers were ambushed behind logs
and Dickerson climbed on one of the
log barricades with his revolver.
Here they are; I've got them, boys!'
he shouted
With this he fired two shots. and was
himself shot dead on the spot
of SaafVa I T15y 5yea1f 4 L
we'll were at DickersOn's side when he
fell but they were too near the muZzle
of the robbers guns to attempt to re-
cover his body. They were so close they
could feel the cOncussion of the gun
when it went off. DickeTsOn was killed
by the third shot, two going wild. one
of them striking James Hayes in the
arm. -Dickerson stood, while the others
lay down. He fell and never uttered a
word
The posse retired Immediately after
the killing of Dickerson and sent to
Atchison for reinforcements
AT o'clock, when the news of Dick
erson's death was received, Atchison
was wild with excitement. In a few
moments citizens of all ages and con-
dttiOn We're swarming the streets A
reQuisitfon was made on the hardware
stores and Erhardt's gun house for
guns. and every available weapon was
procured An extra Burlington train
was sent to the scene with additional
possemen and surgeons. Captain F.
r. Green. late of the Twenty-firSt Kan
sas volunteers, was in charge of the
posse which went out on the train
As the posse left the depot it was re-
ported that a man from East Atchison
mad been hunting on the upper part Of
the island and fastened his boat When
ne returned for it about O'Clock. after
the tusillade in which Dfckerson was
killed, the boat was gone. and he saw
man in a boat. floating down the
Der. 1ON
Fire was set to the rubbish on the
Island and as soon as the posse from
Atchison arrived they began beating
the island only to discover that tbe
ROBBERS had escaped. 1t is s1Irroised
that the men left in the boat that had
been used by the Atchison hunter tbs
wounded man lying down and the otbaT
rowing. O1iiei
The body of Dickerson was recovarad
and taken back to Atchison u ~
X A DfckersOn. the dead noJicer7an
was always daring man He aid MOI
know what fear was. Two wears aer
he tackled two desperadoes who 1,-a7e
attempting to hold up Dilgert,s saicoT
and one dead burglar was the resI1It
He was raised in Atchison county snS
has turned his hand to manv tbfr'ers
from COW herding to working as an *.