The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-03-29
OUTLAWS CONFESSION
May Save Two Innocents Serving
Life Sentences For Murder.
AN ORGANIZED BAND OF ROBBERS

who, According to the Confession of
Member of the Gang, Have Been
Guilty of Many OF the Grimes Charged
Against the Dalton Boys,
Kansas City, Mo, March 29.-The
Star prints a three column story regard
ing the arrest of n remarkable gang VT
Kansas criminals who have for years
lived by means OF robbery and murder
One OF the gang Is believed to be the
murderer of Joseph New, who was kill
ed In Greenwood county, Kan. two
years ago. for which crime News wifi
and George II. Dohbs are now serving
life sentences. So firmly does Warden
Lands, Of the Kansas penitentiary, be-
lieve in the innocence of Mrs. New and
Dobbs that he will Immediately urge
Governor Stanley to pardon them Frank
AltgoOd alleged to be the real murderer.
Is in Jail at lola, Kan, under charge OF
forgery. Alvin Ballard. serving all
eight year sentence In the Kansas peni-
tentiary for horse stealing. has confessed
that he, Altgood and "Bill' Turner were
the murderers OF New. and that Mrs.
New and Dobbs are absolutely innocent
Turner has not been found
1t seems that the men who murdered
New and robbed his dead body conspred
afterwards to convict the widow and
Dobbs. The supposed murderer, Alt
good, according to Ballard, even went
so far as to try to get on the jury which
convicted them. Ballard goes on TO say
that he, Altgood and Turner were mem
bers OF an organized gang OF thieves
and murderers that operated in south
eastern Kansas. As a result of his con
fession Is stolen horses, a bag OF counter
felt silver dollars and counterfeiting
outfit have been recovered Fifty other
horses stolen by the gang have been To-
Gated. Besides Altgood, r. L. Mathcs,
| Mary Mathes and Herbert Simpson are
under arrest The officers are on the
| trail of other members of the gang. Of
fcers who have been working on the
| case have cOrroborated many Of Bal
lard's statements.
Ballard confessed to the prison officials
several days ago, and the arrests noted
were the outcome. Ballard said:
1--WE had runs from Texas and tn,
Indian Territory all through No Mau's
Land and the sand hills south of Hutch
| inson, Kan. We stole horses, buggies
and cattle. There are caves and under
ground houses all over the northern par
of the territory and Kansas that were
dug or found by the gang. Up in the
sand hills they have lots of plate ma
chinery where we turned on the money
Mathes' ranch, near Hutchinson, is tn,
headquarters of the gang. Mathes ha'
a corral on the ranch, in which stoleI
cattle and horses are driven from tn,
territory and then shipped. There ar,
tools hidden all around the ranch hOus'
and a few graves, too"
Ballard described these graves, smiling
as he said that no one knew who thei
occupants were. "a few stragglers," h.
said.
Mrs. Mathes, Ballard said, kept
diary of the gangs doings, and was thu
enabled to aid in procuring alibis. "Thi
gang" continued Ballard, did lots o
things the Dalton boys were credite,
with. The older ones in the gang hav
robbed trains for 20 years. and ar
guilty of crimes others are suffering for
Three of the men who were in the Mis-
, souri, train robberies have been robbin
the trains and stages in Texas and tn
southwest for 20 years. Altgood an
Jim Kennedy made several holdups nea
the Blue cut together. Altgood has don
a turn in some eastern penitentiary."
Kennedy is believed to be the notoriou
Jack Kennedy, now in the Springfield
Mo-, Jail awaiting trial for train rob
berry.