The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-28

err who was shot down in his own house,
while his wife was in another room de-
Tending herself against one of the men,
and one Of the same gang is known to
have helped to hang an old man in 1884
in Old Charleston, little town near Fan
River, in Greenwood county.
The history of the New murder will be
remembered by many. The circumstances
surrounding the murder were peculiar and
the case aroused unusual interest.
The crime was committed one Sunday
night, the 31st of October, 1891 Mr. and
Mrs. New were at their home, a short dis
tance out from the little town Of Eureka,
Kan. Two little children, nieces, aged 10
and u years. were staying at the home Of
the News. Il was about $50 o'clock when
Mr.. and Mrs. New went to their sleeping
room. Mr.. New had seated himself on
the side of the bed and had taken off one
Of his shoes, when q strange noise Hike the
throwing of pebbles or sand against the
house attracted the attention of Mr.. New
and his wife. They listened and noise
like the squawking of chickens was
heard, and this was followed by the well
pump being worked. Mr.. New by this
ing SO told his wife to light the lantern.
Mr.. New then ran out of the east door
Of his house, holding the lantern out and
upward, his right hand hanging by his
side. He started toward the barn, and
when he had gone about forty feet from
the house there was a loud report as If a
shotgun had been fired. As soon as the
shot was heard, Mrs. New ran out of the
south door and when she reached the open
air she heard the familiar voice Of her
husband as he exclaimed: "Oh, my God,
l am shot" Mrs. New then started across
the fields and went straight to the house
Of a neighbor. nearly three-quarters of a
mile away, and notified the folks that her
husband had been shot. This was shown
in the evidence introduced before the cor
oner's jury. and at the time was looked
upon as very damaging evidence against
Mrs. New.
At the time of the murder a dispatch
was sent out from Eureka, where the
murder occurred, upon the arrest of Mrs.
New and a man named Dobbs, which
was as follows:
George II. Dot1bs was arrested here
this morning charged with the murder Of
Joseph New. Later in the day Mrs. New,
wife of the murdered man, was arrested,
charged with being an accessory to the
crime
There being no woman's ward to the
Eureka Jail. Mrs. New was brought to
Wichita and kept in Jail here until the
preliminary, afterwards being brought
back again, where she remained until the
time set for her trial.
At the preliminary strong circumstantial
evidence developed and for several days
there was talk Of Iynching Dobbs, who
still remained prisoner in the Eureka
jail
Dobbs lived near the New home. He
was at the place the next morning early
after tho murder and helped in all the
funeral arrangements and sat on the coro-
ner's jury, which decided that New was
foully murdered by some unknown per-
son.
About twelve years before the time Of
the murder News brother, a bachelor,
was found hanging to the ceiling OF his
own house, dead. The coroner's jury at
that time decided that it was a case of
suicide, but it is now thought that it is
another of the many crimes that can be
traced to this same gang, or some of its
older members who lived near the place at
that time.
For the past fifteen months one clue af-
ter another has been successfully pursued
by Sheriff Simmons and Officer Fleeman,
and came to final ending, so far as in
vestigatiOns were concerned, and have re-
suited in the wholesale arrest of all the
above mentioned criminals.
Sheriff Simmons and State Officer Flee
man have had a number of meetings to-
gether, and they have compared notes
bearing on the difficult job they were pur-
suing. until they finally unraveled the long
standing mystery to many who could
never find satisfactory motive for the
murder Of Joseph New by the convicted
parties. Since the two officers have been
at work on the case 1t has been discovered
that New had on his person when he went
outdoors on the night of October 81, 1897.
a large sum of money, nearly $500, in big
roll of bills which was in an inside vest
pocket, and which he had been carrying
around on his person for some days, and
which had been paid to him for the sale
Of some cattle and stock which he had
but a short time before disposed of. No
mention of this fact has ever been made
until very lately, when it was learned
that one Of the arrested criminals, Frank
Allgood, who is now charged with the
killing OF New, rushed up TO the murder
ed man after he had fallen, rolled him
over and secured the money II has also
developed that two OF the murdered mans
horses were all ready and brldled 10 be
driven away on the same night, but ow-
ing to the fact that New had been killed
outright the horses were left behind. as
they would give a clue to the murderers.
The original plan of the gang, It has been
learned. was to get the old man out and
bind him with ropes and to tie him in a
stall. secure tho money and jump upon
the backs OF the horses and get away.
But when It was found that New vas
dead the gang jumped into their Own
wagon and drove away. It has also been
discovered that the reason that AIIgood
shot New was because he came upon him
SO fast and seeing his hand hanging az
his side he supposed that New had a gun.
Il was dark and he could not see. so he ID
with his shot gun and filled News body
with 20 shot. The officers have over city
witnesses who Will identify teams which
they have lost They also have volumes
Of evidence against members OF the gang
just brought IN. and officer FIeeman has
the gun, shells and the empty shell that
~.