Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-29
GANGOF KANSAS CRIMINALS.
They Are Believed To Be the Authors
of Many 0utrageS.
THE WIDOW OF JOSEPH NEW AND
GEORGE H. DOBBS BELIEVED
TO BE IN THE PENITENTIARY
FOR A MURDER COMMITTED BY
THE GANG-A REMARKABLE
AND ROMANTIC TALE OF LAW
LESSNESS, AND INTRIGUE TO
CAUSE SUFFERING TO INNO-
CENT PEOPLE.

4A0AooiS SAtys -hO., -fial Ia -S' IN
Star to-day prints three column story
regarding the arrest of remarkable
gang of 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 killed in Greenwood county, kans.,
two years ago, for which crime New
wife and George H. Dobbs are now
serving life sentences. So firmly does
Warden Lands, of the Kansas peniten-
tiary, believe in the innocence of Mrs.
New and Dobbs that he will immedi-
ately urge Governor Stanley to par
don them. Frank Altgood, alleged to
be the real murderer, is in Jail in lola,
Kans., under charge of forgery.
Alvin Ballard, serving an eight year
sentence in the Kansas penitentiary 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 very men who murdered New
and robbed his dead body conspired af-
forwards 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 members of an organized gang of
thieves and murderers that operated in
Southeastern Kansas. AS a result or
his confession, eighteen stolen horses,
a bag of counterfeit silver dollars and a
counterfeiting outfit have been recover
ed. Besides Altgood, B. l.. Mathes,
Mary Mathes, Herbert Simpson, are
under arrest. Fifty other horses
stolen by the gang have been located.
The officers are on the trail of other
members of the gang. Ballard also al
leges that Altgood murdered w. Coul-
ter near Eureka in 1889. officers who
have been working on the case have
corroborated many of Billiards. state
ments.
Ballard confessed to the prison Off
Gals several days ago and the arrests
noted were the outcome. Ballard said:
1--WE had runs from Texas and the
territory all through No Mans Land,
the sand hills south of Hutchinson,
Kansas. We stole horses, buggies and
cattle. There are caves and under
ground houses all over the northern
part of the territory and Kansas that
were dug or found by the gang. Up
in the sand hil's trey have lots Of
platc machinery wit1t we turned out
money. Mathes' ranch near Hutchin-
son is the headquarters of the gang.
Mathes has a corral on the ranch into
which stolen cattle and horses are
driven from the territory and then
shipped. There are tools hidden all
around the ranch house and a few
graves, too
Ballard described these graves, smil-
ing as he said that no one knew who
were their occupants. "a few stray
glers," he said.
Mrs. Mathes, Ballard said, kept a
diary of the gangs doings and was thus
enabled to aid in procuring alibis.
This gang" continued Ballard, "did
lots of things the Dalton boys were
credited with The older ones in the
gang have robbed trains for twenty
years and are guilty Of crimes others
are suffering for. Three Of the men
who were in the Missouri train rob
berries have been robbing trains and
stages in Texas and the Southwest for
twenty years. A band of eight men,
every one of whom / know. did hold
up at Albuquerque two years ago. An
other robbery was CT train near Ard
more. There was a run, too. TO Ms
souri, and Nebraska. Altgood and Jim
Kennedy made several hoIdups near
the Blue Cut. Altgood has done a
turn in some eastern penitentiary.
Kennedy is believed to be the no.
torious Jack Kennedy now in the
Springfield, Mo. Jail, awaiting trial
for train robbery