The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-29

KANSAS CITY. No.. March 2S.-The
Star to-day prints n 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, Kas.,
two years ago. for which crime News
wife and George II. Dobbs are now
serving life sentences. So firmly does
Warden Lands, OF the Kansas peui;en-
tlary, believe in the innocence of Mrs.
New and Dobbs that he Will immedi-
ately urge Governor Stanley to pardon
them. Frank Altgood alleged to be the
real murderer. Is in jail at lola, Kas.,
under q charge of forgery. Alvin Bal
lard, serving an eight-Year sentence In
the Kansas penltentiary for horse steal
Ing, 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.
Tried to Convict the Widow.
1t seems that the very men who mur-
dered New and robbed his dead body
conspired afterward to convict the Wild
ow and Dobbs. The supposed murder
er. Altsood. 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, Altgcod and Turner were
members OF an organized gang OF
thieves and murderers that operated In
southeastern Kansas. As result OF
his confession, eighteen stolen horses, a
bag Of counterfeit silver dollars and q
counterfeitlng outfit have been recover
ed.
; Besides Altgood. 8. L. Mathes, Mary
Mathes, Herbert Simpson, are under
arrest. Fifty other horses stolen by the
gang have been located. The officers
nre on the trail OF other members of
the gang. Ballard also alleges that
Altgool murdered W. Coulter near Eu-
reka In 1882 Officers who have been
working on the case have corroborated
many OF Ballard's statements.
Ballard confessed to the prison off,
clals several days ago and the arrests
noted were the outcome. Ballard said:
I'VE had runs from Texas and the
y ubi Jus ~No .NltH > u,
the sand hills south OF Hutchinson,
Kansas.
1.-The Caches.
I'VE stole horses, bugg!es and cattle.
There are caves and underground
houses all over the northern part OF. the
territory and Kansas that were dug or
found by the gang. Up in the sand
hills they have lots of plate machinery
where We turned out money. Mathes'
ranch. near Hutchinson. is the head
quarters Q. the gang. Mathes has a
corral on the ranch Into which stolen
cattle ard horses are driven from the
territory and then shipped. There are
tools hidden all around the ranch house
and n few graves. too."
Ballard described these graves, snil-
ing as he said that no one knew who
were their occupants. "A few strag-
glers," he said.
z Mrs. Matiies, Ballard said, kept a
diary OF the gangs doIRgs and was
thus enabled to aid In procuring alibis.
This gang" continued Ballard, did
lots OF things that 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 robber-
les have been pbhinS trains and
stages in Texas and the southwest for
twenty years. A band OF eight men,
every one OF whom knew, did 4 hold
up at Albuquerque two years ago. An
other robbery was of q train near Ard
more. There was a run, too, to Mis-
souri, and Nebraska. Altgaod and jim,
Kennedy made several hold-ups near
the Blue Cut together. Altgood has
done 4 turn in some eastern penlten-
tIary."
Kennedy Is believed to be the motor
ious Jack Kennedy now in the Spring.
field, No., Jail. awaiting trial for rob-
berry.