Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-04-01
A BAD GANG OF CROOKS.


For Years They Operated In Kansas
and Indian Territory-Others Were
Imprisoned for Grimes Committed By
tho Band.
Kansas City, Mo-, March 29.-The
Star prints three-column story re-
garding the arrest of a remarkable
gang of Kansas criminals who have
for years lived by means of robbery
and murder One of the gang is be-
lieved to be the murderer of Joseph
New, who was killed in Greenwood
county, Kan, two years ago, for which
crime News wife and George II. Dobbs
are now serving life sentences. So
firmly does Warden lands, of the Kan
sas penitentiary, believe in the inno-
cence of Mrs. New and Dobbs that he
will Immediately urge Gov. Stanley to
pardon them.
Frank Altgood, alleged to be tho
real murderer, is in Jail at lola, Kan,
under charge of forgery. Alvin Bal
lard, serving an eight-year sentence in
the Kansas penftentiary for horse
stealing, has confessed that he, Alt
good and "Bilr Turner were the mur-
derers of New and that Mrs. New and
Dobbs are absolutely innocent. Tur-
ner has not been found. 1t seems that
the very men who murdered New and
robbed his dead body, conspised after
wards to convict the widow and Dobbs
The supposed murderer, AItgood, ac-
cording to Ballard, even went so far
as to try to get on the jury which con-
victed them.
Ballard says that he, Altgood and
Turner were members of an organized
gang of thieves and murderers that
operated in southern Kansas. AS
result of his confession, 1S stolen
horses, a bag of counterfeit silver dol
lars and a counterfeiting outfit have
been recovered. Beside Altgood,
B. L. Mathes, Mary Mathes, Herbert
Simpson are under arrest. Fifty 9TH
er horses stolen by the gang have been
located. The officers are on the trail
of other members of the gang. Bal
lard also alleges that A1tgood MUIR
dered William Coulter, near Eureka,
In 1880. Officers who have been work
ing on the case have corroborated
many of Ballard's statements.
Ballard confessed to the prison of
fcials several days ago and the arrests
noted were the outcome. Ballard
said:
eve had run from Texas and Indian
Territory all through No Mans Land
and the sand hills south of Hutchin-
son, Kan. We stole horses, buggies
and cattle. There are caves and un-
derground houses all over the north
ern part of the territory and Kansas
that were dug or found by the gang
Up in the sand hills they have lots of
ISL -. -, 4
money. Mathes' ranch near Hutch
inson 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, smiling as he said no one knew
: who were their occupants. "a few
stragglers," he said.
/ "This gang" continued Ballard, "did
lots of things the Dalton boys were
credited with. The older ones in the
j gang have robbed trains for 20 years
and are guilty of crimes others are
suffering for. Three of the men who
were in the Missouri train robberies
, have been robbing trains and stages
in Texas and the southwest for &c
years. A band of eight men, every
! one of whom L know, did a hold-up at
: Albuquerque two years ago. Another
robbery was of train near Ardmore
There was a run to Missouri and Ne
, brasla. Altgood and Tim Kennedy
! made several hold-ups near the Blue
Cut together. 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 fol
train robbery.