The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-19
KANSAS OUTLAWS.
Governor Trying to Relieve the
People of RaWlins County
by Offer of Reward.


ward of $500 for the arrest and cOnvic-
ton of William and John Shelley who
are charged with committing a num-
Der of serious crimes in RaWlins cOun-
ty. Murder, highway robbery and
burglary are the crimes for which the
men must answer if captured.
They were supposed to be at the
home of their father twelve miles from
Atwood when a posse of armed men
surrounded the house. one of the Shell
Iey's went into the barn; another took
his station in the garnet of the house
and with Winchesters were ready to
defend themselves.
The officers and men were armed
only with revolvers and they concluded
to retire. They did 50 and went back
to town for Winchesters and heavier
arms. Returning they found their
prisoners had escaped.
The Shelleys have just been released
from the federal penitentiary at Leav-
enworth, having served a sentence for
killing a deputy United States marshal
in the Indian Territory several years
ago.
John Shelley during the shooting in
Oklahoma was wounded IN the throat
and lost his speech. He then became
insane and was sent to the federal
asylum at Washington. He was there
a couple of years and was brought back
to the penitentiary a year ago in
August by Deputy Marshal E. A. Pres
colt to complete his sentence. This he
has done and it is charged that i'm
mediately upon securing his liberty, he
with his brother again started into a
life of crime.
Some of the federal authorities think
it is a case Of mistaken identity be-
lieving that John Shelley has gone to
his wife and baby in Oklahoma. What
ever may have been the action on the
part of these men they are charged
with the Rawlins county crime and
pursuers are upon their trails.
One of the crimes charged against
the two men is the murder of Robert
Barr, a cattleman whose home was at
Cedar Bluffs, Kan Barr left home
with a large sum of money in his
pocket with which he expected to buy
cattle. Two days afterward his horse
with the saddle turned under him came
home. The rider was not found for
several days Stencil from a well on the
farm of q settler down on the Sappa
caused an investigation to be made.
Bars body was found in a badly de-
composed condition. The two bullet
holes in his head bore silent testimony
as to how he died.
Later the store of George Hudiburg
at Atwood was robbed of S641 in cash.
Forty dollars of the sum was pOstoffice
money SO the criminals will have the
government to deal with again.
The store of George W. Dull at Hern-
don was robbed of several hundred dol
lars worth of property and a large sum
of money.
Jack Smith of Luden lost a horse
and buggy and another man was held
up in the road by the two men supposed
to be the Shelleys.
The people of Rawlins county are in
a state of siege. The citizens are car
ry1ng WlncheSterS and OminOuS look
ing revolvers around their places Of
business prepared for an emergency
which they fear may arise in the way
of a dash into the towns, as in the old
fashioned outlaw days, and the citizens
are prepared to make business pick up
for marauders should they so invade
the city, particularly. at Atwood and
Herndon.
In the HerndOn store burglary the
robbers emptied the sacks containing
coffee and cereals, piling the contents
in a heap in the middle of the floor.
They then went over the stock Of
clothing, selected only the best and
carried it away in the sacks. Ammuni-
ton, cutlery and other things useful in
the life of men camping or making
long rides across country were also
literally taken by the robbers
The proprietor of the store is be-
moaning his fate in an unusual manner
For years he has kept a savage and
valuable st. Bernard dog in the store
The night of the robbery he took the
dog home and gave him rug on which
to sleep in the front hail of the resi-
dence. While the dog was not on duty
the robbers plundered the store Now
the people say:
If the dog had been in the store
some of the robbers would never have
gotten away"