The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-29
STARTLING CONFESSION
A Horse Thief Tells Of Many Murders and
Stealing Raids.
MANY INNOCENT PERSONS HAVE SUFFERED
A Woman Vow In the rcuitcntinry
for crime Committed by the
Ballard Gang.

Kansas CltS, MO. MHrch IS,--Ihe star
today prints a three-eoiimn story regard.
ing The arrest of remarkable gang OF
Kansas criminals Who have for years lived
by means Of robbery aud murder. One OF
the gang is believed 10 be tho murderer
OF Joseph New. who was killed In Green
wood county, Kansas, two years ago, FOR
which crime News wife aud George Dobbs
are now serving life sentences. So firmly
does Warden Landis OF the Kansas peni-
tentiary believe in the innocence OF Mrs.
New and pobbs that he will Immediately
urge Governor Stanley to pardon them
Frank Altgood, alleged to be the real MUIR
derer, As in jail at lola, Kan, under a
charge Of forgery,
Alvin Bsllurd served an eight year sen
tence In the Kansas peuiteutiary for horse
stealing aud confessed that he, Altgood
and his partner. Bill Turner murdered
New and that Mrs. New ana Dopos are alb
\ solutely innocent 1t seems that the men
who murdered New and robbed his dnad
body conspired aftcrward to convict tn,
widow and pobhs. They triod to got on
I
nohhs, but failed. Turner and Altgoot
we're members OF an organized gang o
( thieves and operated In East Kansas 81
a result OF his confession eighteen stolen
horses, J bag OF counterfeit silver dollary
and counterteitimg OUTFIT have been rocoy,
cred
| FIFTY other horses stolen by the ganr
have been located Tho officers arc or
tho trail OF other membcrs of tho gang
Ballard SAYS Mtgood committed muir
der near Eureka.
ballard confessed 10 the prison otfcial
several days ngo and the arrests potct
were the outcome. To-day az the stat,
popiteutlary Ballard went into details .
his knowledge Of tho gangs doiuGs re
Ncalng, II true, a remarkable baud Of out
laws.
Warden Lands satd Il know that aRl
lard has told nothns but The truth
ballard. who was sent 20 tho penitcnuar.
from Wichita for horse stealing, manage
10 shield tho others until they escaped,
He says we had runs from Texa
and Tho Territory all through No Man
Land, the sand Hills OF South hutchinson
Kan.
We stole horses, hugsles and cattle
There are caves and underground house
all over the northern part of the Terri
tory aud Kansas, dug or found by tn
gang Horses wero driven from the Ter
rltory and shipped. There are tools hidde
all around and a few graves, too
Ballard described these graves, smiling
ly, rs he said no one knew who wore the
occupants. "A tow etragglers' he said.
This gang" continued eallard. "di
lots of things tho Dalton boys were credit
ed With, Il has been going op for twenty
FIVE years, and most everybody VINO wa
run in escaped by hooks and witnessc
who had been nxod The others in til
gang have robbed trains for twenty year
and are guilty of crimes othors are sut
fcring for a band OF eight men ever
one Of whom ! knew. robbed a train a
Albuquerque two years ago. Another rob
berry was at Ardmoro. There was rur
too, TO Missouri and Nebraska. Altgoo
and Jim Kennedy made several hold-u
near the Blue Cut together Altgond pre-
tended TO have mines In Colorado an
down South aud they think he's rich, Jill
Mnthos gorycd in the ponitentiary OF Ari
IONA eight years.