The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-19
HIS FIRST RAID.
Chief Ramsey Receives a Lesson
on an officers Duties.
Crowd of Young Brigands
Broken Up.
YOUNG DALTON GANG
Was the Title by Which They
Were known.
YOUNG DALTON GANG
Last Members COrralled Under
Severe Difficulties.

Chief of Police James Ramsey, with
three officers, spent the best part of last
night in searching for and arresting the
leaders of a gang of young toughs who
make their headquarters in "Sheepshead
Bay and "HeIl's Half Acre." and are
known as THE Younger Dalton Gang
At 10 o'clock the chief, accompanied
by Sergeant Owen, Officer Matthews
and Patrolman C. A. Smith, left the
police station, and it was 2:30 in the
morning before they returned with their
prisoners.
The younger Dalton Gang is made
up of white and colored boys living in
the south part of town, and many of
the burglaries that have been commit
ted of late have been laid to them, but
the particular act which brings them
within the arm of the law was the bur-
glarizing of Parker's cigar store Satur-
day night when several boxes of cigars
and the contents of the cash drawer, 81,
were taken. The gang has been the ter
ror of the south part of town for long
time. While the members are young,
they have police records, and are more
than ordinary petty thieves. They have
succeeded in eluding the officers since
Saturday. Several times policemen
have come upon members of the gang in
day time, but they could run too fast
for the officers and escaped.
The police have been working up the
evidence against the gang for several
days, and when Chief Ramsey started
out for them it was with a full knowl-
edge of the houses where they We're in
the habit of staying and who the mem
bers of the gang were. The officers he
had sent to work up the case had done
their work we'll, and the chief started
with the determination to bring back
the leaders, at least, as prisoners.
The first place to be visited was
in T3oxy
nunga creek makes a bend at a point
just north of Seventeenth street. A
house stands at the highest point on
the promontOry and there the officers
expected to find the members of the
gang. 1t was nearly midnight when
the squad of police arrived in sight of
the house. officers Smith and Matthews
made a wide detour, crossed the creek
at SeVente enth street and approached
the house from the rear. Chief Ramsey
and Sergeant Owens were to approach
the house from the front. In the rear
of the house is an open field. Those
who were to reach the house from the
front waited in the shadow of a tree
until they could see the officers, who
their way through the field. 1t was
moonlight and when the officers
emerged from the wood into the open
field they could be plainly seen. When
about half way to the house a twig
snapped and in an instant every dog in
the neighborhood was barking and
bowling. 1t was the signal for every
body living in the neighborhood to in
vestigate. The barking of the dogs
aroused the occupants of the house the
officers hoped to surprise and light
appeared in the window.
AS soon as the noise commenced Mat
thews and Smith made a run for the
house across the open field and the chief
and the sergeant started down the hill
toward the front and were stopped
when they reached the steep bank of
the creek. The neighborhOOd seemed to
swarm with people and dogs. The Of
fcers could find no. way to cross the
creek. 1t was twenty feet wide and
full of water.
There was a log that had fallen across
the creek dangerously near the water.
The officers were rather afraid to try it.
Just then a young colored girl came
running down the bank and across the
log before the astonished officers real
lied what she was doing. She made
directly for the house. Come on, Jake,
across the log he went in imminent dan
ger of receiving sudden bath, in the
creek.
The two officers reached the other
side and scrambled up the bank just as
the colored girl was pounding on the
door of the house. The officers ap-
preaching from the rear were crashing
through the brush and cornstalks in the
field at the rear.
The door was opened, the girl was
admitted and the door was closed be-
IlLlO ASI just DIS the OtllCOTS
the house. Officer Smith with the war
rant in his hand knocked at the door.
who's there?" came from within.
IAN officer. Open the door," answered
Smith.
Wait a minute" was the muff1ed an
swer from within. A face peered out
from the window at the south, then at
the east and then at the west sides of
the house The inmates of the house
could see that the place was surround
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