The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-28
Conspiracy of Great Crimes
UnfaIded.
FOUR ARRESTS MADE
Murder, HorsesteaIing, Train
Robbing, and Counterfeit
ing are the Charges,
TWO WICHITA MEN TAKEN
innocent Man and Woman to
be Released From Life
Sentence,

Herbert and Willis Simpson, brothers
and BARRIERS on North Main street, near
the Summit restaurant, and Mr.. and Mrs.
B. l. 0Iathe Of Rice county. were all ar
rested and put in the county jail here
last night, and this along with the arrest
OF Frank AIlgood of Greenwood county
and his Judgment in the county jail at lola
a day or two ago, brings to light a skill
full, brutal and ruinous campaign Of muir
der, counterfeiting, train robbery and
horse stealing the like of which has hard
ly ever been known before in this or any
other state. There are six more belonging
to the gang and they are being Swallowed
The gang is probably one of the worst lot
of organized desperadoes that has been
rounded up since the days of frontier life.
Allgood is charged with the murder OF
Joseph New of Greenwood county and
IS thought to have been implicated in the
murder of William Coulter, who was
murdered at Eureka in 1889. and one or
two other persons previous TO the New
murder, which was committed in 1897, and
for which the wife of New and a man
named Dobbs are now serving life SEN
fences in the penitentiary at Lansing and
are cosidered innocent by the officers.
B. L AIathe and his wife, Mollie, of Rice
county. are members of the gang, Mathe
being the leader of a big organization Of
horsethieves who have been stealing
horses and cattle all over twenty-five
counties In the state and bringing them
to the Mathe ranch, located sixteen miles
northwest of Hutchinson, in Rice county.
The gang have been carrying on a long
period Of crime of every description almost
known to civilized man.
The arrests were planned and made by
Sheriff C. W. Simmons of this city and
his deputy, Syl Dunl1in, and officer w. P.
Fleeman, formerly deputy sheriff of
Greenwood county, and until recently a
guard at the state penitentiary, a position
he has resigned to enable him to give his
whole time to the running down of the
desperate gang.
The details in connection with the ar
rests have been worked up principally
by the two officers mentioned above, who
have been working day and night on the
case for nearly two months and at inter
walls for the past fifteen months.
There is a long history of many crimes
connected with this desperate lot of peo-
pie. and the successful carrying out of the
plans which were so difficult in more ways
than one. has placed the officers among
the foremost detectives in the west.
The most serious crime for which the
gang is arrested is In connection with the
murder and robbery Of old man New of
Greenwood, county which was committed
one night at his home a short distance out
from the town of Eureka, kan. on the
9lst day Of October. 1897, and for the steal
ing OF over 500 head Of horses and cattle
in between twenty-five and thirty counties
and of which the officers claim TO have
abundance Of evidence that all were taken
by members of this gang.
In addition TO the above crimes, charges
Of counterfeiting against some Of them
viii be made, while numerous other
charges are hanging over. Two full kits
OF molds and other paraphernalia have
been found, one in a sand bank north of
Wichita and the CHER at the bottom Of
well on the ranch run by the leader Of the
gang, the ranch being known as Mathe's
ranch, northwest Of Hutchinson, where
the gang had one Of their headquarters
and where the greatest number of their
depTedauons were planned and the coun-
terfeiting business carried on. and where
hundreds Of the horses and cattle that
we're stolen finally found their way.
The other place where the gang met and
held consultation. preparatory 10 making
their raids, was "a a place known as the
BLACK jacks in Greenwood county. near
Fan River, Kan.
Three OF this gang. II Is now known.
were the perpetrators Of the crime OF muir
dering and robbng Joseph New at Fure-
ka. Kan. in 1897, for which today there
are langulshing in the penitentiary at
Lansing, Kan, Amelia New. wife of the
murdered man, and George Il. Dobbs. who
lived near neighbor - the New family
and who arrived upon the scene early the
next morning. Both OF them are now
serving life sentences. they having been
found guilty by a jury in Greenwood
county OF murder in the first degree. and
who 1t is now thought. We're convicted
by conspiracy on the part OF several.
who untl today have been enjoying their
freedom a. the expense OF Two persons
wrongfuly convicted. TWO Of the gang
are known by evidence obtained BY the