The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-25
CONFESSION
OF CRIMES OF
CASEYS GANG
Two Prisoners Tell of Killing
of Sheriff Smith.
LEADER STILL AT LARGE
Officers Have Captured All
but Four of Gang.
LEADER STILL AT LARGE

Guthrie, O. T.. Feb. 24-In the annals Of
Oklahoma outlawry there has never been
more complicated story of crime than
that given by the two outlaws now in
the federal jail. Joe Mobbely and VIII
Iiams. two Of the men responsible for the
murder of Sheriff Frank Smith and his
deputy, George Beck, near Anadarko
Mobbely and Williams were captured
near Ada. I. T., and turned over to Ex-
United States Marshal Robbett. Three
days after their capture the men confess
cd 10 Bobbett that they were the men
wanted for the Anadarko crime. They
were taken to Oklahor4a City then for
safe keeping and yesterday morning
We're brought here and placed in the fed
eral Jail, TO await the action OF the court
in their cases. At Oklahoma city the
men waived examination.
According to their statements made here
yesterday, the two men are residents Of
the Choctaw country. Just before the
Anadarko murder Williams rode over 70
Mobbely's farm for "a visit. While there
Bert Casey, who had been in hiding, APP
company him to the Kiowa and CO.
Inanche country. where he claimed some
thing was going to happen. Mobbely
states that by this expression Casey
meant tla robbing Of the National bank
ut Mountain View. but Williams claims
that he knew nothing about this arrange
Inent The three men rode to I.exing-
ton. IN the south eastern part of Cleve-
land county. and from there TO Anadarko.
When they reached the town, Casey went
5nto hiding. near the stock yards and
sent Mobbely and Williams TO town after
some liquor. While in Anadarko Will
liams met Arthur Swonord and wife, who
We're doing some trading, and went home
with them to stay al night on their farm.
near Fort Cobb. In the meantime Mob
belly took --e whisky to Casey and found
that he had been joined by Walter
Swofford, who was getting Up a party to
rob saloons in that vicinity. and had ap-
peared in Anadarl1o for the purpose of
securing some ammunition. The two men
drank the whisky secured by Nobbely
and sent him back to town after two more
quarts. After AIobbely returned he gave
the whisky TO Casey and he and siprof-
ford drank one quart giving the bottle
10 Mobbely. They decided 10 so to Ar
thur Swofford's TO stay all night. and
rode away from Anadarko. They arrived
there that night. but Casey and Swof-
ford were in such drunken stupor that
they went to bed without waiting for
supper. Before they reached SwoGord' s.
Casey demanded the quart of whisky IN
Mobbely's possession, and Mobbely states
that Casey would have killed him if he
had not given il to him
About 4 o'clock the next morning Ca
sey aroused the men. stating that he had
lost his overcoat with $40 in one pocket,
and other valuables. He demanded that
they ride back with him. TO ascertain if
the coat could be found. A few miles
from the house they found the coat.
where it had dropped from Casey's horse
the noght before.
While on their way 10 Swofford's the
night before, the three men met a settler
travelling on horseback. and. as Nobbely
states. Casey, against his wishes, held
The man up. cutting the saddle from the
horse. leaving the rider in the road. This
man gave the alarm to Sheriff smith and
IL was the cause of the officers riding
out the next morning to look the matter
up.
After finding his coat Casey and the
men rode in an opposite direction from
Anadarko. going TO a deserted hut. where
Casey had stopped before. In riding
towards this hut the party passed several
wagons owned by settlers tnroute to
their claims, and when the officers came
who had ridden by a short time before.
Atter reaching the hut the horses were
turned into the cornheld near the building
and the men built fire ia the hut with
bale Of hay. Williams was then sent