The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-12-11
ENTRANCE IS GAINE4
BY ROPES OVER CLIFF
Cartfidge-StreWn Floors In.
diCate Former Presence
of Outlaws

oklahoma City. Okla. Dec. TO-
What Is bolietrd Co hive been the
main rendezvous and hiding place of
the famous Dalton gang, which ter
rorized Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory ten years ago, and perhaps other
Outlaws Of the southwest, who pre-
ceded the Daltons, was discovered
this week by G II Lantis ana w. w.
Ryan, employed on the Santa Fe rail-
road, about eighty miles south of this
cisy, IN the Indian Territory.
The crasher is located IN the heart
Of the Akbickc mountains, where
the Washita river has cut It's way
through the solid rock, and the rail-
road at work nc that point follows
directly the bank OF the river for
mile or more. The scenery Is beau
tital. and travellers are at once inter-
ested In the appearance of the ccnn-
try which Is the widest imaginable.
Not until this week however. did
anyone know Of the existence of the
wonderful cavern discovered by Ian
lis and Ryan The cave starts inn
mediately underneath a ledge of rock
overhanging the railroad track about
600 feet south Of the rock crushor
Oneesn see the mouth cf this cavern
from the caT window.
In order to reach the mouth of the
cave Lantls and Ryan erected plat.
form OF boards on the extreme top
OF the Trecipice about fifty or sixty
feet Directly in front OF the cave Is
q shelving rock which forms a safe
teoting On this rock one can walk
upright with ease into the cave for
a considerable dlstance.
Lighting a lantern. which the men
had with them the two walked and
crawled for npre thsg half mile,
sometimes the root .. Che cave per
mittlng easy travelling. and I'M some
places 1t was difficult Go proceed |
even by crawling
Four Rooms Found.
Suddenly they came to what seemed |
20 be the end cf the passage. and be. |
fore them partitioncd II. were four
large rooms. fairly well furnlshe with
old wooden bedsteads, blankets. mat |
tresses and cooking utensils an ia a |
good state OF preservation. II being |
perfectly dry within the cave.
IN telling OF the discovery this week |
MF. Lantis said it was without doubt |
the hiding place of outlaws, bat from
all appearances Il mad not been i'm |
habitcd for at least ten wears past
Old shoes and cowboy boots with
high heels, and hundreds OF empty
cartridges of large caliber were found
ON the floors of The rocm ms, and a |
dozen comparatively good blankets |
were found
Footprints OF the kind made bv the |
boots aud shoes they found were vet
plainly visible. aud piles OF ashes des
ignated the places whero the inhabi |
tants of the cave had cooked their
meals. Limbs OF cedar trees were
piled up In one corner of the cave
ana the whole appearance suggested |
me possibility that the robbers. If such
they We're had lett their hiding place |
Tor another raid, expecting To retufn |
bnt, perhaps fell into the hands of |
the United States marshals and never |
returned to the rocks which had AL |
i9ideu them shelter for SO many years |
An old indian who had lived near
the noath of the cave for many years
said Mr. Lantis, told me that the |
Dalton gang had made that cave their |
nome for many years He also said |
that before they lived there one could |
crawl around the edge of the clin and |
enter the cave with ease. but when |
the laltons took possession they blast |
ed cm the rocks around the mouth OF |
the cave and would climb up aud |
down hy means of long ropes
iic said they would loavc fhol /
horses across The river ana enter the |
cave by an underground route. There |
is another cave about a mile distant. |
ana directly west which Is believed |
20 De another entrance 10 tho main |
cavern
Officers Were Eluded.
Years ago. when the southwest coan /