Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-26

Of Bud Ledbetter and Patton Tolbert.
They hoped TO slip UP on the outlaws
unawares, but the woman at the house
where the gang was quartered saw the
posse approaching through the woods,
and, grabbing UP her child, she
screamed and fed in the direction OF
the marshais
The bandits we're all in an upstairs
room when they heard the cry. Al
Jennings was the first man downstairs.
He was met by voliey OF bullets that
penetrated the house like an eggsheil
ana sustained a bad wound in each
leg. Pat O'Mally tumbed down the
stairs next and was shot through the
leg. HIS brother was hit i'm the right
shoulder and sank TO the floor unable
to reply to the heavy fusillade.
The posse was armed with the first
Krag- -Jorgensens ever seen i'm Indian
Territory The members surrounded
the house on three Sides being sheltered
behind an old log cabin, barn and
big stones lying on the ground. Not
a place inside The house was safe and
Jennings soon gave the command to re-
treat The only exit was through the
back door up an incline, to the neck
of the woods H. the rear Of the dwelling.
Frank Jennings jumped from the poor
shelter into literal rain of bullets.
He was followed by the others, who
made slow progress on account of their
injuries.
Jennings saw their danger and
turned square around in the face of
the twenty-five guns belching fire from
the hiding places of the officers. on
the elevated ridge he was i'm an exposed
view. but he seemed utterly devoid of
fear He raised his Winchester and
fired whenever he saw smoke puffs.
When his gun was emptied he drew
both revovors and worked them until
they were empty. His clothes were
cut in shreds his hat was punctured
until it was a mass of ribbons, but he
was not wounded.
BY this time the others had caught
up with him and none of the marshals
had dared to show his face in front of
the withering fire of the one man.
Afterward. when Ledbetter and Tolbert
testified in court, they said they were
unable to come out in the opening.
Not long ago the house i'm which the
outlaws were surprised was examined
and 2Sj bullet holes were discovered.
The members of the posse fired 400
shots. and Frank Jennings himself Is
said to have fired 1875 times
After the outlaws had gained the
shelter of the woods they "hiked" for
the south. Then they made for Ar
kansas, looking out all the time for a
Pat O'Mally began to grow worse and
in a few hours were unconscious
Frank ran across d former horse
thief named Baker, whom he sent for
surgeon. Baker went and returned
with the physician, but in the mean
time notified the United States officers
of the plans OF the fugitives. Ignorant
of their betrayal. the bandits started
across the country again in wagon,
Baker guiding. A night or two after
ward the party was riding through a
gully in the mountains when a score
of armed men appeared from all sides.
Frank put up no fight, and the others
were too i'll to move.
The trials that followed are still
famous. After long fight AL Jennings
was convicted and sentenced to serve
life term at F't. Lsavenworth, Kas.
Frank Jennings and the O'Mallys
pleaded guilty and received ten years
each. They began their terms in 1897
Subsequently the terms of the men
were commuted to five years.