The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-16
FOUND THE BANDITS.
But the Posse Was Relieved of Their
Guns and Told to s'Skedaddle."


Coffeyville, March 16.-Sunday af-
ternoon three members of the Oche-
Iata posse came upon the Tyro bank
robbers on the bank of Candy creek,
s miles southwest of Ochelata, where
they were waiting for an oil lease
cook to get dinner for them. The
posse men were ordered to halt ana
throw up their hands. They complied
at once. The robbers broke up the
possemen's rifles, took away their pis-
tolls and also one of their horses and
then permitted them to depart I'M
armed. After dinner the bandits fled
farther into the Usage hills. They are
now believed to be a short distance
east of Big Heart, Okla. A posse of
100 men Is about to leave Big Heart
hoping to surround the outlaws.
The Usage country is wild one.
Hills and gullies are numerous and
the hills are covered with brush that
makes progress almost impossible,
even on horseback. So it was a COM
paratively easy matter for the bandits
to evade their pursuers. One OF the
posse thought of a farm house near
Candy creek about nine miles from
oehelata; There is a telephone in the
house. They started to the house to
call up some Of the oil stations in the
neighborhood and see If the bandits
had been heard of.
TuIlock, Daniels and Flanagan
were riding in front as they ap-
preached the house and Cunningham
and Stage were about $50 feet in the
rear. There was a high embankment
by the side Of the path to the farm
house and that the posse must pass.
Throw up your hands!"
The horses of the first three riders
stopped with a quickness that nearly
threw them on their launches. Three
men stepped suddenly from behind
the embankment and each had rifle
leveled at the bandit chasers.
Throw up your hands again
came the command from rather
short, yellow skinned man, who ap-
peared to be the leader. The COM
mand was addressed to the men In
front, and Stage, in the rear, made
motion toward his rifle.
For Gods sake don't shoot" Cum
ningham shouted. They'll kill those
boys up front"
''Then We'll make a run for it,"
Stage said. Maybe we can get assis-
lance in time to catch the men,.
Two of the Posse Got Away.
The two men wheeled their horses
about suddenly and galloped away
unmolested by the bandits. But the
rest of the posse did not fare so well.
on the second command each man
put his hands in the air. While two
of the bandits stood guard with cock
ed rifles the third took the weapons
of the posse away from them. Then
the three posse men saw their fire
arms broken by the bandits and
thrown upon the ground.
1--WE need a horse the spokesman
for the outlaws said when the weap-
ons had been broken to bits. Get
down off that horse.
The members of the posse thus ad-
dressed looked again into the muzzle
of a rifle and then swung from his sad
die. The smallest of the trio of ban
dts abandoned his horse and jumped
into the saddle of the horse the posse
had been forced to give up. Then the
leader of the bandits gave the posse
men a warning.
I've have not hurt you this time"
he said. 1--WE don't want to commit
murder, but if you pursue US again we
will kill and kill with the first shot.
The outlaw leader gave signal,
then three horses wheeled and the
bandits rode hurriedly into the dense
timber land.
By this time Cunningham and Stagg
had obtained the aid of about eight
men from the neighborhood and had
hurried to the farm house. A search
was made, but the outlaws could not
be found. The posse then returned to
Ochelata- 1t was ascertained later
of the posse, made a detour Of several
miles to the north and west. but finally
returned about 8 o'clock to the place
where the "holdup'' of the posse &C.
Cured. The ate dinner there.
1.-The man who headed the outlaws
was no other than Starr" Stage said
after the "holdup" today. ct know
the man when I see him and I had
a good opportunity to see him when
he came from behind the embank-
ment One Of the other two men is
a half breed Indian known as Kid
Wilson. The other do not know.
He was low of stature, heavy set
light complexioned and had a sandy
musta che. When the men came from
behind the embankment there was
nothing to do except submit. They
had the drop on us. We were sur
prised by their sudden appearance
and mot To attack them -