Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
NEIGHBORS AFRAID
0F.FLEAGLE GANG
Family Of Outlaws Reside in
Big, Implanted, RepeIlant
Farmhouse.

GARDEN CITY, Kans., September
2s (N.A.N.A1.-The F1eagle house is
% miles northwest of here, big, two
story, square, frame building. 1t has
never been painted It's sides are
weathered bleak-looking gray. 1t is
gloomy, lonely, repellant.
In this house was born and bred the
Fleagle brood. two of whom, along with
two of their friends; are accused Of
robbing the Lamar Bank OF $212,o00
in cash and securities, shooting down
its president and vice president. kid
later killing q doctor they called In to
c-1Ssss a wound received in the battle at
the bank. :. -:
Last Thursday warrant was sworn
out for the arrest Of young Jake
F1eagle, charging him with leading the
gang which killed a banker and rob-
bed the bank at Martinez, Calf. A
Immediately after the Lamar robbery.
His brother Ralph Is in jail in Den<
yer. waiting to be hanged. He con-
fessed to the Lamar robbery. but In
sisted Jake did the four killings. An
other brother. Fred, is being held as
an accomplice. Police charge it was at
his house the bandits gathered and
TOuS away 70 10 TOD anu
One Brother Married.
The prairie farms near the Fleagle
place are miles wide and houses are
far apart. The nearest neighbor to the
F1eagles is Walter Fleagle, a son of
''Old Jake" Fleagle, and his house is a
mile away. He is the only one of the
brothers who ever married. He has five
children. 50
The Fleagle yard is as forbidding as
the house. Not a flower, not shrub in
1t, but the same dead thistles and
weeds that are the only crop OF Jake
Fleagle's barren prairie farm of $40
acres. He has neither titled, planted
nor graZed 1t for years.
Mrs. Fleagle opened the door for the
caller. She is stouter than the aver
age woman. She wore a loose, faded
wrapper. I'D like to say something
for my boys" she said, they've been
bounded SO but" she broke OF sud-
denly and said, here comes dad"
A man was coming across the prairie,
big shot gun in his arms. He lodged
under a fence wire and squared OF:
the barrel Of the gun in the crook OF
his left arm. his right hand grasping
the stock and his forehnger on the
trigger.
But he began to laugh and joke when
he learned 1t was reporter. Il didn't
know. when I first saw ye," he said,
but what We was the law, come again
to poster us. a..
Took $500 Cash.
''The law come here and got me and
my boy, Walter, from bis place over
yonder. They took $500 in cash from
me when they pinched me-"
He Strutted as he said: II always
carry about that amount in my clothes"
lie q NJ medium EiZA and
wiry as wild cat. He wore faded blue
overalls, old shoes, Scuffed red by the
burrs and Spines of the prairie woods.
and an old felt hat. all faded and
stained, its band rag.
Once, as he talked he took on his
hat and it could be seen his head was
shaped like an egg, bulged out round
the ears upward. His ears are enor-
nous, q feature his sons inherited.
Old Jake'S son, Walter, whose farm
is two miles north of his fathers, Is
building new house which will cost
5000. Walter Is not much of a farmer
but he does q little. It has always been
a mystery where he got all the money
he has had When a bank failed in this
town some years ago he was the largest
depositor with $4,000 credited to him.
Eventually the bank paid all depositors
in full. ..'...
n Made Big Deposits. -
The Fleagles have always had big de-
posts in banks in Garden City, Dodge
City, Scott City and other places-as
much as 100000 at once-some OF 1t
in their own names, much IN the names
OF Ezra Thompson, David Fedderman,
James Burlington and Florence Miller.
Florence Miller Is the only daughter
of Jake Fleagle. She lives on farm
south of Newton.
Old Jake Fleagle always. Dragged
about his money, loved to get into
crowd and show big Wad of bills. 1t
is gossiped that little Jake used to
pin $50 bills together and hang them
around his neck as he played.
Old Jake has long record OF arrests
for drunkenness. He told a story to
show how smart he had been in outwit-
ting the jailer In Garden City.
"a few years ago." he said, the law
pinched me for having a little too
much tea aboard and, Of course. they
searched me before locking me up. But
they only frisked my pants pockets and
never touched my overcoat pockets
where had a bottle of whisky, deck
of cards, my -terbacker and knife.
Laugh ON Jailer.
Next mornin' the jailer come around
and there T. sat in my cell, drunk as
billed owl, playin' solitaire and cutttn'
cfaw Of terbacker often the plug with
my knife. I guess I had the laugh on
him all right" :,
Families in the neighborhood all said
they were afraid of the F1eagles. -
They won't hang all Of them" they
said. 1.-THE old man and Walter Will
be left here and we've got to live IN
the same neighborhood."
tcopyright, 1929. by the North American
Newspaper Allianeeo