Shooting Texan Desperadoes

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 265, 14 November 1885, Page 3

Shooting Texan Desperadoes

A despatch from Gainesville (Texas) of September Sth says: This community was startled at daylight this morning by the announcement that the famous Leo brothers, tho terrors of Northern Texas/had actually beon killed, Tho first intimation of the killing waß the arrival of a farmer'.1! waggon about 1 o'clock this morning containing the dead bodies of the notorious outlaws Jim and Pink Lee. The story of their killing is brief. Ever since the brutal massacre of the two Roff brothers anrl their companions in Indian Territory, in April last, the authorities have been scouring tho country in search of Jim Leo, leader of the terrible Leo gang. Innumerable rewards have been oilered for the capture, dead or alive, of Jim and Pink Lee. Tho Govorner offered a largo reward, Cook county otl'ered 81,000, tho Roff iamily offered SI.OOO, and half a dozen neighbouring counties placod a price on thoir heads, until tho total amount of guaranteed reward reached §7,000, the heavest by far over offered in Texas. It remained for a Toxan named Heck Thomas of Fort Worth, to vanquish the outlaws. Thomas learned through some unknown means that the Lee Brothers were in the vicinity of Harris township, near tho villago of Dexter, living under assumed names. Taking with him two trusty and bravo companions named Jim Taylor and Jim Settles, both of Cook county, he started yostorday morning in poarch of his human game. Each ollicer carried ono sixteon repeating Winchester riilo, with an oxtra one slung on his saddle. Their side arms wero two 44-calibre Colts and a flask of whisky. The Leo brothers were woll known to each of the three officers. After riding about ten hours, visiting numerous ranchos and showing photographs of the Lees, tho officers finally loarned their extra location and reached John Washington's place at 4 o'clock in tho afternoon. Thomas soon spied tho two outlaws, who were engaged in cutting John Washington's pasture fence. The three officers rode up within fifty yards of tho outlaws boforo tho latter discovered them. They dismounted and Thomas called on Lee to surrender. Taken unawaros though they wero, tho out laws answered with thoir revolvers, whon tho detectives opened fire with their deadly Winchesters. As the detectives raised to fire both the Loes, by Jim's order, lay fiat on the ground. Pink Leo was struck at the first fire, and writhed on the ground, grjaning piteously until the next volley put an ond to his sufferings. As the ollicors lirod they kopt advancing, Jim Loe returning thoir fire vory rapidly, ulthough ho had a bullet in his neck. Aftor emptying his om revolver, Jim crawled to whore his doad brother lay, and grasping Pink's weapon omptied italso at tho officers About forty shots woro firod at Jim boforo ho coasod to move, but, strangely enough, only two shots took fatal offoct. Porhaps no band of criminals in tho United States* ovor did such bloody work in so brief a period as tho Leo gang, headed by Jim and Bill and Pink Loe. Within two years from the Ist of last May forty two human lives wore taken by this band of cattlo and horso thiovos. Thoir principal rendezvous was Delaware bend, in this county, just across from Indian Territory. They stolo thousands of cattle and drovo them into Indian Territory. Bill Loo was captured in May last with throe other mombors of tho gang, and has boon taken to Fort Smith, Ark, to stand trial for the murder of tho two Roll' brothers and a Deputy United States Marshal in tho Chickasaw Nation.