Shooting Texan Desperadoes

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 129, 21 November 1885, Page 6

Shooting Texan Desperadoes

\ despatch from Gainesville (Texas) of Sepember Bbh cays: This community was fcartled at daylight this morning by the uinouncement that the famous Lee brothers, lie terrors of Northern Texas, h d actually ieen killed. The first intimation of the killtig was the arrival of a farmer's waggon ibout 1 o'clock this morning containing the lead bodies ot the notorious outlaws Mm and Pink Lee. The story of theii kiliug is brief. * ver since the brutal massacre f the two Roff brothers an 3 their concpanons in Indian Ten itory, in April last, the mthorities have been scouring the country 0 search of Jim Lee, leader of the terrible cc gang. Innumerable regards have been tfered for the capture, dead or alive, of Umand Pink Lee. The Governor offered 1 large reward, Cook county offered jl 000, the Koff family offered $1 000, and alf a dozen neighbouring counties placed a nice on their heads, until the total amount f guaranteed reward reachtd $7 000, the leaveut by far ever < flared in Texas. It emained for a Tex*n named Heck Thomas f Fort Worth, to vanqui*h the out >iws 'I homas learned throuyh some un cnown means that the t ee Brothers were n the vicinity of Harris township, near the village of Dexter, living under issumed names. Taking with him two vubty and brave companions ramed Tim Taylor and Jim Settles, both of Cook ■ounty, he started yesterday morning in earch of his human game Each office! • irried one sixteen repeating Wincheetei •fin. with an extra one sluntr on hi* t-addle. heir side arms were two 44 ca'ibre tJo>ttnd a flask of whisky. The Lee brothers v«re well known to each of the thretificers. After riding about ten hour?, >n-iting numerous ranches and showing photographs of the Lees, the officers finally l- j a r ned their extra location and reached A/hn Washington's place at; 4 o'cli ck n the afternoon. Thomas soon ■■pied the two outlaws, who were engaged m cutting John Washington's pa&tun>nce. The time officers rode up within titty yards of the outlaws before tht atter discovered them. They dismounted md Thomas called on Lee to surrender I'aken unawares though they were, the out aws answered with their revolver.*, when he detectives opened fire with their deadly Winuhei-ters As the detnctives rais-ed to 'ire both the Lees, by Jim's order la\ flat on the ground. Pink Lee was struck aft the fir.st fire, and wnih d on th*ground, grjaning piteouely until the nex' volley put an end to his sufferings. i*e r he officers fired they kept advancing Jim Lee returning their fire very rapidly, ulthouyh he had a bullet in hi*- neck. After emptying hU o-vn revolver, Jim crawled to where his de d brother lay, and grappinp Pink's weapon emptied it also at i he officers forty shots were fi ed at Jim before he ceased to move, but, strangely enough, only two shots took f<ital effect Perhaps no band of criminals in the United States ever did such bloody work in so hrief a peiiod as the Lee gang headed by 'iiu and Bill and Pink Lee. Within two years from the lsfc of last May forty two luman live 0 were taken by this band of cattle and horse thieves Their principal rendezvous was Delaware bend, in thir> county, just across from Indian Territory I hey fto c thousands of cattle and drovt them into Indian Territory. Bill Lee was captured in May last with three other members of the gang, and has been taken f o Fort Smith, /Ark, to stand trial for the murder of the two Roff brothers and a Deputy United States Marshal in the Chickasaw Nution.