Constable Slain, Police Chief Kidnaped by Machine Gunner Trio near Commerce. Possee Trails Killers Believed to Include Barrows and his "Moll"
Fusillage ends life of Cal Campbell, 60, and Percy Boyd as outlaws engage Officers bullet. Scarred automobile Stuck in mud hole near Lost Trail Mines.
FEAR FELT FOR LIFE OF HOSTAGE
Sheriff leads large posse in pursuit
of Desperadoes and Miami pilot reconnoiters in air seeking to find trace
of Bandit car, while officers from Kansas and other Oklahoma counties
rush to aid in hunt.
A. gathering army of Southwestern peace
Officers late today patroled the Kansas- Oklahoma border country for the
machine-gun killers of Constable Cal Campbell, of Commerce, Police Chief,
as their hostage.
Believed to be Clyde Barrow, multiple
killer, and his pals, Raymond Hamilton, and Bonnie Parker, the outlaws
were reported seen soon after the Killing west of Chetopa Kansas, but some
officers professed a belief they may have doubled in the Osage hills to
the west.
Kansas and Oklahoma officers scanned
roads at many points and Texas officers converged on the Oklahoma line,
far to the South in case the fugitives manage to elude the man hunt here
and seek to enter Texas.
Reports from the posse at 2:30 O'clock this
afternoon were that the fugitive car had been seen last about nine miles
west of Chetopa, headed toward Coffeyville, Kansas.
A shot blazing from the machine gun of one
of the men. Accompanied by a blond-headed woman, took the life of Campbell,
60 year-old constable, and another shot either wounded or killied Boyd
in a gun battle that occurred about 9:30 O'clock this morring near the
Last Trail Mine on a road west of Commerce.
Campbell and Boyd had gone out to the scene
of the battle after a motors told them, that he had passed by an automobile
stalled in a mud hole, the occupants of this car , not wishing to have
him pass.
The officers had apparently started out of
the car to investigate the action of the two men and woman when the fugitives
opened fire.
ENGAGED IN GUN FIGHT
Three empty cartridges were found in
Campbell's revolver, and Boyd gun also was recovered in dieating both he
and Boyd had engaged in an exchange of shots befor the ----------- the
left side of the constables body killing him instantly.
C.M. Dodson , who had heard the
gun fire , jumped into his truck and drove out to the mine. When he arrived
the men were starting to take a vehicle parked in the yard of --------------seeing
Dodson the Killers order him to pull them out of the hole. One pointed
a gun at him--the---in the---.
BOYD COVED WITH BLOOD
Boyd was being led around the rear into
the back seat with blood streaming down the left side of his face and chest.
Dodson said that's when he stated to pull the car out of the hole.
The vehicle with the blonde girl
inside smoking a cigaret was facing east when pulled out, but the driver
wheeled it to the west when driver of Dodson stated.
About three miles further west, near
the Timber Hills farm , the fugitives car driven by A.N. Butterfield,
farmer living near Commerce, and occupied also by his brother the auto
being stranded in the middle of the road. the desperadoes climbed out of
their car one shouting. We've just killed two men and we're in a
hurry. The law is after us, with that the men assisted Butterfied
and his brother to move their car out of the way . They then speed on toward
Chetopa.
Butterfied said he could not see
whether Body was in the car.
BOTH GUNMEN YOUNG
Dodson said one of the two - men
was about 23 years of age and the other about 25 to 27,. He said both were
-- and
that one was very small, weighting around 125 pounds and the other
probably 140 to 145 , one had a breaking out all over his face he stated.
Two bullet holes were in
the windshield of the left side of the automobile. An empty machine
gun clip was found after the battle ,and also a shotgun shell, which would
indicate the trio had at least three weapons in their possession . Boyd
and Campbell guns were found near the shooting.
Dodson said he saw the outlaw's
firearms when he was ordered to pull the vehicle out of the muddy spot.
WOMAN SEEN THURDAY
A farmer living north of Commerce said he saw the blond- headed woman driving a sedan near his home Thurday afternoon. This morning shortly before 9 O'clock the woman and two men were seen driving near the Frist State Bank Commerce. It was believed they were awaiting the opening of the Bank so they could stage a holdup. Shortly afer the shooting Sheriff Dee Watters and 16 officers joined in the chase for the killers. The officers traced them as far as Chetopa to U.S. Highway on which turns off toward Joplin Mo. Later the fugitives were reported to have been seen stuck in another mud hole at Banner school house, about four miles northeast of Welch. The net of the law spread for miles around the Chetopa area.
MISSING TOE IS CLUE
Jack Boyndstur ,who was forced to assist
in pushing the outlaws machine from the ditch near the mine told county
attorney
Perry Porter this afternoon that the big toe was that from one off
the men.s foot. This bit of description fitted that of Jim Clark,
one of the men who escaped from the Kansas penitentary with Wilber
Underhill and police officers were immediately
informed of the fact. Shortly afer the description was broadcast,
the Department of Justice reprsentative at Dallas Tex. called Porter and
told him that Barrow was also minus a big toe.Sheriff Watters stated late
today that he held little hope for the safely of Body "They well probably
hold him for protection as long as they can and them kill him, provided
he is not already dead" He said Jack Boyndstur told Watters that one of
the men said: "Tell the officers if they lay off following us we
won't kill this cop ,if they do follow us and cause us any troble we"ll
kill him.