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BATTLE WITHitKELLY’S DEPUTIES AND M’KINNEYEXCHANGE SHOTS ON SOUTH FORKTHEHunted Man Riding Through Settled Valley Attacked by DeputiesHs Now on Foot Somewhere in the Wilds of Greenhorn| and there is little hope that McKinney | can escape,Movements in Randsburg.(Special to the Californian.)RANDSBURG, April 12.—Sheriff Collins of Tulare and Deputy Sheriff Gus Tower of Kern returned here this af ternoon. The rest df tho party re-main near Scarles. This posse visited the borax works and different camps | In the vicinity of Death Valley, but' : got. no trace of McKinney. Collins and Tower expected to return to the' I vicinity of Searles but a telegram from Sheriff Kelly at Bakersfield, notifying them of the battle on the South Fork, changed their plans, and It is thought that the posses in this vicinity will now head for the mountains.At 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon nearI the ranch of Frank Fugitt, cn theKouth Fork of Kern river, and about Ksix miles east of Kernvilie, there was .battie between Jim McKinney, the outlaw and Deputy Sheriffs McCracken and Warren Rankin.Several shots were exchanged, and the officers think they wounded McKinney. . The latter, however, on his fleet horse, made his escape into the timber on the river and later was sen speeding towards the Greenhorn mountains. It thus appears that McKinney followed the course predicted ^ hy Sheriff Kelly and Is making for his haunts about Porterville. On Sun* wf day last he passed Manvel on the Santa Fe, 160 miles from Randsburg All the officers in the fleld centered about the mining camp and have been searching every “foot of the desert for the hunted man. But it seems that he remained in that vicinity only long ^enough to rest his mount, or get a new |Bnne, and then headed for the Sierras. 9 ^He must have passed by Coyotej H^les and reached the head of theI %outh Fork valley at the Cane Brake.If hoc ame directly down the river hepassed through a thickly settled country for more than fifteen miles beforereaching the Fugitt place. Deputies Rankin and McCracken were notified by Sheriff Kelly some days since to be on the watch for McKinney, as it was feared he might endeavor to break through the mountains.McKinney on Foot.(Special to the Californian.) CALIENTE, April 13—Date last night, and several hours after the battie at Fugltt’s ranch, McKinney appeared at-.Isabella on the main stage road to Kernvilie anti at the junction of the north and south forks of Kern River. He was apparently unwounded, but had lost his horses, the bay and the gray which he had with him at the time of the shooting.There is now a posse op his trail consisting of Deputies McCracken, Warren Rankin, James Brady, Jr., and Lee Rankin.It is thought that McKinney struck out afoot for the timbered mountains at the base of the Green Horn in ao effort to ge into Linn’s Valley.It is reported here that the posse under Sheriff Collins left Garden Wells this morning In a hurried ride to Kern-viiie.May Be Hiding.KERNVILLE, via Caliente, April 13.—McKinney’s horses were seen in the vicinity of Isabella this morning, and McKinney is believed to be either in hiding somewhere in the vicinity or in the brush at the base of the moun* i tains.Taking Every precaution.When Sheriff Kelly was advised of j the battle at Kernvilie he at fcuce communicated with the -sheriff office in. Visalia and advised that a posse be sent to head off .McKinney in the mountains east of Porterville. The valley section of the mountains, even to the smaller canyons are settled and if the outlaw would keep from beingseen, he must follow the higher moun-.tain trails. He has the advantage of being familiar with the country, having traversed those mountains since*boyhood.In addition to the posse that left Visalia this morning and which is now believed to be at White River, Sheriff Kelly will start a posse towards Glenn-viile tonight. In addition to that he has a man on watch in the' canyon at the Power Development Company'? works, for fear that the outlaw may come down the river in the .hope of boarding a train out of the country. Every avenue seems to be’guardedV Near the Scene.!Depdty Sheriff .James Quinn returned yesterday noon from the White River country where he went to serve a subpoena in a civil case now pending in the Superior Court of Tulare county. The district where he went is in the extreme northern part of Kern county on the borders' of Tulare, where the witness wanted is a miner. Mr. Qjllnn made a very quick trip, being :gone only three days.The returned officer passed near thecountry towards which Jim McKinney. •(s believed to be headed and through a portion of which he will probably pass If he is indeed bound for Porterville He has probaly not had sufficient time to reach it as yet, however, and nothing had been seen or heard regarding him there.OUTLAW
Newspaper Details
Daily Californian
Bakersfield, California, US
Mon, Apr 13, 1903
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Kern C.
CA, USA 20 Oct 2020
Other Publications Near Bakersfield, California
The Berkshire County Eagle
Southern Californian and Kern Weekly Courier
The Weekly Californian
Kern County Californian
Daily Californian
