The Lost Newton Gang Loot
The saga of the Newton Gang, a name that resonates with audacious heists and a touch of enigmatic charm, is deeply interwoven with the fabric of early 20th-century American outlaw history. These brothers, hailing from the unassuming landscape of Uvalde County, Texas, embarked on a criminal career that would etch their name into the annals of legendary bandits, accumulating a fortune and leaving behind a legacy of daring and, perhaps surprisingly, a degree of politeness.
Willis Newton, the eldest of the brothers, grew restless with the meager existence of a cotton farmer. Uvalde, a town steeped in the traditions of rural Texas, likely regarded Willis with skepticism. Even in his youth, he had already cultivated a reputation as a thief. The Newton boys, as they were known, began their criminal endeavors with simple store burglaries. Soon, any unexplained disappearance of goods within a wide radius of Uvalde was almost instinctively attributed to the mischievous Newton siblings.
However, the lure of petty theft soon paled in comparison to the potential riches that lay beyond. The Newton brothers harbored ambitions that extended far beyond pilfering from local stores. The prospect of robbing banks and trains proved to be far more appealing.
Willis spearheaded the gang’s foray into train robbery. He and an accomplice boarded a train at Cline, Texas, a small town that served as a vital artery for commerce. With calculated audacity, they relieved the passengers of their valuables, disembarking just before reaching Spofford, in Kinney County, with a haul of approximately $4,700. This initial success fueled Willis’s ambition and set the stage for more audacious ventures. Later, while in Durant, Oklahoma, Willis joined another gang and successfully robbed a bank in Boswell, making off with roughly $10,000.
By 1919, the long arm of the law had caught up with four of the five Newton brothers: Willis, Willie "Doc," Jess, and Joe. Each found themselves confined to different prisons, serving time for a variety of offenses. However, fate intervened when Willis and Joe were released that same year. Willis, ever the instigator, wasted no time in convincing his brother that they should form their own gang, a brotherhood bound by a shared pursuit of fortune. The following year, "Doc" managed a daring escape from a Texas prison, promptly joining his brothers, who had established a base of operations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city brimming with both opportunity and illicit activity. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place the following spring when Jess was released, completing the infamous quartet that would become known as the Newton Gang. The legend of The Lost Newton Gang Loot began to take shape.
The years between 1919 and 1924 marked the zenith of the Newton Gang’s reign. During this period, they orchestrated a staggering 87 bank robberies and six train heists, accumulating a combined loot that dwarfed the takings of infamous predecessors such as the Dalton Gang, Butch Cassidy, and the James Gang. Their operations stretched across the vast expanse of the United States, encompassing their home state of Texas, as well as Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and even venturing across the border into Canada. The scale and audacity of their crimes were unprecedented, solidifying their reputation as masterminds of the outlaw world. The story of The Lost Newton Gang Loot becomes more fascinating with each detail.
Their preferred modus operandi for bank heists involved meticulous planning and execution. They would meticulously case each target for several days, studying its vulnerabilities and patterns. Operating under the cloak of darkness, they would employ nitroglycerin to breach the safes, seizing the cash and vanishing into the night. On one particularly daring occasion, they simultaneously robbed two banks in Hondo, Texas, showcasing their brazen confidence and organizational skills.
Despite their reputation as hardened criminals, the Newton Gang cultivated a surprising image of politeness during their daylight robberies. Witnesses often described them as being exceptionally courteous, going to great lengths to ensure the comfort and composure of their victims. They would reassure those present that they had no intention of causing harm, a promise they consistently upheld throughout their criminal careers. This unusual blend of criminality and civility contributed to their enigmatic appeal and set them apart from other outlaw gangs of the era.
Remarkably, for years, law enforcement agencies failed to connect the dots between the numerous robberies, and the Newton brothers remained largely unsuspected. Their anonymity was shattered by their final, most ambitious heist, which, due to the sheer magnitude of the stolen amount, triggered a coordinated response from multiple law enforcement agencies. The pursuit of The Lost Newton Gang Loot intensified.
On June 12, 1924, the Newton Gang joined forces with two Chicago gangsters, a Chicago racketeer, and, in a shocking twist, a postal inspector. Together, they executed the largest train robbery in history at Rondout, Illinois, netting a staggering sum of over three million dollars.
The audacious plan involved boarding a mail train in Chicago. The postal inspector, William J. Fahy, colluded with Willis Newton to force the train to halt at Rondout. They demanded that the mail sacks containing the fortune in cash and securities be thrown from the train, reinforcing their demands with gunfire and tear gas. In the ensuing chaos, Willie "Doc" Newton sustained a leg wound from a stray bullet. Despite the injury, the gang managed to load the cash and the wounded Willie into a waiting vehicle and make their escape. However, a seemingly minor detail proved to be their undoing. A bystander overheard one of them calling the wounded man "Willie," providing authorities with a crucial lead. The quest for The Lost Newton Gang Loot was now a top priority for law enforcement.
Within days, acting on a tip about a wounded man being cared for in a northside Chicago residence, police raided the house. The gang’s carefully laid plans began to unravel. Doc, Willis, and Joe Newton were swiftly apprehended. Jess, however, managed to evade capture in Chicago and fled towards Texas with approximately $35,000 from the robbery.
Jess’s escape was short-lived, marred by a moment of drunken impulsiveness in San Antonio. Convinced of the need to conceal the stolen loot, he hired a cab and instructed the driver to take him to a secluded area in the countryside, where he buried the cash. The following day, he attempted to retrieve the money but found himself unable to recall the exact location of his hasty burial. He even sought out the cab driver from the previous night, only to discover that the driver, too, had been intoxicated and could not recall their route. After a fruitless search, Jess abandoned the effort and fled to Mexico. However, his freedom was short-lived, as a federal agent located him in Via Acuna and brought him back across the border. The whereabouts of The Lost Newton Gang Loot remained a mystery.
Ultimately, all eight individuals involved in the Rondout train robbery were arrested. In exchange for lighter sentences, the majority of the stolen loot, with the exception of approximately $100,000, was recovered. All eight were convicted and sentenced to prison. William J. Fahy, the postal official who masterminded the robbery, received the harshest sentence of 25 years at the Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas.
After serving their time, the Newton brothers returned to their hometown of Uvalde, Texas, seeking a semblance of normalcy. Jess Newton spent the remainder of his life as a cowboy, embracing the simple life of the Texas countryside. He passed away on March 4, 1960.
However, old habits die hard. In 1968, Doc Newton, in his mid-70s, attempted to rob a bank in Rowena, Texas. His age was taken into consideration, and he was released without charge. Doc died in 1974 at the age of 83.
In 1973, Willis Newton was implicated in a bank robbery in Bracketville, Texas, but the evidence was insufficient to prosecute him. Willis died in August of 1979.
Joe Newton became the owner of a cafe and other small businesses in Uvalde, finding success as an entrepreneur. He died at age 88 in February of 1989.
The whereabouts of the missing $100,000 remains a mystery to this day. Despite searching for it after their release from prison, the Newton brothers were unable to locate the elusive treasure. Willis claimed that Jess buried the money on top of a hill, concealing it beneath a large rock. Jess, in court and under oath, testified that he buried the money somewhere along Fredericksburg Road. However, based on Jess’s accounts to his brothers, Willis believed that the money was more likely buried on the road to Bandera.
The story of The Lost Newton Gang Loot continues to capture the imagination, a reminder of the audacious crimes and enduring mysteries of the American West.