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The Newton Boys LbNA #44871

Owner:Boots Tex
Plant date:Dec 3, 2008
Location:
City:Cottonwood
County:Callahan
State:Texas
Boxes:1
Found by: Stepping By Faith
Last found:Feb 18, 2017
Status:FFFF
Last edited:Dec 3, 2008
The Newton Boys was an outlaw gang of the early 20th century, and the most successful train robbers and bank robbers in history. From 1919 through 1924 the gang robbed eighty seven banks and six trains, taking in more money than the Dalton Gang, Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch and the James-Younger Gang combined. Most of this was due to one particular train robbery. The Newton brothers were born and raised near Cottonwood, Callahan County, Texas. The family moved to Uvalde sometime around 920. By 1919, Willis Newton had already robbed a train in Cline, Texas, taking $4,700. He later robbed a bank in Boswell, Oklahoma in the company of a gang he joined in Durant, Oklahoma, taking just over $10,000. By the end of that year four of the five Newton brothers, Willis, Willie, Jess and Joe were each serving separate prison sentences for various small-time crimes. When the brothers were all released, Willis Newton formed the Newton Gang, and immediately started robbing banks across Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Canada. Many of their heists were committed at night, with them breaking in and busting the bank safe without ever having to come into contact with any people or authorities. On one night, in Hondo, Texas, the gang hit two banks the same night. However they also committed several robberies during working hours, after which the patrons and bank employee's often described them as being extremely polite, going out of their way to make sure everyone was comfortable, and always telling the people they would never hurt anyone, and they didn't in any of those robberies. Amazingly, the Newton Gang had received very little attention from law enforcement, despite the large number of robberies they'd committed. However, that would change when they robbed a postal train on June 12, 1924. The gang had teamed up with two Chicago gangsters, two racketeers, and a postal inspecter named William J. Fahy and, using inside information to rob a postal train in Rondout, Illinois. The robbery netted them $3 million in one take. It was the largest train robbery in history. However, during the robbery, Willis Newton and his brothers fired tear gas and their guns to hasten the security personnel throwing the money bags out faster. In the confusion, Willie "Doc" Newton was wounded in the leg. The gang took the money, loaded "Doc" into a vehicle, and left the scene. While loading into the vehicle, a bystander heard one of the robbers say the name "Willie", which put lawmen on their trail. Within days, Doc, Willis, and Joe Newton had been captured, but Jess Newton had evaded capture and headed south to Texas with $35,000. Eventually all those involved with the robbery were arrested, and all but $100,000 recovered. The gang received relatively light sentences due to no one being injured but their own gang member, and the majority of the money having been returned. The missing $100,000 was never recovered. Jess Newton had buried most of it, but being drunk when he did so, he could never remember exactly where. The brothers returned to Uvalde, where they led respectable lives, for the most part. Doc Newton was again arrested for bank robbery in 1968, in Ballinger, but due to his extreme old age the charges were dropped. Willis Newton was implicated in another bank robbery in 1973, in the town of Bracketville, but there was insufficient evidence to arrest him. The Newton Boys did something that notorious outlaws almost never do: they lived to a ripe old age.

Directions:
Cottonwood, Texas, is just off FM 880, eight miles north of Cross Plains in Callahan County. When you get to the intersection of FM 1079 and County Road 429, you'll see an old white building on the SW corner with a historical marker next to it. Park in front of it heading south, get out and read the marker. This bulding was once a bank and a post office and the vault is still inside. Go south from the building a short distance to the Cottonwood Cemetery on the right and park in front of it. Look to the left across the road and you'll see the old Cottonwood Cemetery a couple of hundred yards away across the pasture. The gate is back the way you came, so get out and walk back to it. The gate was locked when we were there, but you could walk around the fence to the left. It has been reported that the fence has been extended to the property line since the box was placed, so you might have to improvise.

To the box:
Walk down the road to the cemetery and enter the gate. At the back right of the ceetery is a group of trees and, among them, several Newton grave markers. Find baby Billy Newton and in the tree closest to him, you'll find The Newton Boys, under a rock.