Escape Arranged by Poncan

Following the almost certain identity of Dunn in connection with the Clarksville robbery, there was a quarrel resulted between city and county peace officers at Wichita, as to which should have possession of him and collect the reward, understood to be $11,000. During the quarrel between the two sets of officers Dunn escaped foam the hospital during a stormy night has not been seen since.

Dressed as a nurse Dunn passed by both the city and county guards at the hospital and escaped, entering an automobile outside the building and riding away. It is understood that a former Ponca City man, a friend of Dunn, framed the escape. This man is now dead. Dunn is said to have come in a covered wagon to the town of Kildare, seven miles north of Ponca City, and covered up until his wounds would permit him to travel.

When Dunn appeared at the Wichita hospital, to have his wounds dressed, he said he had been in a shooting scrape at Wellington, and nothing was thought of this under Durham and "Frenchy" called on him a few days later. In 1920 there was a report that Dunn was arrested at Okmulgee, Oklahoma and taken back to Clarksville, but this proved to be some other man. Before Sheriff Powers died, during the Clarksville robbery, he shot one of his assailants in the stomach, and this was Dunn. The man arrested at Okmulgee had a similar bullet wound.

Dunn’s escape at Wichita was sensational and caused an official scandal there that threatened the good name of nearly every peace officer of Wichita and Sedgwick County. There were ugly charges of bribery. A lively fight took place at the hospital, where Dunn was patient, between city and county officers, each wanting the big reward.

Governor W. E. Stanley made a personal investigation at the time and laid the blame on the Wichita city and county officers. C. E. Bowers, physician in attendance on Dunn at the time, declared that the Oklahoman could not have escaped without outside aid, as he was in critical condition from bullet wounds in the stomach and hip.

There were only two nurses on duty at the time of the escape and this made it comparatively easy for the friends of Dunn to pull off the stunt of dressing him as a nurse. Dr. Bowers is reported as saying at the time that he had turned down a princely sum, offered him by Dunn to help him escape.