Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-11-13
[From the Sun, of Saturday.
Another Police Officer Murdered in
Baltimore.

AMULET TOlIC0 VluCtF MuFuereQ III
Baltimore
About eight o'clock last evening Robert
W. Rigdcn, an officer of the Western police
district, and one Of the principal witnesses in
the case of Gambril, whose trial was con-
cluded in the Criminal Court yesterday, was
shot through the window of his own dwell
ling house No. 468 West Baltimore street,
and died almost Immediately The bloody
deed was perpetrated by a body Of men who
approached by an alley in the rear of the
house. Rigdon, warned by threats made
against his life, had returned to his home
after roll-call, and was standing with his
coat off, conversing with his wife, when sew
eral shots were fred and several heavy balls
Or slugs entered his side about the kidney,
and one above the shoulder blade in the
neck. Rigdon who was leaning against the
mantlepiece. moved several PAGES, and fall
ing at the feet of his wife, died before medi-
cal aid could be summoned.
Officers Cook and Hudgins, attracted by
the reports readily conjectured the cause,
and running to the house, encountered a
man named Peter Cory, with others. The
officers attempted to arrest Cory, when he
fired two shots from revolver at Cook,
without effect. He was arrested and con-
fined in the station. The rumor of the shoot
ing spread through every quarter Of the city
and large crowd assembled at the house,
where the body lay, and around the station
house on Green street.
Marshall Herring was soon at the station
house and ordered several officers, who, by
their testimony in Gambrill's case had made
themselves obnoxious to his friends, to be
recalled from their beats.
The people as well as the police insisted
as soon as Cory was brought to the police
station on hanging him without delay, when
he pleaded for his life, and said he would tell
all he knew Of the murder He then said
that Marion Crops, and himself, went to
the house Of Rigdon, and going up the side
alley found the back door open when Crops
fred the fatal shot.
Information Of the completely of those
parties was at once sent to the middle dis
trict police station and Lieut.. Carmichael
and Sergeant McComas started in search Of
the parties. They found Crops at drink
ing house on Holiday street and at once
took him into custody, and conveyed him tc
the middle district police station, where he
was locked up. Sergeants Love and Cook
also went in pursuit of the parties charged
and they arrested a man named VIM. Be
felt at the Corner Of Fayette and Holiday
streets, and he too, was taken to the middle
district police station.
A considerable crowd of persons assem-
bled, and there were strong murmuring Of
at once visiting vengeance upon them
Throughout the city the most intense ex-
element prevailed, and everybody seemed
appalled, at so cold -blooded murder, while
their Indignation rea ched well near up to
violence
Coroner Greentree, at CLOCK last night,
was notified Of the shooting, and prepared
to investigate the case.
T At II o'clock a jury was obtained, with
Caleb Douty Esq, foreman, and the BODY
was examined. The examination revealed
five wounds in the back. At III o'clock.
the jury adjourned to meet at 1211 o'clock,
at which time, we presume the inquest pro-
ceeded, but the demand Of the press pre-
Guided the possibility of our waiting for the
re-assembling Of the jury In the mean
time. post-mortem examination was to be
made, and from the facts already before our
readers the result, hothf G e ,ae autopsy and
inquest may be anticipated,
Rigdon, the second victim, was the only
surviving witness against John Cambria,
brother of Henry Gambrill, charged with
arson, and this coupled with the murder of
officer Benton, leaves no witness against
him.
The Mayor was at the middle district po-
lice station when the information of the MUIR
der Of officer Rigdon was brought down,
and himself and Marshall Herring at once
proceeded to the western station, together
with Capt. Brashears. The police were all
directed to ar" themselves and be prepared
for any emergency that might arise
At eleven o'clock last night, Crops was
committed to Jail on charge of murder.
While on the way to jail, without any pre-
vious intimation of the cause of his arrest,
he asked Lieut.. Carmichael if he had been
arrested for the murder of Rigdon. He was
told that he had been arrested for that, af-
ter which he spoke no more Cory was
committed not only as accessory to the MUIR
der, but for attempting to take the life of
officer Cook The officer returned the shots
of Cory and one of the balls passed through
the cap Of Cory, without, however, doing
him any harm.
About nine o'clock last night, the infor-
nation was received by the mayor that the
house Of Milton Whitney, Esq, the prose-
cutting attorney was threatened, and the
officers in that part Of the city, fully armed,
were warned to be in readiness for action,
and charged to 60 thither as soon as sum-
moned. A portion Of the crowd followed
the hack il which he went to his home and
violent threats were uttered against him.
Cory and Crops have refused to be tried
in Baltimore, declaring that they could not
obtain fair and impartial trial in the Grim
lnal court Of that city. Accordingly they
will be removed to the Baltimore County
Court for trial
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