The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-12-02
Capture of a Murdercr-Eais Experience
Fugitive.

uh a. II SRtAfcs
John Moran, who murdered officer Packard
at Stoughton, Mass, in September last, was
captured by posse of men in the house OF his
sister on Wednesday. The house was sur
rounded, and two officers entered to SEARCH
A trap door was discovered cut through the
Hoor under bed, which was partially con-
ceaied by clothes basket. QUO Of the uiaiovre
stepped upon the door aud at that moment bt
heard the report Of pistol and the whiz of d
bullet, which passed up within an inch Of his
face and lodged in the ceiling. Another shot
was fired Immediately, and as the officer step
ped aside he heard wall falling in the cellar,
nd called out to the men outside to look out
Moran made dash out of bulkhead door il
he rear OF the house, but was welcomed with
a snot which made him recol He dashed out j.,
however, and took to the fields, the officers
iud men after him. 1t was moonlight and
several of the men fell in the pursuit, but SIX
or seven shots were fired at him. aud at last ht
fell, wounded in the knees He then turned
and fred his last shot at officer Forsyth, very
narrowly missing him. Officer Bal'Ou then
came up and ordered Moran to hold up both
uands or he was dead man, and he instantly
complied. When he arrived at Dedham jail
ne was quite weak from loss of blood. A sub
Fequent examination showed that his wounds
were quite severe, and it is somewhat singular
fact that none of the many shots which took
fleet in his body proved fatal. Beside the Sc
we're wound in his knee as mentioned above,
it appears that two bullets passed
through the calf of bis leg and one lodged iu
his arm, nearly disabling 1T, while his back
was almost riddled with charge of buckshot
discharged from musket, the latter producing
very painful but not dangerous wounds. His
escape from death by the buckshot alone can
only be accounted for by the fact that the party
firing must have been considerable distance
of, and that by the time the shot reached him
their force was spent, which prevented their
penetration TO- vital spot The ball which
passed through his right knee Inflicted the
most severe wound, and not until crippled by
this did he abandon his hopes of escape.
Morans escape from those in pursuit eff him
-lnce the fatal evening has been somewhat
marvellous, and according TO his own statement
Ne considers it. mystery that on several occa
SONS his hiding place was not discovered, so
numerous were his pursuers. He has been
lurking in the immediate vicinity of the muir
der since it was committed, the woods being
his place of retreat a large portion OF the time
until driven therefrom by the Indictment
weather, when he was harbored by his sister In
East Stoughton, and has passed the time be-
tween her house and that of friend in Ran.
dolph. His journeys between the two places
nave alwas been in the night, through the
woods by roundabout way, and 10 each case
he exercised extreme caution to prevent rec.
ne was Obliged to cross. For several weeks
past he has remained at Randolph, and has
not visited Stoughton more than half dozen
times, and his only object in leaving Randolph
on tuesday night was for the purpose of going
10 Easton, where be thought the offices, whom
he knew were constantly on the watch for him,
would hardly expect to find him.
While secreted in the woods between Slough
ton and Bridgewater, the officers in their
search passed frequently by his hiding spot,
and their observation in regard to the murder
could be distinctly heard by him. His escape
on the night that he was pursued and sur
rounded in the swamp he regards as the most
wonderful, and he relates with evident pleas
ure the manner in which he thwarted the arm
ed crowd of citizens so close upon him.
AT one time in the swamp he says that there
were no less than dozen men. each armed
with muskets, IN close proximity to him, and
that to escape detection he lay crouched to the
ground, mo- daring to change his position, fear
ing that the least movement would attract at
tention, and knowing that if 1T did nothing
but death awaited him at the hands of his ex-
cited and avenging fellow townsmen.
His progress out of the confines of the swamp
was very slow, and in one place to avoid large
number of men stationed across the road to in
tercept him, he was compelled to crawl on his
nands and knees distance of over 200 yards
a ,t IN the face and eyes of those living in
t mal. ior NM Out of the swamp, he encoun-
S Seisd no dih1cuty, and pushed on toward Ran
dolph on the main road, nnIess nersons wara
or woods io 'ooA w VIC neiuS
After reaching Randolph he annoars mot +o
nave hau ln1 least anxiety of being identified.
for-he says he called at four difT.Son, ,.Iaoos
where persons we've congregated w;thnrt p ha;
known. 1t is not known at whose houSa Me-
ran has been stopping while at RandoInb ~
he does not seemed inclined to give ipfn,r nno
ton which shall lead to their arrest