The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-05
Arrest OF t.lc Stoughton saIass.) Mur.
lGerer-Excttfng Struggle wltaa the

BosToS. Dec. 1.-The excitement con
cernu" the murder of Constable Parkard
in Stouenton, which occurred several
weeks ago. has been renewed by the dis
covery and arrest of the murderer, John
Moran. The murder was brutal outrage
and for some days following the woods
in Stoughton ard vicinity were searched in
vain by detectives and citizens. or late the
interest IN the matter had decreased, but
the town authorities were exceedingly
rigilant, rs it was Surmised that Moran was
hiding in the vicinity. Yesterday afternoon
Mr. George Talbot, one Of the selectmcn,
received definite information that Moran
was concealed in the residence Of Mrs
Reagan. his sister, on the lower road, in
East Stoughton village, in a structure
known rs The "Black House."
Mr.. Talbot went to Randolph to see She.
riff Warren, and get him to aid in his or.
rest. AIR. Warren was absent on business,
and Talbot, fully approaching the value oi
time, armed himself. and collecting ten OF
II dozen citizens Of Stoughton, who also Sc.
cured rcvolyers and shot-gunS, and pro.
cccdcd. about dark, to the Black House.
which they Immediately surrounded. Citi.
zens Of East Stoughton might have been en-
ployed, but they have ali along been so in
cen>cd at Moran. that it was feared by Tai
bot that If they saw him he wonld not be
captured alive. The house having been
surrounded. Mr.. Talbot entered, told Mrs.
Reagan that her brother John was in the
house, aud he wished to see him. She de.
clarcd that he was not there, and that she
| had not seen him for months. Talbot re-
marked that he was positive John was there;
hat he had caused the house to be sur.
rounded, and was determined to arrest the
murderer, dead or alive. The woman still
insisted that John was not in the house, and
Talbot then commenced the search.
Information he had received led him dl.
rectiy 10 the north bedroom, where he
| moved the bed and basket which sat
under it, and lifted trap-door in the floor
| he had raised it but 4 few inches when 4
pistol shot from the cavity beneath, through
the aperture, indicated Mor;ln's presence,
The bullet from Moran's pistol passed be.
tween TalbottS legs. and lodged in the
| ceiling. The latter dropped the drap-door
| and deliberated a moment. He called for 4
gun loaded with bail, and In the next in.
slant heard i sound rs Of falling masonry,
! coupled with cries and shots on the out.
side of the house. 1t appeared that
| Moran had SO fixed four or five large stones
| in the cellar wall that they could be re-
moved from the inside and make an apper.
ture large enough ior him to craw
IL.
he had fastened to this spot, removed the
stones, and looked out. Seeing his enemies
in front, and being utterly desperate, he
fired two shots mt them. perhaps in the
hope that they would quail, but the shots
were returned.
lie, however, stepped out, revolver in
hand. and started for the woods. One OF
Moran'~ shots struck Il revolver in the
hands OF one Of the citizens, and he fell,
seeing which Moran exclaimed, "There's
one d--n -- dead.' No one was hurt,
however, and the pursuit was kept up,
Moran running with all his strength, re-
ceviEg the fire of his pursuers from behind,
and turning now and then to return the
compliment, But the shots of the pursuels
began to tell, and on reaching piece OF
Swumpy ground, about sixty rods from the
house. lie fell. His pursuers came up, and
one Of them, pointing Il pistol at his head,
demunded that he should put up bis
hands on penalty ot instant death. Mo-
rams pistol had before been emptied
and thrown away, and he surrender.
ed. He was Immediately handcufled
and taken in custody, followed back to the
road by Il number of excited people, who
had been attracted by the pistol firing. 1t
was seen that he was wounded in both legs.
He WAS put III Il carriage and immediately
taken to UedIiam Jail. On arriving there
| his wounds We're dressed by DR.. Chase, who
found that he had been shot through one
knee and hit in the opposite hip. He mad
| blcd freely, and was faint from the loss OF
blood. he talked very little, but said,
among other things, that he had several
times been back and forth in East Slough
ton since september 10, the day of the
murder, and only came to the house the
last time at 3 O'clock yesterday afternoon
lis case Will 90 before the grand jury,
which meets next Monday.