Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-09-13
The Missouri Horror.

A MARYvILLE (Mo) letter of August
% to the Missouri Republican gives the
following account of the confession and
sudden death of Osburn alias Tanzey,
who was recently caught at Clearmont,
with wagon load of corpses:
THE parties sent on the back track to
see if any clue could be found to the mur-
der, after inquiry. and thorough search
learned that the deed had been committed
in Nodaway County, oneand halfmiles
northeast of Burr Oak Grove, and some
sixteen miles west of Maryville The
ground was covered with blood, and they
found the false teeth of the murdered
woman.
Sufficient evidence had now been col.
lected to prove the previous statement of
the prisoner false, and leave little doubt
that he was the murderer, They then
hastened back to where tliHIprisoner was
confined and confronted him with the
facts. When assured that he had not
long to live, he said, with the most per-
feet Indifference, Proceed, gentlemen,
you canIot hang a man but once He
was then asked to reveal the particulars
of his crime, when he made, in substance,
the following confession;
lie gave his name as Tanzey, and
said it was not Osburn that his home
was at Mount Ayr, Iowa, where he had O
wife and one child. The parties he mur
dered were FIVE in number. A man with
his wife and two children and another
man who was unmarried. He said they
were travelling in lumber wagon and
that they were returning from Kansas tc
Minnesota. He met them on Thursday
the 10Th. Having no money and travel
ing the same direction, they kindly asked
him to join them, which he did. The
wagon being large, they all, six in mum
Der, slept in it. The married man, his
wife and two children slept on platform
on the front of the wagon while the re
naming two slept in the bottom of the
bed below
Last Sunday night, they camped
within half a mile of a house near Burr
Oak Grove. At this place the wretch con
ceived the plan of numbering them ant
making way with their horses and wagon
their cattle (three or four in number), ant
whatever money they might have in theil
possession. After havingmurdered them
he intended to secrete them in the brusf
on Clear Creek, near by.
Satisfying himself that all were sleep
ing, he took loaded pistol which lay in
the wagon, and placing it at the s.oru o
the man who was sleepinG-.sy his side
fired He instantly killed him
"The married man, aroused by the re
port OF the pistol and thinking TanZey
had fired at strange dog which had beer
annoying them during the night by bark
ing, said Good Goodp The assassin
Immediately turned and shot him, anC
then jumped from the wagon to thu
ground. The wounded man attempted
to follow him, when 1anzey seized an az
and dispatched him at once. The wife O
! the murdered man was now running
| around, uttering fearful cries, and, fearing
that she would alarm the people at tht
farmhouse near by, he also killed he
with an ak or club.
| The two infant babies, aged three
/ and fifteen months, now alone TemaineC
| living, and IT seems that he did not dis
pose of them until some time after thu
| rest had been killed. When asked
how he could have the heart t.
Kill the two helpless children, h,
replied that he did so with reluc
! tance, but that when he had murdered
their mother they annoyed him with thei
piteOus cries, and being alarmed lest tn
noise should lead TO his detection, he Gu
their throats from ear TO ear, and thu
completed his work of destruction.
AFTER the confession had been made
two hundred determined men collected a
the place where the prisoner was con
fined. The prisoner, having finished hi
confession, was bound hand and foot ant
taken 10 a black walnut tree, Tame,
was cool and collected, perfectly un
moved. A rope was placed around hi
neck, one end thrown over a limb Of tn,
tree when TanZeV WAS told his time hat
come, and that ten minutes would b.
given him to make any last request. HI
replied that he would like to live to SCI
his wife, and when told his request coul,
not be granted, he said he had no furthe
remarks tc make.
"Many stalWart hands then took hold o
the rope, drawing him clear from tn
ground, and just as dark was coming OF
last Thursday evening, Tanzey the mur
! deTer was launched into eternity. III
died almost without struggle, and wa
buried beneath the tTeeon which he wa
hung"