The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-06-17
THE McGEHAN MURDER.


OF THE MURDBRERs-THE FATAL SHOT
STRUGGLES OF THE DYING MAN
The Cincinnati papers are filed with &C.
counts OF the mysterious assassination OF
Tom Mcclellan, at Hamilton, on Sunday
night. From the Gazette is CLEANED the &C
companyng statement: The notorious Tom
Niece hsn, who for years has been the terror
OF Hamilton, was assassinated in his saloon
in that city on Sunday night, shortly betorel2
O'Clock. The saloon is a two story frame
buiidin g connected with a bowling allav
and stands on the north side of Basin street
a lev doors vest OF the 9. II. 81 d. railroad.
Wess OF the saloon, and separated from il
by az opsn yard, ten or twelve feet in width
is small wagon shop. The yard extends in
the rear OF the main saloon building
TO row OF sheds, midway between
Basin and High streets. Two or three doors
in the shed walls open into blank lots 'front.'
ing on High street, where excavations and
buildings are Ia progress. The doors may
have furnished tie means of escape of the
assassins. On ths west side or the saloon,
and lighting the counter on the north enc.
Is window, which il has been the custom
OF the ssioOn-keeper to cover at nights with
a close pine shutter, in which there are four
openings at the top-two circular
openings, and below them two of diamond
shape, a.oot six inches in height by
i've In width. The window is barred, by \
stout iron rod on the outside, fastened in
side. In the yard there has been fer some
days an oldhght wagon, probably waiting
for repairs at the shop. The assassins, who
ever they were, must have made themselves
familiar with the ground, and learned The
exact p0sltian OF the window in relations 20
the parts of. the saloon the height of the
opening abcye ground, the presence of the
wagon, and The habit OF the saloon Keeper
THEIR STUDIES
too, must hsge been cautiously conducted,
for the dwelling-rooms Of Jake Huns5ach,s
saloon abut upon the west border of the
yard, and nocturnal or daylight Surveys of
the premises would have attracted the atten-
ton of the tsunily.. MoGs m had been IN
his saloon daring the afternoon and In
the evening until pretty late, which
must have been known to the assas-
sins. His subsequent presence on the
ST. Julian corner, about three-auar-
ters OF a square west, and his return to the
saloon with Sam. Darling and Harry Hay,
must also have been known to the persist.
ent shadowersl. Directly after McGehan's
return TO the saloon, the wagon was prob
ably wheeled quietly up, with the rear al
most pressing against the window: the men
mounted, and with the mrEzle OF a double
barrelled gun resting upon the lower, sides
OF the northern diamond; uneering aim
was allowed, and the fatal shots were
fired man Of average height would require
to stoop considerably in sighting through
the opening while standing upon the wagon.
According to the stories OF Darling and Hay,
the former was standing near the east side
of the counter, and the latter partly TO his
rear and aliItle to his left, or nearer the yard
window. Darling is a newspaper man, off
duty temporarily. He was Tor q time the
Hamilton correspondent OF the En-
AT -
cal OF the. Butler County Democrat.
Hay is last young man of leisure and, re-
duced circumstances, who has squandered,
since striving at his majority, year or two
ago, an estate large enough to satisfy the
aLo bition OF any young man of averagssn-
terprise and industry. Neither OF the mid
night visitors 10 the saloon could reasona-
bic be suspected OF completely, in any form
with the killing. Both evidently feared the
shots were fred at them by Mcclellan, and
BoLEING IN WILD AFFR,GHT
fcz the door, endeavored 10 save theiz lives.
by putting the greatest possible distance
between themselves aad the terrible Nc
Gshan. Hay admits that he skedaddled in
the darkness through vacant lots, and luzn-
Der yards, around corners, and mills, and
Sences, toward the coantry fir groand, and
shat no didn't dare tc turn homeward to the
ST. Julian Hotel until daylight, fully iour
hours atterward. Darling stated sas
ahead OF him, and turning uf
the railroad ,an northvard 8
number of squares, seeking refuge irsvs
rious localities for a coupls of hours, wbes
he vantursd upon High street, and ia
Phillips House. where no awakened tn
clerk, went to be6s and waited for brcz ,
daylight before risking sgsin the bullea O
/ his supposed assassin. Private night wafx b
man, Nathan S. Woods, heard the sid IT
while sitting at 5orner sbout o square q q,
half northwest of the sslsS or
not on duty at the tame, beard the re
ports at some point near the Basin, a sqI lar
or so esss of the saloon, and going to yar
whence the sound proceeded, enco1nt sreC
Woods. Ex-De7uty Marshal Billy Lii igle
was lingering over fond good nieI 1t a
some rnaiden's gate on the Opposite 81 ie @
the street, half a square west, whes 1 tb
shots we're fired, and be saw nobody n th
street, nor beard unusual comm otior
Jacob Humbach and the membt rs G
his family, living but fev
feet away from the SPOT, heard tn
I shots, but heard no other sound than tia
of asrapid stamping Of feet in the saloon, a
of the two visitors running. There was
very loud report followed in a lew second
1 by lighter report, as if the first was that O
a gun and the second that OF a revolver
jimmy Valiandigzam, prosecuting sttoyne,
nearly three squares away. and wher b
and the officer reached the saloon and en-
I tered, they found the Light brightly barn
ing, and great pool of blood with fetid odo
Upon the floor, while Mcclellan lay
LIMP AID DEAD
Tat one side of table. with his head partl
supported by the wall. Back of The ba
were small pools Of blood, and extendin
from a xUara clotted hoot ,,oarlrs to tha a,~
, where he Laid. A streak partly beneat
him showed where, as death ovezoook hin
his heels slowly slic from under him. an
blood marks on the beer table and doc
frame testified to thestrpggle to sapport hin
self as he fell. 1t was hideeus sight. on
3 eye was entirely shot out; the mouth was tor
partly OF; three or four front teeth, Of ls.rp
+ size, lay near him, and the whole lace an
; Sneck seemed riddled with bullets. III
: hands lay stretched at his side, and a r,
!, volver lay across his stomach. The bod,
] though disfgured, wss easily recognizsc