The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-02-16
THREE BURGLARS KILLED.
Plot to Rob and Murder Exposed
by q Confederate.

TunneltOn, Indiana, on the night OF,
the 10Th inst. was the scene of the kill
ing of three burglars. 1t is little sta
tiOn on the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad,
where many desperate men make their
headquarters. Nicholas Vaughn, Virgil
Wilson, Zachariah Whitfield, and Ben
WllOughby, formed conspiracy a few
days ago to enter the saloon of one
Meyer, who was supposed to have large
sum of money in his cellar. After this
| they were to go to the residence of Mr..
Thomas Clark, a we'll known and wealthy
cltlZen, call him out, kill him, and rob
the house, where it was also thought
there was considerable amount of
money. Then they were to set a vacant
building on fire near the village, and in
the consequent excitement and cOnfu--
sion the cOnspiratOrs were to rob the
large manufacturing establishment of
| Guthrie u Son. After all this had been
accomplished they intended to flee to
| Colorado or New Mexico. WillOughby
| exposed the plot on Sunday morning to
MIR. Clark and few others, and steps
were at once taken to thwart the vii
lians. A freight car was rolled along
the switch track close to the saloon to
afford an ambush for four OF five men.
| Other men were posted in different
positions that gave them full view of
the window at which the burglars were
to enter the saloon. At least twenty-One
men, nearly all armed with shOt-guns
| heavily charged, were thus concealed
awaiting the burglars.
At the appointed time all of them
| WillOughby, as was agreed upon, wear
| ing pair of white pantalOOns that he
might be known and not shOt-ap-
preached the window, which was soon
opened. Vaughn, Whitfield and Wilson
| quickly entered. WillOughby stepped
around the corner of the building, and
pistol shot was fired to alarm the bur
glars, who jumped out of the window on
| to the platform porch, which is elevated
above the ground three or four feet. No
sooner were they all out than the con-
centrated fire of the twenty-One men
was poured upon them. They all fell, but
not one was mOrtally wounded, it is
supposed and they all managed to get
under the platform. Then they were
| called upon to come out and sur
render. The reply was that they
would come out and deliver up
their arms if assurance was given them
that they would not be shot. 1t is said
that this assurance was given, and they
crawled out and delivered up their pis--
tolls. Immediately they were fired upon
by several persons. Whitfield dropped
dead and Vaughn fell mOrtally wounded.
Wilson was badly wounded in the abdO-
men, but ran some distance, fell, got up
and started again, but before he had
gone many steps, he was shot down by
some person who was following him.
While he was dying a shotgun was dis
charged close to his head and the top of
it almost blown off. Vaughn fingered
until twelve o'clock last night, when he
died.
WillOughby, when betraying his com
rades, said that there was an organized
party of twelve, and that a plan had
been laid few days ago to wreck the
through lightning express on the Ohio
| & Mississippi Railroad at what is called
! the Ute Tunnel, near TunneltOn, and
+ rob the express company and passengers.
For some reason the job was abandoned.
. WillOughby is bad man, and was some
years ago confined in Jail in this place
9 on a charge of murder, but owing to
/ lack of evidence against him was dis
4 charged. Yesterday morning he started
: for the west on the Ohio 81 Mississippi
- road, no doubt fearing that if he re-
mained in TunneltOn others of the gang
might avenge the deaths of their com
O | paniOns.