Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-02-11
THREE BURGLARS KILLED.
Their Plot to Rob and Murder Exposed by
q Confederate.

1 COUIc U6TQt6s
BEDFORD, Ind, Feb. 7.-Tunnelton,
the scene of the killing of the three bur-
glars last night, is little station on the
Ohio s. Mississippi railroad, in Indiana,
where many desperate men make their
headquarters. Nicholas Vaughn, Virgil
Wilson, Zachariah Whitfield and Ben
Willoughby formed conspiracy a few
days ago to enter the saloon of one
Meyer, who was supposed to have
a large sum of money in his cellar
After this they were to 60 to the
residence of Mr.. Thos. Clark, we'll
known and wealthy citizen, 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
vacant building on fire near the edge of
| the village, and in the consequent ex-
| citement and confusion the conspirators
| were to rob the large manufacturing es-
| Enlistment of Guthrie g. Son. Afrer all
this had been accomplished they intended
to flee to Colorado or New Mexico. Will
loughby exposed the plot on Sunday
morning to Mr.. Clark and a few others,
| and steps were at once taken to thwart the
villains A freight car was rolled along
| the switch track close to the saloon to af-
ford an ambush for four or five men.
Other men were posted in different posi-
| tions that gave them full view of the win
dow at which the burglars were to enter
| the saloon. At least twenty one men,
| nearly all armed with shotguns heavily
charged, were thus concealed awaiting
the burglars.
At the appointed time all of them-Wil-
loughby, as was agreed upon, wearing a
pair of white pantaloons that he might
| be known and not shot-approached the
window which was soon opened. Vaughn,
Whitfield and Wilson quickly entered
| Willoughby stepped around the corner of
the building and pistol was fired to
| alarm the burglars, 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 concentrated fire of the twenty
one men was poured upon them. They
all fell, but not one was mortal
ly wounded, it is supposed, and
| they managed to get under the
| platform. Then they were called
| upon to come out and surrender. The
reply was that they would come out and
| deliver up their arms if assurance was
given to them that they would not be
shot 1t is said that this assurance was
given, and they crawled out and delivered
| up their pistols. Immediately they were
| fired upon by several persons. Whitfield
dropped dead and Vaughn fell MORALLY
wounded. Wilson was badly wounded in
the abdomen, 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 shotgun was dis
charged close to his head and the top of
it almost blown off. Vaughn fingered
until IL O'Clock last night. when he died.
Willoughby, when betraying his COM
rades, said that there was an organize
party of twelve, and that plan has been
laid few days ago to wreck the through
lightning express on the Ohio & Missis-
sippi 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 at this place
on charge of murder, but owing to lack
of evidence against him was discharged
Yesterday morning he started for the
West on the Ohio s. Mississippi road, nc
doubt fearing that if he remained in
Tunnelton others of the gang might
avenge the death of their companions.