The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-09
TIE CRIME.
The Murder of Taylor Dunbar-Pursuit and
Arrest of Stout.

TIE CRIME
The Murder of Taylor Dunbar-Pursuit and
Arrest of stout.
The crime for which Joseph W. Stout to-day
paid the penalty with his life was the cold
blooded and premedtated murder OF Taylor
Dunbar, quiet and peaceable citizen of Dar-
.hngton, Montgomery county on the 26th of
November last. Dunbar was huckster and
made trips through the county adjacent to
Darlington, purchasing farm produce and
exchanging it for dry goods and notions.
On the morning of the day of the murder he
started from Darlington on one OF these
regular journeys with his team, and just as
he was about to leave the town was accosted
by Stout, who asked permission to ride as
far as New Ross, through which Dunbar's
course took him, and where Stout intended
taking the train for indianapolis. The two
proceeded about five miles on the journey.
and were seen by several residents along the
road chatting pleasantly, and apparently on
the best of terms. Finally, the huckster's
team was found standing by the roadside,
deserted and casual search dis
closed no trace of the late occupants
of the vehicle. A detailed investiga-
ton was begun, and some distance
from the roadside Dunbaris body was dis
covered, partially hidden by heap of brush,
which had been hastily thrown over it. A
bloody club and an empty gun lay beside the
-ne.-ysu auu served trlsi;eate the laaaneI uf
the murdered mans death. The head was
torn almost to shreds and battered beyond
recognition, the murderer having. evidently,
resorted both to the gun and the more brutal
weapon, the bludgson to dispatch his aged
yictim.
PURSUIT AND CAPTURE OF STOUT.
The usually quiet little community was
thrown into the widest state of excitement
by the disclosure of the fact that such a hor-
rible tragedy had been enacted in It's midst,
and the attention of everyone was instantly
turned to the apprehension OF of the perpe-
traitor Suspicion naturally fell upon Stout,
and ]. A. Marshall, citizen OF Montgomery
county, volunteered to undertake his pursuit
and capture. People living in the neighbor-
hood Of the scene of the murder had seen a
man answering Stouts description emerge
from the woods near the spot where the body
was found and cross the fields in the
direction of the road leading to New
Ross. and the self-constituted detective
correctly surmising that the fugitive would
start for Indianapolis. turned his steLs in
that direction On arriving at the capital,
Mr.. Marshall appraised the police of the ma
ture of his visit and began searching the
slums for his man. His acquaintance with
Stout's character led him to think that he
would seek amusement at some of the vari-
ETY. theaters of the west side, and in this con-
lecture he was also correct Stout was ap.
pretended at the Zoo variety theater among
the crowd leaving the house, and was imme-
diately placed under arrest and taken to the
police station. He manifested not the least
surprise or anxiety, and denied vigorously
all knowledge of the murder, to the different
ones who questioned him on the subject pre-
vieus to his departure for Charlottesville.
DAMNNe EVIDENCE OF GUILT.
On being searched at the station-house
among the contents of the prisoners pockets
pawn ticket was discovered, calling for a
silver watch, which had been pawned the
day previous at South Illinois
street pawnbroker's shop by John Smith,"
At The National Hotel, whers Stout registered
on arrival at Indianapolis, he had assumed
This alias, and had born it during his short
sojourn in, the city. 1t was discovered furth-
that he had on three shirts the one next
10 his person being saturated with blood, and
the cuffs missing. For the presence of the
blood stains he accounted by saying that he
had had hemorrhage from the few
days previous, and explained his Possession
of the pawn check by saying that he had
found it on the street Inquiry, however,
developed the fact that he had in reality
pawned the watch, which was in due time
recognized as the property of his victim,
Dunbar. Subsequently pair of bloody cuffs
discovered beside the murdered man
were identified as those belonging
10 Stouts shirt. The chain of circum-
s,tantial evidence was complete, but even
then the wretched criminal maintained his
mperturbability. To the Journal reporter
tyho interviewed him at the station-house he
admitted leaving Darlington in Dunbar's COM