Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-09-13
! HANGING A BuRKER.
Strangulation Of the Most Notori-
Gus Criminal
IN4THE BUCKEYE STATE,
History ofthe Crime for Which Ben Johnson,
The CoIored Resurectionist.
Was Hung.
ELoPED WITH A CIRCUS,

CINCINNATI, O., September l2.-Benia.
min johnson, colored, was hanged this
morning for completely with Allen Ingalls,
in the murder of Beverly Taylor and wife
and little girl near Avondale last February.
The atrocity of their crime, together with
the action Of the jury in fixing the grade Of
Wmst tBerners crime at manslaughter when
it wss clear ease of murder in the FIRST
degree were the patent cases leading to the
riot.
The Story of the Crime.
The triple murder occurred on the night
of Friday, February Is. The small cabin
of Beverly Taylor, an aged negro at Avon
dale, was occupied by himself his wife and
an adopted daughter, Eliza Jane Lambert,
aged eleven. On Saturday morning the
charred ruins of the old hut suggested to
people in the vicinity the death by fire of
the three inmates during the night. Mr..
Mills, the owner Of the hut, made search
among the ashes for the bodies or bones,
yet found nothing. No trace could be found
of the missing people. Marshal Brown,
of Avondale, took the case in hand for
serious investigation. A small notice
OF mysterious fire at Avondale was
all that appeared in public prints. A
week later Marshal Brown, following an in
tuitive clue, found the bodies Of the missing
people in the dissecting room Of the Ohio
Medical College, on Sixth, near Vine. The
bodies were found as brought to the college.
The skull of each was fractured. There was
unmistakable evidence that each person had
been murdered Subsequent investigation
showed that they had been brought to the
college on that night of the fire by two ne
groes, who had been paid for the bodies by
DR.. Cilley the demonstrator in anatomy
Marshall Brown at once arrested Allen In
gals and Ben johnson, in Avondale charging
them with numbering the Taylor family.
Then the story came ont that on the night
of the murder ingalls, and johnson went
together to the Taylor hut. They we're we'll
acquainted with the family. Both were
armed with clubs and carried with them
gunny sacks in which to put the bodies,
Going into the hut they found the three peo-
pie sitting about the fireplace. They all
Jumped up at the intrusion. Ingalls, struck
he old man terrible blow with a locust
club. johnson knocked in the skull of the
young girl, and both soon killed the old
lady Then the three dead bodies were
put into the sacks and carried outside.
The hut was set on fire and the
ghouls left with their bodies. r. B.
Dixon, an expressman, was in waiting near
by. The bodies were put into the wagon,
and all went into the city. Ingalls, sat up
on one of the bodies and smoked his pipe
during the Journey AT the college the
bodies were taken out and carried in by
Ingalls, and Sohnson. Ingalls, received $50
from DR.. Cilley and was promised $25
more at another time. Both negroes then
went 10 their homes on Crescent avenue, in
kvSndaIe. The arrest of the two men
made a great sensation THE burkers" be-
came the most noted criminals of the age.
In three days Johnson confessed first, and
Ingalls, followed, when he found that his
name was discovered and that nothing
could save him from conviction.
The Execution.
DR.. Cribley, Of the medical college, came
in for great share of the blame for the
crime. Terrible suspicious of similar deeds
were suggested when memory recalled the
many mysterious disappearances IN Cincin-
natl for years past Both criminals were
speedily indicted. A month later came the
baptism of fire and riot upon the jail and
court house. Later, Ingalls, was found
dead in his CELL He hanged himself with
rope made from his bed clothes. johnson
was tried and sentenced to be hanged, and
to-day the law was carried out.
johnson was attended the last fifteen
minutes in his cell by DIR. Joyce alone. The
Sheriff read the warrant few minutes be-
fore 10 o'clock. johnson listened with wild
look. but said nothing. He knelt on the
scaffold during very brief prayer, and then
made short speech declaring his innocence
and saying he was prepared to die Death
was almost instantaneous, and without any
peculiar feature The execution took place
in the Jail yard, the scaffold being screened
by a canvass
johnson career has been concealed by
his cuteness or rather stubbornDess, since
his life in iail He stated when he was on
rial that he was about thirty years old;
that he had been born slave in Trumbull
county Kentucky, and had served year in
The army. For some years he had been
living in Cincinnati and vicinity. When
the murder occurred he was living in the
same house with Allen ingalls, in Avondale.
From confessions which both men made
during their stay in Jail n is certain that
Johnson, Ingalls, and others were making
stiff raising their business. They were
both professional resurrectionists and many
graves in the country cemeteries are empty
because Of these gouls.