The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-25
w HEN
CLOTHING STORE.
THE AVONDALE TRAGEDY,
One of the Murderers Of the Taylor Family
Makes a Full Confession.

CINCINNATI, Feb. 23.-The examination of
the parties charged with the murder of Beverly
Taylor and wife and Eliza Jane Crambert, an
adopted child, whose bodies were sold to the
Ohio Medical College the same night of the
murder, was held at Avondale this morning
before Mayor Strickland.
Dr. Ciller demonstrator of anatomy at the
Ohio Medical College, testified that Allen Ingalls,
and another man brought the bodies and that he
regarded ingalls, as a resuTectionist but refused
to testify to any other cases where ingalls, had
sold bodies to the college.
Ben johnson pleaded guilty, but Allen Ingalls,
remained defiant. He and johnson were held
for murder in the first degree Richard ingalls,
and jeff Pont were discharged.
Tonight the result was made known of a long
conversation in the Jail between Allen Ingalls,
and Marshal Brown in which the whole story of
the killing of the Taylor family was told In
gals for a long time resisted all attempts to get
the facts from him, but finally saying I'm
gone anyhow; | know you will be good to my
family when I'm dead; I'll tell you the truth. .
He said that Friday morning Ben Johnson who
lives with him, said to him that he had three
points for that night. He explained that points
meant subjects for the medical colleges. He
asked johnson where they were, and Johnson
replied: The three people at the Taylor cabin on
the hill. They are no good. We can knock
them in the head" Ingalls, said he agreed, went
to the Ohio Medical College and told them he
would have three subjects that night. They
agreed to pay him $l5 apiece, and gave him a
note TO the eXpressman, f. B. Dixon. He went
to the eXpressman, engaged him to meet them
on the Avondae pike at nine o'clock that night,
then went home and after dark he and johnson
started to the Taylors. They had a bottle of
whiskey, took drinks and felt good.
The door was not locked and they boted in.
The old man was sitting by the side Of the fire
place, his wife in front and the girl at work in
the room. johnson had locust club little
longer than policemans club, and began strik-
ing them over the head right and left, as he
would cattle. The woman struggled and offered
resistance ingalls, says he finally chOked her
80 death. johnson easily disposed of the others
with club Then they stripped the bodies, put
them in sacks which they had brought along,
and carried them to the roadside and went to
meet the wagon. Loading them in they drove
to the Ohio Medical College and delivered them
and got their pay. Ingalls, says he knows moth
ing about the firing of the cabin
The funeral at Avondae town hall, at this
afternoon, of Beverly Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor
(man and wife) and Eliza Jane Lambert their
granddaughter, lasted over two hours. Over
one thousand people were present, one-fourth of
whom were the best white citizens in Avondale
Several clergymen spoke. All were colored, eX-
cept Rev. Joseph Emory, city missionary. EN-
ory spoke first He said these criminals, by the
law of God deserved no mercy. Theirs a
crime which deserved summary punishment
without resort to courts, by the citizens taking
the law into their own hands. These remarks
were greeted with shouts, in which the whites
and blacks joined.
Elder R, W. Scott, colored was the next
speaker. He said the plea of insanity might be
urged for these criminals, but he thought the
best treatment for these men was, for each one
a stout rope and the nearest lamp-post Then he
went on asking: Do they deserve mercy Did
they show any! Did they show mercy when they
knocked out Elizabeth Taylors brains9 Did
they show mercy when they beat down that help
less little girl or when they knocked old Beverly
Taylor in the head, pleading for mercy9 To each
of these questions the audience responded with
thunderous NO"
Resolutions We're passed thanking the officers
and denouncng the crime. One resolution read.
Resolved. That searching and untiring investi-
cation be continued to develop if there be any com
plcity with the man who bought the bodies"
The bodies were viewed when the funeral serv-
ices ended. They were taken to the coored peo-
pies cemetery, west of the city, and locked in
vault. Allen ingalls, and Ben Johnson the
prisoners in the jail, contradict each, others
stories. johnson is sullen, but ingalls, talks
freely johnson has said Ingalls, did the club
bing