The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-04-08
KILLING OF BILL MORAN.
A West Virginia Terror" COrnered and Slain
by a Party of Charleston Detectives.

BRAMwELL, w. Va, April THE details
of the killing of Bill Moran. the terror of
the Flat Top coal region, which occurredlast
Tuesday. at a point abouttwenty miles from
Pocahontas, in Bramwell county, Virginia,
shows the fight which ended in the death
of the outlaw to have been one of the most
exciting and desperate ever known in this
part of the country. Moran has for a year
past been a veritable terror to the people
along the border between the two
States, and for the past three
months he has been especially OBJ
n~oxious. openly defying the authorities,
running things pretty much as he pleased,
and declaring at every opportunity that he
would never be taken alive. He kept his
word in that particular, only giving up the
ghost after he had been pierced by a dozen
revolver balls, n fighting to the last, al
though confronted by three armed men.
The particular circumstance which led up
to the killing of Moran dates back about
two weeks. At that time he got on a big
drunk at Falls Mills. w. Va, shot into the
depot several times, obliging the occupants
to. flee for their lives; broke out the
windows, threw the switch-lamps into the
river, and promised to kill anyone offering
to interfere with him. He was let alone for
the time being, but the railroad people de-
termined to put an end to such outlawry,
and sent for detective Baldwin. Baldwin
swOre out a warrant for Moran and started
in search of him, March 81, accompanied by
detectives Wallace and Robinson. They
located him in Tazewell county, Virginia,
Monday night last. and the following morn
ing. about 5 O'Clock, the officers went to the
house where he was hidden. Baldwin went
up to the door and asked for a drink of
water, and Wallace and Robinson coming
up about the same time, Baldwin said:
Hes here; I'll make a break for him. and
you two follow quick" Baldwin at once
sprang through the door into one of the
two rooms, and seeing a man in bed in one
corner supposed 1T was Moran, and called
to him to surrender. Just then Moran ap-
peared at the door of the other room
and fired two shots at Baldwin.
one passing through his coat on a
line with his heart, and the other
striking him in the arm, near the wrist.
By this time Wallace and Robinson were
in the house, and the firing became general.
Wallace went down with one hot in the
mouth and rwo In his right arm, and Rob-
inson fired five shots at the outlaw, when
his pistol was knocked from his hand by q
bullet which cut off one of his fingers.
A woman in the house also fired five shots
at Moran and then tainted Moran shot all
the cartridges from his two revolvers and
then fell. He died in two minutes, and
when examined, twelve wounds were found
on him, six being in his body. The three
detectives received eight pail. Wallace is
lying at the point of death at a house near
the scene of the shooting, and Baldwin
rode twenty miles for a doctor for him be-
fore he would have his own wounds
dressed. Moran never spoke after the firing
began. There is general satisfaction at his
death.