The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-10-25
KILLED TWO BURGLARS
%s
GANG aF@ FOUR BOUND JOHN
MEACIfs IN HIS BARN, BUT {
SLIPPED HIS BONDS.
Two Ran Away. but Were Wound
ed and Later Captured-ItWas
Work of Infinite Patience
and Bravery-Other
News.

, Work OF Infinite Patlence
, and Bravery-Other
News.
Cleveland, Oct. I5.-Remarkable wa
the courage of aged John Meach in des
perate battle with gang of robbers whit
planned to p1under his home last nigh
. on lonely country road two miles from
the village of Rochester, in Lorain coun
ty.
| Undaunted by the brutality Of the rob
bers, who had bound him hand and fool
and left him in barn, Meach, who is
white-haired and seventy, uu1oosened
the thongs, secured shotgun, shot two
of the bandits dead and wounded two
others.
Meach found his brother Jarvis, aged
sixty-hve, beaten into insensibility by the
robbers. Loren, another brother, aged
eighty. and bedridden, had not been mo-
| lested.
The house where the Meach brothers
live is secluded, and just such spot as
would be chosen by desperate characters
to attempt a crime. The brothers are
reckoned wealthy men, and the robbers
probably had no difficulty in learning
this. 1t was common report that in the
| farm house was safe in which the
Meaches kept considerable money.
John Meach was in barn short dis
tance from the house about s o'clock LIST
night when three OF the robbers sprang
from places of hiding and overpowe cred
him. They knocked him down, bound
him with ropes, dragged him into cor
ner and left him, as they thought, help
less.
Meaeh heard them run toward the
house and Immediately set about to free
himself. With infinite patience the old
man tested the ropes that bound him,
and was overoyed to find that he could
move one of his bands slightly. He
managed to unite knot, and the rest of
the work of releasing himself was con-
paratively easy. He crept to the barn
door and saw that one or more of the
robbers had been left on watch.
Meach stole around to the back of the
the barn, and by circuitous route ap-
preached the house and noise1ess1y en-
tered through door that the robbers
had left open. He was convinced that
they had silenced his brothers, and the
sound of drilling told him that they were
at work on the safe.
He secured shotgun from room near
that in which the robbers were working,
slipped two shells in the chambers, plac-
ed half a dozen more III his coat pocket,
where he could reach them easily, and
tip-toed to the door, through which he
could see three men at work on the safe.
Meach fired both barrels almost at the
same instant. He had caught the rob-
bers ''dead to rights.' Two were prob
ably instantly killed by the heavy charg
es of buckshot.
The third, although seriously wound
ed ran to the outside door and fed
through the yard. Meach slipped two
more shells in his gun, as he gave chase,
and catching sight of retreatingss figure
as he reached the door fred again. It
was found later that this third shot
wounded a fourth member of the gang.
AIeach then went back to the house to |
look for his brothers. He found Jarvis |
bleeding and unconscious from blows on |
the head. Jarvis said later that the rob- |
bers had come upon him unawares and |
struck him down before he could defend
himself. Loren, the invalid, heard what |
was going on and was tortured in mind,
but could do nothing.
The neighborhood was aroused and
the authorities started in search of the
robbers. The robber who had been work
ing at the safe with bis two companions
who were killed was found on the prem
ises fatally wounded. He said his
name was Casey.
A man covered with blood and bearing
many buckshot wounds was captured
near Wellington Village early this morn
ing and raken to the Elyria Jail. He said
his name was Davis, but refused to make
any statement. The authorities are con-
fdent he was one of the gang. His
wounds are serious. 1t is believed that
Casey was the leader of the gang. He
had sJimmy" and nitIo-glycerine in
his possession when captured. The gang
is believed by the authorities to have
been organized in Cleveland.
Loren Meaeh may die as the result of
shock. Jarvis, although painfully wound
ed, will probably recover. John Meach
fought off the robbers before they had Sc
cured any money.
Estray Notice.
Notice is hereby given that about the
Ist day OF August last, three year old
pelditip. 16 hands high weighing about