Evening star., 1948-07-23
SIoyings
Continued From First Page)

SnaIer, DlaDeQ away WIN Inelr guns
despite the wounds, and Sergt. Conn
finally hit the driver between the
eyes with machine gun bullet. The
driver was identified as West.
AS the firing ceased a man
crawled from one Of THE four trucks
on the driveway. his hands in the
air. He said he was Daniels. and
the highway patrol said he admitted
he and West had committed the
seven killings for which they had
been sought over 20 states the last
two weeks.
Sergt. Conn's condition was re-
ported as critical at Van Vert Hos
pital, and attaches there said West
could not possibly live"
No Trace of Regular Driver.
The regular driver of the drive
away truck had not been found,
opening the possibility that he, too,
may have been a victim of the kill
ers in their search for transporta-
ton with which to evade capture in
the closing net which authori-
ties had thrown around the up
State sector.
The pair of guhmen hit the end of
their trail only few hours after
they had killed the last two of their
seven victims, Farmer James Smith,
Is, of Tiffln, who was slain as he
sat in car with his wife, and an
unidentified man whose body was
found early today in a roadside
park. 1t was thought he might be
the authorized driver of the drive
away truck.
The gray Pontiac car in which
the killers launched their career IA
days ago by Staying Earl Ambrose.
Columbus tavern operator, was
found beside the body Of the latest
victim. -.E.. 4.-
After the Ambrose killing, the two
youthful gunmen blazed a bloody
trail, which had law enforcement
officers baffled and had all of Ohio
in state of "jitters."
Next on the list of victims was
Frank Kerech, middle-aged tourist
camp operator at Flat Rock, Mich.
Five Agencies in Hunt.
Then the killers, after being seen
momentarily in Southeastern Ohio,
swept into the northern section and
back to the Mansfield reformatory
where both had served time for
previous crimes.
There, before dawn, they routed
a reformatory official, his wife and
2l-year-old daughter from their
beds in their nightclothes, ram
sacked the residence to obtain a
shotgun, rifle and revolver and then
shot the three to death In a rain
swept corn field. The nude bodies
of Reformatory Farm Superinten-
dent John Niebel, so, his wife,
Nolanda, So, and 21-year- -old Phyllis,
her red hair done up in pin curriers',
were found hours later.
The Niebel killings occurred We'd
nesday, and five law enforcement
agencies joined in the hunt.
But before they could be captured
they struck again last night, adding
two more victims.
Mr.. Smith. and his wife were en-
route home after having some ice
cream when gray car crowded
their auto to the side of the road.
One of the occupants of the other
car accused Mr.. Smith of speeding,
and asked to see his drivers license.
Body Found in Park.
Mr. Smith produced it, but re-
monstrated when the man attempted
to walk off with it. The man turned
and fired, killing him, then climbed
into the rear seat with Mrs. Smith
threatening to kill her if she
screamed.
The killers car drove down the
road, turned and came back, and
the slayer left Mrs. Smith to get
into his own car, driving away. The
young widow ran to a nearby home,
notified police, and police sped to
the scene, setting up road blocks.
Later, at a roadside park near
Tifin, Deputy Sheriff Grover Leo
pold found an abandoned Pontiac.
He called for help, and officers sur
rounded nearby home, thinking the
two fugitives had "holed up" there.