Evening star., 1948-07-24
Unrepentant Gunman
GIibIy Tells Of Taking
Part in Six Murders
BY the ksseeiotsd Press

uHlCPchtdllt yOutl Sdt uIlCOA-
cernedly in a heavily guarded
jail cell here today, glibly ad-
mitting participation in six
cold -blooded murders in IA days.
Good looking, nattily dressed
Robert "Murli" Daniels, 70, said he
had only two regrets. He was sorry
his chain-murder partner, John c.
West, 70, was dead, slain by police.
And he was sorry he hadn't had q
chance to shoot 1t out with authori-
ties.
Sheriff F. Shaffer of Van Vert
County captured Daniels without q
struggle yesterday near Van Vert,
as he slept in a new car atop the
misunderstanding truck the gun
men stole in an attempt to elude
a gigantic road block.
West, the bespectacled triggerman
received bullet between the eyes in
wild gun battle in which two Of
ficers were wounded, one critically
While Sheriff Shaffer was arrest
ing Daniels, West jumped out of
the drivers seat of the truck,
crouched behind the steel door and
blazed away with an automatic
pistol at Sergt. L. D. Conn of the
Van Vert police, who was aiding
Sheriff Shaffer in a road block.
Sergt. Conn was wounded, but
continued to fire from the ground
with a sub-machine gun killing
West. Frank Freimoth, Van Vert
county game protector, had rushed
to help-although unarmed. He
was hit in the right shoulder before
the sheriff could throw him rife.
Sergt. Conn, shot in the lung,
rallied after an operation last night
in Van Vert hospital and was re-
ported considerably improved" to-
day.
If hadn't been caught sleeping, ,"
Daniels Snarled from his Jail cell,
I'd have killed all those cops"
Daniels was transferred to the
modern, Jail here last night from
Van Vert. Sumner Walters, assist
ant prosecutor of Van Vert County,
described the move as a "precau-
tionary measure" Mr.. Walters said
he did not expect mob violence
against Daniels, describing the
crowds which milled around the
Van Vert Jail as orderly. Van
Vert is about 25 miles north of
here.
Daniels signed a confession last
night, admitting the cornfield slay-
ings of John E. Niebel, So Mans
field reformatory farm superintend-
ent; his wife Nolanda, So, and their
daughter Phyllis, 81.
He said West shot and killed Earl
c. Ambrose, Columbus tavern own
er; James Smith, a young Tiffin
farmer, and Orville Taylor, Niles,
Mich, father of four, who was driv-
ing the automobile haulaway.
Michigan State police said they
were convinced the pair did not
murder Frank Krech, Flat Rock.
Mich, tourist camp operator. West
and Daniels also had been sought
for the holdup Staying of Mr.. Krech.
Authorities apparently were
agreed that Daniels will be tNed
In Richland County-site of the
Mansfield Reformatory-for the
Niebel slayings. Prosecutor Theo-
dore Lutz Of Richland County said
he was preparing first-degree mur-
der charges and expected to file
them at Mansfield some time today.
Tells of Killing Family.
Both Daniels. a resident of Co.
lumbus. and West, of Parkersburg,
w. Va, served terms at the Mans
field Reformatory.
Daniels, known as a "well-man-
nered, cheerful, soft-spoken fel-
low by neighbors, had pride in
his voice as he described how he
shot down the Niebel family last
Wednesday.
johnny (West and I planned
this for three or four months" he
said. We wanted to beat hell out
OF him (NiebeD, and If they'd given
me little more time. we'd have
wiped 'em all out, those at
the reformatory.
I'VE really went to the reforma-
tory the other day to get Red Phil
lips "a guard, but We couldn't find
him. We killed the Niebels about
i 80 am. I went to the door. which
Niebel answered, and told him our
car was broken down and asked if
I could use the phone. He let me
In and covered him with my gun
Then Johnny came in and COW
cred him while l went upstairs and
got the women. They were all fully
clothed, and We drove right through
Mansfield with them. We made
them undress in the car, and throw
their clothes out along the road
Victims Didn't Resist.
1--WE finally got to the cornfield
and told them to walk in. There was
no criminal attack on the women.
and we didn't slug anybody. He
tNiebeD told the others not to offer
any resistance, and they didn't.
Il told them to line up. Then I
shot him, then the girl and then
the woman"
Mr.. Ambrose was the first victim
of the pair. He was shot July 9 dur
, ing holdup in which woman GUS
toner in his tavern was wounded
. seriously. A few hours before, West
and Daniels menaced 100 customers
and escaped with reported $4,000
in another Columbus tavern holdup
The beginning of the end of their
reign of terror-worst in Ohio since
the days of John Dillinger IA years
ago-came late Thursday night.
Car Forced to Curb.
Mr. Smith, 25-year-old Seneca
farmer. was driving home from
Tiffin with his young wife after
visit to an ice cream parlor when
the pair forced his car to the curb.
LOST.
DIAMOND RING. wedding band and wrist