The Fort Wayne Daily
Gazette
May 31, 1866
Page 1
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TERRILL, THE GUERRILLA.
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He is Shot and Captured
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From the Louisville Courier May 28. --
The good people of Shelbyville were
thrown into a state of great excitement,
not to say alarm on Saturday last, by the
appearance in the town, late in the afternoon,
of Capt .Terrill, the noted guerrilla,
and two of his associates. Terrill was
armed from head to foot, having on his
person five loaded pistols and a carbine. His associates were Baker
and Withers
who, if they art not so notorious, were
equally dangerous and desperate characters. On entering the town the trio
commenced blustering and bullying the citizens, and drinking and carousing, defying
any and all attempts that might be made
to arrest them. They took charge of the
town, as they thought, and for a while had
things pretty much their own way, producing much consternation among the
citizens.
But the tables were soon turned upon
the outlaws. Judge Caldwell issued an
order for their immediate arrest. The order
was placed in the hands of George W
Caplinger, Marshal of the town, and he
promptly summoned a posse commitatus to
assist in the arrest. Withers, meanwhile,
learning what was going on, took a back
street and made his escape. By the time
the Marshal had collected his posse of citizens, Terrill and Baker had mounted their
horses, and were going at full speed endeavoring to make their escape. They
were eagerly and rapidly pursued by the
citizens, with loaded guns and pistols. Coming up with Terrill and Baker, they
were ordered lo halt. Instead of doing
this, Terrill turned and fired at his pursuers, wounding one of the party a
Mr.
Randolph of Shelbyville. The pursuing
party then commenced firing simultaneously, and with deadly effect, several of
the balls taking effect on Terrill. One
ball entered the back, near the spinal column and, ranging through the body, came
out at the breast near the collar bone, inflicting it is thought a mortal wound.
The
other shots took effect on various parts of
the body. Terrill immediately fell from
his horse, and was picked up and taken
into town by his captors. Baker received
nine balls, one of them going directly
through his heart, yet, strange to say, he
remained on his horse till he reached a
distance of half a mile from the spot where
the fatal shot was fired, when he fell with
a lurch into the road, and died in a few
minutes. His captors were immediately
upon him, and secured the body. We
have in our possession a new memorandum
book which Baker had in his breast pocket
at the time, and which is perforated with
three large balls, showing that the firing
was very accurate.
In the affair, Mr.
Redding, of the Redding Hotel, of Shelbyville, was wounded,
though not dangerously. The Marshal,
G. W. Caplinger, George Petry, George
Bales and Isaac A Payne, assisted by
others, were instrumental chiefly in the
killing and arrest of the parties. The
party reached this city at six o’clock on
Yesterday morning, having Terrill in
charge. He was placed in jail, though a
physician who has examined his wounds,
considers them dangerous if not mortal.
Terrill it will be remembered, is the
man who was recently rescued from the
jail in Taylorsville, Spencer county, by
some of his companions. He has long been
a terror to honest people.
Contributed by John Ballard
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