Vogelsong’s Assassins

Oscar and Archie Downard Accused of Murdering Town Marshal of Falmouth

Falmouth, Ky., Oct. 17. - The evidence brought out at the Coroner’s inquest this evening leaves barely a doubt that Oscar and Archie Downard, who were arraigned this morning on suspicion, are the murderers of Town Marshal Vogelsong, who was shot down at his yard gate last night by concealed assassins.

The two shotguns that were found in the Downard’s room this morning had one barrel loaded in each; the other barrels had been recently fired. In the presence of the jury the remaining charges were drawn from these guns. In each was found a mixed load of bird shot and twelve to fourteen bullets. These corresponded to the bullets and shot picked from the fence, and are also like the bullets found in Vogelsong’s body. Another piece of evidence of a convincing nature was developed. On the ground at the spot where the killing occurred was found a powder-blackened paper that had formed a part of the wadding of one of the discharged barrels. When the other loads were drawn today, it was found that the wadding of one fit into the piece of paper found on the ground, the two forming a time-table of the Kentucky Central railroad.

Twenty-three gunshot wounds were found on Vogelsong’s body, five of which were of such nature that any one of them would have been fatal. The feeling against the Downards ran so high that they were taken to Covington to-night for safe-keeping.

Above, from the Louisville Courier-Journal, October 18, 1890.

The following is from the Indiana State Sentinel of June 24, 1891: “At Falmouth, Ky., Oscar Downward and Scott Whalen, the murders of town marshall Vogelsong some months ago, were sentence to prison for life.”