Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 297, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1911 — FATHER WRITES ABOUT MURDER OF HIS SON. [ARTICLE]

FATHER WRITES ABOUT MURDER OF HIS SON.

Ralph W. Marshall Tells of the Cowardly Assassination of Joseph Marshall In California. ssabright. Cal,, Dec. 11, 1911. Editor Rensselaer Republican: Believing that our many friends In Jasper county will be anxious to hear the particulars of the murder of our sob Joseph, I will try to write them briefly. Joseph H. Marshall has been a forest ranger for the past three years, employed most of the time in northern California and southern Oregon. He liked the service and was well qualified tor its duties. He stood at the head of his class at the examination tor that service three years ago. Last October he decided to retire from that service and returned to his ranch in northern Mendacino county, California, with intention of improv-' ing it and living there, if we, his parents, would go to live with him. This we gladly consented to do, and were planning to .help build a new and larger house early in the spring. A new railroad line has just been completed north from Wlllits as far as Joseph’s ranch. A post office has been established there and a Miss Fanny Underwood appointed postmistV&ss. There has been no mail route established on the railroad to Longvale, so the mail has to be carried to Sherwood. On Nov. 11th, the postmistress appointed Joseph maif carrier on that route. The postmistress is an attractive young lady, having several admirers, two of them were very jealous and angry because Joseph got the appointment. They began telling all kinds of lies about him, trying to hame him discharged. One of them, a big brutal bully, a few days before the shooting, asked some of his friends “to come out and see him beat Marshall to a pulp.” He went out to where Joseph was sitting down and without any warning struck him a hard blow under his right eye, knocking him down, Joseph jumped up and soon gave the cowardly assaulter the punishment he deserved. This man, McGuire by name, is an ex-convict, and was madly jealous because ttye postmistress had appointed Joseph mail carrier instead of him.

Geo. Spittler, the murderer, was a close friend of McGuire and from the first took sides with him. The girl boarded at Spittler’s, who tried to induce. her to discharge Joseph, which she refused to do. Spittler said, “We will soon get rid of him.” The night before the mured Spittler left his own house and stayed all night with McGuire.

Sunday afternoon Joseph came to Long vale to mail a letter he had written to me and ascertain if the postmistress wanted him to carry the mail to Sherwood the next day, and also to have a talk with Spittler, according to defendant’s evidence. Anyhow he went 1o Spittler's house, stopping on the way at an eating house and ordering supper prepared, which he would sooii be back to eat. Spittler came to the door with a baby in his arms and told Joseph he did not want to see him, and ordered him off the premises. Joseph left at once, going into the public road, going up the road away from the eating l\puse to meet the postmistress and passed the time of day with her and asked if she wanted him to carry the mail to Sherwood the next day. She said no and after a few words

passed on to the Spittler house. Joseph followed her on the way back toward the eating house, walking much slower. Spittler carried his baby Into the house, got his rifle, came out and stood behind a wood pile, his wife in front of him. He and his wife swore that Joseph said, “If you are not a good shot, you had better not draw up that gun,” and a little later, “Get out from behind the woman, you damn coward, I am going to shoot,” and started to draw his pistol, when Spittler fired, killing him instantly. Joseph was -about 133 feet away when shot. He did not make a threat to shoot as sworn to hy the defendant and his wife. The postmistress stood close by and said that he did not make any tbreat to shoot. The coroner and constable, who were the first to examine him, both say his pistol was fast in its holster, under his coat, which was buttoned, and no evidence whatever to ahiw he reached for or attempted to draw it Defendant's attorneys brought habeas corpus actlofi, trying to have him admitted to bail, claiming he fired in self-defense. The judge, after hearing the evidence, ordered him held for murder without bail. 1 Interment was at Wiilits. Joseph’s mother could not get there in time, she being at North Yakima, Washington, attending our sick daughter, Mr 3. Fred Browne, who on Thanksgiving day gave birth to a pound daughter. .k**ejh had manv friends In Mendocino county, all of whom apeak well of him. His mind was strong and vigorous, with no signs of mentu trouble since be came to the coast. I have spent two to three montits with him the last two summers, while he was on forest service, took my outing,

camping out with him. It has been a very hard year on his mother. First our granddaughter died in Montreal, Quebec, after being with us many months. Next George Francis, Mrs. Marshall’s only brother, died at Laporte, Indiana,'-and now comes this sudden awful blow. We know r we have the fullest sympathy of our many friends back at our old home in Indiana and thank you for the same. Many have written telling of their love and sympathy. For the present until his mother recoveres somewhat from the awful blow, let this public acknowledgment be .your thanks. R. W. MARSHALL.