, 1872-12-02
CALIFORNIA CRIME.

CALIFORNIA CRIME.
The Ghastly Tragedy at Marsh Creek
what a woman Can DO.
antioch, Cal {Nop. 2g, coy7espondencs Of the San
Francisco Chronicle.
The details Of SHOCKING tragedy at Marsh
death at the hands Of his wife and her paramour,
Marshall Martin, are peculiarly atrocious in
their character. The murdered man WAS So
years old, and had lived On his little ranch
about four years, having previously resided in
Sacramento.
His wife, Elizabeth Eish1er, who confesses to
completely in the deed, is q woman 40 years old.
She has rather mysterious record. She is the
heroine Of four husbands, all OF whom, it is
said, disappeared in 8 singular manner. She is
land about twenty years ago. She first married
in Williamsburg, where she resided three or
four years, and after the death Of her husband,
as some assert by poison, she came to Oregon
either with OF by the aid Of soldier in the
United States army. Him she Is said to have
peared after time, and then the woman
came to San Francisco, where she lived for
some time. Nobody seems to know anything
Of her career there except that she married Or
and has not since been heard Of. Two years ago
she fell in with Valentine Eisl1er, and, having
married him, went to live with him at his ranch.
About six months ago Eishler secured the SER
vices Of Marshal Martin as assistant on his
farm. Martin is O little old dried-up man, 81
years old, and has been in this State since 1869.
When he went to work on Eishler's farm he Of
course lived in the latter's house, and became b
member Of his family. Improper relations were
soon established between himself and Eish1er's
time.
Saturday night, about o'clock, one of the
neighbors near by was awakened by Marshal
Martin, who told him that ss old man Eishler "
stable, and that he and Mrs. Eishler wanted
help. The neighbor put on his clothes, got some
help, and went over to Eishler ranch. They
found the body as Martin had described it,
The skull was terribly crushed and beaten, and
the man had evidently been dead several hours.
They made critical examination Of the pro-
misses, and discovered, among other things, that
the horses were unusually docile and spiritless,
and not in the least likely to have kicked man
to death in so horrible o manner.
Mrs. Eish1er remained in bed, claiming to be
sick, and betrayed no interest or grief over her
husbands death: She had but little to say, and
her whole manner showed that she bad some
knowledge Of things connected with Eshler's
death which she was keeping back. DR.. Van
Week examined the wounds, and at once pro-
nounced that they had not been produced By the
kick OF 3 horse.
4Q6 BAQll WlA 1TECtuIGu 10uI u1u6IHuk
places, and WAS literally crushed out Of SEM
blance to human shape. The wounds, the doc
tor said vera evidently inflicted with some blunt
instrument like the poll Of an axe. The princi-
pal wound was in the back Of the head, which
Of tho skull, exposing tie brain in half
dozen fsBures. The others we're over
each temple, the skull bore too being crushed out
of shape. Under the left jaw was fightful
cash, evidently made with the blade OF the axe,
t;.so
story about the horse kicking. DR.. Van Y1aek
says that either ono Of the wounds would have
caused almost instant death.
Martin and 1lre. .Eishler we're NOW more than ever
suspected Of the crime. Still, for some in6cru-
table reason inexplicable to all but rural Sheris
and Constables, neither Of them was then ar
rested. One man, however, was left to watch
the premises and to keep close guard on the
movements Of Mrs. Eishler and Martin.
About 8 o'clock Sunday night messenger WAS
sent into town from the watcher On the ranch to
tell Deputy Sheriff Swain to come out at once.
that the Aoman and Martin we're acting suspici-
ously, and he thought they we're making prepa-
rations for flight. Swain at once went out, and,
on the way, concocted 3 little piece Of strate-
KY to induce Martin to confess what he knew
about the deed. He went at once to the house,
and found Martin and the woman in bed, though
in separate rooms. He first let Martin know he
with the woman. She had nothing to say about
the deed, except that she knew nothing Of it,
and that She did not see how her husband could
have met his death unless he had been kicked
by tho lorBea.
Swain then went to Martin, and ostentatious-
" told him that he Was a prisoner, and that he
must get into the buggy and ride to Antioch
Martin is old, and the most Insignificant speci-
men Of humanity that ever vas seen. He
complied with SWANS stern demand: They
rode few moments in silence, and then
Swain said: "Martin, this is a devil Of
ecrape you have got into"
Martin replied, almost piteously, ssYes, it
'sNe1t time you have LOB OF this hudto do,"
said Swain, at the same time cycling the little old
weazen-face curiously, "yon'l know better than
to take woman iuto partnership with you.
Don't you know that women hare fearfu1lY long
tongues 2"
Martin started as il etung BY wasp, ..nly
fercely ringing his hands) II knew it knew
she would She never could keep anything ~
When, after a1noment's hesitation, during which
the old man seemed to suffer fearful mental tor
ture, he turned to Swain and said g Yes, II
helped to kill him. Ghen hastily t'but she
done the work, Alr. Swain, she done the work.
I didn'tdo it. She done it. She killed him with
the axe, and all done was to help drag him into
tho STABLE"
By degrees, and by series Of judicious auea-
tions, Swain soon drew the whole story out Of
the trembling old man. He said that Mrs.
ElsA1ef lieu UaQe up 1cr n1Od TO XIII 1er nus
band some time before. Two weeks ago she had
been to Antioch and bought lot Of poison and
put it into soma pumpkin pie for the old man to
cat, but for come reaaon her courage failed, and
finally, at the solicitation Of Martin, as she says
she threw the poisoned pastry into the vault OF
All outhouse. On Friday-the day before the
murder--ahe had a quarrel with Eishler, and
then she told Martin that she WAS going to finish
him, and that he must not eat anything for snp-
per, Martin said he again begged her not to use
poison; that she did not know anything about
It, and she would be sure to be found out. So
the deed was again put of, but this time only
until next day.
That morning Eish1er. went to town and the
woman and Martin made up their minds to kill
him on his return to the ranch that night in the
quickest and surest way that might present |
itself. Eishler got back at $ o'clock, put his
horses in the stable, and then began to fix
about his wagon. His wife went !
out of the house to where he was working,
and sat down behind him and began to talk II
says he was in the ''corra[" pottering over
some lttle work, but aa he knew what was
EiBhler and her husband The old man cnn- |