The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-12
DECOYED TO DEATH,
Sad Fate of an Indiana Man.
MTsT.ED Am MURDERED.


The Great Bend, Kansas, correspondent OF
the Kansas City times gives the following
full partiulsrs of the tragedy in that COM
munity, where a Madison man fig
ured with fearful results to himself:
One of the most deliberate and diaboiical
attempts at murder ever attempted was per-
petrated here, yesterday morning, by VIM.
+. Afford, upon George Marshall, OF Alex
ander, Madison county, Indiana. The cir
cumstances of the cold blooded attempt 10
take the life of an transporting traveller, as
gathered from the evidence, are about as
follows: Yesterday morning a stranger
giving his name as George Marshall, cana
into TO Wn, and reported that he had been
shoi few hours previous (about O'Clock
in the morniDgl and had laid out on the
prairie until daylight. An examination Of
his head, by Dr. Balm, disclosed the fact
that Mr.. Marshall had received wound
from pistol shot. The ball entered about
one inch back of the lefG eye. and ragged
back ward, lodging just over the lett ear
Mr.. Marshall steled that he had fallen In
with man on his way West, who per
suaded him to come to Great Bend, aud, IS
the train arrived in the night, ne invited
him to go to his house, and he would show
him around the next day. From the
description given Of the man the citizens
OF Great Beud Immediately pitched upon
William f. Afford, who La1 been absent
for some months, ss the man who had
committed the crime Sheriff Burton and
Marshal WiBsead, having obtained
WARRANT FOR AFFORDS ARREST,
repaired TO his house, about two miles from
town. When a rested, Afford was greatly
confused, and stated that he had shot
man the night before as he was coming
home, who mad followed him, he supposed,
tor The purpose or killing and rObbiDg hi0l.
He stated that he thought the man was
ant of lnrQa
| Bend; said he lost his vsIise and pocket
book in running. When Marshall APP
reared in bis presence he said be was the
man who had travelled with HIN, and whom
he left asleep in the cars when ne got OIL.
| His story was very uisOinted and unresson
| ablslaDd served to strengthen the cOnvic-
| ton of his guilt. In the afternoon, Mr..
| Tay lor and Mr., Moses made a search for the
| satchel which the stranger said he l0S', and
| found it hidden in the hay-stack between
| where the shooting took place aud the
| house OF Afford. They also discovered
tracks leading from the bridge out into the
| tail grass in a slough where Marshall was
| shot. The guilty wretch was taken, yester-
day afternoon, before Magis rates Sells and
ID dge, for relimiusTy examination. the
state was represented by Judge Clayton and
Judge Townsley. aud the prisoner by ) j..
| Day. The following testimony was adduced
| by the state:
| TESTIMONY OF GEORGE MARSHALL.
live in Indiana; left there last Monday;
am not acquainted with VIM. +. Afford, ex-
cept an acquaintance formed with him
| he cars; first me- him 5nis side OF Chiea. o
on the train last Monday night; don't know
the name OF the rSllrOa0; saw him from time
| TO time on the train; had a talk with him,
| when he said he was coming here, and con-
versed with him generally about this
| country; travelled tOgether until reaching
/ nj aaa ha0
about the country; told me ne was going tO
Kansas: when ne told me this was q good
country, aud encOuTa ged me To come,
replied that / would come and look at II,
and il did not like it / would not stay;
| he told me about his farm and his busines-
here; that he had been in store; that b.
had bought a large building in the Ben 1
, had sold meat in company with partner
said he had 3 farm away from town and tina
he had moved upon 1t; said he had been
!, gone from home four months, and propo sc
that i'll would come here he would hitch uT
his buggy aud show me the country; a.
rived in Great Bend this mOruiug after
mid0ight; be went out OF the car door and
said he would ge. off here; we got off on the
south side of the train together before tho
train had entirely stopped; L so got off BE-.
cause he was TO show me the country, and
was going directly to his place to stay 81
night;
DID NOT GO To THE HOUSE;
we went up in the prairie twas across the
Arkansas bridge) near where prairie fire
was burning; did not follow plain road
we went into some tall grass where Their,
wss no road; halted there for some time auC
talked while, because, / reckon, he wanted
to look at the fire; he said whoever fired tina
ougb to be hung, or an expression OF tha
ma ure; then we started aud walked around
| in the grass without any rOaS; we stopped
, again; be said somebody was fighting the
fire; he said d. WAS a man who owned
house near by; he (the prisoneD stood there
Is minutes talking about the fire
seemed as though he wanted
| sat down on my Yalise close to hin
as he kept standing here; he then turnec
his back, or side, rather, and then straight
ened himself toward the fire the same way
l vas looking; said he saw a man dowI
there, aud would like to see him ge
swinged, as he as a mean old rascal, any
! how; that is the last know of his saying
as he shot about that time; didn't see thu
, weapon, and can't tell how he shot-it Wa
done so quick / didn't know it; when b,
} shot something hit me and made me GRAZ
like; i mind hearing
THE REPORT OF THE PISTOL;
it hit me near the left temple; (wound ex
hibited to the court; saw no other perso
about; did not see defendant after I wa
shOt-it knocked me blind, so / could no
see anything; made an effort to run, and die
run=I fell 4 time or two in starting; wher
shot defendant stood on my left side, and
little in front; was facing a little toward
me and turning around, while still talk
ing and when he shot me; ran hundred
or two yards, and fell again in the grass
{ where laid in the grass a bit-got up anC
. ran on, still ia the prairie, not KNOWN,
, which way was going-stayed there until
, this morning hiOing myself; then came in
here Gown and told what had happened
and the kind of a man who did il; did no
see the defendant after L was shot unti
3 brought in by sheriff; the shOotinI
| took place not over mile and quartz l
from the depot; the ball shot from the pis
tol is still IN my mead; train was moving
! toward the depot; did not see the depot; de
! ieDdsnt said let US get off here; had som.
a money: / exposed the money In buyins