The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-09-07
.muRpEsKR REoArruRED,
Hsw Love Laughed at the Locks OF =
missouri Jail-A Romantic siory
with "A Tragic Sequel.
New Orleans Democrat


Missouri Jail-A Romantic Story
with Tragic sequel.
New Orleans Democrat
ST. Louis, September 2.-Wm. franklin
Martin. the murderer ,sho was confined in
the Lsclede county jail, at Lebanon, Mo-,
who made love TO Margaret Wilson, the
1s-yesr,old niece of the jsiler, j. A. Wilson,
and who got her to steal the keys from the
isiler and then to unlock the doors and
clone with him, was brought prisoner to
this city tonight. Martin was arrested al
Pine Flats, Tennessee, last Tuesday oy Sher-
IA GoodsIl, of Lscledo county, this stale.
Martin Is a man of Twenty-Five years OF age
and in the country has the reputation OF
haing graa. bean. 1t is reported
that the day he and George w.
Meiser. well-to-do farmer, had some words
about Meiser's wife. Meiser charged Martin
with irving 10 steal the lady from him. The
next dsy there was fash from the under
brush and Meiser was dead man. This
was in June, two years age. The day after
the killing certain persons claimed TO nave
seen Martin picking a gun out OF
the underbrush. This circumstance and ON"
ers 10 the effect that Martin had been
heard to threaten the life of Meiser led to
the indictment of Martin for murder lie
was arrested on July 2, 1879, and convicted
the February following. Margaret Wilson,
the niece of the sheriff, carried food
10 Martin, and he looked into
her ewes and loved. He says he
wrote her letters Just to pass the time away,
and the first thing he knew he had hold OF
her heart. One day, when he thought his
conquest complete, no wrote her letter,
asking her TO steal the keys from the isiler,
open tho isil doors with them, and then elope
with him, and she complied. On the 18th
day of last November the doors were opened,
and Martin and his sweetheart left The jail
together
The prisoner, an houesf looking countrys
man, made the following statement: II was
night when we left and we walked away to-
gether. We took the regular beaten road to
nv fathers house, six miles away, and as we
walked we made our plans for the future. l
was to get team from my father and
drive away with it We got TO my
fathers after tiresome walk, and
were we'll taken care Of and treated there.
We stopped ut my fathers for ten days,
and then we put out with q mule team.
We first went to Howell county, this state,
and then made for Memphis. On the way
traded the mules for pair of horses. l
drove them SO hard that foundered one of
them; the other sold for 800, which l
paid my expenses with. We got to
Memphis without any trouble, and went
from there to Martin, Va. Near Martin got
work on farm with my wife; she was not
my wife then, though she passed of as my
wife. l married her in Martin on December
IS. Rev. Mr.. Hawkins married US. We con-
tinued TO live on the farm until Tuesday
last, when went 10 Pine Flats to see If
there were any letters in the postofice for
me. There | was arrested. Goodall took
me by surprise, and it 10 well that he did.
If he had not slipped up behind me end
thrown me on my back and held me down
until L was disarmed, they might have hsd
to hold a new election for sheriff of Leb-
anon"
Sheriff Goodall left tonight for Lebanon
with the two prisoners, the woman being
lso under arrest.