Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-03-24
How q Murderer Eloped with His
Jailer's Niece.

Jailer's Niece.
That truth is stranger than fiction is
well-illustrated in the eventfu life of
William Franklin Martin, who was found
guilty of the murder of his uncle,
George W. Meiser, at Lebanon, Mo, in
February, 1sS'.
Martin, although q young man, and
looking absolutely boyish, has been
tried for two murders, and acquitted on
one trial, but convicted on the other.
The first crime for which he was
charged was the murder of the Prewitt
brothers, of Lebanon, in the summer of
1873, and although the evidence was very
strong against him the missing link in
the circumstances could not be proved
and he was given the benefit of the
doubt and acquitted.
In June, 1879, George W. Meiser,
Martins uncle, who lived about five
miles from Lebanon, was shot in the
back while blowing in his field. The
circumstances showed that Meiser had
.been shot by some one who had been
hidden in some underbrush near the
place where he was shot. Martin quar-
relied with his uncle only short time
before the murder, and had said con-
corning him to friend: "Never mind
Meiser; / don't think he will live more
than few days" 1t was also proven
that his mother had urged him to kill
Meiser, and said that Meiser was rs good
as dead already. The mother and son
were both tried on the charge of having
murdered Meiser, and the mother was
acquitted and son found guilty. Martin
was then sentenced to be hanged.
The way in which Martin managed to
escape while his case was being appealed
is best told by himself.
A reporter interviewed him as he
stood near the door of cell No. 9, in
the Central District Police Station, yes
terday, and elected the following facts:
Martini" said the reporter, "give
us an account of your escape and your
wanderings since you left the Jail at
Lebanon
"Well, I suppose I may as we'll tell
you"
The reporter noticed that he was an
ordinary-looking young man, sallow
complexion, high cheek bones, and
slight in build. He is twenty-one years
of age, and although five feet nine inch
es tall, does not show much muscular
development.
"You saw the girl who followed me
to the Courthouse" said Martin.
"Well, she was the Sheriff. niece, where
was in Jail at Lebanon. She seemed
to notice me and soon began writing
notes to her and showing them under the
door of my cell, when she used to come
along and take them away. l did it for
amusement at first, and Maggie did not
seem to care to answer them. Finally,
however, she wrote me an answer to one
of my notes, and slipped it under the
door of my cell. This happened about
the time of my trial. After that we be-
gan corresponding, and l soon began to
love her dearly. Finally her uncle,
Sheriff Wilson, detected us, and Maggie
was sent away in the early part of
March, and staid away about six months.
l still kept up my correspondence with
Maggie, however, through friends who
used to visit me. Finally Maggie came
back to the Jail, and she had heard that
I was pretty sure to be hanged, and it
made her awful sad. She swore she
would iberate me, and soon put her
plans into execution.
ION the 10th of November last, about
seven q. M, she came with the keys and
said now was the best time, and told me
she would knock twice when all was
ready. l soon heard the knocks and
opened the door, when l met Maggie,
who gave me her fathers breach-loading
rifle, and we both just walked out of the
1oil 0v1d thu rood did
any one but negroes on the way, who
knew me, and they did not say anything.
We went to my house, and on the 25th
of November I got two horses. Maggie
dressed in boys clothes and rode astrad-
die, like man, and we cantered away.
We rode down to Arkansas, and Mag
gle stood all the roughing without
complaint as well as q man. We next
went to Virginia. When we got to
Martins Station, Va, I married Maggie.
The girl stood by me, and l married her
at the first opportunity. got work in
a blacksmith's shop at Martins Station,
and was doing pretty well until two
detectives rushed into the blacksmith
shop and jumped on me. l hit one of
them with the iron was heating and
the other with sledge-hammer, pulled
out my pistols and lit out.
81 next went to Pine Flat, Tenn. where
Sheriff Goodall found me. was living
on the outskirts of the town, and on
Tuesday went to the Post-office, and
he had me so quick I could not resist"
Martin says he never killed Meiser,
and is perfectly willing to 60 home, as
he has plenty of friends there. He says
a fellow named Bob Klinkenbeer, Mel
ser's brother-in-law, killed him.
Sheriff Goodall said, about six p. m.
yesterday, as he came to take Martin
down to the Union Depot, that he had
been on Martins trail about five months,
and found him at the Post-office at Pine
Flats on last Tuesday.
Maggie Wilson, who helped Martin to
escape, is about eighteen years old. She
says she has followed Martins fortunes,
good and bad-but mostly bad-and
says she will stick to him through thick
and thin. She has a heavy under-iaw,
which bespeaks great determination, and
she seems to be very intelligent young
woman, but intensely passionate in her
disposition.
Sheriff Goodall and Martin and his
wife left on the $3.50 train on the St.
Louis & San Francisco Railroad last
evening for Laclede County, where Mar
tin will be executed in December unless
q new trial is granted him, or he sue
ceeds in making another fortuitous es-
cape.-St. Louis Globe Democrut.
Martin did again succeed in making
his escape. by jumping from the car
window, and at last accounts had not
been recaptured.]
About Mems Wigs.
"Americans have made great improve
1nents in wigs, as well as in manv other