Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-03-15
Nathan Marshall Kills Him.
self TO Avoid Testffying.

Rather than go on the witness stand
TO testify against lifelong friend
death was preferable, is the charitable
explanation given for the suicide o
one of Camden's most estimable citi
zens yesterday morning. Nathan d.
Marshall, a well-known produce dealer
doing business on Dock street, above
Front, in this city, ended his life by
cutting his throat with a pocket knife
in the bathroom of his house, No 403
Broadway, Camden.
Mr. Marshall was one of the earliest
victims of Horace Hammel the former
secretary of the Newtown Building
Association, who defrauded numerous
persons out of sums Of money aggre-
eating $4,000, by means of forged
certificates of stock. The two men
had been brought up together from
hoyhood, and their friendship had ever
been strong and unwavering. When
unmistakable evidence of HammeFs
guilt was presented to Mr. Marshall,
his love for the false friend was never
shaken, and he resolutely refused to
breathe single syllable against him.
For a few days be hoped that in his
own case there might be some mistake,
some explanation that would account
for a treachery that he could not be-
lieve. The unpleasant truth at last
forced itself upon his mind that he had
been betrayed by his long-trusted
friend, and he sought him out. The
sum out of which Mr. Marshall had
been so cruelty yictimized approximat-
ed $4,000. He was not wealthy
man, and could ill-afforj to lose the
money. An interesting family of
wife and three lovely children, to
whom he was devotedly attached,
claimed his constant labor, and when
he went to see Hammel his mind was
almost equally balanced between his
strong friendship for the base friend
and the love he bore his wife and chill
dren. To lose the sum he had imagin-
ed to be safely invested would be to
beggar them. This he told to Ham
mel, and it was mutually agreed that
Mr. Marshall should obtain judgment
against Hammel's property, which he
did through his counsel, Thomas b.
Harmed
HIS EFFORTS TO SAVE HAMMEL.
The glaring frauds committed by the
ex-secretary of the building association
continued to come to light, and with
every fresh discovery poor Marshall
seemed to feel the disgrace as keenly as
keenly es though he had been called
upon to suffer himself Hammel's ar
rest followed soon after, and when the
victimized friend found that he would
be principal witness for the prosecu-
tion he became nervous and low spirit
cd. The trial was to have taken place
in February, but as the prisoners
counsel was MT ready to proceed it
was postponed until yesterday. The
brief respite only seemed to add to the
unfortunate mans anguish. His claim
had been almost satisfied, and all his
old friendship returned with double
force. On Wednesday night he was
very much worried, and told several
friends that the ordeal he would be
called upon to go through would be
more than he could bear, and he made
strong effort to have his name
stricken off as a witness. In this he
failed, however, and was subpenaed
to appear as a witness for the prosecu-
ton. 1t vas understood that Ham,
mel would be tried only on one indict-
ment, charging him with forgery in al
tering the name of William Callahan,
in which case it would not be necessary
for Mr. Marshall to take the stand.
Of this he was either not informed, or
else disbelieved altogether, for when he
got up yesterday morning his first re-
mark was that he could not bear the
thought of appearing against his old
friend.
DEAD BY HIS OWN HAND.
The family sat down to breakfast,
and after the meal had been finished,
Mrs. Marshall began making prepara-
tions to out for the day Her husband
came up stairs few moments later
and the wife noticed peculiar express
sion about his eyes. She asked him if
he was i'll, and receiving an evasive
reply, went down stairs. Mr.. Mar
shall then went into the bathroom and
locked the door after him. Not ap-
pearing after the lapse of half hour,
Mrs. Marshall went up stairs to call
him, and receiving no response, she
got upon a chair and looked through
the transom. Her husband Law on the
floor. Strong with fear, the frightened
woman put her shoulder to the door
and forced it open. In another mo-
ment her shreiks were ringing through
the house, and when servant sirl ran
up stairs to learn the cause of the
alarm, she found Mrs Marshall hold
ing her husbands body in her arms,
with his life blood running in GRIM
son stream over her dress He had at
tempted to cut both jugular veins, but
only severed one of the great arteries,
and from that his life was ebbing out.
He was still alive and conscious, and
managed to gasp out the words: 81
couldn't appear against Pete" using
the old familiar cognomen with which
be used to address his friend Hammel.
Dr. Tullis, homeopathic physician,
and Drs Snltzer and Schenck, two allo-
pathic doctors, were summoned with
all possible speed. Their skill availed
nothing. however. Stimulants were
administered, but the unfortunate man
was too far gone from loss of blood.
Within an honr after he had been dis
covered he was a corpse
HAMMEL FOUND GUILTY.
The trial of Hammel was then In
progress at the Court House, and when
the news became known there was
decided sensation. The defendant saw
the stir, bat made no comment, and
when be had been taken back to bis
cell after the morning adjournment of
the court he was told of his faithful