, 1889-04-11
MURDERER MARTIN
So Designated by the COr0ner's
Jury Yesterday.
A Man Who Shot to Kill and
Succeeded.
Fail Proceedings Of the inqusst-Tssti.
mony OF witnessss-Story OF the
Crims-The Verdict.

oWlnR 10 tne nufuerOus COulpllCbttOnb
connected with the death Of Absalom
Parker, who was shot in the arm by Frank
Martin on March 81 ana who died ut
the hospital Saturday night, Coroner
Mclean decided that the ends of jus.
tice could be best subserved by holding
an inquest. and for that purpose sum-
moned jury yesterday afternoon. The
inquest began at S +. M. at Bicksler &
Webster's undertaking parlors. Follow
ing is u summary OF
THE TEsTIMoSY.
DR.. George d. Parmley, sworn: De-
ce eased was brought to my Office Sunday
night, week ago. by officer Martin.
found wound in the right arm, outer
side, evidently made by bullet; no mode
of exit. | probed but could not find the
ball. The bone WAS cracked within an
inch and half OF the elbow joiut; sum
moned DR.. Smith; after an hour of prob
ing we found the ball. The man was
taken to the hospital and treated antisept-
ically throughout. Tn the fourth day
developed erysipelas and continued to
grow worse. The day before death he was
seized with sudden heart failure, accom-
panied by congestion of the lungs and
kidneys; all remedies proved unavailing
and he died the next night. Gould not
give certificate as to cause of death In.
jury was not sufficient to cause death.
| understood Parker had syphilis; death
resulted from complications arising from
the 1unshot wound. The wound itself,
without compli. ations, was not necessarily
fatal
DR.. d. l.. Smith: After giving about
the same testimony as that gwen by DR..
Parmley concerning the extraction of the
ball, DR.. Smith continued: saw Parker
next on Friday night at the hospital. Fry
sipelas had set in; the patient was in a
very bad condition; there was some lung
trouble: the heart was failing. | would
not consider the wound necessarily fatal;
do not think there was blood poisoning
enough at the time of death to cause
death there were other complications.
Had the man been in healthy condition
before he was shot the wound would not
hove caused death. Had he not been shot
he would of course have been alive now.
Captain Gus Martin: Officer Mckernan
came to me Sunday night and said d man
was shooting and creating disturbance
near the water tank We went up and
found Martin. | asked Martin it he did
the shooting and ne answered that he did;
said he was shooting at man named
Parker A neighbor of Martins named
Mckenzie said Martin was firing his pistol
in the air. 30 | arrested Martin for shoot
inss in the city limits, and let him off TIL
morning on his own recoRniaaDce After
wards heard Parker had been shot, and
went and took Martin TO Jail. On the
way to jail Martin said
Parker had tried to hit him with sling
shot. and he then went to the house and
got his pistol and fired mt Parker. Martin
said he meant business and intended to
kill Parker when he fred Martin was
under the influence of liquor. Afterwards
saw Parker at Dr. Parmley's office. He
sale when he was putting up the team one
of the horses ran out of the barn and he
was unable to get it back again; at that
time Martin came out aud shot him
DR.. w. w. Potter; made the autopsy
on the body OF the deceased; the wound in
the right arm WAS about as stated by Drs.
Parmley and Smith. The flesh around
the wound was in rotten con-
dition. The bone was badly shattered,
and all the tissues were in gangrenous
state The lungs were in Il state Of con-
9estiou. Death resulted from blood pois
oning from the wound. The wound WAS
not necessarily fatal without the compli-
cations which followed; death was caused
by the septecemi,l which developed. The
man might have had a better chance for
life If the arm had been amputated ut
once. Could not state whether he would
have got we'll If this had been done. In
case of this kind. with the bones in such
badly shattered condition, 1T is possible to
save the arm IL the man is in u healthy
condition. Sometimes the bones will re-
unite, but ordinarily tue loose pieces have
to come away sooner or later.
Dr. Smith recalled: DIR. Parmey
E,-.k Nh,k
amputated, but the patient positively
declined to permit .his. Parker was in
II state of lntoXication.
Officer George Brundage: Was with
Captain Martin. when Frank Martin was
taken to Jail While being taken to Jail
the prisoner made statement, saying
that Parker had misused his team, and
had refused to put it up, He said
Parker had pulled a weapon of some
kind and threatened to do him up"
Martin then went in and got his gun
and began shooting; ne said he shot to
kill.
&. 7. Mckenzie; Did not know PARKER.
Live three blocks from Martin; heard
three shots Sunday night and ran over.
Martin WAS tiourisbIng his pistol and
said he had been shooting at his teamster.
He remarked that if anybody thought
Frank Martin would not shoot to Just get
out before him.
II Swartz: live sixty yards from
Martin 3 house. On Sunday night when
was in bed heard team come up, and
heard loud talk and shooting. Did not
get up.
|. Swartz: Live with II. Swart1 Heard
the racket and shooting bat did not 20
ont. Did not want to 20 out where there
, WAS a row.
H. Mock: Interviewed Parker ut the
| hospital Monday: be said be had been
driving team for Martin and had re-
turned from Salmon river the day before.
! He met Martin il Tommy Touren's saloon
and they drank together. Martin asked
hin how it happened the other teamster
| got In ahead OF him: hot words folio we'd