The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-31
DIED BRAVELY.
An ASSassin'S Career
Closed.
CALM AT THE FINISH.
Stroebel Talked on the
SCaffOld.
AGAIN CONFESSED HIS GUILT.
"You Are Not Hanging the Wrong
Man." He Said.
AGAIN CONFESSED HIS GUILT
SENSATIONAL CRIME REVIEWED.
Lust for Gold Caused the Murder of
John Marshall by Man Who
Wanted to Marry.

Stroebel was executed at o'clock this
morning for the murder of John Marshall
of Huntington, in April last. Contrary to
general anticipation he remained calm and
impassive TO the end. redeeming his Oft
repeated promise to Idle game" He slept
several hours during his last night, and
washed and dressed himself carefully in
the morning, though declining 10 breakfast
Then for half an hour he entertained his
guards wish music On the mouth organ, on
which instrument he was proficient. The
hour prior to taking leave of life he spent
in his cell with Father Nicolaye. who had
been his constant companion for days past.
The procession TO the scsffold started at
one minute after the hour, StrOebel walk
ing unsupported, and appearing the least
concerned Of the party.
Having been pinioned and asked if he
had anything to say, he addressed him.
self 10 The small audience In the courtyard,
speaking calmly and deliberately: II can
only say this much," be responded, Pm
very much obliged TO everybody for the
kindness they have shown me. No one
need have no fear but that you're hanging
the guilty man. ] don't hold no grudge
against nobody. hope to meet you all in
the better land. wish you all good-by.
That's all I've to say. The reason ! say
this is to free the jury's conscience in
thinking they may have done anything
wrong. The jury done their duty all the
way through and so has everybody else"
Father Nicolaye then administered
supreme JUNCTION, Stroebel making the re-
sponses in a quiet. resolute voice. The
prayers for the dying commenced. and the
trap was sprung az $40 O'Clock.
Stroebel in his last hour acknowledged
his entire guilt and said his former state
ment that the killing was in self-defense
was sail lie." which he regretted having
told. as he regretted the killing of
Marshall.
The story of the crime thus expiated on
the scaffold is the most remarkable in the
annals of the law in this Province. John
Marshall, an aged farmer, was found
dead in his own house. lying partly across
the doorstep. at daybreak on the Goth of
April last, and Albert J. Strcebel. who
was 81 years of age on the 10Th of the
present month. WAS convicted of the muir
der on purely circumstantial evidence
after two very sensational trials, the jury
The first trial lasted eight days. The
venue was then changed from Westmin-
ster 10 Victoria and the second trial lasted
thirteen days, about forty witnesses being
examined. SirOebel testified on his own
behalf on each occasion. being many hours
in the witness-box and cunningly explain
ing all the points made against him. After
the jury returned it's verdict and Judge
Walkem asked him what he had to say be-
fore sentence was pronounced he still
maintained his innocence, but the day fol-
lowing he admitted to his sweetheart,
Lizzie Bartlett, that be had done the deed
His confession stopped the circulation
of petition. then already prepared, ask
ing for communal on the ground that
the evidence was not satisfactory, and so
thoroughly had StroebePs story impos ed
on many of the public that they actually
Kissed the jury's verdict, being sharply
rebuked by the Judge. StroebePs later
statement, like his story in the box, had
every evidence of falsehood, in all but The
material points that he did the killing, for
in it he endeavored TO make hims hero
by the allegation that the old farmer had
made an insulting reference to Lizzie
Bartlett, which he, as her promised hus-
band, was bound to holly resent. Then
Marshall picked up an ak and came
toward him, when he shot in self-defense.
His former story was that he spent the
otherwise unaccounted for hours between
80 and 10 p. NJ. on the fatal 10Th of April
first in fishing until dark, about 80 lin a
place were no fish were ever caughO, and
then in going home, distance Of little
over mile. alleging that he fell on the way
and hurt himself so that he had to lie down
by the railway track for nearly an hour.
His sweetheart gave evidence in cor
roboration of the invented fish story,
alleging that he brought home three fish
on the evening of the 18Th, and threw them
away because she made fun of them. He
had able counsel, who sought to prove by
this alibi that he could not have been at
Marshall's at the time the murder was
alleged to have been committed, and they
further made determined effort to show
that it could not have been committed at
that hour at all, but must lave happened
in the morning, so that Stroebel could not
have been connected with 1t.
The little community divided on the
question into two bitterly hostile camps.
and some Of the most respected resident IS
came forward with evidence In direct
contradiction to what are ow admitted to
have been the facts. The crown fixed the
hour of the crime at o'clock, because at
that time Marshall's dog barked as if in
distress. The defense brought respectable
men who swore that other dogs were bark
ing and that MarsbalPs was not heard
from at ALL The fact that the remains of
the meal were on the table and that the
lamp was alight when the body was
found. the crown put forward as evidence
that the murderer had supped with his
victim after dark and then killed him.
The defense contended that the meal was
breakfast, and pointed to the lamp as con-
elusive evidence that the deed was done In
the morning, because the light burned
until extinguished by the police at 2
o'clock in the afternoon, and they pro-
duced and lighted in court a lamp sworn
to be almost identical with Marshalps. but
which exhausted its oil in twelve hours.
This was at the first trial. For the second.
the real lamp was produced, and after it
had been aIight for twenty-four hours