Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-06-17
STRANGE AS FICTION.
Career of Man Now on Trial at
Green Bay on Charge
of BurQlarV

Green Bay, Wis, June 12.I[Speciall- J.
The case of G.. S. Marsh was called today
in the circuit court of Brown county, and
q sensation was caused by the defendant
offering his affidavit that he was insane
at the time the offense was committed.
The charge is burglary. This brought in
issue the question of Marshs insanity,
and this is now being tried. Should
the jury decide him insane at that time,
it would end the case against him.
The story Of the life of George S.
Marsh is most remarkable, few men expe,
riencing such variation of fortune. Some
thirty years ago he came to Depere, Wis,
from Vermont, poor man. Ills Whole
worldly possessions scarcely amounted to
$500. He was man of ambition and
large business capacity, however, and
him and raised $1,000 and started small
shingle factory at Depere. The war
breaking out at about his time, shingles
went up in price from So 1000 or there
about to 81 or S. Marsh saw what
was coming and bought largely at the
lower figure and sold them later at big
profit.
This first venture gave him something Of
a foothold, and he improved his opportunl>
ty. What money he realized from the
shingle factory, and it was considerable,
he invested in pine lands and these in
their turn were sold at profitable margins
and the surplus result of these ventures
invested in government bonds.
After the war closed Marsh went into
the iron business becoming a stakeholder
and director in an iron foundry at Depere
which was in those days one OF the larg-
est in the country, ana this, like his shin
gle factory and pine land Investments,
proved successful. In 1872 Marsh sold
out his iron interests and went into bank
ing, continuing, however, his connection
with the lumberig trade. At this period
Marsh had besides his lands and timber
$4,000 in cash and securities OF the
very BEST AS banker Marsh still con-
tinued successfully for some years during
which time he purchased heavily il realty,
and then it was that he conceived his
master ambition and that which ultimate,
ly brought about his ruin. Two miles OF
water front between Green Bay and DE,
mere he had resolved to have, and to
secure the necessary cash to carry out TINS
project he mortgaged his other property,
bought land on time in such great quaint,
ties that it wasn't long before the interest
on what he owed was more than the earn
ings of his bank and eventually he be-
came so involved that the total Of his as,
sets would not pay his depositors at the
bank Friends again came to his rescue
and with their aid he SO managed to
straighten his affairs. BY taking part III
cash and part in land the depositors got
out without any loss and Marsh had some
thing left for himself. Had he been
prudent this residue would have kept him
Ia comfort for the remainder of his days,
but his course has been downward to this
embarrassed on a charge of stealing hay
from nelgnbOr.
During the days Of his prosperity Marsh
was esteemed by all who knew him. He
held many honorable public offices. min
gled in the best society and indeed was
fully as successful in social affairs as IN
business.