The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-13

r.. ares. Of Marx W Townsend az
x,7.~,-f-s. thursday mas brought ou- tne
fs--.Ss+ when ths case comes On f0r trIsl.
fq.a r~rae-utian's principal stiffness VIII De
a v~e.l-kn9wn resident q Seattle
Townsend was arrested ~ Shsri1 nc
Cantral ef Grant coanty, Wisconsin on
49, care o. having murdered his vile
- 80 years ago, bur u the stories
~ hts roaav dark deeds in that neighoor-
hoo3 ear be sabstanIta8ed record o.
Tr,oa All be developed TiYalns n It's
h{Seousness the history OF a Butter CT a
Tseve- wears ago. and FOR sixteen years
49, a "a. zine Henry z. keens. Of this
eitv vas xell-to-do farmer and justice
OF the peace n Grant county. Wisconsin.
II uas IN The latter capacity that BE was
! called upon al II o'c.ock one night IN
Mar. ISL. 10 perform the ceremony q
rnarrtsrs uniting Mark ". Townsend and
Tsther LIBBY. Nearly five years later
September q. 1885, ne vas called upon, IN
ne same Official capacity. 70 lmpane4
cororer's Jury fOr the purpose OF lnNes-
ttratinv the mysterious death Of Mrs
townsend. CAUSED By shet srom pistol
in the hands os her husband.
Mr.. Keene has lived Ia Seattle Tor the
past six years, but ooih ne ana MS family
havs been kept posted by friends on pass
inc events at their old home IN Wisconsin.
ne has known ali along that the Townsend
casa hea not been lost sight Of but the
atsnatch in Yesterdays Post-lnteillgencer
vas MS first lntimation that the case had
assumed a sufficiently definite shape 70
ua-rant action. Mr. keene had no hesi-
fancy about telling what he knew OF the
matter or IN glylag his opinion.
Mark W Townsend is or a Wisconsin
family the other members OF which have
been for years ana SIN are les.-S' ms ~
Grant county. He was bright ana Ahol-
ttans voung man. acquired a good edhea-
ton and adopted the profession OF teach
trv We easily secured charge OF a school
near his home and II was NhHe thefe en-
Moved that he became involved IN 4esai
controversy with his brother. The orotheE
gained the advantage in the case. ana
shortly after an attempt was maze 20
poison hts entire family.
An uuaccountable sickness among the
members led to an investigation. winch
showed that the family supply OF salt had
been "axs1n with strvchnine. IL " as AFTER
war5 learned that Mark Townsend had
,,1rchssed a bottle OF strychnine at
nelrhhorlur drug store the day previous 10
the poisoning and later stiH tne nan
emptied bottle WAS found In MS trunk
There we're no fatal results 10 the atlehp =,
Ard presumably for family reasons the
matter was hushed up.
After breaking several bctrothas Win
girls Of the vicinity-for Mark was much
Of a lady's man-he finally settled MS al
feetions on Esther Libby. good-looklnS'
ooa-na+I7reh farmers daughter. but by
no means the equal Of Townsend IL inlei-
Lot or education. They were married
somewhat hastily. and. as has been SAID
AZ a late hour Of the night, by Jusuce
Keene. and shortly after went 10 MOUSE
keeping IN a LITTLE place owned Dy the JUS
tice. daughter was born 20 them ana
Ia+cr son From the first the latter
seemed unwelc0me 20 The f2theT. nel
less than A year old the boy died under
s,,arieious circumstances and unaccoun1-
49, bruises were found or the little BODY
Though Townsend then had many trlehos'
tbere we're those In the community VINO
onenIv accused the father Of infanuclae'
but like the poisoning affair. this was also
passed over at the time
on the sfst OF September. 1ss5 MT. heene
and his son were az work on their iar Z"
~-{.bfo 90 wards OF the home OF Town
snpd While there engaged IoNhseH =
,.r,a c,,t TO them with "A light riie. ana
tie three engaged for awhile IN tfl&i'
~ craftsmanship. A few hours i@'ef
Eeene was NJ work alone ana near liE q
shot supposed that Townsend was suh az
practice. He was surprised In few fln-
ntes m hearing Townsend say. Henry
come and heiB me. Esther Is snot.
Keera hastily summoned several neign-
Nore and on Going into the house they
found Mrs. Townsend stretched upon ths
aoar in a perfect bath az blood she haa
been shot IN the back Of the head' 'he
bali passing cut under the leit eye,
AZ Justice % the peace and acting cor
oner NJ keene impaueled a jury. Town
send testified that he had been cleaning
hta olstal and was about to put = IN "a
drawer behind the chair in which ms
wife was sitting, whom Il was accident
ally DISCHARGED. with the fatal result
The prosecuting attorney was pfeSth'.
and as there seemed 70 be no means %
getting further evidence. The jury under
irsfrffcffone returned q verdict OF acci-
dental death. Townsend left tire country
shortly after but IL seems that neither
th.s officials nor the community were sat
lefed with the verdict. and % is presumed
that the effort 20 gather evidence mas
never since ceased.
AZ related in yesterdays dispa tches.
Townsend came TO Adams county, IN this
state about eight years ago and mar
~iad the daughter % wel known far
uer According TO Nr Eeenc who ap-
pc1rs 70 have kept constant track OF
T4v-rea~d the second wife's health soon
j.
20 believe that sSc MAS being made tie
victim ~ Slow poisoning. \ divorce FOL
lowed. since which Ers Townsend ard
aer tauur have been investigating Town
sends past record and IL TOW seems that
siHicfert evidence has accumulated 70
warrant ris extrsditior.
Ia MI thn crimes o. whjeh no Is accused
or suspected TowDse~d apparently has
uat been prompted bt suy q TIE motives
thst have lUpelied other Wholesale muir
re-s Suea attempts as his aate been
made simply farouEn desire TO xii.
Speaking ~ ire chara rtsr % the man.
as ~ knows him Mr. kCenc said
"fTe rs utterly heartless ard rold-hloo1-
Cd ffis conduct and corve~sat5on az rhe
t-Io 81 the chiids strange death. and
a.so after the ksIiar of afs vie. was
quita 3uciEereut-Qlit devoid % feeling
He is o. sach a nature HAT he could va
- thss room. All You and me and sit
down and write a better or return TO his
cla~sos Ht school. without the culver az a
Uns-fe''
As so5u as saerig 8EcGousvaI has ar
rived home airh Tow-seea NJ. Eeere tx-
pe~rs 20 Pc summoned as hts testimony
is 81 tEc greatest Importance
To Wed a Baron.
DETROIT, FEB. 11-Ba-oa ven Kette]er.