The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1897-02-13
HELD FOR WIFE MURDER
THE CHARGE UPON WHICH MAmK
TOWMAHNn WAS AnmBnTRn.
CFin.e said 20 Have issen Cenmittea
- Wi.eenaim Tem YeaFp A9e 20
G,et MIA ~ sEeF.


spokane. wash. Fsb. ia-apeciaL. =
Standing upon the depot platform ~
Ritsvilie. Adams county. yesterday morn
ing. when the east hound Northern Pa
ciae overland pulled into the station. was
Marx w. Townsend. for eight years q
resident Of that county. prominent IN Cd
neational Affairs. himself : teacher. AMI
then ~ Ritnsilie a. member q .he
board for sxaminauon u Esaehsrn appiy-
tng foe certificates
a stranger stepped frem tbs train and
handed his grip 10 hotel man. An in-
slant later his eye ten upon Tewnsend.
Here. give me back that gFip.s he aaid
- the hotel runner.
fha stranger was sheriff Mc0onigAl 81
Grant county. Wisconsin. Hs was re-
turning from Olympia with papers for
the arrest and axtFadition Of Townsend.
and 10 had come this long distance to
take Tounsend back 10 Grant county.
thsra 70 stand trial for the murder Of
his Wits ten years AGo. and possibly 20
answer an additional charge oe NAL
tFsatine one u his children IN . manner
thai afterwards caused ~ death.
sheriff Medonigal stepped w 10 thu
fugitive and said; '-rOwnannd, l want
you- ] have hsrs . warrant tor your
arrest. Come aboard the train.-
Townsend aiisatiy complied. the train
pulled put on it, long eastward yonFnay.
and tbs littis group % byntanders were
isft 10 wondsF.
On the nay betwesn RltEyflle and spo-
hana aherin MedSnisai explained 70
Townneba the purpose Of his arrest and
the grave nature of The eFiHas that isl
aiieEed asainss him.
stssy ~ Brutal nehavteg.
hare y ths story a. told ~ Alter
nov ]. n. Harrison % niIzvttia. the man
Who discovered the cias 10 Townnend .
pasi iifs. nna wha went tack 10 wiseoa.
n1p and teAEuad shs stony
-kaEht yeaFn aRo Townsend eams 10
AAnmn eonnty. lie Vas = teacher. and
nothiag waa knoNn of his antaesaants
lie tAaght schoci and became veil knawa
IN educational elFcleA lie also took W
twe plseaa Of government land and tsted
Ms had n farsntng In time ~ paid
hll respects 10 Afisa Mary watnsn. and
they unFs maFFtsd. Before lonE she com.
piaiaad 10 hsF family o. hsr hnsasasds
brutal lEeaGment. ahs alleged that ~
teok hsg 10 q tonely hauss ut.on she pgAi.
isavtng The heass o. rpesivinE mrmhers
% be- eun fAmlly. Last summer shs
Instituted divorce pspessdlnKa. ard a
nsFus fanA spranE up hesupsn ToHaasnd
ana lhe nlamhsrs ~ the Watson sanaisy.
The court granted her dtvnsos and gave
hss ths custody % ths twe ehiidrsn. wilA
pagminMiSn 10 TeWuaena 10 500 tho chill
aFsa ~ An convenirns tines. 90 long a.
~ oeaaaclea himself ~ a EsaiiemAa.
-0iaes ths dlseFca Waa granted satd
Mr. HaFtnoa. .sTvwnnsad has msaa ~.
peassa shraAts against The iivpa ~ mssn-
haru ~ ths watson family. and has fur
thsr shFuaIsned % ase dynamite against
then. Boms time ago he weni 10 she
house and demanded 70 49, the children
iis hal soine candy Zoe thssn. bal a. AZ.
tSFpsy foe tha mother. having haara In
the meaatime that m vas unagf suspi-
eiaa ~ wtpconaln u hasinE poisoned the
eatifs family % his bFethar. warned
her not 10 permit the ehiidFvu 70 eat any.
thing thai he might ofFer them. Traatie
with = fear thai The candy might -
polsoaea. she attempted 10 take q frusa
the children. whan he sTasppd har ard
q utruwHie followed Escaping she ran
FOE = revolver. For this be CAUSED her
arrest ard also the arrest Of her Two
brothsra."
Csue % Iata Paas Rate.
''ilow ava you obtain The clue 10 HE
past ntsF'
s'whea the divorce proceedings were
pending. q letter came 10 his address from
his old home Il was from former
friend. urEinE him 10 npnd money for
the support % his china. This was the
arst knowledge his wife had that he mad
ever bean married before ahs met him.
upon this clue went 10 Grant county.
wisconsin. tuo weeha aeo. and learned
The faets regarding hia life iherN
Ia that county hs had married geanR
country giFt-A good eirl bot not 10 hls
subsequent tastes and liking. They had
two ehiidren. and he fFutted under the
duties Of married life lie was ANXIOUS
70 escape from this thraIidom ana Of.
tend . larsp school Al Valparaiso. Ind,
That was the motive
s-ons day he was cleaning a loaded re.
volvsF. He was standing three feet BE-
hina his wife. with the muEHle pointed
az her head. The hammer was up. and
the pistol was discharged. hia wife fall
ing fatally wounded.
"Tha coroner's jury returned verdic,
Of accidental death. and no proceedings
were brought against hlm. Sopn there.
after he LETT the country. After he had
disappeared other circumstances came 10
the surface which created a strong ptc.
sumption that he had killed hls wife. IL
was further alleged that he had taken
one % his children and hit rs head vic.
lentiy against the wall. and that from
these injuries the child died few days
later.
''But no had disappeared from the conn
try, and no active STEPS were taken By
the authorities 10 search out his where.
abouts. when I went 90 his old home
and told the story Of his present troubles
the authorities promptly took stsps TO
secure HE arrest and extFRdition from
the state Of washington.
aThe facts stand clear against him.
added Mr.. Harrison. "and am confident
that he WIN be convicted"
when Townsend was arrested ne made
no demand for the authority Of tho sher-
IN, whom he had known back IN wiscon-
sin, but went aboard the train without a
word OF protest