The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-11-25

One Of the most noted desperadoes that
ever infested northern Indiana or roamed
through the counties OF central and
northern Ohio was Marvin Kuhns, who
IS now serving a life sentence in the Ohio
penitentiary at Columbus for the murder
of William Canyau, q horse trader, at
Fostoria, O., on the night of the 18th of
November, 1880.
For a few days after its commission
the murder was d mystery. The body of
Campau was found the next morning,
just in the outskirts Of the town, lying
alongside the railroad track. No one
knew who had lone the deed, and for the
FIRST two days Of the coroner's inquest
ever the name Of the murdered man was
not disclosed. He was a stranger to
everybody. 1t remained for Marvi=
Kuhns to Identify him, and his holiness
in doing it shows the daredevil spirit of
the man.
The day after the murder Kuhns re-
NAMED around Fostoria, but the morning
following he left town. The Fostoria of
icers were unable to discover any clew to
the murder or the nam of the murdered
man and finally offered a reward for any
information that would throw light on
the matter, for that he was murdered
was evident from the fact that q bullet
hole was in his head and no revolver was
found anywhere neal his person. Kuhns
saw the notice of this reward in the pa
pers and on the last day of the ~coroner's
inquest appeared at Fostoria and, enter
ing the courtroom. went forward to the
prosecuting attorney, who was conduct
ing the examination, and said in a low
tone to him, Il can identity this lei
man.
He was given a seat near the lawyers
table and soon after called to the witness
chair. He said that the dead man was
William Campau and that he had been
associated with him in central Ohio in
the buying and selling and trading Of
horses. Canipau, when drunk one night,
had left him, and from that time he
knew nothing of his whereabouts I'M
til he saw his picture in the papers Civ
ing an account Of the murder and the
offer Of a reward for his Identification.
He said that Campau must have had
money on his person, for when he last
saw him he had some $500 in his pos
session. About the murder he said that
he knew nothing at all.
His story was told in a sort of narra-
tive form and seemed truthful to many
who heard it, but in the cross examina-
ton that followed he became so badly
mixed that the prosecuting attorney be-
gan to suspect that he knew more about
the murder thar he had told and said to
the constable in attendance, Keep an
eye on that witness, for ] will want him
again"
But Kuhns .smelt a rat and soon aft
er giving his testimony left the room and
boarded a west bound Nickel Plate
freight train. The evidence afterward
taken led the prosecutor to think that
Kuhns might be the murderer Of Cam
pau.
When sworn as a witness, be had given
q fictitious name. AfterEfard it was
learned that he was Marvin Kuhns, the
noted horse thief, and the prosecutor
was convinced, from the character Of the
testimony and other circumstance
which came to light, that he was the
man who murdered Campau.
Immediately a warrant was issued for
his arrest, but Kuhns had escaped, and
the Fostoria authorities, anxious to get
him into custody, at once caused the pub
lication Of a large reward for his arrest.