Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-03-31
Demon Marlatt Assaults ard
en- Coffin.
Ohio State Journal.

NeA SOeA@Ass
Ohio State Journal.
Warden Coffin of the penitentiary
was assaulted by Ira Marlatt Thursday
afternoon, while attempting to force
him to re-enter his cell in the "dem-
ons cage"
Marlatt had been unlocked by order
of the warden, who wished to talk
with him about returning to work In
the bolt shop. The warden told Mar
latt he would see about making the
necessary arrangements in few days
and left orders that he should not be
locked in his cell again, but allowed
the liberties of the corridor, with Otis
Hurley, the other inmate of the cage
Marlatt took exceptions to this ar
rangement, and said that he could not
get along with Hurley. The warden
spoke to both men, telling them to
make no trouble, as they would have
to share the corridor together and left
Marlatt was very angry and soon be-
gan breaking the glass in the windows
of the cage with his water bucket.
Warden, attracted by the noise, hur-
ried back and ordered Guard Lefever
to enter the cage and lock Marlatt in
his cell
Lefever entered and Marlatt took a
| step toward him as if to strike him
with his bucket, but backed toward the
door of his cell as Lefever raised his
club. Warden Coffin, who had follow
ed Lefever into the cage, grabbed the
club from his hand. He drove Marlatt
into his cell, followed him in and
struck him with the club. Marlatt
| then grabbed the warden and succeed
ed in wrestling the club from him and
struck him over the head several times
He cut the warden's head, blacked his
eyes and bruised him severely before
he was subdued.
Guard Kolb followed the warden in
10 the cell, but on account of the limit
ed space could render little or no as
sistance at first, and Edward Leonard,
convict, who is sometimes used by
the guards at the cage as an assistant.
was called. He crawled over the
warden and Guard Kolb and succeeded
in holding Marlatt until the warden
and Kolb retired from the cell Leon
ard, under instruction of Guard Le-
fever, administered a sound thrashing
to Marlatt, and only stopped when
Guard Lefever told him to.
Guard Lefever, at the time of the
wardens visit, had gone to unlock the
night men and Guard Kolb unlocked
Marlatt, who had been confined to his
cage for some time, owing to trouble
between him and Hurley.
Hurley was very quiet during the
trouble, but after Marlatt had been
locked in his cell again, he had to be
transferred to the other side.as he was
very nervous and was suffering from
the cold air coming in through the
broken windows
''Mr. Darby, the warden-elect, and
myself" Warden Coffin said in dis
cussing the incident with the State
Journal. were making a tour of the
prison and went down to the steel
cages where Marlatt and Hurley are
confined, Atkinson and O'Neill having
been put to work in the shops When
put those men to work some days
ago | issued an order to the guard of
the cage that Hurley should be releas-
ed frcm his cell. This made Maratt
vary angry and he protested against
Hurley being allowed the liberty of the
cage. | told him if he was not salts
fed with that would lock him up, and
it was done. This afternoon when
we went down to the cage | told the
guards to release Marlatt.
Mr.. Darby and | then left and got
as far probably as the dining room,
when we heard terrible crash in the
cage. 1t sounded like the whole
building was falling in. We hurried
back and found that Marlatt had TAX
en- water bucket and knocked out ev-
cry pane of glass in the windows of
the cage. | Immediately ordered the
guards to put Marlatt back in his cell.
Marlatt resisted. but finally entered
the cage. Before the door was locked,
he turned around and started out. and
such profanity l have not heard in
years.
He called me all the foul names
Imaginable. Then / seized Guard