Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-12-12

following statement was Obtained: !
Marx denied that he had maze any
improper advances to the young lady;
that he did put his arms around her
and kissed her, as he had many times
before; that he was very fond Of her.
and looked upon her as a mere school
girl" She is only IA years old.
Since the night of the tragedy
bag of straw, in which was a bottle
of coal oil, was found in Marks yard, |
and short distance away, where one
of the buggies was tied on the night /;
of the shooting, rags saturated with
coal oil were found. Whether Taylor
and his whitecap associates had the
articles there on the night of the
fatal shooting is not substantiated by
evidence.
Immediately after the shooting
Marx went to the home of his neighbor
and informed him of what he had done.
He said he was of the opinion that
the men who attempted to assault him
were robbers, and he did not know
better until he returned to his home,
accompanied by Mr.. Griffith. Marx |
then Immediately went for a doctor
and did everything possible for the
wounded. Young Hef1in seemed very
friendly to Marx after the shooting,
but Mr.. Stiff refused even to speak to
him when Marx babe him good-by
Before being taken to the steamer
Stiff stated that he did not regret
their condition so much as that of hav-
ing failed to accomplish what they
came for, He further stated that he |
was not in a condition to go over the !
whole story, but said it was their in |
| tention to say nothing about the mat |
| ter, their idea being to make Marx con
| fess and to give him horsewhipping
and let him go.
son was mortally wounded by Marx. |
son was mortally wounded by Marx
has returned home with the body of
the young man. In a talk with a de-
tective Sheriff Hefiin said that he did
| not blame Marx, even though his own
son is now dead and he is grief-strick-
en-. The sheriff said to the officer that
| Taylor, who is third cousin of Miss
Rose Taylor, caused the tragedy on
account of his own jealousy and desire
to prevent Marx from calling on Miss
Taylor. Sheriff Hef1in said that Marx
| had not been in the habit of saying
aught against anyone and that he was
regarded as a young man of unblem-
ished character.
Public sentiment at one time was
very strong against Marx, but is
rapidly growing in his favor This
statement is made on the authority of
some of the most prominent citizens
of Oak Grove and the neighborhood.
Almost to a man they condemn the
hasty action of the assaulting party
Messrs. Taylor, Hef1in and Douglas
Hefin stated that he had been shot by
one of his own party
Ernest Marx of New York, brother
Of Herbert Marx, and his borther-in-
law, A. e. Blackmar, an attorney of
that city, arrived at Oak Grove, spent
a night at the home of the common
wealth attorney of Westmoreland, Col.
R. j. Washington, where the whole
affair was discussed. What action
these gentlemen will take has not
been made public.
The remains of w. P Taylor, Jr.,
one Of the victims of the shooting,
were buried in the cemetery of st.
Peters Episcopal church at Oak
Grove. The remains of William
Hefiin, the second to die, will be buried
near his late home, in King George
county.
The condition of James J. Stiff, one
Of the victims of the Washington
tragedy, is unchanged and little hope
is held out for his recovery. Two of
his brothers, DR.. F. w. Stiff of Rich
mond and DR.. j. F. Stiff Of Freder-
icksburg, have been at the hospital
with him Stiff has not yet heard that
his friend, young Hef1in, is dead and
frequently inquiries after him
During the forenoon the best surg
cons Of the hospital including Drs. w,
+. Carr and J. Wesley Bovee, as
sembled for consultation as to the
adVlsability Of performing an opera
ton to remove the bullet They de-
clded that nothing would be gained bv
1t and determined not to perform any
operation, as it might only serve to
hasten the death of the patient. They
took splendid X-ray picture of the
mans neck, showing that the bullet.
which entered to the left of what is
commonly known as the Adams ap-
pie, went backward and lodged in the
spinal column almost an inch lower
: than the point of entry. The bullet
appears fiattened in the picture and
several pieces of lead became de-
tached from it during the path back
ward through the muscles of the neck. |
Young Marx is in hiding. The shoot.
Ing resulted from several young men
trying to "haze" him-or. at least to |
discipline him and to cause him to
cease MS attentions to Miss Taylor.
when they attacked him he shot