Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-09
Details of the Murder of the
Novelist by His Brother
Malcolm.
Bitterness Engendered by Favor.
itism Shown in Fathers Will
Leads to FratroCide.
One Famous as a Writer and the
Other as an Ath.
lete.

Ford, the novelist, by his brother, NAL
com Webster Ford, who also took his
own life.
The two brothers died within a few
feet of each other, Malcolm Immediate
ly, alone, face downward upon the
floor; Paul half an hour later, on a
couch close by, with his wife of less
than two years married life weeping
over him.. There was but one witness
of the murder and suicide, Miss HALL,
the secretary of the novelist, and thru
her but one sentence of all that wax
said in the moments preceding the
shooting has reached the public. Whep
Malcolm made his therats and drew his
revolver Paul started to his feet.
"All right, 1 want to die bravely," he
said. And facing his brother and en-
envy, he received the bullet in his
breast.
There had been a dispute over money
matters before this, and the words that
were said ranked with all the cumula-
tive bitterness of ten years of family
quareling. For Malcolm was the dis
Inherited son Of a millionaire father;
Paul was the spokesman and leader of
the six children to whom the estate had
been left.
And with it went all the opposition of
W o totally unlike characters. For Paul
Ford, the author of Janice Meredith"
OF The Honorable Peter Sterling" of
The Many-Sided Franklin and half
a dozen other novels and biographical
works, was no less famous in his ield
than Malcolm, the holder Of worlds
records for running high jumps and
running broad jumps. was in his.
But Malcolm's splendid physique was
broken down by his experiences and
troubles till he was probably mentally
irresponsible, while Paul, the hunch-
backed cripple, was clear and strong
and brave in the crisis of his life.
1t was because Malcolm was an ath-
lete that the father, Gordon L. Ford.
disinherited him. The ambitions Of the
father, who was once publisher of the
New York Tribune, We're for literary
careers for his three sons. Worthing-
ton G. Ford, the eldest, once chief of
the United States, and Paul satisfied
his ideals, but Malcolm he could not
abide. And when the will was read IN
1891 and Melcolm's name was not
found, the entire property going to the
other sons and the four daughters,
Malcolm's enmity, which resulted in
murder, was planted in his heart.
He claimed tina his brothers and sis
ters had agreed to share with him. He
declared that they would have done it
had it not been for Paul's influence. He
began a suit, which eve yet is stand
ing unsettled in the courts. In his days
of prosperity he endured without COM
ing to violence. In his last two years
Of a straitened purse he worked himself
up to the revenge that he took.
1t was in the magnificent library OF
the Ford family that the tragedy oc-
Cured. The library, one of the finest
collections of books in the United
States, as established by the elder Ford
and left to his sons Worthington ard
Paul.
When Malcolm Ford entered the
room he walked straight to his bro
Tiers desk, and, leaning over it, began
to talk in a low tone. Miss Hall do not
hear distinctly what was said. She
only heard enough to indicate that the
conversation as about money matters
and continued her work without paying
any attention to what was going on at
the desk Of her employer. Suddenly
and without n warning in the nature
of louder or angry talk h heard a pis-
tol shot. She sprang up looked
around and saw Malcolm Ford standing
half turned toward her with his arms
folded and a pistol in his right hand.
Paul Ford had sunk down in his chair.
At the instant Malcolm Ford took 4
step or two in her direction and impui-
sively she started to run, but as she
passed thru the portieres it occurred
to her, as she said afterward, that she
ought to be brave and to do anything
she could to assist her employer. She
turned and started back into h IL
brary. Malcolm Ford was still stand
ing looking at his brother, who seemed
to be striving to gain his feet.
1t must have been apparent to Mall
colin Ford that his shot had been eff
fective, for he made no attempt to re-
peat it. AS they stood thus, the ath-
lete seemingly contemplating the eff
feet of his work, the difference be-
tween the two men physically seemed
more sharply emphasized, even to the
excited secretary. Malcolm Ford. tall,
finely built, strong: Paul Ford, light.
feeble, a hunchback, who stood at his
greatest height not 5 feet.
AS the girl ran forward to assist her
employer Malcolm Ford turned and ex"
claimed:
"Now, watch me kill myself" With
the words he took the muzzle OF his
pistol in his left hand, and, pressing it
close to his body directly over his heart,
fired. He fell forward on the floor
dead. Miss Hall went quickly as she
could to Paul Ford, who had risen from
his chair and started to stagger toward
her. She put her arm about him and
led him around the end of his desk to
the sofa behind it, where he lay down..
Then her instant thought was to sum-
mon assistance.
A statement issued by the family last
night says:
"The cause of Malcolm's action can
only be explained by Inference. For
some time past his AFFAIRS had been OPP
pressing him, and he has repeatedly
asked and received material assistance
from his brother. 1t is presumed that
his opportunities had become such and
his demands so excessive hat his
brother was forced to refuse further
aid"
The only thing in addition to this
that was said for the family was a