Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-05
F. A. Marson Says That Time
For Judgment Has Come
and He Is Satisfied
is TAKEN TO FORT MADISON
Chained to the Arm of the Negro
Forser, Gordon, the Sweet Singing
Evangelist Promoter Boards Train
for the Penitentiary-Rev. Dempster
Interested in His Behalf

| Chained to the arm of the negro for
ser, Charles Gordon, Fred A. Marson
the sweet singing evangelist and sou
/ saver, incidentally clever contidenc,
| man and swindler, boarded the 1ows
| Central south bound train at 9:15. II
charge of Sheriff Shoemaker. bounc
for the state penitentiary at FIT. Madi
| son, to which he was sentenced for fiv,
years of hard labor by Judge Caswel
Saturday.
Marson says he Is perfectly salts.
fled with his sentence, which he con-
siders just. 1.-THE time OF judgement
has come he said, and l am willing
TO abide by the consequences. | an
guilty, and have never denied my guilt
excepting VIXEN 1 was first incarcerat
ed, when, owing to circumstances
which l am not at liberty to divulge.
l made complete denial or everything
| do not blame Judge Casswell, the
sheriff, county attorney or any one, ex-
cepting the newspapers. The sentence
did not hurt me one half ais much as
Judge CaswelPs re.aark that l had
never earned an honest dollar, or never
did an honest days work In my life.
This Is not true. and l could produce
proof, If necessary, where / worked as
bookkeeper steadily for nine years. ana
then lost my position only because of
4.
firm, which changed the business man.
agement.n
Marson was seen In the Jail Sunday
evening by a T.-R. man who called TO
give him an opportunity TO talk If he
SO desired. Marson was singing, with
several of the other prisoners in the
corridor below. Nearer, M God, to
Thee" The voice of the sweet tenor
rose above the others as the music Of
the good old hymn was sung. AT first;
Marson said he had nothing TO say. but
he chatted very interestingly for an
hour, and made weak effort to ex
plain certain things that have been
made public in his past record.
Marson says that ii breaks his heart
to think that the judge should sem
tence him on a record of forty years of
misdoings. MY trouble began only
six years ago he said. Prior to thar
time l led an honorable life. No one
but myself and my God know what
temptations have been placed before
me, and how / came to fall. have the
dearest wife God ever gave to any man,
and four of the brightest of children.
II is on their account that ] am sad,
for the grief and disgrace to them are
hard to bear. AS for myself, / do not
care. I know the day Of judgement
has come, and I know I must suffer
for my crime. I never intended to
plead not guilty in the first pace, and
told my attorney from the beginning
that was guilty. 1t was contrary TO
his advice that entered the plea OF
guilty, for he assured me that he could
clear me on each count. AS to the ex-
preston of contrition at any other
time in my life. that is false. Never
before in my life have / ever admitted
was guilty of a crime. That time
has come now. and I am ready to CO."
Marson also referred to the judges
about the parole of the COVER
nor which might be forthcoming should
he show by his conduct that he was
anxious to lead better life. II par
ole Is ever granted" he added. 1T will
be without my knowledge or consent.
| shall never ask Judge Caswell. Sher-
III Shoemaker or the county attorney
TO intercede in by behalf. II anything
should be done for me 1t will have
to be done by my friends. without my
led ch5 IL
the people would say that II Is another
on my part to gain SYM
pathy.''
Marson referred to his family sever
al times, and to his statement that
some newspaper man had sert to his
home town copies Of the T.-R., giving
the accounts of his recent trouble. He
refused to say who the newspaper man
was, or under what circumstances the
papers We're sent He appeared to feel
t was done In spirit of spitework, In
.rying to harm him by giving the stor-
es publicity in his home town. Marson
slaims that the T.-R. Is responsible for
ais sentence, and said that the Judge
lad read the papers and had been in
iuenced by the accounts of his doings.
lie claimed that he had been greatly
on different occasions.
Rev. Dempster Interested.
Despite the fact that one OF Marson's
eading gratis has been to work church
people he still seems able to gain SYM
,athy and confidence in that direction
Rev. David Dempster, pastor of the
church, has visited him
everal times. and at present is very
much worked up over the fact that
wo letters to Marson We're published
II the T=-R. Rev. Dempster has gone
o Sheriff Shoemaker with a complaint.
because OF the publication, thinking
hat the sheriff gave out the informa-
ion. Rev. Dempster thinks that
rickery has been resorted to in order |
o get possession of the letters, and
old the sheriff he was going 10 con-
Iuct an investigation. Marson claims |
lever to have seen the letters before
nd Sheriff Shoemaker knew nothing
bout them until he saw them in
,rint.