Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-26
The Death of Mart Woods Still
a Subject of Much Dis
cussion
WAS He VICTIM OF coNsPiRAcYa
Some of the Reasons for Believing He
Was Made Away With to Prevent
.Revelations in Regard to the Famous
Dynamitins Plot in 1sss-Mysterious
Support Of His Family.
special to Times-Republican.

~ NoooS, WIZ WdS IOuuu uedO III HIS
bed under suspicious circumstances on
Saturday, took place today. 1t is stated
an attempt will be made to ferret out
the cause of death. The fact that Woods
was writing a book in which he would
expose the entire plot which resulted in
the dynamiting of the homes of Editor
Mahin and two others in the days of
prohibition ii 1898 is thought to have
led to a determination to put Woods out
OF the way.
Coroner Norton was called, but will
not hold an inquest until Mrs. Woods is
able to tell something, as she is o in
q state Of nervous collapse. and unable
to coherently tell of the circumstances.
Woods is q w~el-kntwn character in
this city, and was recently released
from the ~penitentiary.
Mart Woods came Aome Friday night
shortly before IL O'clock in an intoxi-
Gated condition. He was loud and bois-
tefous, claiming hat re was drunk and
glad-of 1t, and other such remarks. He
told his wife hat he had something
very important to say to her and
wanted to see her privately. She be-
came alarmed at his actions, and as
she has done many times before, she
went down onto the street and sum
moned, Night Captain Carl Thurman,
stating her case to him. He advised her
to go to the hotel to spend the night,
she being an employee Of the CONNER
cial.
Mrs. Woods and the two children left
the house and went to the hotel. Woods
made his bed In the room which evil
IDENTIFY served for a dining room. He
had acct that he had prepared. He
evidently undressed and went to bed.
This was the last seen of him alive,
and as to what. TRANSFERRED IN these
rooms the remainder of the night VIII
probably never be known
After completing her work at the
hotel Mrs. Woods returned to h apart
Saturday morning. She saw her
husband, but supposed him to be sleep
Ing of the effects Of the drunk the
night before. She did not disturb him,
rbut let him sleep. Towards noon she
became suspicious that he should sleer
so long, 40 she went to him once more.
This time abe noticed that he was not
breathing.
TMrs.@Wood was terrified at this dis
coyery and ran for medical assistance.
DR.. Heidel answered. her call, and upon
examination found Woods dead, and ms
body stiff and rigid, indicating that ne
had been dead many hours. The doc
tor stated that nothing could be done
81 -. a. xricA IN summon tine
coroner, DR.. w, 8. Norton.
When the truth dawned upon MIS-
Woods that her husband was dead she
was prostratsd. She almost LOST net
reason. and was only Quoted after
medical attention had been given her
That afternoon she lay upon a lounge
in her apartments moaning m crying
to herself, but giving nothing coherent
or anything that would give any idea as
ia the cause of her husbands death or
| what transpired after n lett nm fft-
day night about IL o'clock.
AS near as 1t can be learned he mad
no quarrel with any one last night.
He seemed to be too jovial for that, and
was not in the least inclined to wish 70
have trouble with any one. In all the
saloons in which he was to be found,
ha was on the best of terms with those
In the saloon.
Mart Woods was particularly known
from the fact that he served a term IN
the penitentiary, having been convict
ed OF completely in the blowing up OF
the homo OF E. NJ. Kessinger. II is
rumored today since the news OF his
death has been given to the pubic
that Woods since his release from the
penitentiary has threatened at various
times to expose the entire plot relative
to the blowing up of the homes. and
that he has been put out of the way by
some involved in that terrible crime.
1t is also we'll known that he was
writing a book, concerning that very
crime. In this book he was telling OF
1.-The affair, his arrest. and his connec-
ton with 1t, claiming absolute tgnor-
ance, The manuscript of this book was
found In his pockets today, and a glance
over It's pages. reveals nothing particu-
Ilarly sensational. 1t ma be, however,
that In this book he had Intended CIV
ing away the entire plot of the crime
mentioned above.
It is also stated that while he was
serving his term in the p~enitentiary
he was paid hush" money to keep him
still and that his wife and family We're
kept in this city, living well, and SEEM
Ing to have plenty Of money, with no
visible source of income.
One of his pals today stated that of
late he had been gambling consider
able, but whether he lost or won is not
known, but the general impression
seems to be that he lost. However, he
has exhibited no signs Of melancholy.
The theory of suicide has been advance
ed, but no cause car be ascribed.
Mart Woods has been a familiar
character about Muscatine for many
wears. He was about 3S years of age,
and has been married for 16 years.
Besides his wife there are two children
to mourn his loss, Arthur Woods and
GLADYS Woods, the Oldest being 15 years
of age. Before he was arrested for the
crime for which he served his penitent-
larry term, he vas a hanger on at a
number of the saloons In the city, aitho
ct the time of his arrest he was a
brakeman on the Muscatine and West
ern. He was arrested, tried, convicted
and sentenced. the charge being impli-
cation in the blowing up of the house
of e. M. Kessinger, on the night of May
la, 1893. He was convicted on the test
mony of q negro who confessed to part
OF the crime. Woods was the only man
ever convicted of the crime, m was
sentenced to serve ten years in the PEN
litentiary. He served seven ears and q