Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-31
Aged Connecticut Man is
Accused of Four
Murders.
DRUGS HIS VICTIMS
And Beats Out Brains to Avoid
Paying Their
Wages.

Colchester. Conn, Aug. 31.-That
GershOn b. Marx. aged 81. held in
the Norwich county Jail since last
spring. is the perpetrator of a series of
cold-blooded murders probably with
out precedent in the history of Con
lnecticut. is the belief of the state Off
cials who yesterday began a system
attic search for bodies on the Marx
farm. Four murders and an attempt
| to poison another man can. il is be
lieved by these officials. he traced to
Marx.
The bodies of two of Marks victims.
Joe Pavol and Joe Palm. have been
found. Marx is awaiting trial, charged
with the murder of Pavol. his wife be-
| ing held as a witness for the state.
The two bodies for which the present
search was begun are those of an 49,
year-old boy and Hebrew peddler.
The boy, who was known as Harry,
arrived in New York from Russia
about three years ago and he came
here soon after to work for Marx. He
worked on the farm for about six
months and then suddenly disappear
ed. Marx was asked to explain the
| lads absence and he said he had gone
to Hartford to find employment. Be-
yond that he would not talk about the
boy.
| The Hebrew peddler went to the
Marx home one evening two years ago
and he has not been seen alive since
| so far as known. These two men. in
the opinion of States Attorney Lucas
and Sheriff Jackson, met their death in
the same manner as the two farm
hands and to obtain positive proof
supporting their opinion efforts will be
made to unearth the bodies.
Attempts Another Murder.
| \ Polander known as Joe yesterday
made statement to Sheriff Jackson in
which he accused Marx of attempting
to end his life with poisoned whisky.
! Joe took the whisky, but was afraid
to drink it and put it away. When the
body of Pavol was found Joe mention
ed the matter to a constable and gave
him the whisky and the constable turn
ed it over to the jailer of the county
| Jail, who promised to have ii analyZed-
/ Marx made still another attempt on
Joe's life when the latter discovered
the body of Pavol, it is claimed. After
he had eXhumed the body Joe went to
the house and accused Marx of murder
ing Pavol and said he intended to no
| tify the authorities. Marx thereupon
picked up a scythe and said If Joe at
tempted to leave the place he would
cut his head Off The farm hand es-
capped, however, without injury despite
several vicious lunges made at him by
Marx. according to the statement.
The motive for the crimes can only
be traced TO an insane desire on the
lpart of Marx to escape paying money
to persons to whom he was indebted.
The two men whose bodies have been
found were six months behind in their
wages, as was the young boy, Harry,
of whom no trace has yet been found.
Drugs Victims, Then Kills.
The manner in which these men met
their death appears to be plain. Marx
always slept with his hired man. his
wife and four children sleeping in an
ladjoining room 1t is said that he
drugged his victims when they pressed
him too hard for their wages and then
crushed their heads with an AK or
some blunt instrument, after which
the bodies were dismembered and bur
led. Each of the bodies already found
bears a ghastly hole in the forehead.
In that of the Hebrew peddler the
case appears to have been robbery and
then murder. The peddler went TO the
Marx home with a large quantity Of
articles. including clothing, cheap jew
elry. etc. The Hebrew entered the
Marx house late in the afternoon two
years ago and was never seen again.
a few days after this event Marx hitch
: ed up a horse and wagon and drove to
the home Of John Marx, who is no re-
lation to the alleged murderer. and
tried to sell him a miscellaneous col
lection of clothing. some of it new and
some of it second hand. The clothing,
it is believed, was tho property OF the
peddler.
Owns Two Farms.
Marx has two farms, one of 1G5
acres and another of 105 acres. On
the first farm was found the body OF
PavOl and on the second one the body
of Palm. States Attorney Lucas and
Continued on Page seven.)