Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-10-24
TWO MEN WITNESS THE CRIME
The Murderess Made Threats Of Shoot
ing But officer Martin Thought She
Was Only "BIuffine"-Two Bullets
Fired in Ceiling in Effort to Scare
the Constable.
Special to Times Republican

who was attempting to serve writ OF
execution and remove some furniture
Martin leaves an invalid wife and siS
grown children. He was veteran OF
the civil war, and had been constable
for fifteen years.
The woman shot once into the cell
ing over his head, but he persisted In
taking the furniture out of the house
and then she shot him dead.
Martin fell dead in the hall way
of her home, and as the life blood
flowed from bullet wound just above
his heart, the 1nllrderess rushed out
to the dray and pulled off some Of the
articles of furniture and carried them
back into the house. But for the
prompt arrival Of police officers she
would probably have unloaded the
wagon.
Did Not Get the Money.
Yesterday afternoon Constable Mar
Mrs Eckles if she had the money
to satisfy the Judgment. She told
him that she had not and
would not have it. He went away
and returned with a Calder dray and
two men, j. f. Shebek and ]. s. Trum-
bull. They began to take the furniture
out of the house, Mrs. DclSles resist
Ding with all her might. She took
hold of furniture and tried to prevent
their taking it, and once or twice she
had more or less of a scuffle with Mar
tin, who ignored her as much as pos
sible and went ahead with his duty.
Finally she went back to the bedroom
and came out with a revolver. She
fiourished it around and fired one shot
behind her and another shot over
Martins head into the ceiling. He
persisted, however, in taking the fur
niture, apparently thinking that she
was only ''bluffing." But the third
shot she fired was aimed directly at
him. 1t struck him just over the heart
clamation, oh" That was all he said.
Apparently he was killed instantly.
The ambulance was quickly sum-
moned, but all that could be done
was to take the body to the undertake
ers Officer Snleta arrested the Wo-
man, who was perfectly calm and COL
lected. She did not appear to be in
the least excited. She was taken to
the station, where little later she
made statement.
Mrs. Eckles in her statement said:
lie came into the hall to the sitting
room door. 1t was locked and he
could not open it. Then he went to the
front room door and unlocked that
door with his own key and came In. l
had no gun in my hand then. He start
ed to take the furniture out and told
him to let it alone and ordered him out
of the hose. He told me to get put CT
TIE way, that he was going to get y e
furniture. We had a tussle, and again
ordered him to leave the house.
'"The men who were with him did
not tussle with me. Only Constable
Martin. After we had the tussle I
went into the back bedroom and took
the revolver. ] fired one shot back Of
me to give him to understand that /
meant business. He went right ahead
taking out the furniture. Then I fir
ed a second shot upwards right be-
tween the front windows in the front
room But he went ahead taking out
the furniture. The bed was taken TO
pieces and the springs had been taken
out doors. We had another scuffle
and he grabbed bed slat and said
ne would knock my brains out. 1 told
him to hit me If he dared He went
straight ahead knocking the bed to
pieces, and then | shot. He was about
six or eight feet from me when ! fir
ed He hollered "Oh," He didn't fall
then He walked out into the hall face
first When he got into the hall, he
fell down. The men picked him up
and carried him out on the grass. Then
the police came down and arrested me
and carried me to the station"
Story Not All True.
Shebek and Trumbull both declare
positively that the part of the wom-
ans statement which says that Con-
stable Martin walked out Of the room
into the hall after he was shot is not
true. They say he was standing in the
hall near the front door when she fired
at him. and that he fell Instantly, with
the single exclamation, "Oh." He new
err walked a step after being shot.
Furthermore, the men state that
they heard Constable Martin make no
threats against the woman, though
they saw him hold up slat to in
timidate her. They say that she
threatened to shoot him, and he said,
Shoot If you want to, I'm going to
have this furniture If you kill me-"
He had hardly uttered the words I'M
til she did shoot and he fell dead. Pre-
vious to this time the men say that
Mrs Eckles had been trying to pull
the furniture away from Constable
Martin though they saw no scuffe be-
tween the two They say that he kept
his eye on the revolver all the while,
and so did they as we'll as they could,
They were making trips to the wagon
with the furniture while Mr.. Martin
STAYED in the house all the time, TAX
ing the furniture to pieces and hand
ing it out to them.
Victim Well Known.
For fifteen years Peter Martin had
been constable at Marion and he was
also we'll known as an auctioneer lie
had the confidence and esteem of fbe
whole community. He was a veteran
of the civil war, in which he served
for four years. While in charge
during the war the middle of one Of
his hands was shot away SO that he
practically only had one hand which
he could use This is probably the
reason why he could not take the re-
volver away from the woman when
she first brought it out and threalene