Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1905-07-14
A STARTLING
:" ACCUSATION
Sheriff Marshall Accused Of Assist.
ing the Ironton, NO., Mob.
STORY TOLD BY SPAUGH BOYS
Sherin Marshall, They Say, UnlOcked
the Doors and Then StO0d
Guard While the Mob
shot Them.

st. Louis, July 11.-Wnliam and Ar
thur Spaugh, the men charged with the
murder of Sheriff Joseph w. Polk Of
Iron county, and who we're brought to
st. Louis early Sunday morning for
safe keeping, made public, Monday, the
statement to be sent to Gov. Folk in
which they allege that Sheriff Marshall
unlocked the doors of the Jail for the
mob that shot them Saturday morning.
They also give the names Of several
citizens whom they claim we're in the
assaultins party.
The statement follows:
ION Thursday preceding the attack,
Sheriff John |. Marshall came into the
Jail and told us there were to come In
some more government prisoners and
that the men in the halls would be
moved into the cells. l did not think
much about it at the time, although
n of the inmates said to me, There
must be something going to happen
Sheriff Marshall ordered all the
lights put out in the Jail at 8 p. N.
each day beginning Thursday, July 6,
saying that Mrs. Polk was sick up
stairs.
About 1880 q. m. on Saturday, l
was up in my cell, having been awake
all night as | feared an attack would
be made. | heard a crowd of people
talking to John Marshall near the outer
door of the Jail.
81 heard them ask Marshall where
the keys were and he replied that they
were hanging where they always did
and told them to go and get them. DR..
Farmhouse told the sheriff to get them
himself. as he understood it better.
Marshall said, "All right, be quiet
now The sheriff then came and un-
locked the outside doors. I could not
see him unlocking the door, but could
hear him talking and hear the keys
rafting.
"a crowd her rushed in the door
and Sheriff Marshall came and un-
locked our cell door,. | knew him, for
he was unmasked and I could plainly
see him by the light Of the lantern
which some one in the mob carried.
Marshall then said to ome lie:
You stand guard; l will go back and
lock the outside door and stand guard
outside The mob then started to
rush in at the cell door and one man
got partially in when | struck him
telling him to the floor. hit him with
a bed slat. When a second man at
tempted to enter l also knocked him
down.
John Marshall then called in, say
ing: If you want to get them out Of
there you will have to rush in at once
Then some one said: well, we will
have to go to shooting They then
opened fire on us. There were from
thirty to forty shots fired in the fight.
They would place their pistols around
the door and through the bars, shoot
ing at us. / got hold of one pistol In
the fight, and afterward turned 1t over
to Sheriff Marshall. The lantern was
blown out after the first few shots.
Marshall then cried out that there
was some one coming and they had
better hurry and get us out of there
The whole mob then made q rush fol
the door and went out.
II recognized the men In the mob
partly by their voices and partly by
seeing them with my eyes. also rec
ognized two pistols as belonging Il
Marshall and DIR. Farmhouse. They wer'
the same guns used on us when W
were first arrested down at the cabin
ard that Is how ! came to recognize
them. My brother Arthur and | boil
stood on the left hand side of the doc
close to the wall"