Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-08-13
INNOCENT OF GUILT.

JAS Mackey and Irving Bartlett, the
two Iramps arrested on suspicion at the
time of the murder of Jennie Richie,
have been given their liberty and by
this time are far removed from the
scene Of their trying experience.
Whether that experience will have any
effect on their future course, and in
dnce them to give up tramping, is a
question which only they can answer.
They can consider themselves lucky
that the people around Stratford are
cool headed. and that lynching was not
resorted to. Had they been arrested in
one of the southern states. for such a
crime, there is little doubt about the re-
suit. 1t was fortunate for them that
the real murderer of the girl was ap-
pretended and made a confession of his
guilt.
Speaking of this case reminds us of
the truthfulness of the adage that many
an innocent man is hung, while guilty
iparties go free. On July 5, young
lady near Merrill was criminaily as
saulted while passing along lonely
road. Her description of her assailant
caused the arrest of a tramp who gave
the naWe of Martin, and who boastfully
claimed he had been tramping for the
past twenty years. At first the authori-
ties thought he might be the murderer
of Jennie Richie, inasmuch as he
claimed to have travelled from Marsh
field to Wausau through Stratford.
The sheriff and district attorney
brought him here and then conveyed
him to Stratford to disprove or verify
his statements regarding his movements
in that vicinity, and the officers proved
to their own satisfaction that he had
nothing to do with the Stratford crime.
Besides being accused of the assault
on the Lincoln county girl, sthe girl
made matters worse for him by posi-
lively identifying him as her assailant.
Martin proclaimed his innocence and
said that on the day the crime was COM
mitted he was in Clark county, instead
of Lincoln. He said he could prove
this if the officers would accompany
him to farm house in the former
county, where he said he took dinner
on the day of the crime. The officers,
to be fair with him, gave him a chance.
He was again brought to Wausau and
taken west. Directing the officers out
into the country, he pointed out the
house where he said he took dinner
July 5th. One of the officers went in
and asked the members of the family if
they remembered man having dinner
at their home on the date mentioned,
and they said they did. Martin was
then produced and positively identified
by every member of the family as the
man.
Thus it will be seen that this man was
charged with the commission of two
heinous crimes, both of which he was
innocent. He being a tramp, with pub
lie opinion against him, and the girl
being positive that he was her assail-
ant, might have sent him to prison for
long term, had the Merrill officials
not taken the pains to let him prove his
story, before the case came on for trial.
A few years ago crime was commit
ted near Marathon City. A tramp was
found the same evening sleeping in
barn near by, and came near being
lynched. A man of the name of MOL
den, living near the village, was later
proven guilty of the deed, and is today
serving a long sentence in the state
prison. 1t pays to travel the straight
path and work for ones living.