The Oskaloosa herald., 1907-01-17
MARION THOMPSO
WAS IN OSKALOOSA
MAN WANTE1 FOR MURDER WAS
HERE MONDAY MORNING.
TRIED TO PAWN HIS ovERcoAI
Said He Needed the Money and r1is
Actions Aroused Suspicion
Crime Was Not known
At That Time.

who shot and killed Howard Burgess,
the Buxton giant, big Boy" who as
saulted him with a butcher knife in
the Thompson restaurant at Buxton,
between eleven and twelve o'clock
Sunday night, was in Oskaloosa ear
ly Monday morning and is supposed
to have gone north from the city at
seven o'clocN on the Iowa Central to
| Grinnell
Thompson, after the shooting, came
to Oskaloosa by some means, most
likely a conveyance secured ac Bux.
ton. This cannot be verified at tnis
time, however. He went into the
Brooke hotel about six o'clock and
got breakfast. While he was seated
at the breakfast table Tom Martin, an
employe of the Turf" saloon. en-
tered the restaurant and saw Thomp.
son. He looked at the man steadily
and the colored fellow noted his
glances and seemed somewhat dis
turbed. When Martin lefc the hotel
Thompson followed him to the sa.
loon, went in and bought drink OF
liquor, and in paying for the same
exhibited couple of dollars which
he drew from a pocket. After stand.
ing about for a few moments he asked
Martin why he had looked at him so
sharply in the restaurant. Martin
replied that he thought he had seen
him before, or that he knew him.
mo, do not believe that you know
me-" was the reply.
Martin thought it somewhat unus-
ual that the man should seem so con-
cerned ABOUT the matter and so he
put the question directly to the fell
low: Why do you ask that question :"
'Well," replied the coIored man, Il
thought for a while that you were a
fly cop and were looking for some
one and thought might be the one :
Inc colored man then asked a
number of questions concerning the
time of outgoing trains and Martin
told him of the C,ntral going nortn
at seven O'Clock. The fellow said
that he was going co Grinaell. lie
then wanted to pawn his overcoat to
Martin, asking two, dollars for the
coat.
"You don't need to pawn the coat, .
| said Martin, you have two dollars
| there"
Eyes, know said Thompson, but
| need the money now"
Martin did not take lne coat aad
the colored man left the saloon and
returned to the depot. The fact of
the shooting of Burgess was not
known to the police at that time and
the officers were not watching for
the man. He was not seen at the sta.
tion so far as any one konws, but II
was possible for him to reach that
place and get to Des Moines.
Information that Thompson was
hiding in Des Moines was received
Monday afternoon by the police OF
that city.
During the evening detectives
secured the clty and watched all the
depots, and his description was fur
nished to all patrolmea on beats, Uut
up TO a late hour last night ne could
not De locate.
1t is believed that he made his es.
cape from the city on some freight
train
Thompson was seen drinking in an
East Des Moines saloon during the
afternoon, but he escaped before word
could be got to the police.
Thompson was quite we'll known in
Oskaloosa, having been here fire.
quently. 1t is said that several years
ago he ran sort of restaurant and
rooming place for colored people here
and the police have a recollection of
the fellow. 1t is thought he had some
interest in place on Rock Island
avenue or on High avenue west.
When the Buxton camp developed he
left the city and opened place there.
He was always regarded as a quiet
fellow and so far as can be aseer.
tanned was never engaged in any trou.
Bile here, either while living here or
during his subsequent visits to the
city.
Little sympathy is expressed for
the dead man. He had few friends in
the camp on account of his trouble
some nature, and almost every o1e
feared him. He had long been at
outs with Thompson, and had repeat.
edly and openly made threats against
the man. Thompson had called the
man down" a number of times for
causing disturbances in his place. t,e
was one of few who did not seem
to fear the burly fellow, and Burgess
took every opportunity for making a
fuss with him. Thompson, however,
would not quarrel. He was firm with
the fellow and had upon several oc.
caslons given him to understand tnat
he was master in his owa place, when
the trouble-maker had started to run
It.
Thompson Is generally censured lor
running away, for as the case devel.
ops the shooting was done purely in
self-defence and he was clearly justi.