The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-02

Many facts concerning the life of
NJ. M. Murdock were recently related
by his brother. Thomas Benton Muir
dock, editor of the ElDorado Repub-
lican. The lives of the two brothers
have been closely linked since they
went together to Topeka with their
father from the Virginia home III
The Murdock family was reared in
the Pierpont settlement in Virginia.
Thomas and Katherine Murdoch were
the parents of Marshall. who was born
October 10 1887. Marshall was eldes:
child. Thomas Benton Murdock
familiarly known to Kansans as
junior. Roland, still younger BROTH
er. was until his death nearly two
years ago a business partner of Mar
shall. The two sisters are Mrs. La
a pioneer newspaper man of Emporia,
and Mrs. Albert Pemberton. Both
sisters still live in Emporia where
their parents made their home for
many years.
I'VE came west in 1856" T B. MUIR
dock said recently in speaking of his
brother. Mother and the two girls
stopped at Mount Pleasant, Iowa. and
father and Marsh and L came on over
land to Topeka. In the early spring
father went back to Mount Pleasant
and brought the rest of the family
while we went to work in Topeka
Marsh had learned the printers trade
in Virginia and for about two years
he stuck type for Ed and Bill Ross
in Topeka.
"In a couple of years the family
moved to En1poria and Marsh and I,
in 1860, went by 'bull-team' to what
is now Leadville, Col. I returned and
Marsh worked in the mines for a
year and then came back. While we
were living on Badger creek, north of
Emporia, in what was then Brecken-
ridge (now Lyon) county, Marsh was
married to Miss Victoria Mayberry of
Emporia. He soon afterward went to
Lawrence and worked on the Law
renee Tribune, edited by the late John
Speer a pioneer printer. The Tribune
and its editor were targets then for
the antifree staters.
Marsh was sleeping with young
John Speer In the basement of the
Tribune building when Quantrell and
his gang struck town. He escaped to
an empty well when the building was
fired and saved his life. Young Speer
was not SO successful. He was shot
down just outside the office. I re-
member how I used to cuss those
raiders when I heard my brother tell
of that day.
.eWeu, Marsh had begun negotia-
tions with a man by the name of Chal-
font for the posses sion of the Usage
Chronicle at Burlingame and after the
raid he moved to Burlingame and ran
the Chronicle for several years. He
was twice elected senator from the
Usage and Coffey district. In 1871 he
went to Wichita and set up the Wich-
ita Eagle which has remained in his
possession ever since. He was once
elected senator from the Wichita
Buckner district and was president
pro tenn of the senate at the time of
the 'Pomeroy-Y episode. At that
time E. S. Slower was lieutenant gov
ernor''
Early Kansas history was always
fresh in the Wichita editors mind.
Many famous incidents of the uneasy
times which occurred were witnessed
by him. These are some of the facts
concerning him:
His first vote was cast in Topeka. 1t
was against the adoption of the Le-
compton constitution. He was a cor
poral of a company Of free state boys
that marched to Lecompton to par
ticipate in the Inauguration Of the first
free state legislature. In connection
with half a dozen others he assisted in
cutting the ice in the Kaw river for
John Brown who, with a wagon load
of esca ped slaves. was making his last
trip north over the Lone trail
In the winter of 1864 Mr.. Muir
dock was appointed. at the solicitation
of General James H. Lane, a govern
ment special agent and afterward en-
rolling officer. In 1854 he was COM
missioned lieutenant colonel by Gov
ernor Carney and organized the Santa
Fe battalion and afterward command