The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-04
|. ]. MARVIN FOUND WITH THROAT CUT FROM FAR ID FAR Body of We'll Known Automo- bile Expert Located Near
 IdIeWiId Car Line HIGHWAY ROBBERY IS
 ONLY MOTIVE ASSIGNED Was Last Seen Alive About Midnight and Man Who Saw Body at 1:4o
 O'Clock Thought It Was
 Drunken Man.

Blrmngham experienced clean record so far as violent deaths are concerned for the first two days of 1909 but when the shades of darkness had enveloped the city last night the days record showed that two white men and one negro man had gone to their reward at the hands of other persons
 At daybreak yesterday morning the dead body of Irwin J. Marvin was found lying on the ground near the Idlewild street car track Ninth street, south, be- tween Alabama and Montgomery avenues, with the jugular vein and windpipe sev- cred completely just below the left ear.
 The body was discovered by Motorman c. c. Speer, who was running the first Idlewild car out from town. Conductor Crumley was in charge of the car. while Stanley Atkins, who clerks for John l.. Parker, was a passenger. The car was stopped and the body examined, but life had undoubtedly been extinct for several hours.
 Police headquarters were advised of the discovery and Detectives Murphy and Williams were put to work on the case. The remains were removed to the under taking establishment of Gaudin & Co.,, and prepared for burial.
 Marvin was an expert automobile man, working for the Southern garage at 520 South Twentieth stret. He was consid- cred one of the best men in his line of business and was sent to Birmingham from Syracuse, N. Y, about IS months ago by the Franklin automobile peo- pie.
 He was 4S years of age and is survived by widow and one son about 12 years of age. His residence was at 800 South Nineteenth street. Mrs. Marvin is just recovering from sick spell.
 Detectives Murphy and Williams worked hard on the case all of yesterday and It is believed have discovered some val uable evidence. It was learned that Mar win had left the soft drink stand op- erated by "Jim' oHear at the corner of Avenue B and Thirteenth street short ly before F o'clock Saturday night leav- ing there few moments before OHear closed up. It was also learned that he had spoken to negro man while in O'Hears place.
 After leaving O'Hear's place Marvin started down Thirteenth street, going south. So far there have been no de- velopments regarding hts movements af- ter he started down Thirteenth street
 A man living a short distance from the place where the body was found ad- vised the police yesterday that his horse had gotten loose late Saturday night and that he had been out looking for it. He stated that he passed the place where the body had been found about 1 30 o'clock but that the body was. not there at that time. At this time he stated a crowd of ne- groes were carrying on greatly in a ne- gro house close by.
 About ten minutes afterward he came back by the place and noticed that eyery- thing was quiet and dark Around the ne- gro house, while a man was lying on the ground near the car line groaning He states that he thought the man was simply drunk and that he passed on with out stopping to investigate.
 The appearance of the ground where the body was found indicated that strug- gle had taken place, the ground being somewhat torn up. A trail of blood spots running in zig-zag fashion on the street led back two blocks to the corner of Bradley avenue and Ninth street, where there were also evidences of strug- gle having taken place.
 From the manner in which the blood spots ran from one side of the street to the other it would appear that Mar Win had staggered after his throat hao been cut from Bradley avenue 10 the place where he was found Undertaken Gaudin after examining the body, how ever, stated that bruises on the legs in- dicated that Marvin had been dragged for some distance with his legs trailing on l the ground. No arrests have yet been made but it | ficers are working will result in some ar | rests shortly. Marvin was a member of the Mac l cabees and was also a Mason. Funeral | services will be held at O clock this | afternoon at Gaudin & Co.'s chapel under | the auspices of the Maccabees and the re- | mains will be sent to Syracuse, N Y., | tonight for interment. The motive of highway robbery is the | only one that can be assigned for Mar | wins death and it is believed that the l same persons who have been connected | with many of the recent highway rob- | berries are responsible for this deed. The | cut appeared as if his murderer had stood l above him and stabbed downward on a | slant. Marvin was especially we'll known | among the automobilists of Birmingham, | having worked on large number of ma chimes On account of his expert knowl- | edge his services were in demand.