The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-16
TO PREVENT SALE
Death of William Marks Work
of Ak Man?
Witness Tells of Trouble With
DeceaSed'S Son.

Ottawa, kan, Nov. 16--That " nliaa1
Marks, so years old, who was found
dead in his home the night OF Septeln-
Der Is, may have been killed with an
ak and his home burned to conceal the
crime. was indicated by evidence given
at the cOroner's inquest held at Green
wood township, nine miles southwest
of here
Marion r. Conner, q neighbor, tesri-
fed that he found an ak on which were
gray hairs near the ruins of the house
the morning after Marks body was
found The ak was introduced in evi
dence.
Marks owned real estate and personal
property valued at $1,000 Nineteen
witnesses, including the three children
of the dead man, were subpoenaed by
the coroner.
Father and Son Drinking
The ak was brought into evidence
during the testimony Of Conner. near
est neighbor and coufdant of the late
Williams Marks. Conner had found it
at the corner of the house soon after
the house was burned It was Con-
ner's testimony also that first brought
evidence that both the father and son
were drinking when he left them at
the house early the night of the fire.
He had taken the elder Marks to Po-
mona, a nearby town, that day and
had brought him back together with
three quarts of whisky which had
been shipped to Pomona to Marks ad-
dress. They had stopped at the home
of William Carter, a neighbor, accord
ing to Corners testimony, and left
word for Mr.. Carter to call on Marks
the next day to close a deal whereby
Carter was to buy the Marks farm OF
137 acres, the same farm which had
previously been wiIled to his son, VIII
liam Marks, Jr., according to a viii
he
the probate court a week after tn
death Of his father
Farm Was to Be Sold.
The will was offered Notwithstanding
the fact that on the day previous he
had met with the brothers and sisters
in probate court when all agreed that
there had been no will made
Did you know of any will made by
Marks?'' Dr. V. E Lawrence, coroner,
asked Conner at the inquest
Yes. sir. Mr. Marks told me sew
eraI weeks before he died that he had
made a will several years ago when
he was taken to a hospital in Ottawa
for an operation, and that he had
looked for it since III a trunk where it
had been, and couldn't find it"
do you know if his son knew of the
wflI?''
His son told me once that when he
and his wife were living with his
day and was going TO burn it up. but
that he objected and said it might be
vaIua bic some time"
Were the relations between father
and son pleasant Conner was asked
Not on Best of Terms
Not recently. The young man and
his wife and children had lived at the
fathers home until q year ago, when
they had trouble because, as the father
had told me. he feared the young peo-
pie were going to take his life The
young folks moved then, and until 1
brought the old gentleman home with
me the night of September 16. a few
hours before the IRE and found that
his son had come and had done all the
chores for his father. The father Of
fered drink from a bottle of liquor
to the son and told him to help himself
they had not been On the best of
terms
Did the son know Of the sale that
you say would have been made the
next day.
He knew that negotiations were on
to sell II"