The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
MARSHALL |SbELL
ASSASS|NATED ON
HENRY ELLEN ROAD
No Arrests Made, But Au-
thorities Have Several Per-
sons Under Surveillance
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
HAD NOT BEEN HAPPY
Two Bullet Holes Through His Head
and Neck Almost Severed From
Body-Recently Divorced
From Wife

From Wife
Marshall Isbe1l. a sawmill hand. was
ambushed and killed Tuesday night about
o'clock. Pierced by two bullet holes
through his temple and his head nearly
severed from his body, he was found yes
terday morning in a pool of blood, about
quarter of a mile from his home in
Henry Ellen small village in the east
ern part of Jefferson county.
The gruesome find was made by a
man named r. NJ Butler, who looks
after the houses of the Henry Ellen dis
trict quarters. The sheriff's office was
Immediately notified and Deputy Sheriff
Jack Brown arrived at the scene at about
10 o'clock. Later Chief Deputy Walter
Metcalfe and Deputy Curl and Acting
Coroner w. S. Russell went out in an
automobile to the scene of the murder
Chief Deputy Metcalfe and Deputy Curl
returned last night from Henry Ellen
without having made any arrests, but
stated that important developments in
the case were in abeyance.
Fired at Close Range
According to Deputy Brown, who re-
turned from the scene of the killing about
noon yesterday. .SS calibre pistol was
used in the killing of Isbell and the
shots were fired at very close range, as
the skin on the dead mans face was
burned by gunpowder. Not satisfied with
shooting Isbell, the murderer or mur-
derers cut Isbells throat from ear to ear
and almost severed his head from the
body.
From information received at the
sheriff's office yesterday, Isbell was on
his way home at the time of the shoot
ing. 1t was stated that his mother
had his supper waiting for him on the
table. Isbell was employed at the saw
mill of w. d. Scott and from the mill
officials it was gathered that Isbell left
the works at the usual time Tuesday
evening and was not heard of until his
dead body was found.
Matrimonial Trouble
lsbell 1t is said, had had much trou-
bic lately In his matrimonial affairs
Tie was separated frim his wife about
Is months ago and kept the custody
of his little daughter Temple. This
little girl was kidnapped on Saturday
afternoon, May II. Mr.. Isbell at that
time lodged complaint with the police
and detectives Investigated. but found
that Mrs. Isbell had the legal right
to her daughter and the kidnapping
charges of Mr.. Isbell were dropped
However, Is is charged that Mrs Isbell
had married previous to securing her
divorce from Isbell and on May 19 she
was arrested by Deputy Sheriff j. p.
Bonner on the charge of bigamy She
was released on $500 bond and is still
out on bond on that charge which comes
up before Judge l. II. Benners of the
court of common pleas on Friday morn
ing.
Attorney Explains Case
Fred Wall of the firm of Bowman &
Wall, attorneys in the Brown Marx build
ing, who were the attorneys representing
1sbell, said last night: Marshall Isbell
was a quiet, unassuming kind of a fell
low. We first became interested In him
some time ago when he brought his
matrimonial troubles to us to solve
1T seems that about Is months ago
Isbell became estranged from his wife
and they separated but on condition
that Mr.. Isbell would not fight the suit
for divorce of Mrs. Isbell, she signed
some kind of paper before an attorney
turning over the custody of her daughter
to her husband. Isbell kept and sup
ported his daughter and always Thought
that the paper he held was legal and
that his wife could never get her child
again.
However in the meanwhile on May 25,
1872 a marriage license was issued in
Columbiana, Shelby county, by Probate
Judge A. p. Longshore to VIII Burns and
Evie Isbell and on May q, 1912, the mar
riage between Will Burns and Evie Isbell
was solemnized before justice of the
peace at Vandiver named S. u. I. Cham
pion. This marriage was illegal and con-
stituted bigamy on Mrs. Isbel's part
THE divorce proceedings between Isbell
and his wife did not come to head until
April l of this year, when Chancellor
Benners granted a decree of absolute di-
vorce to Mrs. Isbell and granted her the
custody of her daughter. Mrs. Isbell went
to her husband and sought the custod.y
of the child, which was refused and
Isbell believed the paper he held gave
him the legal right to his daughter.
Finally, on Saturday afternoon, May IL,
Mrs Isbell and Ter supposed husband
VIII Burns, went to the house of Mrs.
Zelbie Patterson. COS South Thirty third
street, and took away the little 4-year-old
girl, Temple Isbel. The father, indignant,
complained to the police, but later the
cHhrSeS were uroppeu ana u warrant Tor
bigamy was sworn out.
"At the present time Isbell had us pre-
pairing an appeal from the divorce decree
granted his wife some weeks ago, and
was to have seen us on Friday. when
the preliminary bearing on the bigamy
case of his wife was up.
I'm the time that | have known Mar
shall Isbell he was always quiet and un-
assuming. In fact, he was very diffident
and / imagine he would go far out Of
his way to avoid trouble. | wish to
state that / will do all in my power 70
bring the assassins of Marshall Isbel to
Justice
According to Chief Deputy Walter Met
calfe, Mrs. Isbell alias Burns, has been
living at Henry Ellen for about two weeks
with her father. c. IsbelI. 1t seems that
her maiden name was Isbell, as well as
that of her first and legal husband. The
little daughter, Temple Isbell, is also
mo- af IaprV Ellen