The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-06-26
SHOOTING OF MARTINSON
Jury Renders n Verdict EXOneratin.
Chas. u. Kline

for the Walla Walla penitentiary, ar
rived in Oroville from Conconully
with four prisoners who had beer
sentenced to various terms in the pen
itentiary at the recent session of the
superior court. They were Ben Mar.
tinson, found guilty of robbery, Harry
McAllister, guilty of robbery, one Ris.
ley, guilty of statutory offense, anG
one Wilson, a bootlegger. The story
of breaking Jail by two of the prison.
ers, Martinson and McAllister, was
told in the last issue of the Gazette
together with a few lines in a part OF
the edition telling of the tragedy
that followed the Jail break, in which
Martinson lost his life The full par
ticulars of the dramatic ending of a
sensational break for liberty are as
follows:
After Martinson and McAllster es-
capped they struck out for the hill
country to the west of town. Martin
son had an object in view, and Nc
Allister was secondary parsonage
IN the subsequent proceedings. 1t is
necessary to make some explanation
OF Martinson's actions, the reasons
coming to light through testimony
given at an inquest that followed a
Jew hours later, when Martinson's re-
mains were the awesome object that
demanded the attention of the coroner
and jury.
Some nine years ago Martinson took
up with young woman, and under
promise of marriage ruined her. They
lived together as man and wife for
some time, and a daughter was born
to them. The woman went by the
name of Martinson, and she is still
SO known. Martinson himself was of
the worthless sort. He served one
short term in the penitentiary, and
committed a crime in Oroville last
fall for which he was sentenced to
another term at Walla Walla. He
became cruel in his treatment of the
woman, and three years ago she left
him and went to live with his mother,
who had farm near Spokane. Mar
tinson followed her, threatened to do
her violence, and she fled coming to
Okanogan county and joining her
uncle Charles U. Kline, an old time
resident of the north part of the coun-
ty, who owns and lives on ranch
above the old camp of Golden, some
eight miles southwest of Oroville. 1t
was to see the woman that Martinson
turned his footsteps westward, but
what his intentions may have been
can never be known. He may have
been bent on further and greater
crime, or he may have hoped for aid
to assist in his escape, although his
actions would indicate it was for sin
lister purposes.
About 2 o'clock Thursday morning
Mr.. Kline was aroused by the savage
barking of his dogs, and got out OF
bed. He overheard two men talking
near the west end of the house, and
peering out recognized Martinson in
the twilight. Knowing the character
of the man, and having been threaten
ed by him on several occasions when
he attempted to force his presence
upon the neice since she had come tC
his house, Kline had good and suffi-
cient reasons for apprehension. Kline
seized his rifle, that was near at hand
and threw a cartridge into the breach
The men heard him working the gun
and disappeared in the brush that
grew near the house. For their pro-
lection Kline took his neice and hel
child to the home of Ed. Hart a short
distance away, and the nearest neigh
Dor. Between 5 and o'clock Mr.
Kline returned to his home, fed the
stock and proceeded to get his break
l., is built on the point of a ridge, al
open field to the south and west, tht
land falling sharply away to the nortl
and east, with brushy underground IL
the depressions. The narrow vale!
is surrounded by rough mountain
peaks, and the room in the west lei
of the L is Mr.. Kline's bed room. Mex
is the kitchen and dining room, ant
the south leg of the l. is the from
room and Mrs. Martinson's bedroom
The rooms are connected by doors
Mr.. Kline was eating his breakfast il
the kitchen when his attention was at
tracted by the noise of footsteps at th
west end of the house. He had lef
his rifle leaning against the wall il
his bedroom, near the door leading in
to the kitchen. He stepped hastily t.
the door leading into the bedroom
The out door bedroom, facing south
was wide open, and Ben Martinsol
was in the doorway with one foot OF
the sill in the act of entering tn
room. Kline snatched up his rifle
and ordered Martinson to get out
the house. Martinson made a motion
with his hand toward his hip pocket
as though reaching for a pistol, an
exclaimed: oh you, | will ge
you now," or words to that affect
Kline instantly fired. Martinsol
stepped back and to his right an
stood in front of window immediate
ly to the right of the door looking ir
and he seemed to still have his han
In threatening attitude. Kline fire