The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1920-10-08
{. |. MARCH KILLED
BY GRANDFATHER
OF WR0NGED GIRL
Wealthy Lexington Merchant Is Fatal
ly Shot By Man Whose Grand.
daughter Claims She Was
Mistreated.

Ernest L. March, wealthy business
man and Lexington furniture dealer
was shot fatally in the yard of The
Brittling, an apartment house which !
he owned in that city, by George Rose,
65 years old, constable, at 4;15,l
o'clock, Thursday afternoon.
Mr.. March died at the st. Joseph's
hospital twenty minutes later. He Is
40 years old, and his widow was Miss
Eva Moss, former Maysville woman.
Rose refused to make any statement
regarding the shooting. Shortly before
5 o'clock he was moved to the county
Jail by Detective Dudley Veal. and
Patrolman Carl Woodward. On his sur
render to police a charge of malicious
shooting was placed against him,
which was changed to murder, follow
ing March's death at the hospital.
The shooting, which resulted in the
death of March is the outcome of an
assault which March is alleged to have
committed against Roses granddaugh-
ter, Mary Margaret Rose, 14-year-old
girl. on charge of which March wa
under indictment in the Fayette circuit
court
March's trial was set for Monday
October II.
G. P. Morrison coal man who re-
sides at The Brittling apartments, was
in the yard at the time the shooting
occurred and was but a short distance
away from the principals.
Don't do that" was the only excla-
nation March made before he was
shot, according to Mr., Morrison, who
made an effort to grab Rose after he
! had fired the first shot.
In describing the shooting, Mr. Nor
rison said
81 was standing in the front yard
and Mr.. March was at the side of the
house talking with a man from the
telephone company who was fixing the
wires leading into the house. i heard
Mr.. March exclaim, Don't do that, and
looked up and saw a man advancing
across The lawn with a revolver in his
hands"
"As Mr. March said this the man
opened fire, and Mr.. March staggered
around the tree. made grab for the
man but missed him and he followed
Mr.. March around the tree and shot
him several times more. Mr.. March
fell to the ground and the man immedi-
ately walked down the street"
Fire Chief Ruliff Newell and Mr.
Daniel Shafer, of this city, were in
the neighborhood at the time of the
shooting and reached the scene before
Mr.. March was removed to the hos
pital.
The Cause.
Mrs. Ben Tucker, mother of Mary
Margaret Rose, made this statement
Thursday afternoon
while Mary Margaret was work.
ing at the drug store where she was
employed a woman came to the soda
fountain one morning and after pur'
chasing a drink asked Just how mucl
money she was making at her presen
employment. On being told $12 week
the woman stated that she knew wher,
she could get more money and tn,
work would be easier. My daughtel
inquired where such a position wa
open. and the woman replied at MI
d. L. March's.'
During her, noon hour she went Il
the store on West Main street. MI
March was standing at the door and a
the inquiry for work, replied: oh, yes
remember the woman who spoke t
YOU. They started, she thought to hi
Office Getting on the elevator, Mar
Margaret and Mr.. March went to tn
third floor and they walked from tn
rear of the building toward the from
where the attack took place.
"Mr. March threatened her If sh
told and offered her 500, which sh
refused"