The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-01-22
THEY TEASED THE TOWN CRAB
nv NEA Service.l

Cherokee, Okla.--Out Of the ancien,
conflict between age and youth -out
OF the truism that boys will be boys
and lonely old men will be touchy
strange tragedy has come to this
community.
As result of it, one boy lies in
new made grave. another fights for
life in hospital, and miserable
old man who lust couldn't stand i,
any longer" waits happily for March
1.-the day when, BY his own re
quest, he is to be clectrocuted.
The miserable old man is {. +.
Marble. sentenced to die 70.
shooting the boys who teased him.
The Town "Crab"
Marble, aged and nearly blind, was
called the town .'crab" Of Ingersnll.
community Of 100 persons, five
m lies from here.
The boys liked TO poster the old
reclusc because il made him an
cry:
They took the fruit from his fruit
trees, they threw rocks on his porch
and tainted him for his age and tenn
per, they played pranks on his dog
and chased his cat as boys are won:
to do. u
What village is there that does no;
have town crab" and group OF
mischievous boys?
But Marble was good man, too.
in his way. say his neighbors. That
Is part of the pathos of it.
The Town Samaritan
When husband died, leaving his /
Il nnI ia Il Il. a
who gave her groceries and chopped !,
her wood.
When another family was freezing !
one winter, Marble retrieved "A worn !
out stove from the dump yards. carted |
it to their place and set it up with /
4 goodly supply of wood. neighbors /
say.
When once an aged bachelor be- /
came sick and there was no one to
nurse him, Marble did the job I
Marble loved his dog, his cat and /
his flowers. which made his yard II
garden spot of the town. Frequently /
he would take flowers to the sick.
During the last few years the town
employed him as night Waterman
He encouraged no friendships and
lived his own quiet secluded life
when especially boys-would
let him.
But on the day after Christmas
someone shot his dog.
The Murder
Guy Hutchinson and his two moth
erless sons, Gilbert, Ia, and Roy, 16,
we're sitting in a filling station, the
own lounging place.
Old Marble walked in without
word, peered near-sightedly, and
hen without warning drew his
revolver and fired four times. Gilbert
vas killed. Roy seriously wounded
md the father slightly wounded.
Bystahdcrs Overpowcrcd the old
nan.
Il intended to kill them all and
Myself" he regretfully told Sheriff
Dare Gross. These boys are the
ing leaders. They are the worst
'oys on earth. ! felt it my duty to
gill them, as they had no place in
his world
In the uprOar and confusion that
followed, Old Marble was calm. He
'huckled at sight of the bleeding
bodies and said they were the pret.
lest sight he had ever seen.
Insane? No
Old Marble is not insane. So saw
;wo doctors. So says everyone who
knows him.
"They killed MY dog" he eritted.
nate smoldering in his eyes.
Later he told the sheriff he had
planned to kill the boys and burn
heir bodies to prevent them from
'eeceivine decent burial. He even
showed where he had gasoline!
'uried for the cremation.
And in court, before Judge Chas.
swindall, he begged in his scholarly
English for the death penalty.
Then, as the court sentenced him.
le bowed and said, Thank you"
Whose Fault!
Where the mischievous bows at
ault, or was the old man?
Too, is it punishment" to give
prisoner at the bar the penalty
he deliberately invites?
Governor Johnston of OklahomaI
must decide if any plea for clemency
$ presented to him.
Meanwhile one boy is dead, another
S seriously wounded, and their faith
n bears Il bullet mark
All because boys will be boys, and
I'D men will be touchy.