Jackson County KS Archives News....."Three Die In Gun Tragedy."; October 26, 1922 October 26, 1922
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Jim Laird jlaird@bellsouth.net August 8, 2005, 5:57 pm

The Holton Recorder October 26, 1922
Jackson County
Thursday
October 26, 1922

Three Die In Gun Tragedy.
Shooting of Two Innocent Men Followed by Death of Murderer.
J.O. Marshall Kills Bert Griffith and Lloyd Ireland Who Were Carrying Out
Mandate by Law and Later Dies From Posse's Bullets. 

Three men are dead as a result of a tragedy enacted on the reservation Tuesday
afternoon and continued at Hoyt Wednesday morning. J.O. MARSHALL shot and killed
two young men, Bert GRIFFITH of Hoyt and Lloyd IRELAND of Grant township, and
later paid the penalty with his own life at the hands of an armed posse.
The bodies of Marshall and Lloyd Ireland were brought to Holton, while the body
of Griffith was taken to Hoyt for burial.
The shooting of the two young men was the result of a disordered mind inflamed
by a legal action whereby Marshall's cattle were levied on, sold by the sheriff
and were being driven to Hoyt as the property of the Hoyt State Bank. The sale
of the several head of cattle was made by the officers at the Marshall farm
twelve miles west of Holton Tuesday morning by due process to satisfy a chattel
mortgage. Orion WILLIAMS of the Hoyt State Bank took possession of them and had
Bert Griffith along to drive them to Hoyt. They secured the assistance of Lloyd
Ireland, living nearby, to help drive the cattle. The boys had proceeded as far
as Soldier creek on the county road across the reservation when Marshall
overtook them. He had come home, found his cattle gone, armed himself and
started in his buggy in pursuit. There were no witnesses to the murder, but
circumstances indicate he overtook the boys and shot them with a 44-calibre army
rifle. 
W.H. LASWELL, driving home from his ranch about 3:30 in the afternoon with his
family in his car, came upon the body of Bert Griffith lying dead in the road
with a bullet hold through his head. A short distance ahead they overtook
Marshall in his buggy. The latter leveled his rifle at the occupants of the car,
got in and ordered Mrs. JEPSON who was driving to take him to Hoyt. The car
stalled and couldn't be started. Marshall, after threatening the Lasswell party,
left the car and drove on in his buggy. Mr. Lasswell at once telephoned the
officers in Holton. Later the body of Lloyd Ireland ws found in the field
nearby, his body pierced with four shots from Marshall's rifle.
Marshall pursued his course to Hoyt. When he was accosted at Mayetta he leveled
his gun on the officers who confronted him. It is supposed his mission at Hoyt
was to "get" Orion WILLIAMS, cashier of the Hoyt bank. He ate his supper at a
Hoyt restaurant, his gun before him. Finishing his meal, he walked down the
street and disappeared in the darkness. Sheriff FRAZEY and his assistants
searched the town to no avail, and after deputizing several citizens, came back
to Holton.
Yesterday morning at daylight the man hunt was resumed. Marshall was seen coming
down the road towards Hoyt form the old COLBURN barn where he eveidently spent
the night. He was headed towards the Hoyt bank. Members of the searching party
met the killer in the road and asked him three times to surrender. The man
refused and as he was lifting his rifle, shots from the posse brought him down.
His chest was perforated with buck shot. 
Sheriff Frazey brought the body of Marshall to Holton at once. On his person
were found his rifle, a hatchet, a dirk knife, a revolver and a pair of pliers.
He had determined he would not be taken alive.
Bert Griffith, one of the victims, is a man of about thirty. He lives on a farm
west of Hoyt. he leaves a wife and child. Lloyd Ireland, the other innocent
victim of the madman's deadly aim, is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ireland. He
was married seven months ago to a granddaughter of D.H. HAGAR. He live on W.R.
Ireland's farm twelve miles west of Holton in the same neighborhood with Marshall.
J. L. Marshall is well known in the county. He was about 50 years old and was
married. Officers and others who have had business dealings with him say he was
of excitable nature, violent and threatening at times.
The greatest sympathy is felt for the families of the young men who were the
innocent victimes of the madman's passion.
The body of Lloyd Ireland was removed yesterday evening to the home of his
uncle, W.R. Ireland, and the funeral services will be held there at 3 o'clock
this afternoon.
Mrs. Marshall is expected in this morning to make arrangements for the burial of
her husband. Orion Williams of the Hoyt State Bank yesterday notified the
undertakers to embalm the body. 


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