Typed as spelled and written
Lena Stone Criswell
THE MARLIN DEMOCRAT
Thirteenth Year - Number (Missing)
Marlin, Texas, Thursday, May 15, 1902
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JOE MILLER ASSASSINATED.
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Shot to Death by Ed Linson
at Buffalo.
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Taken Unawares, is Shot Down.
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Great excitement was
caused late Saturday afternoon by the information that Joe W. Miller had been
shot down at Buffalo by Ed Linson.
The news came in a telephone message to B.
F. Foster and many expressions of regret, akin to indignation, as Joe was known
in Marlin and universally liked by everyone.
The murder seems to have been premeditated
and the young man was shot down without any warning.
The killing was the culmination of a
trouble that has existed for about two years, since, Joe was forced to kill the
father and brother of Ed Linson, and seriously wound the latter, in order to
save his own life.
The circumstances of the murder of Joe, as
learned from reliable authority, are as follows:
Joe had gone from Houston to
Palestine to stand trial on a charge of killing one of the Linsons and the trial
had been postponed until Tuesday. Joe went down to Buffalo for the purpose
of consulting some of his witnesses. When he boarded the train to return
the conductor, knowing of the trouble between them, told Joe that Ed Linson was
in the chair car and that to avoid trouble he had best go into the smoker.
In the meantime Linson had gone into the smoker with his lawyer. As Joe
pushed open the door, Linson shot him in the back of the head or neck killing
him instantly. He afterwards fired several shots in the body after it had
fallen.
Linson secured Joe's pistol and had it when
arrested. Whether Joe made any attempt to draw it or not is not known.
He may have done so when he was shot and it may have been taken from him after
he fell.
The only eye witness to the killing seems
to have been the attorney of Linson who was in the smoker with him when Joe
started in.
Linson was taken to Palestine and placed in
jail.
The body of Joe was brought to Marlin
Sunday morning. It was conducted to the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Z H
McMillan parents of deceased where it remained until 4 o'clock, the funeral
occuring at that hour, interment in the city cemetery.
Deceased was reared in Marlin and no young
man had more friends. His courtesy and kindly disposition made him many
friends, all of whom deeply regret his unfortunate and treacherous death.
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Copyright permission granted to Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for
printing
by The Democrat, Marlin, Falls Co., Texas