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DOMESTIC TRAGEDY!

Love, Jealousy, Wild Des-
peration, Murder and
Suicide!

AN ANONYMOUS LETTER THE
CAUSE OF THE BLOODY
DEED!

CORONER'S INQUEST!

Last Saturday evening, a terrible domestic tragedy was enacted in Gold Hill. Joseph Marks, a shoemaker, shot his wife, inflicting a severe wound, and then, evidently supposing he had killed her, sent a bullet into his own brain, causing his death about three hours afterward.

The Scene of the Tragedy

Was a small cabin, near the north end of the railroad bridge across Crown Point Ravine, and the time about 8 o'clock in the evening. The cabin consists of two small rooms, the front one used as parlor, sitting and bedroom, and the rear one as kitchen and working room. The house adjoining it, on the west, is occupied by some Cornish miners, and the next beyond is the cottage residence of J. E. McDonell and family–about 20 feet from the cabin first mentioned. The screams of a woman were heard, and a pistol shot, succeeding almost immediately by another shot, and those who hurried thither found Marks lying on the floor of the front room with his head against the wall and his arms resting upon the seat of a rocking chair. Upon the floor, near his right hand lay a Colt's five shooter with two shots discharged from it, the other three remaining loaded–and a buttle wound in his head, just above the right ear, indicated that one of the shots had done fatal work. He was alive, but died about two hours afterward, remaining perfectly insensible from the time he was found until death. The first shot he fired at his wife, and it took effect in her face, passing under the left cheek bone and ranging upward toward the bridge of the nose. She was shot in the doorway. She fell, rolling over a time or two, but regained her feet immediately, and as she was doing so heard the second shot. She thought it was fired at her, and ran for dear life to McDonell's house.

The Parties.

Joseph Marks was a medium sized, stout built, dark complexioned man, 239 years of age last August, a native of Canada, of French parentage, but raised in Ohio, where his parents died and where he has brothers and sisters still residing. Mrs. Agnes Marks, his wife, is a rather good looking, sensible appearing woman, nearly 29 years of age, and a native of Sweden. They were married in Denver, Colorado, some three years ago, she being divorced from another husband, who is still living at Cheyenne, her stated reasons for the divorce being drunkenness on his part. Marks is a shoemaker by trade, and together with
his wife lived for a while at Eureka, from whence they came to Gold Hill last fall. Since then he has worked for Wm. Nicoll, shoemaker, on Main street, near the Vesey House for about three months, a short time at Woodruff's shoe store opposite the NEWS office, and lastly at Empire. He was considered a good workman, but was not successful in securing steady employment here, therefore went to Empire a few weeks ago with his wife, where he found steady work. She, however, objected to going with him to Empire, and not living happily together, she left him and returned to Gold Hill, occupying the little cabin they had left when they went to Empire. He, it seems, loved her passionately, and tried to get her back, but she refused and scorned him, maintaining herself here by washing, sewing and doing any work she could get, declaring her intention and desire for a final separation, not wishing to ever live with him again. He came from Empire and plead with her to return to him, but she steadily refused and repulsed him, until finally, he seems to have worked himself up to the pitch of desperation and jealousy regarding her, aided very materially by an anonymous letter received by him from Gold Hill, telling him that his wife was playing him false. The fearful result is known, and upon the head of the writer of that letter rests the entire responsibility of the terrible crime.