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Note: N19993 R.W MARABLE MURDERED
The most shocking murder ever committed in this City [Okolona, Chickasaw County, Mississippi] occurred at the Oil Mill last Thursday Night [January 18, 1912] when R. W. Marable; the night watchman met death at the hands of an assassin. The mill had closed down for the night when the day shift went off duty because of a scarcely of Coal thus leaving the watchman alone for the night. Mr. Marable went on duty at the usual hour as he had done for many years and began his regular rounds as was his custom. Only one round of the keys were made and he never reached the office for as he was leaving the gin house where his last key is located a fiend in human form dealt him a blow on the head with a heavy piece of iron piping which drove into his skull and felled him on the ground. After securing whatever effects the victim has on his person, the murderer made good his escape, as so effectively was this done that no clue has yet been found to fix this crime.
Mr. Marable it seems from a view of the grounds lay unconscious where he fell for some time; but later being somewhat revived; he attempted to reach aid by crawling towards the nearest house during intervals between paroxysms until he had gone some fifty feet to near the middle of a muddy street where his body was found nearly covered with mud next morning some twelve hours after the blow. It is thought that he lived several hours after the blow as the body was not cold and stiff when round.
The authorities here immediately wired Sheriff Harrington who reached here shortly after noon on a hand car with J.E. Johnson and his dogs. . . . Several suspects were taken into custody but none was charged. The following moneys were put up as reward - City of Okolona - $200.00; Okolona Oil Mill - $100.00; State of Mississippi -$100.00; Statutory reward - $ 100.00; Total reward $500.00.
R.W. Marable was buried in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery after appropriate service by the Pastor of the Presbyterian Church and by his Confederate comrades, with their solemn sympathetic services over his grave. No one knew him but to love him. His tender, loving, gentle, kind disposition and temperament could not be excelled and closely endeared him to all who he was aquatinted. He was without a known enemy.
(The murder was never solved.)
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