Shot In Cold Blood

Following are three articles chronicling Joseph Conrad's attempt to murder John Martz of Zionsville, Indiana in 1894, and the beginning of the trial. While tragic, it is still an interesting look back at the news of the day, and the sometimes not-so-peaceful times in Boone County.

The Fort Wayne Sentinel
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Thursday, November 15, 1894

SHOT IN COLD BLOOD

John Martz is Fatally Injured at Zionsville, Ind.

Joseph Conrad Lies in Wait for a Peaceful Citizen - Enraged Citizens Seek to Lynch the Prisoner.

Lebanon, Ind., Nov. 15 - At Zionsville, ten miles east of here, Joseph Conrad, who is reputed to have killed his man in North Carolina, and who has been in numerous difficulties since he came to this county, shot and fatally wounded John Martz a shoe merchant and one of the leading citizens of that place.

According to Charles Martz, son of the wounded man, Conrad had been keeping company with Mrs. Martha White, widow of Smith White. Martz sold Mrs. White a house some time ago, and, according to their agreement, he was to leave a part of the garden. Last week she called him into her yard and asked him concerning some lettuce. He was there about two minutes.

Monday afternoon Conrad, who was insanely jealous of Mrs. White, went into Martz's shoe store and addressing him said: "John Martz, if you want any of that lettuce go down and get it and stay away from there. Don't let me catch you down there again or I will shoot you." Martz told him he was either drunk or crazy, and ordered him out of the store. Conrad left with the remark that he would fix him.

The next afternoon Conrad went to Mrs. White's house and told her he intended to kill the entire Martz family. Conrad drank heavily the entire day. About 9 o'clock at night Martz closed up his store and started home. On the way he met Conrad, who without a word drew a revolver and fired four shots at him, three of which took effect. The first one passed through the muscle of the arm, the second made a flesh wound in the hip, and the third entered his abdomen and is supposed to have lodged in the groin. He fell to the sidewalk and was carried to his home, where his wounds were dressed.

Conrad escaped and took refuge in a barn at the edge of town. Within fifteen minutes after the shooting twenty five men, armed with shotguns and revolvers, were in pursuit and he was soon captured, taken before a justice and bound over to court.

There is but little doubt but that he would have been lynched at that time had it not been for the cool headedness of one man, James Broughard, who made a speech to the excited gathering.

Later, however, the mob gathered its force, secured a rope, and in groups of five and ten persons each left town and met at a given point on the Lebanon road, where they awaited the appearance of the officers and their prisoner. The officials, however, got wind of the plan and brought their prisoners to this city over another route. Enraged at the loss of their intended victim, the mob sent a committee [who] conveyed the startling information that unless the widow left town within forty eight hours, she, together with her house and family would be blown up.

Mrs. White said she had a mother eighty years old whom she would not desert. She said she and Conrad were engaged to be married and expected to be as soon as he could keep sober. Conrad claims to have no recollection of anything that occurred, saying that drink had left his mind a blank. Martz was suffering great pain and had a high fever.

At 9:30 o'clock last night 200 indignant citizens of Zionsville started for Lebanon with the intention of taking Conrad from the jail and lynching him. The sheriff heard of their approach and, slipping the prisoner out of jail, took him to Frankfort.

The Fort Wayne News
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Tuesday Evening, November 27, 1894

A LAWLESS MOB
Attacks the House of a Wealthy Widow of Lebanon, Ind.

Lebanon, Ind., Nov. 27 -- November 13, Joseph Conrad, a desperado, shot John Martz, a highly respected citizen of Zionsville, during an altercation over Mrs. Martha White, with whom Conrad was insanely infatuated. He suspected Martz of paying his attentions to Mrs. White, who is a wealthy young widow. The shooting was a cold-blooded affair, and the excited citizens made a desperate attempt to lynch Conrad, but were thwarted by the officers. Before dispersing, a committee was sent to Mrs. White, who was requested to leave the town within forty-eight hours, under penalty of being blown up by dynamite. No attention was paid to this request.

Mrs. White and her daughter had scarcely closed their eyes last night when a fusilade [sic] of stones, bricks, bullets and rotten eggs crashed against the east and north ends of the house, tearing out the windows and doors and wrecking the furniture. The frightened women thought they heard two explosions near the house, but there was no trace of any explosions, and it is supposed they were pistol shots. The women claim to have recognized two of the assailants and will prosecute them.

The Fort Wayne News
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Friday Evening, January 25, 1895, page 6, col 4

Trial for Attempted Murder

Lebanon, Ind., Jan 24 -- The trial of Joseph Conrad, who attempted to murder John Martz of Zionsville on the 13th of last November, is now going on. The testimony of Martz was to the effect that Mrs. Martha White had purchased a house and lot of him, into which she moved. He had some lettuce in the garden, going there once or twice to see about it. This aroused Conrad's jealousy, who warned him to stay away. Without warning, on the date given, Conrad shot at him four times, three bullets taking effect. Previous thereto he and Conrad had been friends. On account of sickness in the family of one of jurors, no session of court was held yesterday.

Submitted by: T. Stover - Boone County Coordinator
August 2006