Frank Marvin the Murderer of Idlewild

The two [Frank Marvin and John Madison] met soon after at Mr. Bare’s and got into a hot dispute over the matter and from words soon came to blows. It is claimed that in the tussle, Matson cut Marvin over the eye with a knife and also hit him with a stone cutting a severe gash under the same eye. They then separated, Matson going towards home and Marvin going into a neighbors to have his wounds dressed, and the trouble was supposed to be all over. Not so however. Marvin, the more he brooded over the matter the madder he got and borrowing a Winchester rifle followed Matson who, seeing him armed, attempted to take refuge in Mr. Ritche’s house; just as Matson was entering the door, Marvin drew on him and fired, and Matson fell dead; the ball penetrating his heart.⁸Fort Collins Courier, 9 Nov. 1878. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. Colorado State Library.

Blood for Blood

A Half Crazy County Pauper Shoots and Instantly Kills an Inoffensive citizen on the Big Thompson

A dispatch was received from Loveland on the evening of Nov. 1st stating that a man had been shot and instantly killed about five miles up the river from that place. Several of our citizens went over to Loveland on the freight train to learn the particulars. On arriving at Ritchie’s ranch , the scene of the murder, it was learned that Frank Marvin, a half lunatic who has, in part, been supported by the county, shot and killed a Swede named John Matson just as he was entering Ritchie’s house. It seems that Marvin had taken up a mule belonging to one of Matsons neighbors and kept it picketed up in the foot-hills claiming it as his own. Matson went and got the mule and took it home. The two met soon after at Mr. Bare’s and got into a hot dispute over the matter and from words soon came to blows. It is claimed that in the tussle, Matson cut Marvin over the eye with a knife and also hit him with a stone cutting a severe gash under the same eye. They then separated, Matson going towards home and Marvin going into a neighbors to have his wounds dressed, and the trouble was supposed to be all over. Not so however. Marvin, the more he brooded over the matter the madder he got and borrowing a Winchester rifle followed Matson who, seeing him armed, attempted to take refuge in Mr. Ritche’s house; just as Matson was entering the door, Marvin drew on him and fired, and Matson fell dead; the ball penetrating his heart. Marvin then fled to the mountains with the borrowed rifle still in his possession. Officers have been in pursuit ever since but have not found him. At last accounts they had tracked him to the foot of the range and the supposition is, that he has gone over into North Park. Matsons remains were buried last Sunday. He leaves a wife and three children entirely destitute.²⁰Fort Collins Courier, 9 Nov. 1878. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. Colorado State Library.

Caught At Last

Frank Marvin, Who Shot and Killed John Matson, on the Big Thompson, November 1, 1878, in the Toils, After Evading the Law for More Than Three Years.

Sunday morning Sheriff Sweeney received a telegram from the police department, Denver, stating that Frank Marvin, who shot and killed John Matson, on the Big Thompson, November 1, 1878, was there, and, if he was wanted in this county, to come afater him. With his usual promptitude Mr. Sweeney boarded the first train south and arrived in Denver the evening of the day the dispatch was dated, and immediately put himself in communicaiton with the police authorities. The next morning assisted by Deputy Sheriff Linton, Mr. Sweeney commenced the search for Marvin, and while the two were standing for a moment near the Tabor block, corner of Sixteenth and Larimer streets, the object of their solicitude came shambling around the corner. Sheriff Sweeney immediately recognize Marvin and taking him in charge, lodged him in jail for safe keeping for the remainder of that day and night. Tuesday’s north-bound express brought the sheriff and his prisoner home. Marvin was placed in the city jail, where he now lies, awaiting an examination, which wtill take place so soon as witnesses can be got here.

The crime for which Frank Marvin is deprived of his liberty, was committed November 1, 1878, some five miles above Loveland, on the Big Thompson river. From the Courier of November 9, 1878, we re-produce an account of that unforunate affair which resulted in the death of John Matson and subsequent escape of Frank Marvin, his slayer:

“A dispatch was received from Loveland on the evening of November 1, stating that a man had been shot and instantly killed about five miles up the river from that place. Several of our citizens went over to Loveland on the freight train to learn the particulars. On arriving at Ritchie’s ranch, the scene of the murder, it was learned that Frank Marvin, a half lunatic who has, in part, been supported by the county, shot and killed a Swede named John Matson just as the latter was entering Ritchie’s house. It seems that Marvin had taken up a mule belonging to one of Matsons neighbors and kept it picketed up in the foot-hills claiming it as his own. Matson went and got the mule and took it home. Matson and Marvin met soon after at Mr. Isaac Bear’s and got into a hot dispute over the matter and from words soon came to blows. It is claimed that in the tussle, Matson cut Marvin over the eye with a knife and also hit him with a stone cutting a severe gash under the same eye. They then separated, Matson going towards home and Marvin going into a neighbors to have his wounds dressed, and the trouble was thought to be all over. Not so however. Marvin, the more he brooded over the matter the madder he got, and borrowing a Winchester rifle followed Matson who, seeing him armed, attempted to take refuge in Ritche’s house; just as Matson was entering the door, Marvin drew on him and fired, and Matson fell dead; the ball penetrating his heart. Marvin then fled to the mountains with the borrowed rifle still in his possession. Officers have been in pursuit ever since but have not overtaken him. At last accounts they had tracked him to the foot of the range and the supposition is, that he has gone over into North Park. Matsons remains were buried last Sunday. He leaves a wife and three children entirely destitute.”

Such is an account of the murder as given at the time. Since then Frank Marvin has been a wanderer on the face of the earth, with the mark of Cain upon him. From Loveland he first went to Central; thence out on the plains and down to Hardscrabble, where he has a brother living on a ranch. From there he claims to have gone home to Danville, Indiana, where he remained one winter employed as fireman in the county poor house; thence turning westward again, he visited Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Dakota. He spent last summer in California. He returned to Colorado late in the fall, coming down through Virginia Dale and Livermore. He worked a few days about a month ago for Eaton & Co., on the Larimer County ditch, but having some touble about getting his pay, he quit and started for Denver. At Denver he says he got enough to do choring around to keep soul and body together, and that is about all. He started to go to Leadville a few days before he was arrested, but was turned back by the snow storm. Marvin is forty-six years old, and has been the west off and on since 1858, when he drove an ox team out to Fort Laramie from the Missouri river. He has twice crossed the plains as chief engineer of a team of bulls. He lived in a little log hut in the Big Thompson valley, leading a sort of hermit’s life, for several years, gaining a livelihood by hunting and fishing. He was never married.²⁸Fort Collins Courier, 19 Jan. 1882. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. Colorado State Library.

Last, and probably the most deserving of notice on the list, is the murderer and three years fugitive from justice, Frank Marvin. He is an intelligent looking man about 45 to 50 years of age; large, kind blue eyes, and brown hair sprinkled with gray. To the writer, who has frequently visited the jail, his classic features were always clothed with friendliness. There was nothing in his face that would lead one to suspect him of deliberate murder, yet the blood of a fellow creature is on his hands, and his mind is harrowed with the thought that the life of a human being went out at his bidding. He was a resident of Larimer county and vicinity about 15 years previous to the event, where he was known to everyone. About four years ago he lived in a cabin in the mountains, where his rifle and fishing rod furnished a sustenance in harmony with his ideas of frontiersman’s life. It was about this time that he became involved in a misunderstanding with a Swede named Mathison in regard to the ownership of a mule then in Marvin’s possession. The misunderstanding led to a quarrel, then to blows, in which Marvin was worsted. They met again soon after. The swede repeated the attack, when Marvin seized a rifle standing near and shot him dead. He fled, and after wandering about on the Pacific coast three years, returned to Denver, where he was captured about a year ago.³⁴The Colorado Transcript, 4 Oct. 1882. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. Colorado State Library.