Martin C. Golden

Arrest Made for Dennison Murder

This is a newspaper article that appeared in the Grand Haven paper in 1907

 

Arrest Made for Dennison Murder

 

William Shimmell, under suspicion a year for killing of Martin Golden is in jail at Grand Haven.  Was in vicinity

of crime on day of murder, but says he has an alibi.

 

Grand Haven, Mich. May 17, Sheriff Woodbury believes that William Shimmell, known as "Alcohol Bill," arrested today by Undersheriff Salisbury, is the man who shot and killed Martin Golden near the latter's little store in Dennison a year ago April 23.

 

Shimmell was arrested in a barn near the town of Mooreland, in Muskegon county, this morning.  In the barn was a number of hoboes.  When accosted Shimmell at first denied that was his name.  When the officer pulled out his manacles he admitted that he was the man sought.

 

Shimmell's arrest comes after over a year of suspicion.  Right after Golden's murder Shimmell was questioned by officers.  At that time he was living up around Mooreland, but it was known that he had been in the vicinity of the murder about the time of the tragedy.  Shimmell was seen in Nunica, a nearby village, on that day.  He strenuously denied at the time, as he does now, that he had anything to do with the murder.

 

Worked in Muskegon Factory.  Shimmell has been working in a motor factory in Muskegon for several weeks.  For two weeks, however, he says he has been obliged to lay off because of having run a nail in his foot.  He says that he was tipped off by a cousin, who had come to Muskegon with veal, that officers were after him as a suspect in the Golden murder case.  He declares that as soon as he heard the news he determined to go out to the home of an uncle, Jacob Shimmell, near Mooreland, where he lived at the time of the murder, and get him to establish an alibi for him and show that he was home that night.  Shimmell declares that when arrested he was on his way back to Muskegon on foot.  This statement does not jibe with the previous one that he had been unable to work on account of having run a nail in his foot, as the distance he would have to walk from Mooreland to Muskegon was over 12 miles.

 

Shimmell declares that he has not been in Dennison village in many years.  He says that he had met Golden but once, and that time many years ago when Golden was little better than a boy.  He says that he can establish a complete alibi not only by his uncle but by other relatives as well.

 

Vocal Organs Defective.  Shimmell has defective vocal organs which causes him to wheeze when exerting himself physically.  The man who shot Golden, in running away from the scene of the crime, was heard wheezing as if winded and exhausted.  This is considered one of the strongest points against the man now in jail.

 

Shimmell is about 48 years of age.  He has been married, but his wife secured a divorce.  It is believed that a woman with whom he has been living in Muskegon can give the officers valuable information if she will.

 

Shimmell will be arraigned before Justice Wachs in this city Saturday and formally charged with murder.  When he was brought into the jail he commenced crying and embraced the sheriff whom he had known for a number of years.