George Porter (ca. 1861-1904)

PORTER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 12/28/2011 at 12:37:15

From Story County Watchman December 23, 1904

George Porter Dead.

The recent death of George Porter will call to mind the Porter murder case wherein Elizabeth Porter, George Porter and John Porter were indicted for the murder of their father in Collins township, Story county, Iowa, in 1883. Elizabeth Porter, the wife, and the two sons were indicted for the murder of the father.

The wife Elizabeth Porter and John Porter were tried before Judge H. C. Henderson in 1883 and convicted and sentenced to 20 years each to the penitentiary at Fort Madison, Iowa, for the crime. George to a change of venue to Boone county, Iowa, was tried and found not guilty of the crime. Elizabeth Porter and John Porter took an appeal to the Supreme Court of Iowa and the case was reversed by the Supreme Court of Iowa and the case was reversed by the Supreme Court of Iowa by reason of an error made by Judge Henderson in his instructions to the jury. When the case of Elizabeth and John Porter came on for trial in Story county for the second time change of venue was taken to Tama county, Iowa. Gudge Giffen then presideing they were again convicted and sentenced to 21 years in the penitentiary and after serving about 15 years were pardoned by the Governor of Iowa. In the Story county and Boone county trials Judge Stevens and J. F. Martin prosecuted the case and in the Tama county trials in 1885 Han Preston and J. F. Martin acted for the State of Iowa. J. S. Frazier and H. M. Funson defended in all the trials. The two Judges who tried these cases are now dead and one who defended, J. S. Frazier, has gone to the great beyond.

Times do change and you will observe that of the living participants of this great trial only one is none living in this county. J. F. Martin is now engaged in active practice of his profession, and to him is credited the success of the various prosecutions in the criminal courts.