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LEASED WIRE SERVICE
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DOUGLAS COUNTY
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An Independent Newspaper, Published lor the Beet Intereet of the People.
'. I.
R0SEBUR0. OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1924.
VOL. XI, NO. 296, OF THE EVENING NEWS.
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iimm
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5
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4INAMAN CONVICTED OFMURDER
lUIIUIM'"
HIS PENALTY IN GAS
nF NEVADA STATE PENITENTIARY
ui
i mi mm FIVE HE CARRIED P
CHAMBER
L uted for First Time in History of Country to Take
the Life or a uonaemnea rruoner oemence or
Russell Changed to Life Imprisonment .
at the Last Moment
LosON CITY, Feb. 8.-AI iz:
i awards end doctors removed the
of Gm ,rom ln """-
hi bad been pronounced legally
Miior D. A. Turner, an army
.uert, was given the privilege of
L H he could restore life to the
Even now, more man xwo
(i after death, I have more than
Ln chance to restore life If you
ptrmit," Major Turner told the
La."l have hsd much experience
Hydrocyanic acid gas esses and
L pretty well whst can be done.
Luriittd Prsa treated Wire.)
tSSON CITY, Feb. 8. Gee Jon,
utong slayer was put to death
tais morning in the first leth-
pi nwution In the history of
fitted States, Official pnysl
i ureed from obsertatlon
kriivlndow of the stone death
fcMr Ihat death ensued within
Win and that It was paln-
bur mlntes after the lethal gas
tea introduced Into the chani-
Qee Jon still was alive but he
hot appear to be suffering:. Fhy-
upreased tbe opinion that he
lapsed Into unconsciousness In-
I1T.
it the end of six minutes physl-
U observing him through the
slow believed him dead.
'he Chinese was led Into the
h chamber shortly after 10 a. m.
epapermen acted as official
fern: grouping themselves with
hicians around tbe window of .the
In which the condemned man
trapped.
e Jon was In the chnlr when
arrived. Ouards reported he
wept a little as he was placed
e chair. Tbe captain of guards
to him:: "Brace up," and after
he disDlaved no emotion.
rhen the gas was turned on be
M his head and looked around
u biasing sound of the liquid I
irocvanlc icid being blown in from
adjoining compartment of the
it building. Then his head fell
IM.
'It expression remained placid
n the six minutes he continued
breathe. Hla head rolled bach
I tell forward periodically. The
i al physicians were A. Huffaker,
E. Hamer, and Major D. A.
row, of tbe Vnited States Army
ileal reserve corps.
agreed that death ' ensued
is an minutes. They withheld
"r comment on lethal gas as a
of execution pending more com
' 'laainstion of the body,
buring the execution the witness
ed smell the poisonous gas,
' H did not appear to have any
rofol results or even bother any
After the execution the chem-
omered that SO minutes elapse
ore the chamber was emptied of
' hot as hour passed before the
Permitted to enter,
the gaa was being pumped out
or permeated the prison. .
ADa PTATK Prison, Parson
ret.. nee Jon. Chinese
I slaver, faced d
j the first eiecntion by lethal
American hlfnr
a'll last n'eht two men had been
to die In this execution
- -imi meeting of the state
ot pardons It was decided, by
tari Of 00Vennr QirH,h,M to
silt , . . .
ki-.. ." "nnnsonment tne
r'""- or me other condemned
. ...... nuneeii, an American
f .,"10' wTlctd of killing his
I V ,ndl,n lT
th. v ro0, ,orn1 Justice
M . . "uPfeme court bad
tmpasloaed plea on be-
kiu. b!"ln lne rr"-
fc kl!t'r 0B th ford In the
14 t- f ,h ""y contended.
Is i!?v 0!,t th ' p-
r.L. h mw Russell kill
I.A.' '' but ""H insisted
wi ynt"rT
asa that It was the mother
" as tk. il.T
i'tterdav is. . .
- unirici juoge wno
MlHtjBHFLOEi
(Associated Press ssed ."ire)
ALBANY, Ore.. Feb. 8.
Ilorst Ruehllng. 2. sole survivor
of the fatal dinner party here
Saturday at which horae-pre-
served beans, believed infected
with botulinus waa eaten, waa
reported recovering this morn-
lng from illness which yesterday
caused physicians to fear that
presided at Russell's trial telegraph
ed Governor Scrugham expressing
doubt whether it waa a case of pre
meditated murder. The governor
concurred tn this doubt, while voic
ing the belief that Russell killed the
girl. The execution of Gee Jon waa
set for 10 o'clock. The death cham
ber was a little stone building In the
prison yard. In which cells had been
fitted for the condemned men. It
was arranged for 'he Chinese to be
strapped in a chair in tbe cell.
The deadly gas. to be laporiced from
a liquid solution of hydrocyanic
acid was In another air tight stone
compartment. Warden Denver S.
Olckersoo had arranged for the wit
nesses to view the execution through
two windows. A rehearsal of the
execution yesterday afternoon snuf
fed out the lives of two cats In a
time estimated at 16 seconds. A
portion of the hydrocyanic acid was
pumped In through the floor In the
form of a fine spray. Tbe cats died,
apparently Instantly and without
pain. It was charged that Gee Jon
and another Chinese now serving a
life term, were sent from San Fran
cisco by a tong to "execute" Tom
Quon Kee, member of a rival tong.
Quon Kee, an aged laundryman, waa
shot down In his shop at Mlna, Nev
ada, August 21, 1917. Gee'B accom
plice, whose sentence was changed to
life Imprisonment made a confession
Implicating Gee Joif. but the latter
denied he fired the shot.
In the long legal fight to stave off
the execution two appeals were made
to the supreme court of the United
States, on the ground that the leth
al gas was "an unusual and Inhu
mane" form of execution. The su
preme court refused to hear the pe
titions. Danger to spectators in the lethal
gas execution at the state prison here
today was seen by Major D. A. Turn
er, U. S. A. Medical Reserve Corps',
as be prepared to take charge of the
medical details of the event.
Major Turner said that be would,
"If granted permission" endeavor to
revive Gee Jon, the Tong slayer who
waa named as the subject for tbe
first lethal gas execution In the state.
Warden Denver S. Dickerson, grant
ed this permission.
The Malor ex Dressed the opinion
that lethal gas was not uniform, and
wanted to demonstrate It. The hy
drocyanic acid used in tbe execution.
be exDlained. it may often De revivea
by' science. The warden would not
discuss the probable reviving of the
condemned man. He said that ell
medical arrangements would be left
to the rjhvsictan.
Major Turner planned to enter the
leath riimher with a gas mask as
soon as possible after the gas Is ad
mitted. He said he had revived
other men subjected to this kind of
gas.
Major Turner did not predict that
th man would be revived but said
that he thought the experiment
should be msde.
nr a vtuffaker. the orison phy
sician, arrived later to aid Turner In
his offieal capacity.
The condemned man was reported
to be bearing up better than was
anticipated as the death procession
prepared to start.
he would meet the same fate
as the other eleven present at
the family reunion. A tele
phone report this morning from
the Ernst Relta home, ' near
here said the boy was appar
ently relieved.
(Associated Press Leased Wire)
Late today reports on the con
dition of Horst Reuhllng were
not so favorable as those first
received this morning. At noon
It was stated that his recovery
was doubtful.
After Many Hours All Persons
Who Were Swept Away
on Huge Ice Floes
' Reach Land.
ELKS VOTE TO
BUILD CITY PARK
To Purchase Farquahar Island
Site for Construction of
Municipal Playground.
FLEEING
TO COST 20 THOUSAND
mmediate Expenditure c
$5000 to. Be Made in Pre
liminary Step for Im
provement of Park.
The members of the Elk's lodge
last night voted to purchase and Im
prove the Farquahar Island site, be
low the Oak street bridge and convert
it Into a public park and playground.
The immediate cost of this step will
approximate an expenditure of five
thousand dollars and before tbe pro
ject Is completed a sum of $20,000 will
probably have been spent.
The offer of sale on the property
has been up for consideration before
the city and It was understood last
night before the vote was taken that
in the event the lodge did not accept
the proposition the city council would
doubtless purchase the site. However.
when' the matter was put to vote It
received an unanimous affirmative
Twenty Person Have Narrow
Escape When Ice Bridge
Breaks Up.
ALL ACCOUNTED FOR
(Associated Press Leased Wire.)
QUEBEC, Feb. 8. All of the 20
persons whose lives were endangered
yesterday by the breaking up of a
mile long Ice bridge across tbe St.
Lawrence river, escaped, the auth
orities said today. Five persons who
floated for hours on tbe drifting Ice
and who were believed to have been
lost reached shore in safety.
The missing -men and women were
seen floating off in the darkness on
a huge slab of ice. The ice craft,
carried up-stream by the incoming
tide. It is" believed, may have car
ried its human freight to a point
where the five could reach solid Ice
connecting with tbe shore.
Four of the missing persons are
Mlsa Jeanne Gagnon, 21 years of
age, of Lauzon; two sisters, named
Halle, 20 and 23 years old, resi
dents of St. David, a nearby village
and P. Coutre, 32. l'o of St. David.
Tbe name of the Mfth person, a
man, could not be learned. At least
14 men and women were saved, mak
ing their way to shoro over the
crumbling ice.
The flve three women and two
men were not definitely accounted
for by the searchers until after 11
o'clock today. A peculiar accident
was responsible for their salvation.
The Incoming tide sent tho Jagged
block of Ice on which they kept pre
carious footing, upstream to a point
whore the St. Lawrence narrows and
la spanned by the Quebec bridge.
Tbe narrowed straits Jammed the
ice together for a few brief minutes
and tbe quintet jumped to the shore
across tbe careening floes.
1
IS PUT INTO USE
(Associated Prans Leased Wire.)
PORTLAND, Feb. 8. The crip-
I 1 . 1- 1 1 .1 1 ... i-BAn4 ).va t)iu
, 7iii. i ,i,i i yieu vuuuifu 9 cuni.n u u
aim iu & a. u.vo ,Bu u tuv.r lagt ,, of tne tat9 legislature,
tentloa of Immediate action. . ,,, , , , p,,.
The Improvements to be made will ,an(, Uat , h( whrn ,be ,,chool toard
Include everything from the construe-1 recelved report of tne committee on
ul """6 "v "'education with a partial list or enp
tbe land and tbe installation of play
ground adjustment. Tbe lodge felt that
the step they have taken was justified
from the standpoint of providing some
suitable amusement facilities for the
children of this city.
The bridge will be the first con
struction work to take place and will
cost It Is planned to put In a
bridge capable of supporting five tons
PORTLAND, Feb. 8 Provoked
by the Indifference of his wife. Louis
A. Oswald. 40 stabbed her twice,
then left their borne In Blairmonre.
Alberta. , .
He waa arrested here late last
nlrbt on a telegraphic warrant from
Blairmonre, charging him with at
tempted murder.
Oswald signed waivers of extra
dition Immediately following his ar
rest. o
County Commissioner Edwin Wea
ver spent the day In Roseburg. at
tending to matters In connection with
1 his office.
at present and later
for heavier traffic.
As soon as tbe land can be properly
cleared steps will be taken to put in
a modern children's playground. All
the equipment which la usually used '
in this sort of thing will be Immediate
ly Installed and the playground open
ed to every child of the city..
Another Important Item in the im
provement -work will be the opening
up of an athletic field for use by the
schools and city athletic teams. A
baseball diamond, football gridiron
and tennis courts will probably be in
cluded In this project.
The trustees of the local chapter
will have direct charge of all tbe Im
provement work. It Is announced that
pled children entitled to tbe benefits
of the act
The law Is the first of its kind
passed la tbe United States. It pro
vides that crippled children who are
unable to leave their homes shsll re
receive instruction in their homes
teachers under direction of the city
school system. The local achool dis
trict has set aside $1431 for the
BROKE COLLAR BONE
(Associated Prvss leased Wire.)
LONDON. Feb. 8. The
e prince of Wales broke his col-
lar bone while exercising one 4
of his hunters at llillington
Manor, near Ascott this morn-
lng. 4
The prince was putting his
mount over a fence when the
horse fell throwing his rider
heavily on his shoulder. Tbe
prince got up and was remount- 4
lng with difficulty when his-
equerry said: "I believe you've
broken your collar bone."
"Yes, I have," Wales replied.
An express train, which was 4
stopped at Lelghton Buazard to
lake the Prince on board
brought him to London before
noon. After receiving further
surgical treatment, he returned
to St. James Palace and went to
bed.
PUBLISHER
OF
PAPER GIVES TESTIMONY
NEGROES DIE IN
T
S
PRISON
BEFORE SENATE GOMMITTEE
Tells of Aid Given Leo Stack to Enforce Contracts Henry
Ford Expresses Confidence in President Coolidge's
Ability to Handle Situation Walsh
Assails Secretary Denby. .
Five Murderers Die in Electric
Chair as State Inaugurates
, New System.
ONE WARDEN , QUITS
New Prison Officer Throws
Switch When Former War
den Resigns Rather
Than Be "Killer."
(Associated Press Leased Wtrs.j
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 The names
of 8llss H. 8trawn of Chicago and
Atlee Pomerene of Ohio, to be apeoial
counsel for tbe government In the oil
lease cases were sent to the ssnats to
day by President Coolldge for eonflr.
matlon. ,
The nominations were forwarded to
the capitol after the president had
signed the Walsh cancellation resolu
tion. In attaching his signature,
however, he appended a memorandum
taking exception to the language of
the preamble which declares the
leasee were made In violation of the
law and under circumstances Indicat
ing fraud and corruption.
In a messsge of notification aent
to the aenate Mr. Coolldge declared
that In signing tha resolution he ex
pressed "no opInlorPwIth reference to
the facta which purport to be found
In tho preamble of the resolution."
(Aasoclatad Press Leased Wlra.) -
WASHINGTON, Fob. 8. After a
disagreement of its members over
the trend taken by the oil Inquiry
the senate oil committee decided to
hold for Monday Its examination of
William O. McAdoo.
a larger bridge; work In Its 124 budget.
E
CHANGE IN NUMBERS
faaoolated Preaa Lasiaad Wlra.)
WASHINGTON. Feb. 8. Secre
tary Mellon, ancwerlng another of
the acrles of chsrges made In the
general bond duplication contro
versy by Charles II. Brewer, depsrt
ment of justice sttorney, declared
. ., Jii,.....n.. In Ivna and .'.),
actual work will start as esrly In the number, on ,ome Dond. w ou
spring as I. possible, plana an J u numbering ma-
speciflrations being In the making t, hlnB ,0 , burellll of ngravlng
the present time. , eqalpment aur(g the war. When the
Mayor Rice waa present at the meet-rugh o bond ,,,., forced the bureau
lug last night when the vote was ; aSTiog tbe war to expand Its equip
taken en the matter and assured the!m(,nt iU(jdenly. new machines had to
lodge of bis hearty support. He stated i be purchased and the treasury was
thnt an effort would be made to put In! unable to oMaln machines of tho
in a big trunk-line sewer to connect ' tame construction as those in use.
with all the sewage pipes along the o
river and to carry all city waste to' The gouthern Pacific company hes
points below the curve In the river. ,tatloned a flaernan at the Oak
The action of the lodge assures thel sirwt rrosning on account of the
city of an Improvement which has! heavy traffic at that rolnt. This Is
been neeesssry for a long time and an excellent tnn on the part of 'he
real action Is looked for on the part, company as the danrer of passing
of the order. tralra to tbe traffic was very great.
(Aaaociated Press Leased Wlra.)
HUNTSVILLE, Texas, Fel . 8.
While Walter Monroe Miller, new
warden at the Texas penitentiary
here was officiating at the electro
cution of five negroes early today,
the former warden, R. F. Coleman,
peacefully slept at hie home here be
cause he chose to follow the dictates
of his conscience.
He resigned tbe post of warden
last month when It became known
Ibat he would have to act as execu
tioner In all death sentences In Tex
as. The state was searchod for a
successor. Miller, former sheriff of
Jobuson county, finally was decided
upon. He accepted lu time to as
sume his duties, which presecrlbed
that he shall throw tbe switch at all
electrocutions.
"It Just couln't be done, boys,"
former Warden Coleman told news
papermen. "A warden can't bo a
warden and a killer too. The ponl
tenliary is a place to reform a man
not to kill biiu."
Rut with Warden Miller, It was
different.
"Its a case of duty with me," he
said. "I have banged several men
while I was sheriff and to touch tbe
button or pull the switch of sn el
ectric chslr means no more to me
than pulling the lever of the gal
lows. At any rate. Its more humane
the chair."
Coleman Is now proprietor of a ho
tel here. Ho had been warden for
ten years, but his torms did not run
consecutively. The five negroes
were to be executed for murder.
A last minute effort was made to
ssve tbe life of one of tbe negroes.
Melvln Johnson. An hour's stay of
execution clemency was granted by
t.i-n CnrnmluHinDfir Walter Sayles
In order' to allow E. W. Love, his
attorney, to get In telepnonic com
munication with ActlDg-Governor
T. W. Davidson. In sn sttempt to ob
tain a reprieve. It ratieo.
The other negroes executed Tere
Charles Reyaolds, Elwell Morris.
George Washington and Mack Math
ews. The five negroes were the first
condemned men to be cloctroculed In
Texas. The law changing the legal
mode of Imposing the death pena ty
bv banging paswd at the last regular
session of the state legislature.
; Com ti Portland
Mr. B. W. Mates. Mrs. Brt O.
Pstes and Mrs. J. F. Dlllard left this
i morning for Portland In the formers
ear to remain several dsvs. Mrs. B.
, W Untce. who has been In Portland
, for several weeks will return with
I them.
(Associated Press Leased Wlra.) I
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8. William
O. McAdeo will be heard by the sen
oil committee Monday.
Appearing at his own request he
will explain fully his professional
services with the Dobeny Oil com
panies. (Associated Press Leased Wire.)
WASHINGTON. Feb. 8. James O.
Lewis, one of the geologists employ
ed by the committee in Investigating
conditions at Teapot Doiuo, protest
ed in a memorandum read to the
committee against suggestions which
he said had been made by Senator
Walsh, democrat, Montana. He in
sisted that when he accepted em
ployment by tbe committee his
"mind was open," with regard to
matters under investigation and that
be was free of prejudice which would
have disqualified him from undertak
ing the work.
Frederick O. Bonflls, publisher of
the Denver, (Colorado) Post appear
ed as voluntary witness to tell of his
efforts to assist Leo Stack to en
force a contract Stack had wltb the 1
mid-west and other oil companies
supposed to own acreage In the Tea
pot Dome reserve before it was leas
ed to Harry F. Sinclair by former
Secretary Fall.
"Mr. Stack claimed they had
leased over bis head," aald Mr. Bon
flls. "I entered Into a contr-t with him
to help hliu enforce bis rights. The
! agreement was that Mr. Stack was to
get the first I50.OU0 and tne re
ru.lnder was to be Uivlded 46
per cent to Mr. Stack, 23 1-4 per
cent to me, 23 1-4 to my partner
and 7 1-4 per cent to my attorney,
: II. H. Scbwartx."
I There were rumors about the Sin
clair lease, the witness continued
which led him to send a reporter,
! Mr. Stackelbeck, to New Mexico to
! investigate.
I "He brought back a shocking and
astounding story." Mr Bonflls said.
! "It was one we hesitated to believe,
j Ho was aent back to make further
' Inquiries snd wss csutloned not to
I reveal his Identity berstise there
might be great danger of bodily harm
! to him."
The witness said that arter Mars
I elbeck returned. It was decided to
j publish series of articles In the
; Post. The first appoared on Auc
' ust 25, 1922 and copies were sent
, to members of congress. The lease
! was attacked, "by analysis and
i theory" he continued, and later Sen
1 ator La Foil-tie. rept Mlcan. Wis.,
! Introduced his re.iolntlcn calling for
' an Inquiry..
i Mr. Bonflls said J. W. Zevelv.
personal counsel to Mr. Sinclair, call
ed on him In Denver to discuss the
I matter and finallv Invited the wit
ness, his psrtner. Stack and Schwartb
' to go to New York to see 8lnclslr.
I "When we arrived there," he said,
(Continued en page eight.)
"Mr. Sinclair aald rather brusquely
that he did not know why we came '
to see him, that our suit waa against
tbe Mid-West and allies companies."
"You have filed suit then?" asknd
Senator Walsh.
"Oh, yes. Suit has been atarted.
against the Mid-West," was the reply.
Mr. Bonflls told the committee
that subsequently there was a meet
ing at Kansas City at which a con
tract was drawn. Under this the Sin
clair Interests were to pay $250,000
for the stack rights and give those
Interested In the Stack caae 320
acres in the Teapot Dome oil reserve.
This money actually waa paid ever
by the Sinclair people, Mr. Bonflls
said.
"Under the agreement," the wit
ness said, tbe Sinclair oil was bound
within 14 months which will expire
March 15, next, to repurchase the
320 acres at a cost of 760,000 of
the holders desired to sell.
Doheny bad been much interested
In Stacks' efforts to obtain the Tea
pot Dome leases, but had suddenly
for some unknown reason withdrawn.
. After the varioua oontracts enter
ing Into the original claims and set
tlements had been read into the rec
ord. Mr. Bonflls said Stack had an
agreement with the Pioneer, Belgo
and other companies to sell their
claims In Teapot Dome to anyone he
could get to buy them. He added
thnt he thought tbe original plan
also callod for Stack to seek a lease
from the government for the whole
Teapot Dome flold.
Senator Walsh wanted to know '
what qualifications Stack bad to the
lease.
"He was prominent politically and
socially In Denver," was the reply.
"He ran for congress on the demo- ,
cratlc ticket, and had been here In
Washington for some time with the
Mid-West crowd and I think he had
a good many qualifications for do
ing this work."
"Just what was It you were to do
in the matter?" asked Senator
Walsh.
"I was to sea If we could not get
some value for his contract. It was
reported to my attorney to be a val
id and valuable contract. 'Mr. Stack, v
In spite of the contract, had been
swept aside by the larger interests
who were going to repudiate any ob-
ligations to him."
Referring to what he said waa tbe
sudden withdrawal of Doheny from
offers to get the Teapot Dome field,
Mr. Bonflls said after both of these
reserves hsd been leased, one to Sin
clair and the other to Dohenv. "It
looked like there waa some reason
why Mr. Doheny Tiad thrown him
(Stack) down and tbat there might
be an agreement between these two
oil kings, that one would take Tea
pot Dome, and tbe other the reserve
in California.".
Before the committee adlourned
until itomorrow, Mr. Ilonfls said
that he had turned over to sen
ator Walsh the report and evidence
of "what Mr. Stackelbeck had found
In New Mexico."
The story was cut short by ad
journment of the committee, whose
members hurried to tbe senate cham
ber to take part In the debate on
the Denby resolution. Senator
Walsh said before closing that It
showed conclusively tbe unfitness of
Secretary Denby to act as secretary
of the navy.
"Out of his month. Is he con
demned." Senator Walsh ssid. "He
had every opportunity to defend his
acts and has failed to act.
"A reat crime bss been committ
ed. The very structure of otir gov
ernment rests upon it foundstlon in
view of the revelations made In con
nection with It. There la but one
way to restore that confidence which
Is Indispensable to its stability and
pernetul'y. namely, to visit upon the
perpetrators the punishment Justly
deserved.
von willing, my colleagues, to
I turn back these properties Into tha
j keeping of Fdwln Denby? I am not.
Are you willing to condone the flag
rant falth!eines which has char
acterized his administration of his
j great office as revealed bv own
i tatlmony before you? I am not. Are
j you content tn let him down easy.
i lest his senstniuties d orrenaea or