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About La Grande morning observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1901-1904 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 31, 1904)
LA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER. VOLUME 111 LA GRANDE, UNION COUNTY, OREGON MONDAY, OCTOBER 31. 1904 NUMBER 58 4 4 1 I QUARREL OVER TWO DOLLARS CAUSED MURDER Webster Kills Chasser on Account of a Differ ence of $2 in Settlement History of the Crime The bodies of Cbas Webster and JamesUhesser are now in the ha . U of Coronor Henry at the Henry & Carr undertaking parlors awaiting inetraot ion A 'in relative re ativea 'o their dispoaoi lh bodijs were brought to thisoitr by the Coronor Saturday evening direct from the scene of the double tragedy. The farts regarding tb klllin? as brongbt oat by the ooronors inquest held Saturday are subs'aa tally as follows. . Chesser is the foreman at the lumber camp which is situated about 26 miles up the river and own. d by the Grande Ronde Lumber JCom pany and for some reason had occasion to discharge Webster. In the settle ment of accounts there was a difference of anme two dollars In favor of the Company. There was a quarrel in whieb WebBter stated that he would kill Chesser Cbesser replied that he (Webster) could not bluff bim. Web ter then left and those who beard the quarrel supposed that the matter was at an end and that Webster had left to psok bis olothes and would leave tbe camp with out further trouble. In this tbey were mistaken lor he soon returned and drawing a thirty eight caliber automatic Oolta revolver shot Chesser in the heil. The ballet entering a little above the hair line ap -little to the left of the osnter of lijM i'ehead ranging down, ward thro.. neck and into th i right ehouicfef. v-fA ballet has nst been die. overed and ?fld show any exist Chesser was catting wood at the time he was shot iu the sot of stooping to plok up a stick, As anon as the fatal rbot was fired and Chesser dropped Webster remarked tdat he bad killed Chesser and that he was glad of it. He then lnrther statedjthat he was going into tbe brash and that If any one wanted him they could And bim there. He then disappeared and in a abort time .a shot was beard from the direction be bad taken. Several per sons went to the spot and found his dead body lying on its back with a bullet' bole throng i the head. He had apparently stretohed bimself out on bis baok and plaoing tbe revolver near his right temple Bred the shot which hurled him like his viotim Into eternity. The bodies were left where they fell and were so found when Coronor Henry and Wm Grant arrived on tie scene the following Saturday. The shooting took place Friday noon rheaa r had been with the Grande Lumber Company for the past three years and Webester had only been in he valley three or four mon hs. The funeral of James Chesser will take place tomorrow afternoon at the undertaking parlors and the remains of Webester will be sent to his sister at Audarbon Iowa in oare of the 1 0 O K lodge of that place. Webester was a member of the I O.O P. holding hia membership with tbe Merldan Lodge in Idaho. He was a man of about fourty five rears of age and from all appearances bad seen a considerable portion of the hard side of life. Prom letters found among his effects It was learned that b had a sister living at Audurbon, lows. She was apria.nl of the facts of his death and It is thought tiiat; that the ooronor will receive word from her to day regarding tbe disposition of the body, Chesser sesms to be about the same age though a much larger man, and from appearanoes not of tbe sort who would resort to the use of a r volv to settle a dispute, So far aa oan be discovered be was not a member of any order, though there is among his effects a certificate of membership issued In 1903 by the Lambermens Union of HUgard. There waa nothing to show that be was still a member. The only relative which a search through bis letters brought to light was a neloe in Mosoow Idaho. She has been notified of the faots of his killing - and tbe ooronor Is awaiting inatruetlons from her. VfEDICT OF CORONER'S JURY Verdlot In the case of James Chesser . We, the jtry empaneled on inquest proceedings over the body of James Chesser, deceased. And his name to be James Cbesser, age about forty five years, and that said James Cbesser oame to bis death by agon shot wound inflicted by Cbas. Webster on the !8th day of October, 1904, at Ed mood's log ging camp, Starkey, Union County. Oregon, Signed, - HHBullls, . MO Combs, Kyle lOharlton, EE Barnham, LPatton, Pat Leahy, - Jurors. IN CASE OF OHAB. WEBSTER We, the jury duly empaneled on the inquest over the body of Ghaa. Web ster, defeased, find his name to be Ghaa. Webster, about thirty two years old; we believe tbst the said Cbas Webster cams to his death by a gun shot wonnd inflicted by hi own Land, and about one balf mile east of Ed- mond's logging oamp, Btarkey, Union County, Oregon, ' Signed, R H Bailie, MO Combs, Kyle Charlton, E E Barnham, Pat Leahy, LPatton. Jurors . TESTIMONY OK JAMES BRADY My nsme is James Brady, and I re side at Btarkey, Oregon Yesterday, tbe 28th ay of Ootober, 1904, botween thi hours of twslve and one, I wen t out to grind an ax, and one of the boya oame over to where I was and aays to me : ' 'Brady, Cbas. Webster drawed a gun on James Chesser." 1 said ''What for?" Ans, "I don't know." I said "where Is Webster nowT" Says he "He is in the bunk house " So I to rned around and looked toward the bonk house. I saw Mr. Webster com ing out of the bunk houmj, putting his hand on his hip pocket, drawing a gun, saying to J imss Cbesser: "I want you to make out my time In full," holding the gun right on him, Wben I saw bim drawing a gun pa Cbesser, I started toward him. I said; "Webster, look out now what you are doing." He said, "yon go to hell." I aays, "Web ster, reason with me, will you?" and he said "you go baok to your work." I kept walking toward him; , got up within ten feet of htm. I said, "Webster, would you kill a man for 2t" Be said, "Brady. I will reason with you," Mr. Chesser spoke up and said to Webster, "Was you ever fired before?" Ans. "Not iu that kind of a way." Cbesser says "I have been fired lots of times," and started to laugh at one another. I says "Boys, I'll settle thia." Webster said, "All right, Urady, I'll do lust as you tell me." I started and turned to go to my work. Cbesser said "leave that gun down and I will show yon wheth er you will get away with that bluff or not." I tamed and says "boys this Is settled now." Webster ssys "I don't have to leave this gun down," Bo I started and walked off toward my work then Chesser says "By God I'll show you whether you can get away with this bluff or not." Webster saya "I'll just kill you." So then the gun went' off. I turned as I heard the flash of the gun, and Chesser waa falling over Webster walked toward bim and looked at him alter he had fallen, and then started for the bank bouse, put on bla coat, came outside, went around the bank house, oame into the bank house, and then came over to where I was. He ssys "Brady, I killed him, wasn't I right? I saya "You might be in a way." He says "I am going ont in the brush, you may find me there." Signed, James Brady, NEED OUR MEN China Wants U S Sol diers to Instruct Her Armies and Drill Soldiers. Her Mukdcns TWENTIETH CENTURY When Your Boy Needs Cloth.es You think too much of your boy and his appear ance to say "anything will do;" you think too much of your pocket book to wasle money on cheap cloth ing. In tbe TWENTIETH CENTURY Clothing, which we offer for your close inspection there ia noth ing slighted but the price. We do not offir you something for nothing, but we Kill convince you that you can get more value for your money than in any other make of boya clothing. New General Oregon may furnish soldiers to dril Chinese soldiers. A Urge number ol applications have been filed by mem-1 ben of tbe guard In response to the recent request for American officers for tbe Orient. These applications do not necei-srily tndioata the purpose of any officer to go.noi is the represen tative ol tbe Chinese army asking for applicants bound to take all desiring to entei the service. All that is being done now is mer-ly preliminary and final selection will be made after .some rrooHMof elimination or allotmeot baa been put in foros. Officers of tbegusrd state that quite flattering offers have been made if a man cares to leave bis homeland and business. Tbe sgent in this oountr) says that tbe Chinese government is willing to pay on the same basis aa the United States In times ol war. This ranges Irom $116 to f 150 for of ficers ranking Irom second lieutenant to oaptaio in the infantry and oavalry services, respective' j. The limit to which an officer may olimt ia said to be a general in tbe Chinese army. Up to tbis point tbs Americsn is offered opportunity to rise in the ranks psy continuing on the same buis as in tbe United Slates. Borne oaptaine in tbe guard service have been Informed tbat tbey can gel . captaincies In tbe Chinese army. First lieutenants and steond lieutenrnls are offered corresponding positions al though some ot tbetn have been asked to take a rank lower. All tbat has been done so far has beea filing applications. Several ap plicants have rhoelved notloe of tbeir : requests being received and assurance for further attention after tbe matter has been submitted to higher authori ties the identity of wbieb is not dis olosed. This probably means that the applications will gc- to China or some board established in this country for further eiamiaatlon Into tbe merit o( ; the military man willing to oross tbe seas. Many of the looal mao tiling .: applications merely desire toss what, the proposition is and are- willing to take this trouble v ol finding out. Should they be aooepted and notified to come to China it is probable tbat tbey would be found. ..lingering in Amerioa, Oregon Journal . - Linevitch to Assume Command of the Si berian Corps at Mukden St Petersburg Oct 81 The arrival of Lioatenant General .Linoviteh at Mnkdeu to assume oommand of the Siberian oorpa la the moat Interest ing Item ot todays war news. Line vitch is (36 years old and a young man for his years be is immensely popular with thn Siberian troops whom be oom manded during the Boner war; Opera ation, in Manchuria have again lulled during the past, tew daja snd both armies are apparently contenting them selves with partial sucoesi.es. mostly in outpost engagements. Kuropatkln has received sufficient reinforcements to replsoe the 15,000 men admitted killed wounded and missing In the battle ofSbakbe. ATTEMPTED TO - DESTROY S.1US San Franoisoo Oot. 31 Tbe wliel ing bark California which arrived here today it was in Hakodate at the time tbe Vladivostdttqusdron and through . the Teugaru atra ts, The captain re ports tbat wben Itaki Ban tbe young Japanese in oommand of tbe Sugno a ' merobant vessel of 118 tons, saw the Russian vessels be seoured two large mines filled with explo Ives which he fastened to the bow of the Bugno, His intention was to ram one of the Rus sian bsttlesbips but bis plan was frus trated by tbe aa horitlee, who sent a launoh and oompelled bim to ralnrn. . ii ' . !.' .v.-,.w.. Bookies Hit Hard . St Louis, Oct 31 Through the vie tory of Amberyta owned by J J Whit tenberyta at 20 to 1 the betting ring lost 150,000, The horse . waa backed down at 10 to 1.. Home authorities sty the bookmakers lost nearly 1200,000. : i $1.50 Boya two piece suits, agea from 8 to 14 at $1 50. They are values, you will aay bo if you will come in and lee them. SHERIFF'S LIFE THREATENED 9 X '. A Store With A Record We have been doing husi- " ness in this town for 6 years In that time the town haa nearly doubled in population Duriue the same time our business has increased FIVE FOLD. In other words our business has made a great deal more rapid increase than ihe town haa. There are dozens ot reasons for this , all of which you will perceive if you begin buying; drug store goods of us. In the first place we bad a thorough training for pharmacy. In the second place we bad ex ceptional opportunities for learning the practical side of pharmacy in a successful drug store of the highest stand ing. In the third place we have kept our eyes open and attended to business until we know the demands of the people of this town, A. T. Prescription Druggist HILL, La Grande, Ore Boys Norfolk suits, belt effect 3 to 12 years at 2 25 3 00, 8 50, 4 00,6 00 and $6 00. You can't afford to buy elsewhere till yoa tee our line of boys, youths and men't clothing. We also have M. Born t Co's line of made to measure samples We have bad fifteen years exper ience in taking measures and handling tailor made agency business and guarantee a fit Let us show you our samples We do not charge express on suits made to measure The La Grande Cash Store. From three different sources In ss many days Sheriff Word has reoeived the Information tbat a conspiracy ex ists to sssssslnate him on account of tbe vigor and determination be la show ing in suppressing publlo gambling In Portland. lie learned yeaterday morning under circumstances wnicb have cauied him to give the matter serious considera tion that tbe intention of tbe alleged nnnnnlrAtnlR In in IrAon a MnM .(.). oa bis movements and shoot bim down ! at a time when those guilty of the i crime will be lesst likelv to be detect- I ed. I He is speoifloally informed tbat the' plan which has found moat favor among I those who, It Is deolared, would oot I stop short of bloolsbed to remove ibis j one great obstacle to an "open town," I la to take advantage of a raid In the j Chinese quarter In vhioh be particl pates and in one of tbe numerous dsrk and narrow corridors with which tbati part of the city Is honeycombed, to I shoot bim In the back. In oaae tbe plan should be carried out sucoesrfully it Is believed, suspicion would fall up on the Chinese. Oregon Journal. Heavy Team Harness Is our speoialty. , We kuow ho to make kood har -ness and we make good harness. Call and see tbe kind we recommend for logging. ROBES The finest assortment of winter robes in the couuty. We carry everything which should be found in a Ural class harness store E. CHR1ST0FFERS0N Harness and Saddles , , La Grande, (Jregon ' -... 'i 4