0 H -,UcnC
Crook CoMMty Journal
COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER FOR CROOK COUNTY
COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER, $1.50 YEAR PRINEVILLE, CROOK COUNTY, OREGON, THURSDAY, NOV. 13, 1913.
Enter at th pnntoflli at Princtrllla '
Crracon, ai kociuH-cIom nwiier
VOL, XVII-NO. 51
Two Men Kill Each
Other on Grizzly
A tragedy closely "Irosembling the
fuedal battles of Kentucky 'u
enacted some time Thursday night
on the side of Grizzly mountain,
about eightoen mill from Prine
ville, when Koscoe Drown and Felix
Jones ihot each other to death. So
far an known there were no eye
witnesses to the duel and the lm
mediate cause of their trouble and
the exact manner In which they
nettled it will probably remain
mystery.
About 9 o'clock Friday morning
Sheriff Klkins received a telephone
call ktatlng that two men had been
killed near Jones' sawmill on Grizzly
and waa requested to come at once.
Accompanied by the coroner, Terry
IVindexter, County I'hysiclan Ed
ward, County Attorney Wirta and
C. 0, Pollard, the sheriff Immedi
ately started for the scene of the
trouble. On account of the Indefi
nite location given, the heavy roads
and tire trouble the party did not
reach the spot until 2 p. m. In the
meantime a large party of neigh
bor had congregated and were
awaiting the arrival ot the aherlff
and coroner.
The bodiea of Brown and Jonca
were lying exactly an they fell,
Jorum with hi rillu still in hid hand
and Brown's rifle close beside him.
One lay by the aide of the road and
the other on the opposite aide, just
36 feet apart. By Brown'a body
were two quart bottles of moon
shine whiskey, one of which waa
mostly consumed.
On examination it waa found that
ach body contained but one bullet
wound. Jonea had been shot in the
buck, jiiHt behind the shoulder, the
bullet ranging diagonally through
the cheat and coming out near the
left nipple.
Brown waa ahot in the left chest,
the bullet severing the heart and
breaking the spinal column. In
Iirown'g case death must have been
instantaneous, while Jones probably
lived several minutes.
Considering the location of the
wounds and their probable effect
those present were forced to the
conclusion, which was general, that
Jones was shot first and after re
ceiving the wound must have
wheeled and shot Brown with re
markable accuracy.
After examination, the bodies
were removed to the Jones sawmill,
where a more detailed examination
was made by the county physician,
upon which he based his testimony
k'fore the coroner' jury impaneled
on the ground. Most of the wit
nesses testified that they knew of
no previous trouble between the
two men, though off from the wit
ness stand several stated that
Brown was extremely jealous it
Jones, who was known as "Kentuck"
and when In his cips Brown was
disagreeable, while Jones was al
ways of a jovial nature.
"Kentuck" had resided in the
vicinity of Grizzly about three
years, during the greater part of
which time he has been employed
by J. W. Jones at his sawmill, near
the scene of the tragedy. Though
of the same name, Felix Jones and
J. W. Jones were not related, al
though "Kentuck" made his home
with his employer.
About year ago Brown came to
the vicinity and soon after was
married to a daughter of J. W.
Jones. It was not long before
there ws trouble between Brown
and his wife, and it was said that
he accused "Kentuck" of being the
cause thereof. While never mak
ing any 0cn threats it seemed to
be generally known that he had it
In for "Kentuck," and Brown'a
father-in-law stated that he had
warned "Kentuck," whom he
treated as one of the family, that
Brown might hurt him and to
watch out for trouble.
Last Wednesday evening "Ken
tuck" went to the 'residence of
another son-in-law of J. W. Jones
and stayed over night. Thursday
morning Brown came to the game
place and the two visited with the
family In an apparent friendly
manner throughout the morning.
After dinner "Kentuck" remarked
that he intended to visit another
neighbor, whereupon Brown in
sisted that "Kentuck" should ride
his (Brown's) horse and that he
(Brown) would meet him at a cer
tain point on his return and they
would go rabbit hunting.
. "Kentuck" took the horse as ar
ranged, leaving his rifle in Brown's
possession at the home just men
tioned. Later the family departed,
going, to the sawmill for wood,
leaving Brown still at the house.
This was the last seen of the men
alive.
As the family returned home
about G:30 p. m. (which was after
dark) they heard three shots fired
and about fifteen minutes later
three more shota were fired, to
which they paid no attention as it
was not unusual for people in that
vicinity to shoot at coyotes or rab
bits at any time of the night or day.
The next morning, Brown's horse
was seen standing alone on a hill a
half mile from the home where the
men had been the day before and
going to the spot Mr. Pluard.
Brown's brother-in-law, discovered
the bodies of the two men in the
same position as afterwards viewed
by the coroner and his party.
Qne Unexplained circumstance
waa the fact that the bodies of the
men were still warm when the
sheriff and doctor arrived at 2 p.
m., although they had been dead,
according to the best testimony,
over twenty hours. Another was
the fact that although It had rained
intermittently, but hard, through
out the night and after the sup
Posed shoU were fired, the clothes
of the men were dry, excepting that
a pair of under trousers of one of
the men were damp.
Taking the condition of the
bodies and the clothes into consid
eration, the coroner's jury returned
a verdict that the men had come to
their death "by gunshot wounds in
flicted in a manner to this jury un
known." State and County
Property Valuations
According to figures prepared by
the State Tax Commission the total
valuation of the taxable property in
Oregon for this year is t835,2G8,527.
an increase of 142,173,346 over last
year. This does not include the
projerty of public service corpora
tions, the valuation of which is
fixed by the commission. The k-vy
last year was 1.2 mills, but owing
to the fact that it must cover ap
propriations made by the last legis
lature this year's levy, it is esti
mated, will be about 5 mills. The
lait legislature passed a law allow
ing the commission to anticipate
appropriations, and in the future
the state will not have a low levy
just before each session, and a high
levy after each session. In the
near future the commission will be
able to fix the valuation on property
of public service corporations and
the total valuation for the state
will then be available.
The yalue of the taxable property
for Crook county this year is f 10,
316,157. Last year it was 9,001,
677. What About that Holiday Suit?
Iteture buying that suit (or the hol
idays, call and took over my Hue. 1
have suits from $15 up, A lit guar
anteed. A. J. Reynolds, mwlmut
tailor, AieUulIlater lildg. 10-2
Estimated County Ex
: penses for Next Year
Below is th; estimated budget of
expenses for Crook county during
the ensuing jiar which begins
January 1, 19)4. Under the law
passed by the last session of the
legislature the taxpayers have the
right to appear before the county
eourt and decide on the amount of
the tax levy. It is made unlawful
for any tax to be levied, proposed
or adopted unless an estimate shall
have first been made of the amount
of money proposed to be raised by
taxation for the new year and such
estimate published and an oppor
tunity given for a full and free dis
cussion. The date fixed by the
county court for such hearing is set
for December 6, 1913, at 9 o'clock
a. m., at the county court rooms.
Prineville, Ore. The estimates are
at follows:
Roada, bridges, weeds, special 175,000 00
Crook County High School... 19,940 00
Widow's penaioni 6,000 00
Indigent peraone 4,000 00
Circuit court 9,000 00
Justice court 600 00
County'judgea' aalary.atation-
ery snd postage 1,030 00
Commitsioners' salary 1,200 00
County clerk's office 6,550 00
Bherifl'i office 7,215 00
AsMMor's office 8,600 00
Coroner 500 00
County school luperintendent 4,340 00
County sealer, salary, exp... 1,200 00
Truant officer, salary ..,. 300 00
Treasurer 8,250 00
Janitor, courthouse 3,738 50
County tair 1,500 00
Elections .. 4,000 00
Telephone and telegraph 1,000 00
Scalp bounty 2,000 00
Lining jail- 1,000 00
Watermanter 2,750 00
County general school fund... 35,000 00
Uoad viewers 1,500 00
County surveyor's office 3,4-M) 00
Stale tax , 55,000 00
Traveling expenses county
court, road inspection, in
cluding auto)repairs, gas, etc 600 00
Stenographer for county court 120 00
County health department.. .. 1,000 00
County printing 1,500 00
Estimated debt, Jan 1, 1014... 25,000 00
Library fund 500 00
Work Begun on the
Prineville-Lakeview Road
The good roads meeting held last
Thursday evening at the Commer
cial Gub rooms was well attended.
The question of making an all-the-year
around highway between Prine
ville and Lakeview was heartily sup
ported. Merchants agreed to sup
ply the provisions and others offered
the free use of their automobiles
to carry men and supplies where
needed.
A committee consisting of W. F.
King, M. R. Elliott and T. H. La
follette were appointed to take
charge of affairs. This committee
appeared before ' the County Court
to enlist its support and received as
allomanse of $250 to be used on the
highway. Thus encouraged metal
sign boards were provided, provis
ions secured, tent and camp equip
ment got together, and Tuesday
morning bright and early ten autos
loaded with men and supplies left
for the Lake county line to begin
work. The Lake county people will
take up the road from the Crook
county line and carry it south to
California.
W. F. King, who has been over
the route selected, knows every foot
of it and just where work is most
needed- On the way down men and
material will be left at the points
where needed. One or two autos,
aa the case may be, will stay with
the crew, and at night convey the
men to a central camp, where food
and bedding may be had.
It is thought that the road can
be put in good shape in four or five
days. The route selected is a good
one, as Dame Nature has already
provided the best kind of a country
road. It is only in spots that work
will be necessary. Some rock work
will be needed, but an experienced
powder man will take care of that.
Metal signs, two feet long by
eight inches wide, marked "Prineville-Lakeview"
with the number of
miles to each place. These will be
F'w uiuu uuu ytptra xuur or uvq
feet long on the west side of the
road.
The road leaves Prineville over
the west side grade to Powell Butte
and thence to Millican, through the
Fort Rock country and on to the
Lake county line, a distance of
some 70 miles, keeping well on the
east side of the timber line.
The man behind the guns and the
one who has worked hard for road
betterment in Crook county is W. F.
King. Doff your hat to him.
Total... 1287,393 50
To the Taxpayers of Crook
County:
The estimates published for your
consideration are liberal, as we are
bound to keep within the limit, and
it is better to be long than short.
We have paid off in indebtedness
since January 6, 1913, the sum of
1139,000, so that for the present
the county is out of debt, but as no
taxes of any account will be collect
ed during the next two months, we
estimate that we will be f25,000
behind by January 1st, but that like
the other estimates, I consider very
liberal.
The fact that the state tax . is
nearly treble the amount of last
! year makes it difficult to arrange
j for weed fighting and road improve
ment without going skyward with
ithe levy. The court desires next
year to enforce the weed law to ti e
limit, also to improve some long
neglected roads. To do so, how
ever, will require about one mill, or
possibly two, higher than last
season. ,
I am writing this that all mv offer
suggestions, whether in person or by
letter, on December 6, 1913. We
will be pleased to hear from any
and all.
We have appropriated the small
est amount for farm demonstration
work that the college would agree
to handle it for, as we are inclined
to believe our former work cost
more than necessary. It is the pur
pose of the court to cultivate fifty
one-acre tracts distributed through
out the county, and we will be
pleased to hear from one or more
farmers in each of the several com
munities who are willing to culti
vate an acre, or even half an acre,
under the direction of our agricul
tural expert.
The budget is published in the
official papers only, as we. are
crowded for time but we will be
Dleased to furnish copies of reports
of the various offices in detail to
other papers that may wish to pub
lish it as a matter of news. " -
If our 175,000 road, bridge and
weed budget is approved it will en
able us to do something more than
"sit on the lid," but unless the peo
ple are willing to stand a heavy tax
very little can be done.
It will be well to bear in mind,
meanwhile, that the levy is only
one-half as high as it appears for
the reason our assessment is not
fifty per cent of our actual values.
G. Springer,
County judge.
Call for Warrants
Notice ig hereby given that all reg
istered County Warrants will be paid
on presentation to the county treasurer.
No interest paid after this date Nov
ember 13, 1913.
B. L. Jordan,
County Treasurer of Crook county.
Cement Sidewalks
See Wheelright & Phipps about your
cement work. Better have it done now
when men and materials are on the
ground. You can save nionev by so
doing.; 10 30
Avoid the Rush by Doing Your Shopping Early
Our new Holiday Line is now beginning to arrive, which consists of all the new and
up-to-date Staples carried in a complete Holiday Stock
An elegant supply of Stationery, Books and Lowney's Candy on hand.
New Christmas Presents for the Children arriving daily
D. P. ADAMSON & COMPANY
I