Th Oregon city Enter-
Priee covers the news field
Oaekamas county thor- .
- ligaly. Live correspondents
inn every section keep the
readers posted every week
yonr neighbors activities
As an advertising niedhiri' V
to meet th3 rural needs, the
S Oregon Ci'y Enterprise is
second to none. A small s
classified ad in these col-
ums will convince. Try one S
iN today and watch tn-a results.
i
FIFTY-FIFTH YEAR No. 50.
OREGON CITY, OREGON, FRIDAY. DECEMBER 23, 1921.
ESTABLISHED 1866
1
OREGON
CO TY
PRESENT SPAN DESIGN
MAY BE AGREED UPON
CHARGE THAT EXISTING PLANS MAY IMPAIR
NAVIGATION INVESTIGATED BY STATE
ENGINEER; QUESTION PUT UP TO
LOCAL INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
28 APPLICANTS
FOR CITIZENSHIP
TO BE EXAMINED
HEARING IS SET FOR
DECEMBER 27
NEW PLAN FOR PAVING
BOLTON GAP ADVANCED
Get Grade In - Readiness for
Paving, Say Advocates
Of Prompt Action.
Sottieateat of the controversy over I Withdrawal of resolutions protest-
tho deaig of the new Willamette jn2. aeainst the design of the new Wil
lamette river bridge, which were
river bridge, now looms, as the result
-of a conference held here and in Port
land, between members of the local
comMlttae, representatives of the
state engineering department and the
local industrial plants.
If am active movement is started to
get the U. S. Engineers to order a
change in the plans for the new bridge
across the Willamette, the state high
way .commission will cease all build
ing activity, and tie up the entire
work hero, until the matter is com
pletely adjusted. This announcement
is made after an investigation con
ducted for the commission by their
bridge eagineer, Walter McCullough,
in connection with the local bridge
committee and the heads of the Crown
Willamette Paper company.
PROTEST MADE
The controversy is the result of a
protest registered by steamboat men,
to the effect that the new bridge will
prove a menace to navigation during
the period of high water, and recom
mending a change which would allow
greater clearance adjacent to the west
pier. If the work should be delayed
it wonld mean the tie-up of cross river
traffie for a. period of probably two
years.
Acoerdug to the members of the
committee who attended the confer
ence, it wae definitely established that
the pltu, as now followed, had the
full aproval of the United States En
gineering' sdepar&mentl It was be
lieved for some time here, that a
change in the structure was made af
ter the fial approval of the design.
COST OF CHANGE BIG
The investigation showed that any
change in the structure, would entail
the loss of more than $160,000 as the
steel, fabricated for the present arch,
could not be used for any other pur
poses. According to the figures pre
sented, the present bridge might, at
the most, tie up river traffic for four
days daring the entire year, but the
representatives of the industrial
plants stated that there were already
sufficient fuel storage facilities hers
to take care of the plants during such
a period f time. Resident manager
A. Bankoa of the Crown-Willamette is
at present making a survey of the
cost of constructing additional ware
house facilities to care for the stor
age of paper during the time that it
would Bet ke able to ship it to Port
land. LITTLE DELAY, FORECAST
It is waderstood that in this way,
the present design of the bridge can
be cwokpieted without seriously im
pairing navigation, but the final de
cision apon the matter is still pend
ing. The conference developed the
fact taat at the time the hearing up
on the design of the bridge was call
ed, there was no opposition to the
design as it is now being worked out
upon tfce location. Agreement of the
industrial plants concerning means
to take care of their product during
the few days when water is to high to
alow boats to come up the river with
out hogging the west bank, will be
the determining factor. It is pointed
out that the water this year delayed
navigation but very little, although, it
reached comparatively a maximum
height and the bridge work had pro
gressed to a point where the arch was
sufficiently hig to form any obstruc
tion which might be expected.
I
passed by the board of governors of
the commercial club and the city
council, was asked by the Live Wires
at their luncheon Tuesday noon.
This action is regarded as an indi
cation of a final settlement of the
agitation of the past two weeks, which
grew out of the claim of steamboat
men that the span, as now being con-
sructed, would block the west chan
nel of the river making navigation dur
ing periods of high water impossible.
According to the report of Chair
man O. D. Eby, of the Live Wire com
mittee which investigated the conten
tions regarding the new bridge, it is
generally conceeded that navigation
will be hindered during a period of
extra high water, such as occurs dur
ing the freshet seasons here. The
mills, however, which will be the most
affected by any tie-up of river traffic,
have consented to make provisions to
overcome as nearly as possible the
delays attendant upon a stoppage of
navigation. This compromise is the
result of the difinite statement upon
the part of the highway commission
that if protests were not recalled, and
if a change was ordered by the U. S
Engineers, the contractors on the
work would be paid for what has al
ready been done, and the state irould
withdraw.
As the material already purchased
and the work done amounts to approx
imately $160,000, the withdawal of the
state would prevent the building of
the bridge, and leave the county with
no means of getting across the river,
as neither West Linn, Oregon City
nor Clackamas county could bear the
expense of erecting a new span,, as it
is claimed that all of the mateial pur
chased and work done on the present
design, would be lost.
1 5 Countries Are Represented
In Ranks of Petitioners;
Germany Leads.
Twenty-eight residents of Clacka
mas county will be examined for citi
zenship at the next naturalization
term of the circuit court. Of this
number ten are natives of Germany,
seven are natives of Austria, seven
natives of England, two natives of
Russia and one each from Norway and
Sweden. The hearing will open Tues
day morning, December 27.
The large number of Germans and
Austrians who are being examined,
is accounted for by the recent removal
of the restrictions barring citizens of
the central entente powers of the re
cent war. At the September hearing
this year, immediately following the
removal of the restrictions, a class of
49 were examined, 20 of whom were
admitted and five of whom were dis
missed with prejudice. A number of
those who were conditionally . dis
missed at the last session, will be up
for hearing again.
The list for the coming hearing in
cludes ten residents of Oregon City,
two each from Boring, Canby, Mil
waukie, New Era and West Linn, and
one each Srom Moialla, Gladstone,
P4fkplace, Oswego, Colton, Clacka
mas and Aurora.
The list follows:
AUSTRIA: Frank Ferlan, Moialla,
Rt. 1; Joseph Adamosky, Gladstone;
Valentin Kmetich, Oregon City; An
ton Herbst, West Lnn; Karl Bigej,
New Era; Adam Hodel, Oregon City,
RL 6. .
GERMANY: Max Wunlsche, Bor
ing; Jake John Lau, Oregon City, Rt.
6; Carl iceiritz, Oregon City; John
William Sauber, Milwaukie, Rt. 1;
Max Bartsch, Boring, Rt. 1; Charles
Emil Shubert, Milwaukie; Paul Hopp,
Oregon City; Wilhelm Koennecke,
Sandy; August Ferdinant Lenhardt,
Aurora, RL.3; Peter Adam Endres,
In making a statement egarding the I West Linn.
attitude of the Crown-Willamette Pa
per mills, resident manager A. Bankus
said that a survey of the records for
the past ten years, had shown that
traffic would be tied up on an average
of ten days each year. Although this
will not actually mean a shut down,
it will involve considerable expense
to the companies as they will be
forced to provide storage facilities for
fuel and paper during the period when
neither can be moved by water. It
may be posisble, it is pointed out, that
ENGLAND: Elies James Williams.
Oregon City; John Banks, Oswego;
George Henry Cattley, Canby; John
Crawford, Oregon City; Owen H.
Hughes, Oregon City, Rt. 4; John
Frederick Langman, Clackamas; Wil
liam Arthur Reddaway, Oregon City.
RUSSIA: Jonas Ruskis, Oregon
City; Gustav Ratke, Parkalace.
NORWAY: Simon Richard Chilvik,
Canby, Rt. 1.
SWEDEN: John Wall, Colton.
the mills would be forced to close for DAVIS JVlURDER
a short time if the period of high wa
ter were of too long duration. The
company feels willing to withstand
this loss rather than assume the re
sponsibility for blocking the bridge
project here; although they still con
tend that a gross error was made in
the design.
In their report of their investiga
tions, the Wire committee pointed out
tha ihe trouble was the result of lack
of adequate consideration of tne orig
inal plans, but in view of the fact that
the foundations for the bridge were
already laid, and any attempt to se
cue a change would stop constuction
permanently, made no recommenda
tions for any action.
MYSTERY STILL
BAFFLES POLICE
The question of who murdered E.
E. Davis is no nearer solution today
than when the man's lifeless body
lay, unknown, behind the locked door
and drawn shades of the little shack
on his RusseVevllle homestead near
Moialla.
The few faint clews which might
disclose the identity of the man who
with a hunting axe cut Davis' head in
two as he was sleeping, seem to be
leading the officials upon a blind
A new proposal for the handling of
the paving of the remaining 3000 foot
gap on the Pacific Highway at Bolton
is being unofficially talked among
those interested in, the completion of
this project.
An unsigned petition,' the source
of which is unknown, has been re
ceived by Harry Greaves, mayor of
West Linn, evidently for circulation.
It asks the highway commission to
consider the letting of the contract
immediately so that the road can be
completed and ready for traffic by
the time that the new bridge is open
ed. WINTER WORK ASKED
This request has given rise to con
siderable speculation, and altho no of
ficial action has been taken, engineers
who have been approached concern
ing the subject, state that it is per- j
fectly possible to lay the grade dur
ing the winter time, and have it ready
for paving. The actual laying of the
concrete would require 30 days and
the material would have to harden for
another 30 days. Thus the paving
would require two months.
The plan is advanced, whereby the
highway commisskta, under their
agreement to pave the road, could let
the contract for the grading, which in
volves mostly rock work and would
not be hindered by rainy weather.
The contract for the laying of the
pavement could be let, contingent up
on completion of the new bridge, and
as soon as a definite date for the open
ing of the new span can be forecasted,
the contractor could commence the
work upon the Bolton gap pavement.
LINE NOT DEFINITE
When, through an agreement with
the county and the cities on both sides
of the river, the state agreed to com
plete the West Side road, no definite
date for the finishing of the work was
set. They delayed this year upon the
ground that with auto traffic stopped
by the bridge contraction, there
would be no use to pave the remaining
half mile.
The work was originally held up be
cause of the fact that a definite route
was not established, pending the im
provement of the main line Southern
Pacific tracks at West Linn. The rail
road officials however, stated that no
enlargements are possible there for
some years, and it was practically 1
agreed upon to lay a grade crossing.
Although sewM. surveys haye been j
run, a definiHT location has not been I
made. j
Those who are advocating imme
diate action draw attention to all of
the necessary preliminary work, such
as actual decision as to the line the
road is to be followed. A large num
ber are asking that it follow approxi
mately the same route as the present
road. ' It is probable that the propo
sition will be placed before the high
way commission by the next meet
ing, altho it is to come from the com
mercial and civic bodies interested
in the affair and it is not expected
that a general petition will be circulated.
COUNTY JUDGES
NAME HI. CROSS
VICE PRESIDENT!
DEPUTY FIRE Wm&.
MULTNOMAH COUNTY IS
RAPPED AT MEET
advises m&m
Reserve Truck, Joined Water
Mains and Condemnation
Ordinance Suggested.
Repudiation of Loop Road
r unds Regretted Says
Mayor Geo. Baker
fr
Judge Haiey E. Cross, of Clacka
mas county was elected Wednesday
night as vice-president of the County
Judges and Commissioners, conven
tion which meets annually to discuss
state and county problems.
At the banquet held in Portland
Wednesday evening, Multnomah coun
ty was severely criticized for its fail-
A light truck equipped with chemi
cals and a short length of hose, the
connection of Oregon City's two water
mains and a satisfactory condemna
tion ordinance for old buildings, were
suggested by Horace Sykes, deputy
state fire marshal, as the result of an
inspection of the city's fire fighting
apparatus, which he has just finished.
SAVING IS CITED
According to Sykes the small truck
would be used for reserve purposes
and for light duty. There will come
a time, he said, when the large ma
chine will be called out of the town
and a reserve truck would probably
be of great service to the city. He
WOODBURN LAD
NOT GUILTY OF
THREAT
NOTE TO ROY YODER IS
STILL MYSTERY
ure to give $85,000 toward the Mount
Hood loop for 1922 construction after also cited the fact that the light truck
a Boieiun promise IO ao BO. would servn not onlv n r. v,r
makin
The delegates expressed the hope
that some day this county would see
fit to keep its promises.
FAILURE REGRETTED
Mayer Baker assured the delegates
that the vast majority of citizens of
this county favored giving the money
to the loop road and that "we are
more ashamed in not being able to
keep our promise than words . can
tell."
Commissioners W. F. Harris and W.
A. Proctor of Clackamas county, at
tended the sessions, which went on
record as giving unqualified and hear
ty support to any legislation which
will regulate highway traffic and de
clared for a 5-cent-per-gallon tax on
gasoline. The resolution provided
that 2 cents of this tax should go to
the state highway fund and 3 cents
to the counties in the proportion in
U.Vltl tha a-r tea rsil 1 an t In i T j
way. the resolution stated, automobile Next VtLT JVXuSt be
owners who nave little other taxable
property will pay their share of Ore
gon's road bills.
TRUCK SUPERVISION ASKED
The officials also demanded a strict
supervision of truck and jitney lines,
asking for heavy penalties for viola
tion of traffic regulations. The visit
ing delegates also asked that a law
be passed making it a penitentiary
offense for motorists to fail to give
assistance to other persons injured on
state highways.
would save a lot of unnecessary wear
and tear upon the large truck as it
would suffice for chimney fires, grass
fires and other light duty.
JOINT MAIN SUGGESTED
Sykes also suggested that the city's
two water mains, the one for city use
and the one feeding the West Linn
reservoir, be joined by a gate which
in case of necessity could be opened,
joining the two forces, thus giving
either community adequate water
power for fire defense. He stated
that he had suggested this when here
two years ago.
The condemnation ordinance, as
suggested by the marshall, would give
the city council power to condemn
and cause to be destroyed any old
building which might be determined
a menace to the city's safety.
Boy Repeats Girl's Story of
Killing .of Garage Man
Near Gervais
Averted to Save
World, Says Irwin
OREGON CITY HRE RISK
LESS, SAY INSPECTORS
Will Irwin, war correspondent, edi
tor Of nalf-a-dozen papers throughout
the country, and one of the best news
paper men of the day, doesn't believe
not by a long way that the science
of war has reached ita limit.
Irwin, speaking at the Oregon City
high school Saturday night showed
graphically how in the World war the
science of killing was advanced over
all previous struggles and how in a
possible future war human life would
fall before the improved agents of de
struction as' ripened grain before a
scythe.
The next war will see the profes-
chase. Every nossible angle of in-
The concession upon the part of the vestigation has been taken up, but
paper mill practically ends the con
troversy, as it is the only industry
which would be badly affected by a
shutdown of three or four consecutive
days.
Finance Report for
West Linn Complete
Moonshiner Gets
QQ Dgv Tail Term acquaintances were sought. Nothing
J j save ordinary inrormation was gained.
Sheriff W. J. Wilson admits that the
results have been far from encouraging.
As a matter of record, the dead
man's finger prints have been taken.
The body has been sent to Indianapo
lis, his father's home, for interment.
Davis past has been studied. Seem
ingly he lived a normal life. His few
,, , . t,j T t t i tion to a ?o00 fine was meted out to
E. Clancy and Recorder L. L- Porter, at. - . T . -
of West Linn, covering the financial
conditio of the city for the fiscal year
ending November 20, 1921, was pre
sented at a meeting of the council
held Wednesday evening. The re
port showed the following condition
existing- in the various funds:
General fund, cash on hand. $12,408.
10. Road fund, cash on hand, $73.84.
The endorsed outstanding warrants
against the road fund, $10,266.48. Gen
eral sinMng fund, cash on hand,
$383.11. flewer fund, cash on hand,
$2422.91! Outstanding warrants
against sewer fund, $5,003.80. Sinking
fund number four, cash on hand,
$455.52. In this same fund endorsed
outstanding warrants amount to $500.
Other sinking funds, number one. two,
three and five, the treasurer reported
were closed, as the bonds which they
were to cover have been redemed.
Tii mmiKil a .the result Of a
special investigation of the assess
ments made on Buck and Barlow
streets In Bolton, adopted the report
of the viewers as originally made.
There kad been some dissention over
the distribution of the cost, and the
council, as a committee of the whole,
reviewed the property.
Stanley Lundi, of West Linn, who
was found by deputy sheriffs with a
complete still in operation Saturday
evening.
Lundi was arrested by Carl Long
and Henry Hughes, who found a large
33 ga'lon still, equipped with an ac-
cetalene burner in operation. They
coniiscatea zun gallons of masn, zu
gallons of whiskey which had been
run through the still the first time,
sufficient corn and sugar to make 20
gallons more mash, and two and a
half gallons of the finished product.
All except the latter, which was
brought here for evidence, was de
stroyed. Lundi was immediately tak
en before Judge E. J. Noble, where he
pled guilty. He is said to have been
operating for the past year, and sell
ing his product at $9 a gallon.
B. c- Buffun, arrested Friday by
Deputy Long at Oswego, was fined
$25 and costs for illegal possession of
liquor. He had a small amount of
moonshine, believed the remains of a
larger quantity placed in. his hands a
few days before.
Carl and M. M. Mumpower were ar
rested Saturday night by Anti-Saloon
league agent Dunlop and Traffic Offi
cer Wagy on charges of transporting
liquor. They were arrested at Cane
mah and released upon $500 bond to
await the action of the justice court.
ARMS REPORT TALKED
WASHINGTON, Dec 15. President
Harding will make a formal report to -
the country on the work of the arms If every woman could do what she
conference, a member of the admin- wished to do, who would wash the
istratioM. said today. dishes?
As yet the story has not been com
pletely traced. What few facts have
been secured, only deepen the mys
tery, for they point to nothing more
than the usual activities of an edu
cated, aggressive, likable man of 26.
What will come to light when the
entire fabric, like pieces of a fatal
puzzle, is pieced together, the officials
cannot even guess. They can find no
motive for such a hideous crime. Men
do not chop men's heads to pieces
without reason, unless the murder is
the work of a fanatic. Robbery is
not believed the cause, for the man
never had more than $15 or $20 upon
his person at one time.
Then how, and why? As yet therp
is no answer.
"We won't stop investigating this
thing until the man who murdered
Davis is found," is the assurance from
Sheriff Wilson.
But beyond that he says nothing.
Oregon City Valua
tion Drop; 1921
Figures Completed
Pastor Slips On Icy
Walk; Is Badly Hurt
Hardie Conner, pastor of the Bap
tist church at Gladstone, is suffering
from severe injuries received on Mon
day morning, when he slipped and
fell on the ice while getting aboard
of the Portland car at the Gladstone
depot.
An x-ray has been taken to deter
mine the extent of the pastor's in
juries. He is at his home at Glad
stone, where he was conveyed short
ly after the accident. .
Orego- City's taxable valuation for
the 192i assessment roll shows a de
crease of $43,911.21 under the assess
ments for the 1920 tax roll, according
to figures on the incorporated towns
in the county just completed by As
sessor W. B. Cook. The valuation.
upon which the 1922 taxes will be com
puted, is $3,184,598.22. Last year the
valuation of Oregon City was $3,228,-
509.43. A
The decrease is for the greater part
in the value of public service utilities,
which underwent a cut over the en
tire county this year as the result of
the percentage tax ratio reduction
made by the public service commis
sion. UTILITIES' VALUE LESS
Oregon City's valuation, exclusive
of the public service corporations,
amounts to $2,741,660, a decrease of
but $1,000 below last year. The pub
lic service- corporation valuations,
however, dropped from $499,644.43 to
$442,938.22.
These figures are based upon the
corrected valuations for the year of
1920, which show a change of $395
000 over the first figures published in
the assessor's report. L. Ll Porter,
recorder of West Linn last year dis
covered that the state tax
commission erred in the division
of the water power valuations. The
result was that $395,000 was taken
from the Oregon City valuation and
placed to the credit of West Linn.
West Linn's valuation for 1921, as
just computed, will amount to $2,634,
231.00, as against $2,527,091.86, an in
crease of approximately $7,140. Al
though the value of the public cor
porations there decreased from $1,
063,721 to $975,226. the personal pro
perty valuation, which includes the
major portion of industrial plants, in
creased from $950,760 to $1,144,495.
The value of platted city property in
creased during the year approximately
$2,000.
(Contlnuoo. o rage Fsnr)
Survey Being Made Here by sional soldiers in the background,
Men from Office of State
Fire Marshal
Considerable improvement in Ore
gon City in the removal of fire haz
ards and in compliance with the elec- perts, could have destroyed all vege-
said Irwin, "and the conflict being
waged by chemists. You may picture
the possibilities of the use of Lewisite,
the gas the Americans had ready to
use when the armistice was signed, a
few tons of which, according to ex-
trical and building laws, is noticible
when a comparison is made with con
ditions here two years ago, according
to representatives of the state fire
marshal's ofifce who are making their
regular survey here.
Horace Sykes, James S. Gleason and
George W. Stokes, are here repre
senting the state office and in coop
eration with Fire Chief William Prieb
and some of his assistants are check
ing up on the city. All of the office
buildings, schools, and public build
ings are being inspected, and every
structure except private re-id' nces is
being examined. Educational work
in the schools haa been conducted.
and it is expected that tle survey
will be complete by the r-.iddle of
next wf-tk. The inspection is in a
sense educational, as people through
out the city are made acquainted with
hazardous conditions and shown ways
to remedy them.
While thrv survey lias no direct bear
ing upon th" fixing of the insurance
rates, improvement in conditions
which will rp-ult from the marshal's
work here will act favorably toward
a reduction.
v Mr. Sykes laid especial stress up
on the improvement in the fire fight
ing apparatus here. The last survey
was made about two years ago.
Blankets Needed by
Firemen; 7 Are Given
A. R. Jacobs, of the Oregon City
woolen mills, played Santa to the local
fire boys when he presented them
with seven new blankets for Christ
mas. The firemen were in need of more
bed covering and when one of the
members of the Fire and Water Com
mittee went to the woolen mills to
get a price on the necessary articles
of nocturnal vestige he. found the
quotation to be nihl.
MINERS WIN VICTORY
, CHICAGO. Dec. 16. Coal miners
of America won a sweeping victory
in the United States circuit court of
appeals here today when the court
upheld their claim to the right of op
erating" the checkoff system- of col
lecting union dues.
The court also held that the miuers
should be restrained in thoir attempts
to unionize the miners of West Vir
ginia, which the Borderland company
has been fighting for years, only inso
far as their acts "immediately and
directly interfered with the operation
of the mines." .
table life in Berlin. Then, according
to British scientists, there will- be
deadly invisible light rays and bacilli
to be used.
DEADLY DISEASE GERMS I
"Even as the armistice was signed
Germany had a disease epidemic ready
and probably withheld it only because
England served notice that she would
bombard the Rhine- and coast town3
with the deadly anthrax germ.
"The time has come for armaments
to go. Once it was only the 'nut' who
advocated scrapping of ships. Now
those hard-boiled soldiers, Pershing,
Haig, Maurice and Dubonnet, are say
ing that the quickest way to get into
war is to arm to the teeth.
"The races must halt wars if they
are to endure. This suicide of the
white races which has beer- going on
for centuries constitutes a real yel
low peril.
PRAISE FOR CONFERENCE
The limitation of armaments con
ference at Washington has surprised
us all. It has taken the first step to
free the world of the menace of ex
termination of the peoples upon it.
And incidentally it has done some
thing to reduce the burden of arma
ments, which is three times what it
was in 1914
The world is actually in a state of
anarchy. The nations have no laws
among them. ' That is the real need.
And until this lack is supplied limita
tions of armafent will be only tem
porary relief. A league or associa
tion of nations is the need, and it is
coming, because the peoples want it."
Friedman Released;
Evidence Is Lacking
Harry Friedman, arrested Wednes
day for investigation, regarding his
knowledge of E. E. Davis, Moialla
rancher who was found with his head
hacked to pieces with an axe, was re
leased Thursday evening by Sheriff
Wilson. No reason for holding the
boy developed.
It was found that he came here from
Montana with Davis and lived oi his
homestead for several weeks but he
was able to throw little light upon the
man's activity or his former history
which would aid the officials in the
solution of the murder.
LICENSE IS ISSUED
A marriage license was issued
Thursday to Louis A. Barry, 34, and
Myrtle M. Eggiman, 24, both of Ore
gon City.
James Abraham, 17-year-old Wood
burn boy did not, in the judgment of
the Clackamas County juvenile court,
write the anonymous letter threaten-'
ing the life' of Roy Yoder, which was
received in Oregon City November 12.
At a more or less informal hearing
before Judge H. E. Cross, the charges,
brought upon complaint of Elmer Ter
rill, special investigator in the Simon
Yoder murder case, were dismissed
this afternoon. Abraham was arrest
ed here December 5, and charged with
writing the letter, believed sent at the
instigation of others who threatened
Yoder, a cousin of the mari found mur
dered near Woodburn last March, in
an effort to hinder investigation now
under way.
EXPERT TESTIFIES
Terrill, the prosecuting witness
handled his own case, in the absence
of district attorney LIvy Stipp. The
chief witness for the prosecution was
W. W. Williams, handwriting expert
of Portland, who submitted the results
of examination of the letter and other
handwriting of Abraham's made by
himself and another expert in Port
land. He declared the anonymous
letter, and copies dictated to the lad
in the office of John Carson, district
attorney of Marion county, to be iden
tical, and further established the sim
ilarity of the original letter and a
subsequent one received by Yoder De
cember 12. This latter stated that the
original letter was merely a joke.
William Stone, as attorney for Abra
ham, introduced considerable evidence -to
show the boy's good character, and
the only refutation made to the
charges of writing the letter was the
lads own testimony. He stoutly
maintained that he had never seen the
letter until it was shown to him by
Terril.
MURDER STORY TOLD
On the stand, Abraham was ques
tioned regarding his knowledge of the
Simon Yoder case. He stated that a
girl named Pearl Landers had told
him of the murder of Yoder. Accord
ing to the boy's story, the Landers
girl and another were out with two
men, who, by pre-arrangement met
Yoder and a third man near Gervais. .
An argument ensued, the girl is al
leged to have told Abraham, and the
two men held Yoder while the woman
shot him. This story, however, is
discounted by the officers, who call
it a mere fanciful tale.
The lad said that while he was in
the county jail the night of his ar
rest three men came to the window,
flipped a note through the bars, and
disappeared. The note read ''You are
a doomed man, (Signed), Nights of
the Road." Abraham said he became
frightened, and turned the letter over
to Sheriff W. J. Wilson. He was un
able to identify the men who ran as
soon as they had slipped the note in
to the jail.
THREAT IS-CLAIMED
Considerable amusement prevailed
when Abraham told of receiving a
note about a month after the Yoder
murder, telling him that- he had bet
ter "quit hauling moonshine." His
mother said, on the stand, that she
had sen the note, but that she had
regarded i$ . as a joke. Upon -being
questioned, the lad admitted that he
had written several letters to him
self, purporting to come from girls,
in order to "have some fun with the
fellows."
A notebook, taken from Abraham,
alleged to contain considerable writ
ing of a personal nature, was intro
duced by Terrill but not admitted as
public evidence by the court. The
defense protested upon the ground
that the investigating officer had no
right to take the notebook from the
boy before he was placed under ar
rest and that they had invaded the
lad's private rights. Judge Cross
stated that he had gone over the book,
and believed it nothing more than
something written in an unguarded
moment which was not reliable ma
terial upon which to judge the lad's
character. He refused to allow it as
evidence.
EVIDENCE HE-D WEAK
In dismissing the case. Judge Cross
stated that he did not believe the evi
dence of the -handwriting expert, re
garding the marked similarity of the
letter and a "standard" copy made by
the boy from dictation, a ssufficient
to warrant conviction. He further
stated that he was unable to find any
motive which would ascribe the writ
ing of the letter to Abraham.
He commended the investigation in
to the Yoder case, but stated that he
did not believe the,' action at hand
sufficient bearing to 'admit of grand
jury investigation. ' -
Officials refuse to discuss any fur
ther action to be taken in the Yoder
case, but indicate that if the letters .
were not written by Abraham, fur
ther investigation to locate the guilty
parties, will bp martw.