Morning enterprise. (Oregon City, Or.) 1911-1933, May 11, 1913, Image 1

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    3 $
THE WEATHER
OREGON CITY Showers Sun
day. Winda mostly southerly.
Oregon and Washington Show
ers Sunday. Variable winds, most
ly southerly.
Idaho Showers Sunday.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY &
3 ' FAIR &
8 CANBY, OR. -
S SEPT. 24, 25, 26, 27.
t$SSstStJ$$5
V v v
S 3
WEEKLY ENTERPRISE ESTABLISHED 1866
VOL.' V. No. 109.
OREGON CITY, OREGON, SUNDAY, MAY 11, 1913
Per Week, Ten Cents.
w. H. wm DIES
THE MEXICAN ERRY-G0-R0UND.
AMBASSADOR TO
AT
BRIT!" TALKS
. L.mx" v ',,,
Coroner Wilson, of Clackamas coun
ty, will on Monday probably open the
grave in which Charles Mi. Abbott,
former editor of the Western Stock
Journal, was buried on June 7, 1912.
If Abbott's body is found in the
grave, hopes that Clackamas county
officers have of clearing up the mys
tery surrounding the means J.'C. La
France used in obtaining a corpse for
his insurance swindle will fall
through. If, on the other hand, no
remains are found in the grave, Cor
oner Wilson and Sheriff E. T. Mass
believe that they will have reason
able grounds to charge that LaFrance
and his confederates robbed Abbott's
grave to further their own scheme.
A number of things make it seem
possible, if not likely, that Abbott's
body was used in the substitution.
LaFrance and Abbott were almost
identical in stature and general ap
pearance. While Abbott had a spot
of grey hair on the top of his head,
this hair could have been died by
him after he obtained the body, if
such was his plan of procedure. Ab
bott's grave lies close to Mountain
View cemetery fence, on the out
skirts of the city, and is in a location
where tampering would not have been
likely to be noticed. From the grave
to the spot where the body was prob
ably set afloat in the Clackamas
river is between three and five miles,
by indirect roads.
Abbott died here under peculiar cir
cumstancs, in that he had no rela
tives in this section of the county,
and after his death his father, John
T. Abbott, tax attorney for the West
ern Union Telegraph company, sent
funds for his funeral from New York.
No relatives attended the funeral,
though Abbott's friends in this city
went en masse. Since the funeral
but few people have visited the grave.
Somtime after the burial two young
women of this city, whose names are
withheld for the present, visited the
grave to place flowers upon it, and
today both of them declared .positive
ly that when they went there there
was considerable loose earth about
the grave, and that "it looked pe
culiar." At the time they wondered
if somebody had tampered with it,
but concluded that this was impossi
ble, and said nothing. Abbott's
death, and the fact that no relatives
attended the funeral, were widely
WANTED
A nice 5 or G-room house, must be
up-to-date, on improved street and
well located. We have a customer
for a place of this kind.
E. P. ELLIOTT & SON
Seventh and Main St.
AT
myj
' ' - ' ' - -" - - ' " - : '
NOVELTY COMBINATION ACT
DON'T MISS THIS!
"The Analysis of Motion"
'Science and Nature
This Is the most remarkable film that we have ever offered as it
is an entirely new development in cinematography. The camera tak
ing pictures at the almost incredible speed of twelve hundred per
second, shows the trajectory of a bullet at a rate of speed reduced
so as to enable spectators to witness just what takes place when
the bullet leaves the gun, the course it describes through the air,
how it strikes a clay pipe in one experiment, and exactly what hap
pens when it strikes this target This film has set the scientists of
Europe wondering at its possibilities and even though it is scientific
It keeps within the limts of everyone's understanding by means of
clear, explanatory titles.
ocmmented upon at the time, and had
LaFrance at that time been seeking
a body that could be used in his
swindle, the facts in regard to Ab
bott must have impressed him as be
ing favorable to his plan.
Another point which leads local in
vestigators to believe that Abbott's
body may have been used is that the
body found the last of June in the
river, and subsequently identified as
that of LaFrance, showed that it had
been partially, at least, embalmed.
Traces -of formaldehyde were found
in it; and this fluid was used in em
balming Abbott's body, as it was
necessary to keep it in the morgue
sometime while his family in . New
York was being communicated with.
Undertaker Holman, who had charge
of the preparation of Abbott's body
for burial, is skeptical about the
grave-robbing theory, but admits that
it is plausible.
The theory has also been advanced
that the body might have been that
of Lloyd P. Williams, who disappear
ed on June 23, the same year. Little
credence is given the theory, however,
as the condition of the corpse figur
ing in the LaFrance swindle was not
such as to lead to the belief that
death had resulted but a week before.
The condition of the body would more
nearly agree with that of Abbott's,
which had been in the grave nearly a
month. A body supposed to be that
of Williams was later found at South
Bend, and identified as his on July 5.
This identification has always been
doubted, however; and Mrs. Williams
Saturday stated that while she did
not believe the LaFrance body was
that of Williams, she was going to
institute an independent investigation
in the matter if the Abbott theory
collapsed.
That the use of Abbott's body
would have been extremely practical
for LaFrance is what gives strength
to the theory and present "investigation.-
The location of the grave in a
secluded part of the cemetery, near
its border, the fact that the two men
bore a strong resemblance to each
other, and the fact that but little at
tention would be apt to be paid to
Abbott's grave all combined to offer
LaFrance an opportunity which his
cunning mind must have appreciated,
provided he was familiar with the
circumstances. As he has admitted
that he was planning the deed for
sometime previous to its commission,
and as he made many trips into the
Clackamas and lower Willamette val
leys to seek a place where his ghoul
ish scheme could be put through
without observation of interruption,
it is believed to be at least worth in
vestigating to open Abbott's grave.
infill igii " l " U4 "
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"31
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'mms)M -aa
Nearly 200 citizens who gathered in .
W. O. W. hall Saturday afternoon to
hear the report of the joint committee j
investigating complaints against the
county court found that one faction j
had assumed control, of the proceed-1
ings, and that the report presented to
them was that of this portion of tne
joint committee alone. As a result
of this turn of affairs, the spectators
were treated to some unexpected de
velopments; one of which was the
hooting from the platform of O, D.
Eby, chairman of the committee ap
pointed ' by the Live Wires of the
Commercial club to act with Messrs.
M. J. Brown, R. Schuebel and S. L.
Casto in the investigation.
Mr. Eby endeavored to obtain the
floor to state that the Live Wires'
committee would submit its own re
port, being unable to endorse the re
port of the three men of the ruling
faction, but cat-calls, yells and abuse
made it unable for him to speak.
Shortly after this he left the hall, and
the remaining faction ran matters as
suited themselves. After they had
presented their report, which was
done by Mr. Schuebel, Mr. Brown
withdrawing from the center of the
stage temporarily, two resolutions
were introduced and adopted. These
resolutions follow:
By Mr. MacDonald and unanimously
adopted:
"Resolved,' That The Morning En
terprise be censured for their attack
on the integrity and honesty of the
mass meeting committee, and that
the Oregon City Courier be commend
ed for opening its columns for , the
benefit of the community."
By H. W. Hagerman:
'Whereas, the report of our commit
tee shows that our present county
court has handled the affairs of
Clackamas county, Oregon, in a care
less, extravagant and unbusinesslike
manner; therefor be it
"Resolved, That we condemn the
action of our county court and that
we take legal steps to remedy same
and proceed with tue reali "
The "report of tnree of the members i
of the joint committee fellows.
TO THE VOTERS AND T4XPAY-
ERS OF CLACKAMAS COUNTY-
We, the committee appointed by
the mass meeting held in Woodmen
hall, Aprtl 12th, to mvestk;at3 charges
against the county court, be leave
to report as follows-
In tho matter of the complaint of
George Lazelle that Road District No.
15 had levied a spvMal road tax of
$2700.00, which had not been spent
as the people intended, we found that
insofar as the money is concerned
this is true. The records show that
$2700.00 was raised and so far about
one half is. spent. The balance of
BITHIAH CONCERT
Methodist Episcopal Church, Wednes
day Evening, May 14th, 1913
ARTISTS ' '
1 irs. Delphine Marx Contralto
Mr. Gustav Fletchner .Violinist
Mr. Oscar Lawrence Woodfin Baritone
Miss Sadye Evelyn Ford
Accompanist
PATRONESSES
Mrs. T. B .Ford, Mrs. Lydia Olm
stead, Mrs. C. I. Stafford, Mrs. C. F.
Hagerman. Mrs. Anna Hayes, Mrs.
W. E. Johnson, Mrs. Leon DeLarzes.
Steininger's Auto Stage
TO MOLALLA AND RETURN
Leaves corner of 7th and Main
St. Oregon City, every day, ex
cept Sunday at iM p. m. Get
tickets at Elliott's office, down
stairs.
$1369.99 is on hand, we were told
that it was to be divided into three
equal parts. Mr. Lazelle's complaint,
which speaks for itself:
Oregon City, Ore., April 29, 1913.
To the investigating committee
representing the Live Wires of
Oregon City and the mass meet
ing of the taxpayers:
The undersigned wishes to
make charges against the county
judge and county court, as fol
lows: That a six mill special tax lev
ied by road district No. 15, for
the purpose of building roads in
said district and raising a fund of
about $2700.00 is partly being re
tained by the county court with
out just cause and contrary to
wishes of those who paid the tax.
That-a system of road building
ing was allowed by the county
court whereby about 700 feet of
road was built in road district No.
15 at a cost of about 800.00, which
proves that said court is wilfully
mismanaging the county finances.
That Judge R. B. Beatie has
made statements to certain indi
viduals announcing that he has
stopped all improvements on the
south end road and intends to
place all of the available money
for this road district on the Ca
nemah road on account of a per
sonal grudge against Geo. Lazelle.
Respectfully submitted,
(Signed) GEO. M. LAZELLE.
Wm. Fine is road supervisor on
this matter.
This money is hot connected with
the special tax fund held up by the
court. We have examined the rec-
j ords in regard to one E. D. Olds'
i charges against the court in building
I bridges and letting contracts co'n-
trary to law, having compared the
records with Mr. Old's statements we
I find that in regard to the Fisher's
j mill bridge. He is short in his fig
i ures as to the cost of the bridges, as
j we have found records showing that
$dl)io.zo was paid, exclusive of ce
ment, we also- find in the same month
a bill of J. R. Myers for hauling ce-
'a"el .a ml" t
Jm f 1?2-0J or ct?ment from l"
0uJOntline Co- the same month;
u Jill wao uuauic I Kl uuu auj LTZKJiu
definitely stating where the cement
was used, but must naturally suppose
it was used for the Fisher's mill
bridge,. thus making the cost of the
Fisher's mill bridge $4105.70 instead
of $2900.00 as we are by no means
certain that this is all, yet as there
is not intelligent record of the trans
action, the bills are scattered among
! the supervisor's reports and as in the
case, he cement, it would neces-
j sarily take considerable time to get
I the total facts and be sure you had
1 oil. QTtA oa Vi a Aliat oria t'na
UU, U'l I. HO W Lilt, vyi.iiv.i 111 HI KLU. ll 11
records are more faulty than on the
Fisher's mill bridge. Among Mr.
Olds' papers we find a letter from
Mr. O. W. Severance, where he said
he would have built the Fisher's mill
bridge for $3160.00. complete ready
for travel,, so far we could not get
track of Mr. Severence, so will have
to accept this letter for what is
worth.
As to Mr. Olds' statement that the
court did not live, up to the law in
regard to letting the contracts for the
building of the various bridges men
tioned by him, as far as we are able
to determine this is true; no record
has been found where bids were ad
vertised for, according to Sec. 6368 of
the (sic) Lord's Oregon Laws
(page 2290 volume 3 of Lord's Oregon
Laws).
'. In the matter of the Pudding river
bridge, the Eagle Creek, Sunnyside
j Gulch and Clear Creek bridge, four
I bridges, we find Mr. Olds' statements
i correct, cost for the steel $17,965.00.
I We-also find that the Coast Bridge
I Co. was paid $4600.00 for erection of
the above four bridges mentioned; al
I so $2800.00 for tubular piers on Pudd
I ing river bridge, making a total of
$25,365.00 all told, paid Coast Bridge
Co. for the four bridges, this does not
include concrete piers and abutments
which were put in by'Mr. John Green
at a cost that is hard to definitely de
termine, as Mr. Green's reports do
not always state where the work was
done, but we do find the sum of
$1332,28 spent for labor, but bills do
not state where work was done, then
we find a number of bills for lumber,
cement, gravel, sand nails, spikes,
etc., that no man can locate from the
records, where they were intended
for, only occasionally statements
shows this, but apparently the four
bridges cost $26,697.20. lumber and
cement still to be accounted for. We
found one bill of D. C. Robbins for
cement delivered at Canby for $473.
10. We find another record of three
bridges let to the Coast Bridge Co.,
known as Bear Creek, Rock Creek
and Johnson Creek for $6850.00 com
plete except painting, county to do
the painting, also to Coast Bridge Co.
for trestle bridge over Rock Creek for
$4800.00, Coast Bridge Co. to furnish
all metal, material, perform all labor
and county to furnish lumber, was
not able, to find the cost of lumber
for want of time. Also Coast Bridge
Co. for tubular piers on north end of
Baker's bridge, $2200.00, also a wood
en bridge built by John Heft for $1,
060.00, complete, another built by
Jomn Nordberg on the following con
ditions, this is the bridge claimed to
have been built for some time with
no road to it for $800.00.
Bk. 25 pp. 6 & 5. In the matter of
the bridge across a gulch on the Wm.
Stevens road near the N. E. corner of
W. T. Mattock D. L. C, in road dist
trict No. 2 and it appearing to the
count that John Nordberg has agreed
to construct the above mentioned
bridge for $800.00, specifications to
be furnished said Nordberg by some
one designated by the county court,
along the lines discussed at the May
term, it is ordered that John Nord
berg be given the contract to con
struct said bridge. All told we find
that this court has spent approxim
ately $50,000.00 for bridges, this does
not include some work done under
Mr. Green, such as concrete piers
and abutments, which we did not have
time to dig up.
In the matter of the suspension
bridge, we find that George Scoggins
was paid $350.00 for inspecting this
bridge, it appears to us after talking
the matter over with T. W. Sullivan,
who we think is a competent judge
of such matters, that this might be
alright. Mr. Sullivan said that $25.00
per day would be about right for a
competent man.
In the matter of the steam roller
excessive cost charge by Mr. Oolds,
we find that Mr. Olds was gjven fig
ures in writing by a representative of
the Buffalo Pitts people, -that the
manager told us that they could not
live up to, claiming he was a new
man, and further said that the ma
chines sold for less money to Seattle
and other counties for less .money
than Clackamas county paid for the
for the same were secondhand rollers
if the manager of the Pitts people
gave us the truth Mr. Olds is not to
blame for the statement made by
him, although the charges apparently
fall flat, as to the rollers.
In the matter of the timber cruise
(Continued on Page 3.)
Wanted!
Girls and Women. 1
To operate sewing machines
In garment factory.
OREGON CITYWOOLEN MILL
BARCLAY SCHOOL YOUTH DEM
ONSTRATES NEW. WAY OF
STUDYING HISTORY
INNOVATION IN TUCKING TRIED
Superintendent Tooze and A. O. Freel
Principal, Organize Lifelike
"Senate" in Civil Govern
- ment Class
Believing that by making the school j
course as practical as possible, great
er benefits will result to the pupils,
City School Superintendent F. J.
Tooze has inaugurated a number of
unique departures in methods of in
struction. These methods, and the
results obtained thereby, will be the
basis of an exhibition to be held at
the close of the" school year, and rom
ise to present local educational in
stitutions in a most advanced light.
Among the studies in which new
methods of instruction have been
adopted is civil government, and in
each school "senates" modelled some
what on the Boys' Junior Republic
idea, are conducted.
At the Barclay school, with the as
sistance of Principal A. O. Freel, this
idea has been expanded considerably,
and there a complete "senate" meets
every two weeks, following the rules
of the national upper house, and I
transacts such business as may come :
before it. In connection with this j
plan, a number of "ambassadors" to j
foreign countries have been appoint-!
ed, and at each "senate" meeting !
these "ambassadors read reports on I
current events in the nations where
temporary
studied.
world history is also
Both boys and girls partake of the
deliberations of the Barclay school
"senate ", and at times some interest
ing situations arise. One of these
situations is due at the next meeting,
when among other things the report
of the "ambassador to England" will
be submitted. Either because of per
sonal preference, or because he re
fllects to a degree the ideas of his
teacher or principal the "ambassador"
does not seem highly impressed with
the doctorine of woman suffrage," nor
does he seem in sympathy -with the
American doctorine of protection. His
report is interesting from other
angles as well, and is given below. It
is a very fair and comprehensive ex
ample of the aims and objects of the i
"practical" method in vogue at the
school.
Willis Rockwell is the Barclay
school's "ambassador to England,"
and his report follows:
(Continued on Page 3.)
For
Farms and City Property
In and Around IVIolalla.
Call on
W. J. Beck
Molalla
Exclusive Agents for Gregory Addition, Kaylor
Addition and Harless Adition to Molalla.
Our First Carload of Fords
-8 cars-is sold and delivered
Our Second Carload of Fords
-eight cars -arrived Friday
and six are sold.
Our Third Carload of Fords
-eight cars-will arrive Tues
day. If you want one speak
quick, for they will all go
out this week !
The Ford factory wired all agents yesterday that their enormous out
put (nearly 200,000 cars) had all been contracted for and that no
agent may have more cars. than originally alloted.
We could sell douri.e our allotment if w? could only get them.
Why this enormous sale-0f Fords? Mere Fords than all others cars
combined
Because the Ford costs the least to buy the least to run the
least to maintain and yet will take 5 passengers where any car will
go and when many can't.
Prices, fully equipped and delivered in Oregon City, 5 passenger car
$675; Roadster $600.
PACIFIC HIGHWAY GARAGE
Clackamas County Agents
We will occupy our new quarters in the , Busch building about
May 15th. .
County Recorder E. T. Dedman re
ceived word Saturday of the death of
his brother, W. H.. Dedman, at Long
Beach, Wn Friday afternoon. Mt.
Dedman left for Portland immediate
ly, to be present at the funeral serv-.
ices at Holman's undertaking estab
lishment at 2 p. m. Sunday afternoon.
Interment will be at Multnomah cem
etery. W. H. Dedman was the owner of v
thA SllTlRPt hntpl at T.nnfr Tlfanph ond
was deeply respected in the commun- -
i t' mVinwn V.n .. .. 1... ...... 1 . J
as a business man of sterling char
acter. Mis nor.fi w.as KunwTi tavnr
ably to all visitors to the coast. For
some time Mr. Dedman had heeii suf
fering from Bright's disease4 and this
was the cause of his death.
Mr. Dedman was the son of E. C.
and Sarah Dedman, and is survived
by his widow and one son, W. H.
Dedman, Jr., who is in business in
Portland. Aside from Recorder Ded
man, he is also survived by H. A.
and George Dedman, brothers,. and by
two sisters, Mrs. Mary E. Paddock, of
Gladstone, and Mrs. J. W. McKenzie,
of Portland. ' '
$25 FINE, COSTS,
IN ASSAULT GASE
After being out from six o'clock in
the evening Friday to two o'clock -Saturday
morning, the jury that tried the
assault and battery case preferred
against J. Stanley Rice, of Portland,
by Joe Hedges, the son of J. E. Hed
ges, prominent Oregon City attorney,
returned a verdict of guilty in Jus
tice Sisvers' court. Rice was arraign
ed for sentence Saturday morning,
and was fined $25 and costs, the lat
ter amounting to $62. Westbrook &
Westbrook, Rice's attorneys, gave '
notice of an appeal to the circuit
court.
The case concerned an attack said
to have been made upon young Hed
ges, who is but 19 years of age, by
Rice, while the latter was obtaining
midnight refreshments while on an
automobile trip with a friend and two
women in this city early in the week.
Rice's companion alleged that Hed
ges threw a beer bottle at her foot,
and Rice knocked the boy unconsci
ous as punishment for the act. The
case consumed two days in trial, and
was hotly contested throughout.
iMARRIAGE LICENSES
Licenses have been issued "by the
county clerk to the following: C. A.
Chambers, of Portland, and Miss
Marie Gettman; Roy Danielson and
Miss Elsie Dodd, both of Boring;
Clarence Johnson aid Miss Annie
Reynolds, both of Clackamas.
& Co.
Twelfth and Main