io
THE MORNING OKEGONIAN, MONDAY, MARCH 7, T9IO.
STRYCHNINE IS
CAUSE OF DEATH
Mrs. Pepoon Met Awful End.
According to Physi
cians' Tests.
INQUIRY TO BE CONTINUED
Examination of Stomach of Woman,
Believed Slain by Husband, May
Develop Drng Enough Admin
istered to Kill Several.
CHKON'OLOGT OF PEPOON CASE.
1900 George L. Pepoon. theologi
cal student, and Miss Edith Wol
cott married at Fergus Falls, Minn.
I8O6 Pepoons moved to homestead
near Northport. "Wash.
August 2I, J000 Mrs. Pepoon dies
under conditions Indicating poisoning.
Soon after Morton Crossman, friend
of the family, and Mrs. W. D. TV'ol
cott, mother of Mrs. Pepoon. start an
Investigation. Women of Woodcraft
refuse to pay $1000 life Insurance
policy made In favor of Pepoon.
November 23, 1009 Pepoon mar
ries Maud Keller, who had been em
ployed In household of neighbor be
fore Mrs. Pepoon's death.
February 22, 110 Body of Mrs.
Pepoon exhumed and stomach and
other organs sent for analysis to' Dr.
Ralph C. Matson and Dr. George
Cathey In Portland.
March 1, 1010 Pepoon arrested
on murder charge and lodged In Jail
Colville, Wash. Man supposed to be
Ray Wilcox, ex-convict. . employed
by Pepoon. arrested at Spokane for
complicity in case.
March 6, 1910 Drs. Matson and
Cathey determine that stomach of
Mrs. Pepoon contained strychnine.
Enough poison to cause death is
found in small portion of contents of
stomach.
A clinical exam'ination of a small
portion of the contents of the stomach
from the body of Mrs. Edith Pepoon,
completed yesterday by Dr. Ralph C.
Matson and .Dr. George Cathey, of
Portland, resulted in the recovery of
more than one grain of strychnine, a
dose which is considered fatal.
When the balance of the matter
shall have been tested, it is believed
that the physicians will discover that
the woman was given enough of the
drug to have killed several persons.
Mrs. Edith Pepoon met her death
in a cabin on a homestead situated
six miles from Northport, in Stevens
County, Wash., and it is charged that
the drug was administered in a mix
ture prepared by her husband, George
L. Pepoon and Ray Wilcox, and while
she was entertaining a number of call
ers with organ music.
Within one hour after swallowing the
dose, Mrs. Pepoon is alleged to have
passed into convulsions, and 15 minutes
later was a corpse on the rear porch
of the cabin where her husband is said
to have illicitly loved the woman whom
he married within three months after
his wife had been buried at the little
Northport cemetery.
Six months afterward the body was
raised at the earnest request of Mrs.
W. D. Wolcott, mother of the dead
woman, an Investigation was begun
which is slowly revealing the details
of the plot which secured a victim
In the woman who was attempting to
assist in carving a home from the
wilderness.
Pepoons Located North of Spokane.
In 1906 the Pepoons went to Stevens
County and located on a homestead,
130 miles north of Spokane. They
had two children, Margaret, aged 5,
End Janet, aged 4. While engaged in
constructing a house on the new land,
the family was Invited to share the
rabln owned by Morton Crossman, on
an adjoining claim. Crossman was nn
old man 69 years of age and became
very fond of .ittle Margaret, her sister
and the mother. When the Pepoon
home was ready for occupancy Cross
man asked .o be taken along as one
of the family, promising to make Mar
garet his heir. Soon afterward the
Pepoons took a girl named May Jones
Into the family, and Crossman charges
that Pepoon became very attentive to
the young' woman, causing some Jeal
ousy on the part of his wife.
Close by lived another homesteader
named Bleeker, whose housekeeper
was Maud Kcllar. Pepoon is said to
have become attracted by her, and to
have utilized every opportunity to
meet the woman at tile local enter
tainments ofthe neighborhood. About
August 1 of last year Mrs. Edith Pe
poon was induced by her husband to
make application to join a lodge of the
Women of Woodcraft, her application
being referred to Dr. Eugene Travis,
of Northport. i
The medical certificate pronounced
the woman to be in perfect health
and on that recommendation-she re
ceived a certificate of insurance In favor
of her husband for $1000.
A few days later Ray Wilcox, an
ex-convict at the Washington state
penitentiary, found his way to the Pe
poon home. He had been a druggist,
and had a thorough knowledge of
poisons. Within a week, after his ad
Vent, Mrs. Pepoon wrote her mother
that she was suffering from severe
stomach pains, and it has been ascer
tained that Mrs. D. M. Downs called
at the Pepoon home to see her ill
Neighbor.
First Attack Passes.
Mrs. Pepoon apparently recovered
from that attack, and on August 29
again received a call from Mrs. Downs.
There were present at the time beside
the Pepoons, wife and husband. Cross
man, May Jones, Ray Wilcox and Mrs.
Downs. A dinner was prepared and
Mrs. Pepoon ate heartily of the food,
afterward going over to the organ,
where she sat playing and singing for
the amusement of her friends.
Pepoon and Wilcox went to an ad--Jolning
room and soon returned bear
ing a glass containing a dark mixture,
into which Pepoon is said to have emp
tied a white powder. The glass was
handed to Mrs. Pepoon. After drinking
it Wilcox gave her a raw egg to swal
low. She turned to the organ and con
tinued her music for some time.
Within an hour she began to com
plain of stomach pains, and went into
convulsions. She was taken to the
back porch of the cabin and placed in
a chair. Within a few moments Mrs.
Pepoon died, her lips covered with a
white foam.
,.- .The body was taken to Northport for
burial. Within an hour After the fu
neral Pepoon made application for the
insurance money due from the Women
of Woodcraft, but the physician who
gave the death certificate balked on
making out the insurance proofs.
Crossman, the old man, who loved
the little child, became suspicious of
the circumstances surrounding the
death of Mrs. Pepoon, and communi
cated with the mother of the woman
and told of a bottle of strychnine
which he and Pepoon had purchased to
poison animals and rodents. It had
been hidden by them so that the chil
dren might not tret it P.nin a- tn th
f secret receptacle, Crossman and Mrs.
Wolcott found the place empty. Only
Crossman and Pepoon knew 6f the
place.
Wilcox left the Northport district
immediately following the funeral of
Mrs. Pepoon. and was only recently ar
rested in Spokane, where he is held
for identification.
Pepoon Announces Engagement.
Pepoon remained in the Northport
country, and six weeks after the death
of his wife announced his engagement
to Maud Kellar. It was necessary for
the Kellar woman to procure a divorce,
but in three months that difficulty was
overcome and the wedding celebrated.
Pepoon is said to have been a former
divinity student, and it was while fill
ing itinerant pulpit engagements in
Minnesota that he met Edith Wolcott.
Their two children are now in posses
sion of the grandmother, at 111 East
Forty-seventh street.
FORESTS NEED CAPITAL
LOGIC OF . EVENTS EXCLUDES
SMALL OPERATIONS.
Size of Required Investment Neces
sitates Correspondingly Large
Timber Holdings.
The following article was written' by a
surveyor of distinction, who also is a tim
berman whose entire lifetime has been spent
In the North Pacific States, and whoso
knowledge of the subject treated Is not ex-
eenea oy any.
BAKER CITY, Or., March 4. To the
Editor.) In respect to the term, "Con
servation of Natural Resources," a study
of the history of the development of the
Pacific Coast states of Washington, Ore
gon and the northern part of California
is well worth the time expended. These
states have supplied nearly all the lum
ber, spare and piles used in the countries
and islands in and around the Pacific
Ocean. As early as 1850 there was an
imperative demand for lumber in Cali
fornia that had to be met Immediately,
as well as a less urgent demand for fin
ished lumber products in Oregon and
Washington. As a result small mills
were established at Humboldt, Coos Bay,
Portland and Puget Sound to supply the
necessities of the occasion.
Day of Small Operator First.
It must be remembered that at this
time the government surveys hod not
been extended over any part of these
territories. Of course, the timber was
taken from government land a most
heinous offense, a modern conservationist
would say but our Congress and the
Department were presided over by plain,
common sense -men who knew the condi
tions that confronted the people and they
were not pestered by a lot of special
agents until after surveys were made
and legal title could be obtained, -when
the Government took Just measures for
Its protection. After the surveys were
made and the lands were offered for
sale any one could buy "offered" lands
in any amount he wished and where he
wished, except school sections and Gov
ernment reserves, at the price of $1.25
per acre. This was the day of the small
operator. With a cash outlay of J1000
he could get title to a section of land
containing from 20.000,000 feet to 40.000,000
feet of merchantable timber. With an
other thousand dollars he could secure
the necessary equipment for logging op
erations. More Capital Now Needed.
These conditions lasted until the avail
able timber along the banks of the bays
and rivers became exhausted and it was
necessary to move further back to get
timber, with long and expensive roads;
after this another move back and here
is where he was compelled to part with
his horses and teams of oxen and buy
donkey engines and railroad locomotives.
The small operator is now eliminated
entirely, not because any one wished
him harm, but by the inexorable logic
of events. The lumberman now must be
possessed of capital to build a road cost
ing from $10,000 to $50,000 or more, and
then It is necessary to secure a body
of limber large enough to Justify this
great preliminary outlay. If he does
not own or control timber enough he
will not build the road; if he shauld
build the road he is at the mercyVof
scores of forest rangers or small holders
with their vagaries and differences of
opinions and combinations to get the
better of him.
This brings the subject squarely up
against the faddist objection to allow
ing any one man or association of men
to acquire large holdings of natural re
sources, and timber is one of them. The
world needs the timber in all the multi
farious uses to which it is put, but in a
very short time it will need the land
it stands on much more than it will
need the timber.
Logged Off Land Valuable.
- This fact Is already becoming evident
from the fact that logged off lands are
now being sold for actual -use, not to
speak of speculative prices near towns
or cities There are thousands of people
now living In permanent homes on logged
off lands on this coast, where a few
years ago a few men were engaged for
a short time in harvesting a crop that
matures only .once in 200 years.
In the forest reserves of the, Western
states there are thousands of acres of
timber on fine soil that should be given
over to actual' settlers instead of being
sequestered from the best of practical
uses to all eternity by the Government
that a tew faddists may have glory and
emolument therefrom. It is not desirable
that all the forest reserves be restored
to settlement, provided that the state
and county in which it is situated gets
its Just share of the revenues derived
from it, but every acre that is suscepti
ble of cultivation should be restored and
only that portion which by reason of
its rough, broken character or altitude,
renders it unfit for agricultural pur
poses should be retained in the reserve.
The East has had the free use of its
natural resources in the development of
that part of the country and it is not
Just to the West that it should be ham
pered and hindered in its development
by the wholesale withdrawal of its lands
by Eastern Indoor theorists.
Rainfall Not Affected.
The state of Texas owns her own
lands and should take no detrimental
interest in the disposal of the lands of
the West. The writer has had actual
personal knowledge and experience of
the conditions and development of the
Pacific Coast for over 60 years and has
naturally drawn conclusions on the sub
ject. One conclusion is that the timber
is the result of climatic conditions, and not
the cause of it as some assert. The rainfall
would be the same whether the timber is
removed or not. The moisture laden at
mosphere from the Pacific Ocean, or else
where, on reaching the hills and moun
tain ranges is cooled and precipitation
occurs whether there is timber or not.
Provide the seed and forests result.
The other natural resources, coal, iron
and water power, each would demand
attention beyond the scope of this arti
cle. But attention will be paid to them
in due time.
, 3. 13. W. SHELTON.
The
Everyone knows that Waltham Watches are good watches.
When you buy a Waltham Watch bay only from a jeweler and
buy one adjusted to temperature and position.
Xo not buy a watch of a mail order house.
Jeweler are specialists who know how to TegxxLate watches
to your habit and occupation, how to oil them property, how to
detect any little disarrangement that may have occurred m
transportation. A responsible jeweler who values his reputation
will guarantee a Waltham Watch, and behind the jeweler's
guarantee is that of the Waltham Watch Company.
When you buy a watch remember not only that Waltham
Watches are the best, but that they were the first American
Watches. Every watch-making device and invention of
importance in use has originated in the Waltham Watch factory.
WALTHAM WATCH COMPANY,
WALTHAM, MASS.
Send for the " Perfected American Watch," oar book about watches.
FLIES AGAIN
Swoops Down in Front of Auto
Going Full Speed.
FLIES ACROSS COUNTRY
Reaches Altitude of 500 Feet, but
Today Will Make Ten Flights and
Will Try to oG Higher Don
nelly Will Try Again.
(Concluded From First Page.)
Third to Front were able to board the
cars at all. Commencing at Front
street the av-iation-mad throng com
menced climbing: on the cars as they
crossed the river. Those further up
the street realizing: that unless they,
too, drew nearer to the river they
would be unable to get on the cars,
pressed down until a great mass of
probably 4000 persons had crowded into
the 'street.
The rush for the cars was terrific.
Portland has never seen anything, like
it before. Women sprang onto the
steps of moving cars and clung there
until a way could be forced Inside.
Boys, hardly out of dresses, crawled
between the legs of men on the rear
steps until a place could be found to
straighten up.
Others, unable to get Inside, clam
bered on top. One conductor, who had
the nerve to tackle his upper-deck pas
sengers, collected fares from 31 per
sons. Dozens of small boys, seeing the
opportunity to beat their way to the
A LETTER AND
IT'S SEQUEL
Bethlehem, N. Y., July SO, 1909.
John J. Fulton Company Gentle
men; I have a case of Brlght's Disease
here that it will be worth your while
to follow up. If cured it will be the
greatest ad you could have. She started
on the Renal Compound about a week
ago. An examination shows very bad
married, about thirty years old, one
child, the wife of Arthur Bowles.
Respectfully, SMITH'S PHAKMA.CT.
We wrote as requested.
We now have the following:
Littleton, N. H., Sept. 6, 1909.
John J. Fulton Co. Gentlemen: Mrs.
Bowles has taken five bottles of the
Renal Compound and am thankful to
say that there is a derided change. We
had about given up hope. Your agent
desired to have her take it about a year
ago, but we had tried so many doctors
and medicines that we did not have any
more faith. It is a great mysterv to
us that the physicians do not all use a
thing that has such curative power in
Brlght's Disease.
Please send circulars to Mr. George
Brown, who also has kidnev disease.
Yours truly, ARTHUR K. BOWLES.
Is it possible that letters like these
do not carry a message to the poor un
fortunate who is down with kidney dis
ease and has been told he cannot re
cover?, Physicians are more and more com
ing to this treatment and lives are be
ing saved all over the country.
For Bright's Disease and kidney
trouble get Fulton's Renald Compound.
If patients do not begin to note im
provement by the third bottle we desire
to have them write us for advice and
instruction.
Literature mailed free. Address the
John J. Fulton Company, 645 Battery
St., San Francisco.. Cai.
MAN
Authentic American, Watch
grounds, being penniless, climbed to the
tops of the cars.
Streetcar Company Censured.
The streetcar system was incapable
of meeting the situation, because the
crowd was far greater than anybody
had anticipated. Thousands unable to
reach the grounds, went elsewhere.
Complaints about inadequate car ser
vice were many, although officials of
the company declared they were using
all equipment. At the close of the
exhibition thousands of persons walked
as far as a mile and even further
down the Kast Ankeny street line to
ward the city, boarding outbound cars.
Although filled to capacity the cars
were Tun to the end of the line, making
an unnecessary distance of as far as
three miles.
Though the day's exhibition closed
at 4:30 o'clock and thousands had previ
ously taken the cars, it was 7 o'clock
before all had been taken to the city.
The O. R. & N. came in 'for its share
of complaints. After a ten-minute serv
ice had been advertised it was charged
that the company operated only one of its
four specials every hour, starting at noon.
This is probably accounted for by the
fact that a misunderstanding existed as
to what was meant toy a "ten-minute
service." What the company meant, they
said, in connection with the "ten-minute
service" was the time consumed by the
cars between the Union Depot and the
grounds and not that a train would
leave every ten minutes.
Attendance Estimated 50,000.
It was impossible last night to secure
definite figures on the attendance yester
day. From reports made by the street
railway company, the Oregon Railroad &
Navigation Co. and the meet manage
ment, it was estimated at between 60,000
and 65.000. The former figures, however,
were agreed upon as conservative.
The estimate, classified, is as follows:
Kast Ankeny-street carline, 7000.
O. R. & N. four special trains, 2500.
Mount Tabor carline. 6000.
Montavilla carline. 3000.
J ' "J Have
HAM
can buy
i
HES 7 . n P. .
Automobiles, livery and private, 500. -Those
walking from surrounding dis
tricts, 7000.
Many Hundreds Kept Away.
These estimates are thought to be con
servative. They total 35,000. That named
in the last classification is thought to be
even ultra-conservative as it was well
nigh Impossible after 1 o'clock to get a
car east of Grand avenue. Had the car
service been better, a rough estimate
has been made that 5000 more would
have attended. Hundreds gave up the
task of getting a car in disgust after
waiting for two or three hours.
On the cars the crowd was not well
behaved. It certainly was not the kind
intent on seeing a ball game. A fever
ish desire to get there and witness
the wonderful performance of this new
conqueror of the air seemed to pre
dominate. The splendor of the day's weather
conditions, the clear sky, the brilliantly
shining sun, with Just enough tingle
In the atmosphere to make one appre
ciate the joy of living, all had a part
in drawing out the great attendance.
Ii this respect, at least, the gods smiled
on the meet. In some others they
frowned.
Price of Admission Cut.
After reaching the vicinity of the
grounds about one in every ten per
sons planked down his dollar and went
inside. The others remained out and
from every available point where a
view might be obtained there was pre
sented to those from the field below
a black mass of excited humanity.
As a result of this situation, the
committee responsible for this latest
opportunity in the amusement line in
Portland, will be personally losers
about $4000. This estimate includes an
optimistic view of today's attendance.
The price of admission was changed
yesterday from $2 for entrance and
grandstand to a general $1 admission.
For today this will be cut in half,
the general admission and grandstand
tickets being 50 cents. This is done
apparently in the realization that too
much has been charged.
As an extra inducement it is prom
ised that today will be the feature
day of the meet. Each of the two
Huooa
mf M T
to Start
th
e
Tomorrow
for Breakfast
von are
1- Z 1
BRAND
3ACO
wiiolesomeness.
or BACON JDonH risk
s anp.r.tnil. nifiofg "Wvn
the safest and the best for just
At Best Dealers, Hotels and
UNION MEAT COMPANY, PORTLAND,
Ploaeer Packers of tbe Pacific
mane store
in
New Electric Building
Corner Seventh and
Alder Streets
All
Lamps, Cooking
and Heating Devices,
Flat Irons
And Other Electric Material
Portland Railway, Light
& Power Co.
other days Hamilton has made six
ascents. Today he will make 10 flights,
and the weather permitting, will at
tempt several spectacular feats not yet
performed here.
Hamilton Files Cross Country.
For the first time since his flight at
San Diego, Cal.. soon after the Los
Angeles, meet, Hamilton yesterday made
a short, though extremely interesting
cross-country flight. After flying around
the course for two minutes he struck out
for Stony Butte, less than two miles
distant. The butte is more of a ridge
than a mountain, though about 300 feet
high. He passed over the top and start
ed back, having reached an altitude of
slightly over 600 feet. For some time
it was almost impossible for the naked
eye to tell whether he was returning
or still continuing eastward. Soon, how
ever, the thin planes of the machine be
came more clearly visible and what had
been a tiny cross against the blue sky,
almost directly in line with the summit
of Mount Hood, broadened out until the
lines were more distinct. While yet a con
siderable distance away Hamilton shut
off his motor and accomplished what
has come to be known as the "Hamilton
glide" in the most beautiful and daring
manner yet seen here. It appeared that
ho would surely light in the 'midst of
the great throng of gaping spectators
on the field, but instead, though only
about 100 feet from'the earth, he swerved
his machine gracefully to the left and
alighted with indescribable ease and
grace at the spot from 'which he had
started.
Auto Easily Distanced.
He had no sooner stopped the machine
from its scoot along the ground than
the crowd surged around him and above
the roar of applause that went up a
voice could be heard crying: "Good boy.
Hamilton."
Two automobile races were features
wav
oavv
Morning-:
every Ivlorninj?
- X $
-rvrnffwif rl Tvr- TT-nii1 'Si'-.
States Government TnanorfinTi &
.. ,
A
wuiou guarantees look
neaitniulness and if U.S. fQr
V and Passed I B' "
the
the same price
Cafes "
OREGON
Kind of
yesterday. The Buick car, which v
outclassed by the aeroplane Saturd
owing, in part, probably, to the ' mud
condition of the course in many plaq
was given two opportunities for reven
but without success. A better showij
however, was made against the air ri
chine than on the previous day.
luiiiil alter E. DdYmelly will attenj
a more extended trial flight with
Curtiss machine owned by E. Heri
em me. Before he does, however,
will 'be tested by Hamilton.
The unprecedented success o
DR. WYTHE'S DENTISTS is
causing- numerous other dentist
in Portland to use ENORMOUS
DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS
Their inability to compete with
us is very plain.
No other dentists in this city
have the . plant adapted to .this
work, while we have spent enor
mous sums of money rebuildm;
our quarters, for the express pur
pose or carrying on the PR AC
TICE OF DENTISTRY accord
ing to the WYTHE SYSTEM, and
the WYTHE SYSTEM will not
be used in any other office in
this city.
Hundreds of people are taking
advantage of this great opportu
nity to have their teeth put in
order by DR. WYTHE'S DENT
ISTS, with his SCIENTIFIC,
PAINLESS METHODS.
We are giving away THOU
SANDS of DOLLARS' worth of
dental work now, and all that is
necessary for you to do is to
come and have your teeth exam'
ined by Dr. W3'the's Dentists in
order to receive the benefit of
our FREE offer, as each patient
will receive a certain amount of
dental work without charge to
introduoe our system and en
courage the public to visit and
inspect our beautiful and elab
orately equipped office.
DR. WYTHE'S DENTISTS, Inc.,
148 Fifth St..
Opposite Meier & Frank's Fifth
Street Entrance.
Hours, 8:30 to 6; Sundays, 8:30
to 2. Lady assistant always in
attendance.
A New Departure
The cost of Interments have been
greatly reduced by the Holman
Undertaking Company.
Heretofore 4t has been the custom of
funeral directors to make charges for
all incidentals connected with a fu
neral. The Edward Holman Undertak
ing Company, tbe leading funeral di
rectors of Portland, have departed from
that custom. When casket is furnished
by lis we make no extra charges for
embiKmlng, hearse to cemetery, outside
box or any services that may be re
quired of us, except clothing, cemetery
and carriages, thus effecting a saving
of S25 to 7 on each funeral.
THE EDWARD HOLMAN
UNDERTAKING CO.
2SO THIRD ST, COR. SALMOK,