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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 5, 1919)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, MAY 5, 1919. EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD SEATTLE GIRL WHO GOES ON TRIAL TODAY, CHARGED WITH MURDER. They -heat where others fail! GARRISON RECALLED OPERATION Paraffin Injection May Enter Into Defense. TRIAL STARTS TOMORROW t 5 Special Guards Will Be Assigned In Handling Crowds Expected to Attend Hearing. SEATTLK, Wash., May 4. (Special.) Will Ruth Garrison's lawyers base their attempt to prove "temporary in sanity." the cause of her confessed killinc of Grace Storrs, upon the fact that for two years the defendant has carried an injection of paraffin in her forehead ? This question has been raised by Mrs. J. O. Garrison, mother of Ruth, in the first interview which she has Kiven to any newspaper since her daughter's arrest. Coincident with the mother's revelation that Ruth under went a catarrhal operation two years apro, in the course of which a consid erable amount of paraffin was injected into her forehead just between the eyes. Dr. Copeland Plummer. who per formed the operation, arrived with base hospital unit 50 yesterday afternoon from France and confirmed the moth er's story. Doctor Tells of Operation. He performed such an operation, Tr. Plummer said, about two years ago upon the Garrison, girl. The method is an unusual but not necessary dan gerous one, he said, and the case of Tiuth Garrison was apparently per formed with complete success. Mrs. Garrison maintains that Ruth has never been the same since the operation. Her school grades showed an immediate decline, she said, and Ruth s attitude toward everything seemed changed. The girl carries a slight scar between the eyes as a re suit of the operation. Ruth Garrison will be placed on trial tomorrow on a charge of first degree murder in the King county superior court. The young woman will face the tribunal in whose hands will rest the ouestion of whether she must pay a penalty for the murder of Mrs. Grace Kliaabeth Storrs, 28, wife of Douglas Btorrs, and the one person who appar ently stood between her and what she flepmed her life s happiness. Toliee to Guard Chamber. Preliminary arrangements for han dling the huge crowd expected to at tempt to gain an entrance into the court room have been made at the county-city building. The corridor lead lng to the court room In which the trial will be held will be fenced off and two deputy sheriffs will be stationed at the entrance to the court rooiri to keep back the overflow of persons unable to gain accommodation. Anticipating a large crowd around the entrance to Department No. 1, where the cases for trial are assigned. Presiding Judge Boyd Tallman has or dered that no one will be allowed in his court save the members of the May jury which convenes Monday, lawyers and others having legal business in the court room. Case 3Vot Vet Auinned. k . Two policemen will stand guara at the entrance to Department No. 1. The stationing of guards resulted from Judge Tallman's anticipation that un manageable crowd's would storm his court room in the belief that Ruth Gar rison will be present when court opens. As a matter of fact Miss Garrison will not be present when the case is as signed in Judge Tallman's court It will not be known until announce ment is made by Judge Tallman what Judge will try the case, or in what de partment it will be tried. Ruth Garri son will be taken directly from the au tomobile which will bring her from the detention home to the department to which the ca.se Is assigned for trial. '$ ' ( v ' s 4 rhoto from Undef wood. RUTH GARRISON. Just on the threshold of womanhood, yet a self-confessed murderer, is the position of 18-year-old Ruth Garrison, who invited to luncheon In a Seattle department store the wife of the man ehe loved and there calmly administered to her a poisoned fruit cocktail, causing her death a few moments afterwards. The man in the case is Douglas Iw. btorrs, a mechanic, and the unfortunate victim of Miss Garrison's act was Mrs. Graco E. Storrs, the wife. Miss Garrison, who looks for all the world like a tousle-headed schoolgirl, maintained her innocence so steadily for 24 hours that even the hardened police officials were beginning to believe her. when she broke down and confessed the details of the crime. Expressing no regret for the taking of a life, she admitted that she had hoped to step into the place held by Mrs. Storrs in the affections and life of the husband, and remarked that "she was a boob for being caught at it." Miss Ruth Garrison, under the present Washington laws, will not pay the death penalty for her act, even though she plead and be found guilty of same Her defense is forecast to be a plea of insanity. The trial begins today. one expressed hope was to be permit ted to see Storrs. "I love him with all my heart and soul," she said. "Will they let me see him? Will he still care for me?" were her constant questions. Storrs was not allowed to see Miss Garrison. He stated, however, that he ntended to do all he could to help her. He did not appear naxious to see the girl nor did he express any desire to attend his wife's funeral. Scores of smypathetic letters have been received by Miss Garrison, while friends have sent her candy and flow- rs during her detention. NSANITY IS REASSERTED EFFICIENT NURSE MARRIES, IS . MENTALLY UNBALANCED. "I WAS CRAZY'.' DECLARED GIRL Woman, by Confession, Is Held Un common Criminal. SEATTLE. Wash.. May 4. Love for the husband of another woman, and her determination to possess that man, which resulted in the deliberate pois oning and death of the wife, is the charge against Rutn Garrison. 18-year old Seattle girl, who now will battle for her own life in the courts. Her case is said to be one of the most remark able in the crime annals of the state for. according to the confession the police say she made, this slip of a girl arranged and calculated the" doom of her rival with all the care and cold bloodedness of any of the famous pois oners known to history. Ruth Garrison, on March 18 last, in vited Mrs. Grace Glatz Storrs, 28 years old, to luncheon with her in the tea room of a department store and, ac cording to the confession the Garrison girl is said to have made, placed poison in a cocktail designed for her guest be fore the latter's arrival. Death came to Mrs. Storrs in the emergency hospital , of the store. Douglas M. Storrs, the dead woman's husband, an automobile mechanic of Okanogan, Wash., surrendered soon after, claiming he knew nothing of the case, being in Okanogan at the time. He was arrested on a felony charge Miss Garrison is said to have confessed that she visited him in Okanogan, where she registered as Mrs. Storrs. Miss Garrison's attorneys, Thomas M. Askren and A. R. Hilen, entered the girl's plea, a "not guilty." They as serted the girl was insane when she poisoned Mrs. Storrs but later, they claimed, regained her sanity. "What's the matter? Are you ill?" Witnesses said Miss Garrison asked Mrs. Storrs as the latter sat across the table from her dying from the effect of the fatal cocktail. Although the po lice thought possibly Mrs. Storrs took her own life, they held Miss Garrison for a few hours after the death of Mrs. Storrs but later released her. After th autopsy disclosed the manner of death, Miss Garrison again was tawen into custody at 1:30 o'clock on the morning of March 19 at the home of her uncle, J. D. Esary, president of the Island Transportation company. Miss Garrison at first denied she knew anything about the cause of Mrs. Storr's death. All day of the nineteenth the held to the point but later took th police to the drug store where she had purchased the poison and told them in detail of her actions on the day of the death. "I was crazy," she is reported to have said. "J acted on an impulse that came to me the morning before I lunched with Mrs. Storrs." The girl shed no tears. "It is too late for that now," she is stated to have said. Miss Garrison's years old, wife of George Cassels, died Friday morning. She was a native of Otterviile, Ortario, coming to South Bend with her husband 30 years ago. Mr and Mrs. Cassels operated a bakery here for about 15 years and since that time have conducted the Cassels' hotel. A few months ago Mrs. Cassels was forced by ill health to re tire from active work in connection with the management of the hotel. Besides her husband Mrs. Cassels leaves three daughters, Miss Myrtle Cassels. Mrs. Florence McCartney and Miss Ida Cassels, all of whom were with her when she passed away. Fu neral services will be held this morn ing from the Presbyterian church and interment will be at Menlo. Former Attendant at State Hospital Identified as Escaped Patient From . Iowa Asylum. SALEM. Or., May 4. (Special.) At the insane asylum Mary Poncelow was an efficient nurse. Her . knowledge of the insane and f state hospital methods made her an excellent at tendant. Her efficiency in handling the unfortunates caused the state hospital officials genuine regret when she re signed a few months ago to be mar ried. Soon after she had married she became mentally unbalanced and short ly thereafter became a patient of a hospital ward where she formerly had been in charge. In checking up her past history asy lum officials learned that she formerly was an inmate of the state insane hos pital at Clarinda, iowa. She escaped from that institution and came to Ore gon. The Iowa authorities had lost all trace of her. Her identification has now been made certain by officials of the Iowa insti tution. Yesterday she was returned to Clarinda, Iowa, in charge of a hos pital attendant. Her name since her marriage was withheld by hospital au thorities. Asylum physicians say it is one of the most pathetic cases brought to light for many years. MAN STRUCK BY TRAIN DIES Body or William IT. Fisher Held s.t Hood River for Relatives. HOOD RIVER, Or., May 4. (Special.) A man, apparently over 50 years old and identified by letters In his pocket as William H. Fisher, who had resided at Rossville, Ind.. and later at Seattle, was fatally injured when struck today by O.-W. R. & N. passenger train No. 18 in the Iccal yards. The engine had slowed down for the stop when Fisher was seen to step on the track. He evidently thought he was on a siding, for he stopped on the edge of the ties as if to allow the train to pass. His skull waa fractured and his back injured. He died 20 minutes after' the accident without regaining conscious ness. Coroner Anderson is holding the body while a search is made for relatives. Peptiron A Real Iron Tonic Gives -vigor and nerve tone to aged and infirm, and those worn-out from overwork, worry, excitement or close confinement in homes or shops. ila.Uo by C. 1. HOOD CO., Lowill, Alasa. FRUIT CROP PHENOMENAL Heavy Yield Predicted of various Kinds in California Districts. HOOD RIVER, Or., May 4. (Special.) The deciduous fruit crop of the entire Pacific coast is going to be phenomenal, according to W. M. Dickerson, San Francisco district sales agent of the ApDleerowers' association, who is here for a visit with his urotner, w. a. Dickerson. director of the co-operative sales organization. Mr. Dickerson says the bloom of apples is extremely heavy in the Watsonville district of calilor nia and that the tonnage will be great ly increased. Heavy crops of pears, plums and apricots are also expected in California districts. Some watson ville growers will sell their crops the coming fall for 23 cents per orchard box. contracts having been made for a period of years several seasons ago. GOOD GOVERNMENT IS AIM Citizens of Yakima County Organize League for Public Benefit. TAKJMA, Wash., May 4. (Special.) To secure nomination and election of public officers who will perform their official duties with vigor and courage to help honest officials enforce laws against vice and to build up "an irre sistible public sentiment" in favor of civic cleanliness, are declared to be the purposes of the Good Government league of Yakima county, the first formal steps in the organization of which were taken last night at a gath ering of 200 men at the Y. M. C. A. rooms here. Thirty trustees were chosen. Major W. M. Van Patten of Seattle addressed the meeting. NEW PASTORS ARE HEARD Centralia Churches Welcome Dr. Gervln and Rev. 31. R. Morley. CENTRALIA. Wash.. May 4. (Spe ial.) Dr. J. H. Gervin. newly elected pastor of the First Christian church. occupied the local pulpit today for the first time. Dr. Gervin comes here from Prineville. Or., where he has been for the past two and one-half years. Rev. M. R. Morley. new pastor of the Free Methodist church, also occupied his pulpit today for the first time. He comes here from Sedro-Woolley, having exchanged pulpits with Rev. C. M. Gos low. Rev. Henry van Engelen. pastor of the Baptist church, announced yester day that he will soon tender his res ignation and move to Idaho. He has been in charge of the local church for wo years, coming from Hoquiam. MRS. J. C. CASSELS IS DEAD Resident of South Bend for Ove 3 0 Years Passes On. SOUTH BEND. Wash., May 4. (Spe cial.) Mrs. Josephine E. Cassels, 60 PRICES OF 1918 REPORTED Hood River Fruit Company Reports on Apple and Pear Pools. HOOD RIVER. Or.. May 4. (Special.) The Hood River Fruit company h just closed its pools on the 1918 crop of Newtowns. Miss Mae Davidson, sec retary, reports prices as follows: Extra fancy, $2.15; fancy, $1.95. and C grade $1.90. Pools on Spitzenbergs, which were closed in January, were: Extra fancy, $1.80. $1.65 and $1.50; fancy, $1.75 $1.70 and $1.60; C grade, $1.35, $1.30 and $1.20. The company handled a total of 110.000 boxes of fruit, mostly Newtowns and Spitzenbergs. A total of 10,000 boxes of pears, mostly of the D'Anjou variety, were shipped. Prices were $2.65 on extra fancies and $1.75 for C grade. Dry slabwooa ana inside wood, reen stamps, for cash. Holman Fuel Co. Main 353, A 1353. Adv. On many stormy days last winter you would gladly have given $100 more if you could instantly have ex changed your old-fashioned, tried-and-found-wanting heating device for the genuine, guaranteed comfort-giving, fuel economizing domestic labor-saving outfit of MERICAN DEAL 1 Patmathdq vXlRnTTrDc A Boilers It pays big to give 15 more rental for an IDEAL-heated building Afi yliif "Never again, Jim! Here's where I buy radiator heating!" IDEAL Boilers and AMERICAN Radiators soon repay their cost in fuel economies and absence of repairs. Made throughout of high grade iron; nothing to wear out or rust out. 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SOLDIERS DIE OF POISON DETAILS OF CHARLES SHAXER'S DEATH REACH PARENTS. txangrene-Poisoncd Needles Inclosed in German Shell Kill All but 14 Men In One Company. CHEHAUIS, Wash., May. 4. (Spe cial.) Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Shaner of Mossyrock have received a letter from Rose Peabody. a nurse In France who was In charge of their son, Charles Shaner, when the latter died following wounds received In battle. Young Shaner, who was 23 years of age, was wounded in a shoulder, arm and hip, October 4, 118. Of the entire company of. which he was a member only 14 men escaped death. All died from wounds received from a burstinor shell that was filled with phonograph needles infected with gangrene poison. Charles Shaner's experience In get ting to France and what followed prior to his getting Into actual battle Is an unusual story. Following two weeks' i stay at Camp Lewis after his enlist- j ment ovem oer j, uxi, ne was r-cn. to the Atlantic coast where he took passage on the ill-fated Tuscania. Landing In England Christmas day he was placed In quarantine and his com pany, the 162d. company M, left with out him. Later he was transferred to company D, 18th regiment, and it was as a member of this company he met his death. He was gassed at Chateau Thierry and was in the hospital two weeks. From May until he received his fatal wounds he was in continuous battle in the Argonne section. During all the time young Shaner was In the service of his country he never received a cent of pay and but two letters from home ever reached him. Recently his parents received 13 letters which they had sent their son, but which never were delivered. Rep resentative Albert Johnson, who visited the aged parents recently has secured all the data possible in the case and proposes that it be most thoroughly investigated. While eggs were scarce in Belgium, where the regiment was last stationed before being sent for a port of em barkation and sold for J1.50 per dozen, Mr. Ison declares that they had more attraction for the doughboy than vin blanc or vin rouge. Newt-paper Eilcs Protest. NEW YORK. May 4. Assorting that one woman had been Minded, possibly permanently, another crippled and sev eral men severly injured as the result of a raid on its office on May 1 by soldiers and sailors, the New York Call last night in a letter to Mayor Hy lan demanded punishment of the raid ers and police officials who failed to prevent the raid. Rea-1 Th Orceohwn classified ads. EGGS FAR AHEAD OF WINES Hood River Doughboy Tells of Scarc ity In Belgium. HOOD RIVER, Or., May 4. (Special.) BuJ Ison, member of the 361st In fantry regiment, just mustered out at Camp Lewis, arrived home yesterday. Among the numerous souvenirs he brought Is a quantity of French. Bel gian and German money of assorted small denominations. The returned sol dier says he Is going to get his fill of ham and eggs aa soon as possible. I ' r-7 i j AS I S Xli" . 1 ! t 6 --if f&ji DANCE LHAlVlN HOW! Phone your want ads to The Orego nian. Phone Main 7070. A 6095. REMEMBER "OUR MUSICAL FLOOR," THE 7TH, OFFERS THE FINEST VAL UES IN BABY GRAND, UP RIGHT AND PLAYER PIANOS DURING THE GREAT 69th Anniversary Sale COME TODAY cTMasxJaaiaJi eScJ MarM OsaW V I Will. POSITIVELY iCARANTKK TO TK.tCH VOL" I" A HK!W ARK ABI.Y SHORT TIME. GENTLEMEN $5.00 LADIES $3.00 Come dance with our many expert lady and gentlemen instructors. Pri vate lessons daily. SEW CLASSES THIS 1VRKK BE GINNERS. MONDAY AND THIRSHAY E VB.NI NfiSi ADVANCED, TIESDAY AND FRIDAY ElEMXCS. RINGLER'S DANCING ACADEMY Cotillion Hall 1 14th St. at Washington. Bdwy. 33S0. TPQftrH 2? I Don't j Fail j to visit our "Musical Floor" f the seventh during the 69th An- niversary Sale which begins this 5 morning. 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