Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1916)
lO THE ' SUNDAY OREGOXXAy. PORTtAJTD. MAY 21. 1D1C MURDER MYSTERY AS DEEP AS EVER Scores of Auto Parties to Be Enlisted Today in" Hunt - ; for Ristman's Body. NEWEST CLEW IS FAILURE Grocer Says lie Might'Identify Pas , Bcnger of Jitneur, but Ilia Tes timony Tound Useless in tlio race of Other Evidence. I BAFFLING lIiATUBES OF 4 HIRDER MYSTERY. Tuesday, May 16 Friends of- J Fred Ristman, Jitneur. become. I alarmed when he dges not return I from night trip. Search party 4 organized finds his automobile. blood-smeared, in driveway Of t Gore ranch, between ' i!atin and T Sherwood. Home of -ilrs. Helen I Jennings, owner of ranch, broken I into by Constable at request of i Ristman's friends. Mrs. Jennings found in bed, with head crushed. Blood-stained sledge left lying on the floor. House ransacked. "Wednesday, May 17- Panama hat, blood-stained, identified as Ristman's, spattered election card of Sheriff Hurlburt. and green laprobe owned by Ristman and covered with blood, discovered in brush at side of road 300 yards from Jennings home. Blood stained sleeve and cuff with gold link found in roadway. A6sumed to be Ristman's. Bennett Thomp son, ex-convict, friend of Mrs. Jennings, arrested on suspicion "in Portland. Is not identified as passenger of Ristman. Thursday, May 18 B Iood etained, grease - smeared shirt, minus cuffs, found 440 yards north of Jennings house on trail to ward electric railroad. Mrs. Rist man tells The Oregonian it did not belong to husband. Friday, May 19 Officers accept ;supposition that shirt belonged to murderer. Thompson found to wear 16 shirt. Shirt found was size 15.' Clothes bag containing family heirlooms is missing from Jennings home. Suit of black cloth hairline stripe of white, half an inch apart, also missing. Saturday, May 20 Search for body of Ristman continues un availing. No new clews un earthed. Officers hope to fix crime on Thompson, who may face a charge of second degree mur der at Hill6boro. wore shirts with neckbands. A tight neck-band would not bother if it were not buttoned, it is contended. . ' Close examination ofthe. shirt showed yesterday that the graphite and grease with which it is smeared is over, not beneath the blood smears. This is taken to "indicate that' the murderer, after killing his victims, found trouble in starting the automobile. It is be lieved that he endeavored to start the machine in the Jennings driveway, but that it was given up af ter several in effectual attempts. Ne-w Clew Unproductive. Sheriff Reeves was in Portland yes terday on the trail of an unproductive terday on the troil of an unproductive clew. With City Detectives Howell and Goltz, he investigated the report that a man of whom the jitney driver had purchased gasoline- the night of the crime, might be able to identify the passenger. A man in the J. C. Jellison , grocery story asserted that Ristnian had stopped there 1623 Macadam road to get gasoline about 6. o'clock Monday night, and that the. jitney had a pas senger he thought he-could identify. On cross-questioning.? he" clung to the assertion that the Incident was at 6 o'clock, but as the officers had quite as positive proof that Ristman was paying for a new automobile in Port land at that same hour they came to the conclusion that it could "not have been Monday night. Detective Visit Home. '.The detectives also visited the home of Thompson on the East Side and thoroughly searched. the place. If they found anything of value, they said nothing about it. It is not unlikely that the jitney men who failed to identify Thompson as Ristman's .passenger, when they saw the suspeet at the City Jail, -may be taken to Hillsboro for another look. Sheriff Reeves believing they might change their minds. Numerous persons who have reported to the authorities that they saw machines corresponding to Ristman's along points of the route to the -Jennings home at various times Monday nighx are being questioned. Sheriff Reives took a little more lively interest in the investigation yes terday, but the chief work continues to be done by Portland officials. Sev eral deputies from Portland went to the scene of the murder yesterday and spent many hours in painstoking search of roads and woods south of the Gore ranch. GOLF. STAND EXPLAINED OPPOSITION TO MtMCIPAL LINKS VETOED BY SIR. BAKER. HILLSBORO, Or., May 20. (Special.) .Sheriff Reeves brought from Portland tonight an undershirt he believeB was worn by Thompson the night of the Jennings murder. Stains on the sleeves when tested proved to be blood, and Thompson's sister-in-law, with whom he lived on the East Side, and where the shirt was recovered, admits washing it. Reeves rays he has found the dealer who sola the gasoline on the night of the murder to two men answering the description of Ristman and Thompson. Although five days have passed since the discovery of the brutal murder of Mrs. Helen Jennings and evidence pointing to the violent death of Fred Ristman, jitneur, the solution of the mystery remains beyond the ken of police and Sheriffs deputies. For miles about the Jennings home on the old Gore ranch between Tualatin and Sherwood, in Washington County, . the countryside has been combed by search parties, which have been re warded only with the discovery of a blood-smeared shirt supposed to have been , worn by the murderer, the simi larly stained hat of the automobile driver, and the green laprobe that had been in- Ristman's machine, stiffened with blood-clots. . While the fate of Ristman is not in doubt, no trace of his body has been found, though the Tualatin River has been dragged and posses have roamed through the woods. Positive Evidence Lacking. In ' ascertaining the identity of the murderer little more progress has bee made. A man is under arrest, Bennett Thompson, and the authorities belle. 3 they have the person responsible for the crime. But no evidence which would conclusively connect him with it has been unearthed. He is found to have . known the dead woman, to have been in need of money, and is known to be a hard . character, though a crime ap proaching murder had never before been laid at his door. On the other hand, Thompson seems confident that he has a complete alibi his identification by other jitney driv ers as the man who hired Ristman's "machine has failed, and the gory shirt found near the scene of the tragedy has not been identified as his, and is-a size smaller than Thompson wears. Two other suspects have been ar rested, one by Portland detectives, the other by Sheriff Reeves, of Washin ton County, but both arrests were pre cautionary, and in neither case do the officers believe they have the right man. , Today Large Portion "Will Search. Today a more extensive search than has heretofore been conducted will be made by friends of the dead man and brother Oddfellows. A call for scores of automobiles has been made by. jitney men who will start from Second and Alder streets shortly after 8 o'clock this morning. Independent parties are expected to be leaving Portland all day The parties wll be organized at the Core ranch and branch out in everv direction. Many will devote all their time to search along the banks of the Tualatin and in the ditches that line sections of the country. There is much doubt that Thompson, the suspect, could wear the bloody shirt that was found near the Gore ranch, for it is smaller, by an inch, about the neck than that which Thompson wears customarily. By actual measurement. Deputy Pheriff Phillips yesterday confirmed the , size as 15 inches. Thompson, at Hillsboro, is wearing a shirt with a J6Vi-inch band. He says that he usu ally wears size 16. but that , he ha3 been wearing larger lately, owing to two small goitres on his neck. - Cirease Is Over Blood Stnlna. At one time Thompson wore a 16 fshirt, for his neck measurement at the Salem penitentiary is 15. That was taken nearly 10 years ago. The shirt ' found was an old one and; haj been carefully patched on the left of the hand, where the collar had rubbed. The authorities contend, in support of their ; belief that Thompson is the criminal, that in view of the shirt being an old . cine, Thompson might have worn it be- f ore his enlarged neck required a ' larger size. Another thing to which Deputy Sher iff Phillips points is that Thompson Mas never in the habit of wearing a -ollar, though he more often than not Commissioner at Civic Club Luncheon Says Cost of Taking: Vote "Would Exceed Money Needed. "I am not here to argue pro or con on the question of a municipal golf links," declared Commissioner George L. Baker, at the luncheon of the Civic Leagfue .yesterday. "I am convinced from the investi gations that have been carried on that the people want the city to make the experiment proposed for the establish ment of this- recreation under munici pal supervision: I am listening to what the people demand, and I am in office to put the wishes of the people into eff'.ct, and I am willing to stand or fall on that principle." Mr. Baker made this statement in reply to an argument advanced by John is. Stevenson, who maintained that the in.tial cost of $4000 for installing the proposed links on the Ladd tract would merely open the way for interminable future expenditures. Mr. Stevenson declared that it is a bad principle for tne municipal, government to enter upon a policy ' -.f providing recreation for adults, although he favored strongly the establishment of amusement cen ters for childrsn. It was suggested to Commissioner Baker that the matter ought to be put berre the people in the coming election. "Yes. we could do that. oerhaDs." re marked Mr. Baker, "and it would only cost us about $4000, which is what it will cost to install the golf links as the matter now stands." Grand Jury Drawing Is Tomorrow. A grand jury will be drawn tomor row at 2 o'clock by United States Dis trict Attorney Reames that will con sider 50 or more cases now under in vestigation by the Federal authori ties. Among the other investigations to be made are four counterfeiting cases, in two of which it is charged that bogus Federal reserve notes were made and in the other two instance it is alleged that counterfeit coins were manufactured. MR. COOPER CAPTIVE Sellwood Carmen,, on Picnic, JVIake Official Go, Too. BULL RUN PARK OPENED City Superintendent, "Who Believes IIo Should Stay at Home. While Otliers riay, Does Not Get Clianoe; Concert Given.- It was regular "Nick Carter" stuff the carmen of the Sellwood division pulled on Fred Cooper, superintendent of city lines of the P6rtland Railway Light & Power Company, yesterday. Mr. Cooper had been Invited to at tend the annual outing of the Sellwood carmen and their families, at Bull Run Park, but he thought he ought to stay at home and "do the chores," Inasmuch as quite a number of the other officials were going to be away, and It wouldn't do to leave the general offices deserted entirely. Some of the boys got Mr. Cooper down to First and Alder streets on a "fake" errand, just before the big five-car trainload of picnickers was ready to start for the trip.. Desperadoes Capture Official. Mr. Cooper started in to introduce General Superintendent Coldwell, an other, of the invited officials, to the outing committee, when a couple of armed "desperadoes" seized the. athletic, young superintendent from behind and blindfolded him, while Lou Wagner, the company's "clew" expert, clapped a pair of handcuffs onto his wrists. Mr. Cooper was carried bodily aboard the train handcuffed to a couple of the ringleaders in the escapade and held prisoner until the train, was 20 miles from Portland. He was then released on condition that he "be good." He was good. The picnic was a great success throughout, more than 400 of the car men, their families and invited guests forming the party which left town at 9 o'clock in the morning and put in the entire day at the company's scenic re creation park near the end of the Bull Run line. Thfis outing was the of ficial opening of the park for the 1916 season. " Employes' Band In Concert. Besides an elaborate programme of amateur vaudeville acts, athletic stunts, games and other pastimes, the Carmen's Band of 31 pieces gave a concert and furnished the music for the dancing in the pavilion. Many of the pleasure seekers took their fishing tackle with them and a number of good catches of trout were made. The committee in charge of the out ing consisted of Motorman C. TJ. Taylor, Division Superintendent J. J. Miller, and Charles H. Savage, secretary of the Brotherhood of Electric Railway Em ployes of the company. The picnickers arrived home at 7:30 last night. ' CATHOLIC FORUM FORMED Discussion of Curent Topicg at St. Francis Hall Meetings Plunned. "The Catholic Young Men's Forum has been organized for educational pur poses," said Rev. J. H. Black, spiritual director, at the opening meeting Mon day night at St. Francis' Hall. He outlined the object ot the club, which, he said, is for an open discussion of current topics of all kinds. "We find great ignorance among men who are thought to be highly educat ed," said Rev. Mr. Black, "even in com mon affairs; and one of the purposes of the forum is to remedy this lack through the addresses of learned men." TJosebnrg Drinkers Get No Liquor. ROSEBURG, Or., May 20. (SpeclaL) A number of local "topers" were disappointed here yesterday when they were refused liquor by the. offices of the common carriers operating in this city. Refusal to deliver shipments of liquor was based on an opinion of the Attorney-General, who held that such a delivery would constitute a violation of the prohibition law. MURDER OF WOMAN IS LAID TO ANOTHER'S NEED Officers Form Hypothesis of Crime to Fasten Responsibility on Bennett Thompson, Who Was Saved From Prison by Woman. Hypothesis Something not proved but as sumed for the purpose of argument, or to account for a .fact or an occurrence. Webster. TO fasten the double tragedy of Mon day night at the Gore ranch on a man whom they suspect inves tigators have several hypotheses. They set out with the belief that acts of de liberate violence are not ordinarily committed by persons of previous good record; that minor offenses have pre ceded the major one. Therefore, they argue, find a criminal who had access to the scene. Thus, when two Portland youths were murdered on the Whitehouse road a few years ago. Jack Roberts, convict with a long record, was sought by every officer in the county long before there was the merest vestige of evi dence to connect him with the murder. That time the theory checked out to the full satisfaction of the jury and the officers. So Bennett Thompson, 'ex-convict and friend of the murdered woman, stands accused of the murder of Mrs. Helen Jennings and the automobile driver, Fred Ristman. How justified this ac cusation may be remains to be seen. Here is a story told by investigators. It must be remembered that it is but a theory and that someone has said that there are no other limits to hy potheses than those of the human imagination. Woman Obtained Release. ' Twelve years ago a masked man stepped out from behind some trees on a wood-lined road near Portland. He took, the chance of losing his life or liberty. In the week that followed he forfeited freedom, and the steel doors of the Salem penitentiary closed be hind him, remaining shut, to him, for 10 years. They released him because of the importunities of a woman. The sentence was 20 years. Shortly after his incarceration, a brother in Portland married. He took his wife to the penitentiary to see the imprisoned felon. The man who peered between the bars with defiant look was hand some in a rough, primitive fashion, aid had been known as a gay devil with the women, before his wings had been clipped. His brother's wife came again to the prison with her husband. Then she went alone. The man attracted her strangely and she began to wish .for his release. Nine years had gone by when she first appealed to the Gover nor of the state for a pardon. She was met with deaf ears. Sh went again, and again, begging, on her knees, for the freedom of her husband's good-looking brother. At last the repeated appeals had their effect, and the executive listened, at first with indifference. The man left the prison walls under a condi tional pardon to start what he said would be a new life. But he did not intend to live this new life alone. With him he desired the woman who had taken up the fight in his behalf. She was his brother's .wife, but he had forgotten that, or did not care. When he left prison she left her hus band. Together they defied convention and lived, happily for a time. Mean while she sued her husband for di vorce. She later dropped the case, but the husband did not know this, and remarried. She secured his arrest for bigamy, but did not press the charges. Soon there came hard times and a baby. The man worked harder than ever. A finger was mashed in some machinery and he lost his job. The woman and child needeI food and cloth ing. She told him she must have money. He was afraid of her. She knew his secrets. She, who had secured his re lease from a living death, knew that which might send him back again 'if she wished to tell. He had ten years more to serve on his old sentence, at the end of which time he woujd no longer be young. And then, perhaps, he loved her. Another Woman Recalled. He remembered a woman who had been kind to him when he had worked in the fields for some Japanese- near Tualatin. She was a woman who had allowed him the freedom of her home before she knew of his penitentiary record, who was afraid to deny him ac cess when she did know the truth. He remembered noticing that she had worn several diamonds of large size, and that she was supposed to be worth much money. He had told someone once that he was very friendly with a "fat woman with lots of rocks and kale." His case became desperate. He did not like to work, but he tried hard to find something, and failed. He was not a man of fine moral scruples, and he was not a man to be deterred by fear of the hand of the law, though in his career he had always eschewed vio lence. Possibly he had never needed violence, for his mien was forbidding .enough to frighten those who would cross him. Somehow he had won the reputation of being a man not safe to trifle with. He bad once said that he asked one more favor before ha died. Re, the new "Barefoot" Rubber in 'GOODRICH Tires ' ' ll I teu if I H4s j V -"MA II ml o F course, it is "not pure Rubber" (no Tire is). Of course it is only an Alloy" (every Tire is). But this Alloy resembles the. pigments used by a certain "world-famous Artist, which he admitted, on inquiry, were "mixed with Brains." It took some 47 years of Rubber-Manufacturing Experience to produce this "mere Alloy." .It took the best efforts of the largest, and ablest. Research Department possessed by any Rubber Factory in America to develop it. But, it was tcorth all the time, effort, and skill, required to develop it. Because, it has done fof Goodrich Rubber what certain other marvellous Alloys have done for Steel and Bronze, i. e., -multiplied its EFFICIENCY for the purpose intended. And, it has done this without increasing the cost of Goodrich Tires to Consumers. NOTICE. "No Concern in America made, or sold, during its latest fiscal year, nearly so many Motor-Car Tires as did The B. l'. Goodrich Co. "Our published Challenge, still un answered, proves this.' FIRST we called it "Hyper-Rubber," which it 13 of course. But, one of its most valuable characteristics, for Tire (and Shoe) purposes, is its CLING quality its tenacious grip on smooth and slippery surfaces. Through that it gives its maximum Traction with a minimum of Friction. . When you put on the Brakes to stop the Car,: or throw in the Clutch to start the Car, the Tires made of this Goodrich Rubber Alloy instead of grinding against the ground for Traction, CLING to it, as your bare foot would cling to a slippery floor. That's why we've finally christened it, and trade-marked it, as "Barefoot" Rubber. Get a sliver of it, at any Goodrich Branch, and you'll find it stretch almost as much, and return to shape almost as instantly, as a pure Rubber band. Weigh a Goodrich "Barefoot" Tire of any size against the cor responding size of other makes of Tire, and you'll find it many pounds lighter, though many "Miles" stronger. Drive it, and you'll find in Goodrich "Barefoot" Tiresalive liness, a quick response to power, a tenacity of traction, and all this with a Mileage capacity which will surprise and delight you. WE developed this "Barefoot Rubber" primarily for use in our now famous "Silvertown Cord" Tire which, thi3 year, showed such marvellous ENDURANCE on the Race Track, at over 100 Miles per hour. But, since we cannot yet Buppiy the demand for "Silvertown Cord" Tires, until three times as much special machinery for its manufacture can be constructed and installed, we decided to use this wonderful "Barefoot" RUBBER Alloy in all Goodrich FABRIC Tires, for 1916. We also make it into Goodrich Inner Tubes, Goodrich Motor Cycle Tires, 'Goodrich Truck Tires, Goodrich' Bicycle Tires, Goodrich Rubber Boots, Overshoes, Soles and Heels, as well as into Silvertown Cord Tires. , Because, in all of these its characteristics of "Cling, Spring, Stretch, Strength, and Lightness" are first requisites. Now, compare GOODRICH Fair-List prices with prices you are quoted for same size Tires of otlier Brands, that have not the wonder ful Resilience and Cling-quality of this new "Barefoot Rubber," which can be had in no other Tires than those made by THE B. F. GOODRICH RUBBER CO., AKRON, OHIO Local Address, Broadway at Burnside "BAREFOOT9 Ford Sixes. 30x3 30 JWtJ 32 x 3',-j 33 i4 Safety Tread.. 34 x 4 "Fair-List"... 36x4V4 37x5 38 x SH S 10.4O S 13.40 $15.45 .$22.00 -$22.40 .$31.60 ,.$37-35 .$50.60 Tire and that was to "get" the man who had put him in "stir" for 10 years. What had society done for him? What did he care for human life? He must get the money and diamonds of the other woman. He must take no chances. If she recognized him, it would be. back to the "pen" again for many long years. He must "croak" her. He laid his plans carefully. He vis- I ited her several days before the night planned for the crime. He found from idle gossip in the neighborhood that she expected a large sum of money from the sale of some property that week, v He planned his escape. He de termined on the night. He found the woman's nearest neighbor had moved. How to get there was the question which next presented itself. By train? Walk? Neither seemed feasible. He was well known about the ranch, for he had worked in that country and had mjet many people. . It would never do for him to be recognized by a chance passer-by that night, and it was sev eral miles from the train station to the woman's home. Jitney? But that cost money. Yet he could rake together a dollar. He would have the jitney man leave him near the farm. Could he find a jitney driver who would take him as a pas senger for $1 an hour? He was poor ly dressed. He did not dare try to get an expensive machine. The driver might look at his clothing and demayid payment in advance. He must find someone to take him for his dollar, which he could produce at once on demand. It was taking a chance to haggle with the Jitneurs over the price, but that "was the penalty of poverty. He stood slouched over and chest drawn in. He looked many pounds lighter and several inches shorter than he really was. He carried a pipe or some thing of the sort wrapped in a news paper. He was going to repair a well, he said to the Jitney men, to allay suspicion. It was still light when he started. Dusk had not descended - when he reached Sherwood, near his destination. He gave the driver Instructions to carry him further on, dawn a road passing through a wooded tract. It was dark under the trees. He had once when he had money almost bought an automobile of the same make, in tending to go into the Jitney busi ness. He knew a little about its opera tion. A thought struck him. Why not "bump" the Jitney man too? Dead men tell no tales and he knew enough about the automobile to drive it to the farm of the woman if it was not necessary to stop the engine and get it started again. There waa less chance of his being caught and in the event he should be discovered, he wouldn't get a longer term for two murders than for one. Thank goodness, there was no capital punishment in this state. Irlvcr Told to Halt. He called to the driver to slow down, but not to kill his engine, as he wanted to see if there was a. lake beyond the trees. He was not sure, he said, that he waa going in the right direction. The driver obeyed. No sooner had the emergency brake been set than the passenger brought the paper-wrapped tool in his hands down with great force upon the head of the driver, as he sat on the seat in front of him. The man. partially stunned, half rose from his seat, but another blow fin ished him. The murderer pulled the body back into the tonneau. put it on the floor and placed the' floor mat over It. He climbed into the front seat him self, released the brake and made his way slowly from the spot. He was afraid to linger for the noise of the engine may lia.ve attracted persons near by. The next time he stopped he disposed of the body. He threw it into the,rivr or concealed it in the brush. His' shirt found showed a stain on the bark, where the dead man may have been carried. When the murderer neared the woman's house, he again stopped. His cuffs showed blood stains beneath his coat. They might attract unfavor able attention. He tore them off and stuffed them in his pockets. One, with the link still in the cuff, dropped un noticed to the road. The stained laprobe and panama hat of the dead man were hidden in the brush. The murderer proceeded to the wom an's house, stopping the engine when he halted in the yard. He knocked on the front door. Throwing a cape about her the cape was found later on the foot of her bed the woman went to the door. He stepped in. "I'm hungry." he said. She showed him where some food was. "Don't stay up." he told her. "I'm going to sleep in D. V.'s room." D. V. was the son, who was not home. . He finished his meal and lay down on the bed in the rear room until the woman's regular breathing told him she slept. Then he arose. With the sledge he had found near the rear door, he killed the sleeping woman. He then broke open a box, hoping it might con tain valuables, and found it held only a cornet. He ransacked drapers and took all the money he could find. It was not a large sum. He could not find the diamonds. Heirlooms Are Taken. A suit of clothes was taken. His own garments were blood-btained. He took a clothes bag from the woman's closet in which to put the clothing. In the bottom of the bag he was delighted to find gold watches and heirlooms that had been hidden there. He needed no light. A full moon shone through the bedroom window. He covered the face of his victim with a pillow as he worked. The sight threatened to unnerve him. He found a house-key. and after let ting himself out. locked the door be hind. Several times he tried, fruit lessly, to crank the engine of his ma chine. He was afraid someone would come along at any time, though it was early morning, and finally gave up, fleeing on foot. A fence barred his way to the rail road, but he knew there was a pathway the other side of the fence. In the shelter of the woods he took an in ventory of himself. His shirt was badly stained with blood. He changed his clothes, washed his bands in a muddy pool and wiped them oiv the shirt. He threw the shirt aside, nut put his old clothes in the bag. They might bo identified more readily than the shirt. He reached the railroad and, crouched low, followed the track to Sherwood. His brother was living near there, and he knew he would give him shelter. It was easy to return to the city that morning by the early train, and to begin establishing h perfect alibi. 1- u. s. BarrackShoes Solid leather soles and heels, leather tips and instep. Cool and easy on the feet. Nothing to equal them for com fort. Nice for office, shop, home. Di rect from Government. Sizes 5, 6, 7, 8. Price 75 c Pair OTHER GOODS and novelties galore. Catalogues mailed. Orders filled. W. S. KIRK 94 Third St., Portland, Or.