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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1925)
; . .. t . .. , . w i T "1 Society, Churches, Better Hciiies, Part Twof-Pagei One ta Sis . " n SEVENTY-FIFTH YEAR DID JOHN WI1IKES BOOTH u LWEONNESTUCGA BAY, IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY? - -. , r .- . ;.. ... . . , yt ;''"'-1 .'... - "i '-. There I a Story Thereto the Effect That He Did, a ml Tlult tie Lr the Pistol With Which He Shot Abraham linroln XMr His Kecluded Cabin There , Editor Statesman: Will you please pur In your paper the following; facts and in formation that I have leathered about John Wilkes Booth, who once, was a resident on the banks of - Nestucca bay In Tillamook county, Oregon. Coming , to Neetacca twenty-six years ago,; I .was working to clear land : on my place. There was a fern 'hill that extended from '"Nes tucca bay, fourth mile up the OLD FASHIONED PISTOl DISCOVERED ON V BY CLOVER DALE MAN Weapon dug up by H. H. Brooten, previous history of . which Is sub to Mperulatlon. .It had -vi-lut!y been lost for jpjim. hill.- To my notion,1 it was cheaper and easier to get grass to grow on this fern ridge than it v was v to i uia riue wapie. , i uxea , up a I drag drawn by two horses. One Jday while dragging this drag over , the fern, I heard a raking noise on a drag .tooth. I stopped the horses, and, looking under the drag, uncovered this pistol, i did not think much about it then and kept it as a piece of scrap iron, until a friend of mine, Dr.JFawcett of Portland, Oregon, came to Bee me. I showed him this pistol and aid this must be a gun that the Hudson's bay fur trading company left here or lost. The doctor said It was not and and had never be longed to that, company. The following year or. so on Christmas day, a barber, by the name of Shaner, in Portland, Ore gon was shot by another barber, by the name, of McCall in Port land, Oregon. Shaner was killed. At the trial in Portland, the mur dered man's father, Daniel Shaner came down from Mossyrdck, Wash, to be on hand in court.; The Judge stated to the officers, 'You had better see if : the mur dered man's father has any weap ons in his 'possession, and if "he y haa, take them away from him before the murderer appears in court." ' ' . To this Mr. Daniel Shaner rep lied. "I have been in the civil war. and was bodyguard to Abraham Lincoln, our president. I was -at his aide not less than one minute after he was shot. I have been hounded ever since I was in Ford's theater in Washington, -when; Lin coin was shot, where I stood faith fully by his side. I thought when I moved to the state of Washing ton, that this sang had; quit fol lowing me, but since coming here, I have had one child poisoned and one shot. ; So why should any one blame me if I have a protection with me? After John , Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln I saw him fighting with , the war minister. I saw Booth throw his hig Colt gun over the railing of the bal cony to the fetafce belowand then Jump over himself. After a fall of about twelve feet I saw he was tangled up in the Unida flag. He picked up the gun and I heard him say to the audience. "Sic semper tyranhis, the South is free!" When I saw this m the Portland k. papers I immediately took a photo- I graph of the pistol, I had found. give me any Information he could In, regard to the gun. -if he had seen John Wilkes Booth with this gun, and . this Is the letter he Jwrote me: i y- Th Shaner letter "Mossyrock, Lewis Co., Wash.. July 8, 1917: - Mr.- IL II. Brooten, Cloverdale, Oregon Dear Sir aad Friend: -Yours of July 4lreceived yesterday with your picture and the picture of ' the - Coifs six shooter, which I believe Is the gun I saw John Wilkes Booth have in Ford's theater the night' of April 14, 1865, when he shot Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States. I then iraa a mem ber of Company A, 9th Veteran Reserve Corps, i In Captain James McCamley's company at. Lafayette harracks - near Georgetown. In XWaahington,, and .was on thtj president's guard. I met Booth many times at Ford's theater and sa the gun.r The picture - you send me is a perfect picture, ex cept the bright silver mounting is dim with age. The trory handle seems ' the same. If you would partwith the-gun I feel sure the war department at Washington would -pay a liberal -price to secure Jt. 'I believe it could be further Identified by the number on the steel plate on the handle, which I can't remember. But all or the Colts pistols had a number on them. So if you wish 'to write to Washington, D. C, you may be able to get the number of that s?un. I value this picture rery highly, also yours, and thank you I shall tag it aud; carefully lay It away with many , mementos of the war of '61 and '65,. and will finish this letter on another sheet. XESTrcCA "DAY - With. 'your consent, iwill reportf) this matter to the secretary of war at Washington. ' Youra faith, fully, f Daniel Shaner., The Natural Question Now the question is, "was this John Wilkes Booth?' Twenty-six ; years ago, -1 used to do my trading at Ocean "Park, (now Pacific City,) abouV one and one-half miles from my home. One da ywhlle there, ; Mr. Maloney ask ed me If I were living in the log house on the hank " of Nestucca hay. I replied that I was not and knew nothing of any log house. He then told me there was a 'log house about four steps from the bank near a creek, j A man and an elderly lady- were living there when he came to Ocean Park in the latter part of the sixties I believe 1 86 8. Mr. Maloney also said the woman died in the seven ties and the man dliMtp'peared,': ' "Well; I can, say I found the log house. In the year 1899, the roof was down and alders were grow ing inside and outside of It: it could not be seen within ten feet distance. I found the pistol about fire hundred feet from this house. What a Southern Soldier Has to ' Say j.: . . . . In the year 1922. a man from Prineville, Oregon, by the name of J. W. Ribelin (age 82 years) came to my mineral baths for treatment. He told! me that in 1866 he came across the prairie with teams. A bad spell of weather came upn them as they arrived In Butte, Montana, - so they were obliged to stop for a week. Train after train came and were -likewise detained. ; j There were hundreds -of emi grants gathered at this camping ground. ': ;'' j Onejday. while Mrj Ribelin was alone, a young man! came up to him and said, "Good-by, Southern friend, when you see John Wilkes Booth you will know him." . In reply, Mr. Ribelin' said, "How can I know. John Wilkes Booth? I have never "seen him and he is supposed, to be shot and buried." , This young man said, "that's all right," and tapped Mr. Ribelin on the shoulder, then said "Good by." This same young man got on a wagon drawn by mules and' drove off on the; Pacific trail- out west, ; ; ; Now if you see fit to put my statements in your. Sunday paper It will take a burden off me, and It will also be of Interest to the public in general. f These. facts I am writing about can be proved. Thanking yon very kindly, I am, i Yours truly, " II. H. BROOTEN. P.S. I am sending you a picture of the gun. Please return these papers all back to me. In the Sunday Journal of a recent date, I saw the story of John. Wilkes Booth being in the West, so I thought this would also be interesting. ; ; The OregonJan Story (The news item printed by the Oregonian in running, the cut of the pistol was as follows:) . Efforts recently have been made to shed light on the history, of an old-fashioned pistol ; discovered some time ago on Nestucca bay by H. H. Brooten of Cloverdale, Ore. , The weapon was unusual in size and type, according, to Larry Sullivan,' 212 Broadway. . - Mr. Brooten discovered the gun when he was cutting , a partly buried log with a crosscut saw. He thought at-the time, he said, that it, had been lost! by a trader lor - the Hudson's Bay company in the early days. It was a Colt revolver, -aickel -plated -with - -an lrory holder.- ; SAIEM, Because his farm, on which he operates mineral baths, is the site of an old cabin obout which many legends were told. Mr. Brooten thought Jthe gun might have some connection with the stories. The erroneous assuniptibn. now classed as a forgotten Hheory, that John Wilkes iiootn onee lived In Oregon and might have lost the guirwas mentioned by Mr. Brooten. It was probably lost, however, by a settler from the east or a trader who visited Nes tucca bay in the early dayk. . -.- The Lost Pistol 1 . (The following letter appeared In the Oregonian of May 7: ) PORTLAND, May 6. (To the Editor.) The pistol fonmj by 11. H. Brooten on " Nestucca bay. of which an account is given! in the Oregonian May 3, "was manufactur ed by Colonel Samuel Colt and ia of a type, subsequent to the Mexi can war and prior to the civil war,' probably during the early '50s. It was known as a "Colt revolv ing pistol" and probably had a stock which could be attached so as to be used as a carbine, as was then customary. If of .36 caliber it was a naval revolver, if of .45 caliber-an army model, but the trigger guard Indicates that it was subsecguent to the "old" army model. i . The Colt rerolring pistol of that period usually has an etching on the cylinder which depicts a naval engagement between the Mexicans and Texans before Texas came into the Union. The evidence that ?John Wilkes Booth was killed shortly after the assassination of President Lincoln is so'Verwhelming as to refute the claims of all 20 Impostors who subsequently : pretended . to have been the assassin. ' . J. NEISON BARRY. Another Letter (The following letter appeared In the Oregonian of May 11:) TOLEDO, Ore., May 8. (To the Editor.) In response ; to re quest for history of the H. H. Brooten pistol mentioned in . The Oregonian on May 3, I offer this bit. In the early days when the hills In the Neetdcca country were almost inaccessible, bear deer nd panthers ..were plentiful there, and to climb one of those hills. through the. .dense undergrowth. including . "devils club.- was a real frontiersman's job. The Gage family owned a band of hogs and kept them on the north aide of Nestucca bay on their homestead, and the eldest son. Ardenf- now of Sheridan, lived there in a log cabin, cared for hogs, hunted, etc. I spent the summer 'of 18S1 there. We were the only ones liv ing on the north side of the bay Park Ward, living on the south side of the bay, had' a pistol, Colt's, nickel-plated and j ivory handle, of which he was 'overly proud. Park Ward was a brother- in-law to Ed Shaw, chief of police n uregon city. f ; - Some nimrods came in from Oregon City to hunt a few days; it then took three days hard driv ing to make in. Mr. Ward; Joined them and they went to BellB mountain (now Brootens ) i f or a two days hunt, ' and the "f pistol went with them, but slipped its holster and did not return. Search iig parties spent days trying to find the treasured : piece to no cvail. . v 1 t I visited Mr. Brooten in 1915 and he showed me his find, an old Colt's pistol, which I recog nized as Park Ward's pride. JOHN Q. GAGE. Provokiiur Elsie! Little Elsie, five years old, was; planning a party for her play mates. . : . , . "Now, i Elsie," said her mother, "go to Mrs. Brown and ask her if she'll let Alice come to your party. Tell her it's going to be just an Informal little party,' Elsla soon was chatting f with Mrs. Brown. "Can Alice come to my party tomorrow afternoon? Mamma says it's going to be Just an Infernal little party." f . Mrs. J. W.Wyme. inGDOi'io iifiiL Turns Right Out Itself A fey drops of ."OutgroV In the Crevice of the ingrowing .nail re duces inflammation and pain and so toughens the tender, sensitive skin underneath the toe hail, that It cannot penetrate the flesh, and the nail turns naturally outward almost OTer night.; "Outgro" is a harmless antisep tic manufactured for chiropodists. However, anyone - can buy from the -drug -store "a-trny -"bottle con taining dlrections.Adr, OREGON, SljNDAY MOftNING, MAY 17, 1925 THE APOLLO FOUR it 1 ' , - - . ' 1 ' - "v ;- "i - - - t r t - ' A. ' a U i : . ' J' 'I HI "in. I n I mil i HIT , Tiit .".polio Four, tile male qmirtrtte jniosel of ,H. It. lilaisyer. sfirst tenor; IMrhard Itobi'tMn, wcoimI tenor; Albert iillt first bass. ami A. It.'Hansen, secofid bass, wlik tho ji"ograiii-or the .-iolio inb on iFor its final offering of the sea son i the Apollo club " will give a popular concert at the Armory next Wednesday evening. The pro gram for this concert will be, made. sUp largely after the fashion of the cluh'g popular concert of the pre vious season, pronounced a huge success by all who attended. All of the numbers, tobe sung en semble will be of the emi-popular order 'not heretofore used'by the club. .' - 'Genevieve Howard, dramatic so prano,, a former Salem girl, will; be a guest artist. Mrs. Howard's voice JsJ)fg and f Iexiblgj-rcaija hie; of "every requirement, whether aria or lullaby and partakes of the quality and finish of those who claim the right to the title "prima donna." Her vocal accomplish ments, with her charming person ality, will prove a revelation to A club dinner was enjoyed on Wednesday evening by the mem bers of the Merrie Thymers club, with a progressive ' menu served at the home of Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Gillette and Mr. and Mrs. Allan J. Cleveland Pastel shades of col umbine i and iris were effective throughout the rooms; of the Gil lette home where five hundred was enjoyed. Participating in an enjoyable evening were Mr. and' Mrs. Irwin W. Levis, Mr. and Mrs. Mason Bishop. Mr4 and Mrs. Allan Cleve land, Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Gillette, Mr. : and Mrs. Frank ;; Haberman and Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Elgin. ! 1U Jr. " Mrs. William McGiichrist, Sr.. is a guest for the week-end in Portland. 4;.H !'". . ' Mrs. Fletcher Linn,! ; regent of Multnomah chapter. Daughters of the -American Revolution,. return- ed from Washington. D. C. where she attended the continental con gress of. the Daughters of the American Revolution, which was the largest meeting in the history of the organization. Mrs. Linn was entertained by friends both in Washington arid Richmond, Va. ': Mrs. Robert N. Stanfield and Mrs. Charles E. McNary were luncheon hostesses for the Mult nomah chapter delegation, which included Mrs. Linn, Mrs. J. B. Mpntfeomery, Mrs. Jujfa B. Com stock, Mrs. Octave J. Coffin, Mrs. Clyde E. Lewis , and 'Mrs. E. J. Swindells. Portland Telegram. Miss Luclle Elrod, one of the charming bride-elects in whom Salem is interested, andthe fiance of . Ralph Dickinson Moores, was V ... ' - : That's the Word! We can crive vour car a fine 1 to 6 days ,- Any Color; High Gloss or Di&. Finish; i . . . Extreme Durability . ; RELIANCE AUTO - ' ' 219 State St., Salem. Phone 937 li will aIl In a spieiidJil uianner to m euiesaiij-. ose who have not heard her voice since her days at Willamette university. ' i- Tiie Apollo four, a male, quar tet composed of H.j R. Glaisyer, first tenor; Richajd Robertson, second tenor;' Albert Qille, first bass, and A. B. '; Hansen, second bass, will have a part in the pro gram. This quartet elicited much approval from the audience at the club's final concert last season. j Byron Arnold, the club's accom panist and a favorite pianist pith Salem music lovers, will play solo numbers. Albert Gille and Lyman .AttfDoneJdLrbarJton es, .will "have solo solo parts with numbers to be sung by the club. j 1- All in all the program, asplan ned, gives promise of equalling. or even surpassing in merit, the club's excellent popular concert of j8 spring. the gnest of honor at an attrac tive bridge luncheon on Thursday afternoon with Mrs. Forrest Lit tlefield the hostess. ; I On Friday evening Dr. and Mrs. Hicks Fenton also entertained in Portland, entertaining with a din ner party for Miss Elrod, and Mr, Moores at the Campbell Court hotel. Dr. and Mrs. R. E. Lee Steiner are spending the week-end at Nes- kowin. Word received yesterday from Mrs. Martin Fereshetian tells of her arrival in Boston, Massachu setts. Louise will rem lin with her grandmother in Veadville, Pennsylvania, till the close of school. The little girl I; attend ing the same school in w hich her mother was formerly tha teacher. and very near the tlijeological seminary which her father attend ed. Mrs. Fereshetian has many friends in the east whom) she has not seen for six years. The length of her stay is undetermined. Mrs. Rex San ford was a Port land visitor during the Jpfciat week being the guest of her sister, Mrs. Helen La Mond at the Portland hotel. . , -3- Large interest is already attend ing the-announcement of the invi tational dance recital in which Miss Lenore Preston will present thirty pupils on the evening of Wednesday, June 3, at McCornack hall. The American Legion Auxiliary will meet at 8 o'clock tomorrow evening In McCornack hall for a business meeting after ; which a baked enamel job in from PAITTTING CO. social time will be -enjoyed with the men as special guests of the occasion. . -u , V i -v- J.J. " - I I ThS Fairmount Hill clubmet for the last meeting of the season On ' Wednesday a fternoon at the home of Mrs. E. J. Huffman. Spring flow-ers in sliade3 of yellow were placed i about the rooms. Honors at -bridge were won by Mrs. H. kcStockwell and Mrs. L. Lunsford. Mrs. W. R. Speck was an additional ; sue3t. At the tea hour Mrs. Huffman was assisted by Mrs. Lester Laws and Mr3. 11. K. Stock well. In the group were Mrs. W. II. Speck, Mrs. P. M. Gregory. Mrs. tugene Grabenhorst,' Mrs. Karl Pearcy, Mrs. II. K. Stockwell. Mrs. Edwin Iioffnell, Mrs. Lester Lawty Mrs. J. V. Schur, Mrs. L. Luns ford, Mrs. Lawrence Oberer and the hostess, Mrs. E. J. Huffman. ; j;' -" if & t The advanced chorus of Salem high school will give the -Mikado.' a comicJopera by -Gilbert & Sullivan, on .June 5 at the high w-hcol auditorium. The advanced chorus numbers 4". The charac ters will - be: i Nanki pooh , . . Pooh-nah . . . . Pish-tu'sh . . .:. KoKo .... . . . Mikado Yum Yam Pitti Sing . . i . Peep Bo . . . . . Katisha . . . Ronald fravpn . . .Arlie Anderson ..... Earl Ri?s:s . . . . Oerald Mero ....... Paul Lee . . . .Esther Rurcli . . . Thelma Davis, .Helen Pemberton Helen - Marctis Lena-Belle Tartar, director. Mrs. Leuise King Beatty left this morning for an extended trip through the middle west. She will go first to Ashland and other southern points. Mrs. Beatty ex-.. pects to return about November 1. Forty members of the Mizpah and men's Bible classes of the Jason Lee church, met on Friday evening for an enjoyable gather ing with the guests responding, in giving an interesting program of music and readings. The hostesses for the evening included Mrs. S. W. Drake, Mrs. Wj A. Bond, Mrs. F. M. Jasper, and Mrs. Melyin Johnson. : - Mrs. Margaret Montgomery and Persian r-i' Scene . As " "B"' . From the vase, rise ckar.Bwect notes of. 1 ?fl i:.rtm Persian j n ;. ooi ""-' V girls fc- avSSSSMss:- son, Mr. Arthur Montgomery, are home ftoni a week's absence on Fuget sound. ; '- -1 Mrs. E. 'I. Doan is entertainins as her houae-guest over! the week end Mrs. G. C. Doan of Toledo Mr. and! Mrs.? Harry tored to Medford for Scott mo lt he Lions club charter night banquet on Sat urday, leafing Salem on Friday. ?ome time was spent jat Spring field visiting 'with relatives. Mrs. Scott plans; to remain In Medford as the guest of cousins. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest . Scott, far. a week, while Mr. Scott will return Mod- Mr.'and Mrs. Francis also in attendance at Nepr: were the Mel- j fcrd banqujet. used :ars moving fast HEAD OF; TRED. CAI 1 lHOCLAUKS STOCK COItXF.lt IS IW Tliere iff at least one huslness man in SAlem who i4 not com plaining about times being slow. Verne Anderson, of thf Used Car Corner, states that hii supply of Uised cars was never sol low as be fore he received his lafVhipment. He only had two In stock."" in his former location " he sold 33 cars within the;radius of one block and since-moving to his nw location he has sold four at one plaee to employees -ot one 'firmj 'Never 'Ibef ore hasjour buyer been able ) to buy as Jate model cars as he included in this last shipment. 'j "added Mrj Anderson. The ITsed Car Corner have fixed up a lot "iii the rear of their place cf business at 246 State, which will store! abont 25 . bars. : The older cars iwill be keptjhere allow ing more room for the! newer cars in the building. . King George Decides Against Any More Royal Residences LONDON Disregarding ancient precedent ! set down by Roman emperors, IKing George recently declined to accept a legacy of Gwyrch castle in Wales and $250, 000 for its upkeep, bequeathed to City and out of town mail orders received riow This mail order system has been adopted so that every community may secure its seats on the same basis as the dthms of Portland. You will secure by ordering NOW. They will be sent you immediately upon re-, caving your check or draft or post office money order. ROSAMA the stupendous . . , pageant of the rose j The greatest outdoor performance ever staged, with a cast of 5JXX) singers and dancer s3 all superbly costumed and perfectly trained.! Juat indicate the aeata you wint mod the best tickets unsold will be sent you at once. It will be safer to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for reply. . Arena chairs (four center sections directly in front of stage). ..$2.00 Arena seats (sections to sides of stage) . . ...-.,,.,..,.. 1 . 50 ; Gnhd stand (in front of stage) .........it.......... 2.00 ' 'Bleachers (to sfck of statin arena, reserved).... , . ......... 1.00 Bleachers (unreserved). Mail orders to RoaeTestival Headquarters. Oregon. Make checks or money orders or dralts payable to Treasurer of the PortLnd Rose Festival Inc. Mo war tax. ; PAGEANT PORTLAKD Juns. 15-19 him in trust by the Countess of Dundonald who died last yar leaving an estate valued at more than $1,000,000. iHope was ex pressed in the countess' will that the castle :would become a per manent residence for the kings of England and for the princes of Wales, but -as the bequest has been disclaimed by the ruler the property will pass, according to directions, to the Order of St. John of. Jerusalem in England. The castle will be used by the order as a priory for residential and administrative purposes. In connection with King George's refusal to receive the le gacy It is reealled here that the Roman emperors, from Augustus on down the line, vastly increased their. private estates, .as. was the Ustom. by means of legacies from their loyal subjects. tfewlVords'r NewWords! . thouaand of them tpmlled, . pronounced, and d fined in WEBSTER'S NEW IfiTERHATICIiAL BicTiormnY 7fc "Saprmrnm Authority" CtthmBt Here are a few samples : agrimotor hot pursuit Air .CouncQ mud gun . Ruthne parmvan mgabar . S. P. boat soviet cypar aakari sipplo Sterol abreaction rotogravur capital ship mystary ship irredanu shonacn Flag Day Rd Star overhead jEsthonia Blue Cross rial cascad ump-firt girl thm 4 Stormhotum .of - information Serving Ywaf " -try 2700 Pace 60O0 I3qratin j... -40.000 Words u4 Thrw. . . Gastter asd Btosraalucal Dictiry WRITE for a, sample pa fcf t'- IfevK Words, aocciinen f ReguUr and India Papers FREEV , ?rrgfiel4 f,!a U. S. Al . , America ihqmels at Portland's the best scats ; .75 Roan G05. Oregon BuildiriE.'PortianJ, lAVH. V FEATUIIE OF ROG2 FESTIVVL t 1: geant!