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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 2017)
COFFEE BREAK Saturday, July 8, 2017 East Oregonian Page 5C OUT OF THE VAULT Roommate argument leads to brutal death A Pendleton man was beaten with an axe by his longtime roommate on their front porch after an argument in August 1930. He died minutes after police arrived. On the night of August 10, 1930, James Jarnagan walked up to the Pendleton fire chief, W.E. Ringold, and confessed he had just killed his roommate, U.G. “Doc” Ruud. When Ringold brought Jarnagan to the Police Chief Charles Lemons, Jarnagan went on to relate, “He’s not dead yet, but he soon will be.” Chief Lemons loaded Jarnagan into a police car and raced to the three-room home Jarnagan, 55, and Ruud, 63, had shared for many years just across the railroad tracks from the Pendleton Round-Up Grounds. They found Ruud sitting in a chair on the front porch, his feet perched on the porch rail, and his still-smoldering pipe beside him on the floor. He was unconscious but still breathing, though barely. An ambulance was called, but before it could arrive Ruud died of his injuries. Jarnagan told his story the following morning at the police station in front of Chief Lemons and District Attorney C.C. Proebstel. He said he and Ruud were quarreling over cooking and alcohol, and that Ruud had struck him during a struggle. To defend himself, Jarnagan said, he grabbed a heavy axe and struck Ruud in the head several times with the blunt part of the axe head. He was not nervous during questioning and did not seem worried about the outcome of the case, but didn’t seem to remember many details of the incident. Police were inclined to doubt Jarnagan’s story, however, considering Ruud’s body did not look like it had been involved in a struggle — rather, it looked as though Jarnagan had stolen up behind Ruud and launched a surprise attack while the older man was relaxing on the porch. Officers who guarded the crime scene overnight also discovered a hammer hidden in Jarnagan’s bed. And while Jarnagan claimed he had been drinking the night of the murder, no liquor was found in the house. The owner of the home, Jim Spencer, told authorities that Jarnagan had been told he would have to move out the day before the murder took place. Jarnagan was charged with first-de- gree murder, and friends took up a collection to fund his defense. Dr. W.D. McNary, who had observed Jarnagan at the state hospital for a month following the murder, was asked about Jarnagan’s sanity during the trial. Dr. McNary said that while Jarnagan was indeed sane, his mental capacity left him unable to plot and carry out a deliberate murder. A plea of guilty to second-degree murder was accepted by Judge Fee, and Jarnagan was sentenced to life in an institution. ■ Renee Struthers is the Community Records Editor for the East Oregonian. See the complete collection of Out of the Vault columns at eovault.blogspot.com DEAR ABBY Twins disagree over plan to go their separate ways Dear Abby: My twin sister deal with it. and I are juniors in high school Please give me your opinion. and starting to plan to apply to Also, please give me advice on colleges. It has always been how to make my sister under- assumed that we would go to the stand that this is nothing against same college and be roommates. her. — Twin Sister Dear Twin Sister: My My sister still wants it this way. mother and my aunt were I, however, think it’s finally time identical twins. Like you, they for some separation. We’ve been Jeanne “roommates” our whole lives Phillips shared a room and slept in the same bed for many years. Their and shared a bed until we were Advice parents dressed them alike and 14, when Mom finally let us get gave them names that were twin beds for our room. My sister was hurt and upset when I mirror images (Pauline Esther and told her I prefer that we go to separate Esther Pauline). Like you, my aunt colleges, and she took it personally. It is yearned to be an individual. My mother nothing personal. I love her with all my loved the attention that being a twin heart. I would just like to finally be an brought. This created serious conflict individual after us having always being for them later in life. You deserve the chance to spread known as “the twins.” Our mom agrees with my sister and your wings and be your own person. tells me stories about friends of hers If you do, you will grow from the whose kids ended up with “roommates experience, and so will your sister. You from hell.” She says we have always should not have to “sell” her on this, but gotten along beautifully sharing a room, explain it to your sister that way. Your so why argue with success? Well, I’m mother should be GLAD that you are willing to take my chances. If I get a independent. Dear Abby: I strongly feel this is an roommate I don’t like, I’ll find a way to issue many women besides me struggle with. Maybe you can offer some insight. My husband and I have been trying to conceive without success for several years. I don’t want to reveal our strug- gles to friends or family, but how do you handle questions like “Why don’t you have a baby yet?” and “When are you giving me grandkids?” The older we get, the more pointed these questions become. I don’t know how to respond. What should I say? I feel like either lying and saying I’m not ready yet, or telling the truth about the possibility of never having children, although I’m sure the questioner doesn’t intend to go down the path of “Let’s discuss my fertility.” — Struggling In West Virginia Dear Struggling: I’m sure many of the questioners have no idea they are delving into a subject that is painful and frustrating for you. Perhaps the most diplomatic answer would be to say, “If I’m lucky enough to be expecting, I will let you know.” It shows you are open to the possibility, and it’s either going to happen or it won’t. DAYS GONE BY 100 Years Ago From the East Oregonian July 8-9, 1917 An antelope reservation in Oregon is a project under consideration by the government biological survey, according to Dr. Field of Washington, D.C., who has charge of the game reser- vation work and who spent yesterday in the city. He had been visiting the Klamath reserve and was en route to Yellowstone. There are a good many antelope in the southern counties of the state and the government is considering protecting them within certain areas to aid in their increase. 50 Years Ago From the East Oregonian July 8-9, 1967 The city fire department extinguished a grass fire early Friday afternoon after standing by at the south city limits while some 12 acres of wheat on the R.E. Goad place was destroyed before another fire could be subdued. The grass fire also caused some damage to a shed and lumber pile at 1805 S.W. 44th St., owned by William Easley. Two trucks and 19 men answered the call and by 1 p.m. had the blaze extinguished with all flames kept away from two residences valued at $18,000. The Goad fire apparently started in the 800 block on SE 11th from a weed fire and while the city couldn’t cross the corporate limits, the department had two pumpers and 20 men at the scene. 25 Years Ago From the East Oregonian July 8-9, 1992 With soaring statistics in hand, members of the Northeast Oregon Regional Air Service Task Force had cause to celebrate Tuesday. A record-setting 1,112 passengers passed through Pendleton Airport in June. That means that Horizon Air, the lone airline which services the airport, appears not only likely to remain — but to expand. Starting in November of 1991, passengers increased by 21 percent, and by the end of June 1992 that average remained firmly in place throughout the eight-month period. Comparable air fare coupled with free parking was a decided draw for many Eastern Oregon customers. THIS DAY IN HISTORY Today is the 189th day of 2017. There are 176 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 8, 1947, a New Mexico newspaper, the Roswell Daily Record, quoted officials at Roswell Army Air Field as saying they had recovered a “flying saucer” that crashed onto a ranch; officials then said it was actually a weather balloon. (To this day, there are those who believe what fell to Earth was an alien spaceship carrying extra-ter- restrial beings.) On this date: In 1663, King Charles II of England granted a Royal Charter to Rhode Island. In 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Inde- pendence, outside the State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. In 1891, Warren G. Harding married Florence Kling DeWolfe in Marion, Ohio. In 1907, Florenz Ziegfeld staged his first “Follies,” on the roof of the New York Theater. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson received a tumultuous welcome in New York City after his return from the Versailles Peace Conference in France. In 1950, President Harry S. Truman named Gen. Douglas MacArthur commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea. (Truman ended up sacking MacArthur for insubordination nine months later.) In 1965, Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21, a Douglas DC-6B, crashed in British Columbia after the tail separated from the fuse- lage; all 52 people on board were killed in what authori- ties said was the result of an apparent bombing. In 1967, Academy Award-winning actress Vivien Leigh, 53, died in London. In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford announced he would seek a second term of office. In 1986, Kurt Wald- heim was inaugurated as president of Austria despite controversy over his alleged ties to Nazi war crimes. Admiral Hyman G. Rick- over, widely regarded as father of the nuclear navy, died in Arlington, Virginia. In 1994, Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s communist leader since 1948, died at age 82. In 2011, former first lady Betty Ford died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 93. Today’s Birthdays: Singer Steve Lawrence is 82. Actor Jeffrey Tambor is 73. Ballerina Cynthia Gregory is 71. Actress Kim Darby is 70. Actress Jonelle Allen is 69. Children’s performer Raffi is 69. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck is 68. Actress Anjelica Huston is 66. Writer Anna Quindlen is 65. Actor Kevin Bacon is 59. Actor Robert Knepper is 58. Rock musician Andy Fletcher (Depeche Mode) is 56. Country singer Toby Keith is 56. Rock musician Graham Jones (Haircut 100) is 56. Rock singer Joan Osborne is 55. Writer-producer Rob Burnett is 55. Actor Rocky Carroll is 54. Actor Corey Parker is 52. Actor Lee Tergesen is 52. Actor Billy Crudup is 49. Actor Michael ODDS & ENDS South Carolina mom gives birth to 14-pound son LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina couple is looking for some bigger baby clothes after their son was born at a whopping 14.4 pounds. WLTX-TV reports that Colin Austin Keisler was born by cesarean section at a hospital in Lexington. The baby is healthy, but his mother, Cindy Richmond, says they had to send her mother home for some bigger clothes because Colin couldn’t fit into any of his newborn outfits. Colin is off to a good start if he’s destined to attain some of his father’s goals for him. Arthur Keisler wants Colin to be a defensive lineman at Clemson University and play for the Green Bay Packers. B I N G O $ 1,000 WILL GO! Weatherly is 49. Singer Beck is 47. Country singer Drew Womack (Sons of the Desert) is 47. Comedian Sebastian Maniscalo is 44. Actress Kathleen Robertson is 44. Christian rock musi- cian Stephen Mason (Jars of Clay) is 42. Actor Milo Ventimiglia is 40. Rock musician Tavis Werts is 40. Singer Ben Jelen is 38. Actor Lance Gross is 36. Actress Sophia Bush is 35. Rock musician Jamie Cook (Arctic Monkeys) is 32. Actor Jake McDorman is 31. Actor Jaden Smith is 19. Thought for Today: “Fools are more to be feared than the wicked.” — Queen Christina of Sweden (1626- 1689). 60 63 59 15 47 67 71 56 SATURDAY EVENING $ 5.00 BUY-IN (6 ON - 5 UP) DOUBLE PAY PACKS www.bingoblvd.com 6222 W. 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