VOU JLXVU.
GRANTS PASS, JOSEPniXE COUNTY, OKEGON. FRIDAY, JTLY 21, 1911.
No 10.
IMAN MURDERED;
! THROWN IN RIVER
BODY WEIGHTED DOWN WIIH
LOG CHAINS.
HAN CONFESSES TO CRIME
York and Man Suspected of Crime
Were Camped ou Souih
f NBank of River.
;?. Mike Morgan, In jail here in Giants
Pass charged with tho murder of
John E. York, who was killed last
.'"Thursday night and his body thrown
I in Rogue river, this morning made a
complete confession declaring that he
killed York in self defenso.
i( York and Morgan were tamped to
gether near the city, and in his cou
j fesslon this morning, Morgan, alleges
that upon the night of the killing ho
went to the camp in a hat! drunken
condition, that he and York had a
;; row, that York started tc assault him
; and that he struck York on the head
with a club. "
.v.. Morgan says he then carried trie
't body in his arms halt way to the rlv-
er, and then put a rope around the
' dead man's neck and dragged him
the remainder of the distance and
: placed the body on the bank. He
then went back to the camp, sot a
heavy log chain, and this he wrapped
around the neck of tho corpse and
threw it in the river. Morgan says
he stayed in the camp that night and
the next morning took York's horses
and wagons and wen: to Olendale,
; where he was arrested.
, John E. York, who came to Grants
Pass from eastern Oregon, was mur
dered Thursday night in a caa.p a
short distance above the city park
and his body thrown in Rogue river,
where it was found Monday even
ing by young Gysbert Harvey of iMs
:' city. York's alleged murderer, Hal-'
;; ley Wlekes, was arrested today short-'-',
ly after the noon hour at Glendalc, 35
' miles north from Grants Pass.
k ' When taken into custody Wlekes
;s is alleged to have had in his pocses-
sion several head of horses and uo
wagon, one a trailer, which were the
i property of York.
The two men had been working
i together in Grants Pass, employed by
the Warren Construction company on
street work. They were tampad
across the river east of City park.
York owned six head of horses, two
wagon? and a camping Outfit.
. The charge is made by the officers
that Wiekes murdered York Thurs
day night and fled Friday mornlug
with the horses, wagons and other
property.
York's body was found near the
upper end of the park where It had
floated Into a clump of willows and
lodged. Young Harvey found the
body as the result of a foot sticking
out of the water. When taken from
the stream the dead man was found
to have been choked to death w ith a
rope, which was still tightly drawn
about his neck. In addition to the
rope about' his neck was wrapped a
heavy log chain, placed by the mur
derer with a view of sinking the body.
The body floated, however, head
down with one foot sticking out of
the water.
The alleged murderer, Wiekes, Is
described as a man 27 or 1 8 years of
age, a laborer and bearing the repu
tation of having a crabbed disposi
tion. The alleged murderer of John York
who was killed Thursday night lust,
la his camp near City park and hla
body thrown In Rogue river, was
brought to Grants Pass t:om Glen
dale Tuesday by Deputy Sheriff
Eugene Coburn and landed 'n the
tounty jail.
The prisoner also admit) that he is
a deserter from the United 8tates
army, sneaking away from Fwt Doug
las In Utah while attached o H com
pany, Fifteenth regiment. Then s
"ben he took the name of Halley
Wilkes, lsndlng In Saeramearo. From
Rserimento the man Is nuppontd to
have come to Oregon as his hat bears
the brand of a merchant in Klamath
Falls. Last night in jail here he
said he had been at Klamath Falls,
then denied he had been there, and
told several conflicting stories of his
whereabouts in this state: Regarding
the murder Morgan, it such is his
true name, as he now contend., de
clared absolute tnnocence. Asked
what he was doing with the dead
nan's team and wagon3, he declar
ed that York, the victim, told him to
take the six horses and two wagous
to Glendale; to sell two of the horees
and put the remainder In a pasture.
Morgan after selling the two hors
es proceeded to imbibe much liquor,
and was having a good time at a
merry-go-round, so say the officers
at Glendale. Asked last night why
he was squandering York's money,
he had no coherent answer to give.
Asked what York intended to do af
ter he (Morgan), took away the
team, he answered by jayl g that
York was to Join him at Giendtle by
train. 'In the next breath Morgan
said he intended to come back this
way and hunt York at Ashland. Ask
ed If he could Identify the rope and
logging chain which was wrapped
around York's neck, Morgan iepl?d
hesitatingly that "I might. Then he
corrected this dangerous slip by say
ing that he does not remember any
rope and log chain as part of the
camp outfit. Then he said he had
Intended to come to Grants Tass "and
get the gun I left at the camp."
How the officers hero learned that
Morgan was headed toward Glendale
was through information furnished
them by S. A. Hand, merchant at 312
south Sixth street, who.' with his
sons, was returning from a trip to
Wolf creek. Mr. Hand met Morgan
driving four horses to the wagon
and trail wagon, and Morgan was
such an awkward driver that Hand
fered he would smash his rig In
passing. When Hand arr'ved here
and learned of the murder and the
disappearance of th team and wug
oi.a he quickly believed that the
man he met was the iullt one. He
Informed the sheriff's office at onre,
with the result that Morgan was noon
In custody. Hand says he believes
that two men were Implicated In the
murder, that a shrewder ons planned
the crime and took several hundred
dollars that York was known to have
SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA MINING CONGRESS
Most Successful Event in the History
of Mining in Oregon.
The Southern Oregon and Northern
California mining congress came to
an end this morning, after Interest
ing matters were closed and a vote to
meet at Medford, January 17 and 18,
1912.
The matter of maintaining a sep
arate and permanent organization of
the Southern Oregon and Northern
California Mining congress was deter
mined upon, though the association
will co-operate with the American
Mining congress, the Northwest Min
ing congress and the Oregon State
association.
Joseph Smith, editor Power,- Mine
and Factory, of Seattle, presented an
appeal for co-operation of the as
sembled congress with the state of
Washington and Alaska, thus uniting
the solid west for a squaro deal for
Alaska and all the west, and for the
.protection of legitimate mining.
The committee on resolutions, con
sisting of H. L. Herzlnger, 1. J. Luce
and E. G. Hewes, prepared a resolu
tion to be adopted by the congress,
condemning the policy of the depart
ment at Washington arbitrarily with
drawing lands from mineral entry
and the creation of mineral reserves,
that the large areas not heavily tim
bered be taken out of the forest re
serves already established.
A resolution was also ndopted urg.
tng that the game laws be amended,
permitting mineral prospectors to
kill buck deer for actual use at all
times; also a resolution that a com
mittee be appointed to prepare arti
cles of Incorporation of the associa
tion and to report at the next session:
also that the state and national gov
ernment be urged to push to comple
tion the geological survey in Oregon
with respect to the mining districts;
Morgan to take the horsM and wag
ons and get caught.
Hand Is an old time scout In the
western country and has been liiBtru-
mental In running to earth many
tough characters from the MlHnlsslp
pl river west, and bis Intuition in
this case proved va'uabla to the
Joephlne county officii.
TO APPOINT VOLUNTEER I
STATE FIRE WARDENS!
U
ERCURY
SOARS
R.L. Ray, of Medford. The follow
ing program for the afternoon was
then carried out:
Address -"Recent Discoveries In
Our District," W. S. Bacon, of Kerby,
Oregon. 1
"Importance of the Copper Depos
its In the District," Dr. J. P. Reddy,
Medford, Ore. "Do Our Mineral De
posits Go Down!" George C. Bennett,
Hornbrook, Cal.
"Building Up the Mining Indus
try," L. D. Mabone, Portland, Oregon,
secretary State Miners' association.
"Electric Power and Its Use In
Treating Ores," President 0. L.
Young, of Ashland, Oregon.
Night Program. ,
The congress will resume at 8 00
o'clock this evening with the follow
ing program:
' Address "Development of the
Gold Mining Industry," Professor
Fayette A. Jones, C. E., E. M..LL. D.,
of Albuquerque, New Mexico. (En
gineer In charge. Oriole Mine.)
"Geological Formation of Southern
Oregon," Hon. C. B. Watson, Ashland,
Oregon. "Present Status of Mining
In-Northern California," R. 8. Taylor,
Judge J. M. O'Neill, of Yreka, Cal.,
C. Proebstel, I. J. Luce, of Etna Mills,
California.
"Promotion of Legitimate Mmlng,
Joseph Smith, M. E., Seattle, Wash.
Music by Commercial Club orches
tra.
State Fot ester F. A. Elliott desires
to appolut, In co-operation with Jos
ephine county, a number of volun
teer state fire wardens among coun
ty officials or others wh,si ordinary
duties lead them to be out over the
country roads and trulls a large part
of the time. In addition Mr Elliott
also favors the appoinment of one
paid fire warden, who will be expect
ed to devote all his time to the work
or fire patrol, Issuing of burning per
mits, advising as to the best manner
or practicability of safe burning of
brush piles, and personally extin
guishing or supervising the checking
and extinguishing of any forest fires
which may, through carelessness or
other cause, become of an alarming
nature.
The Btate forester will also be au
thorlzed to employ help when condl
tions seem to warrant and will be ex
pected to carefully Investigate and
prosecute all cases of maliciousness
or carelessness In the matter of set
ting out or handling firs, and In all
other ways carry out the provisions
of the new state tire law.
Siskiyou Forest Supervisor Frora-
me, ot Grants rass, io wnora m
above request was made, Interviewed
County' Judge Jewell, with the re
sult that names ot all the road super
visors In Josephine county are being
presented to the state forester for
consideration. Judge Jewell stated
that he believes Josephine county will
willingly stand Its one-third share
of the cost of salary and traveling
expense ot a paid fire warden and
the cost ot fighting any fires which
might chance to threaten timber or
other property within the county.
The question as to who shall be re-
ABOVE HUNDRED
SUNDAY
WAS HOTTEST
SINCE 1801.
DAY
BUT NO PROSTRATIONS HERE
Churches Had Small Coiiiaouutlons,
aud Thirst Parlors
Rushed.
(Continued on page 3.)
CHICAGO CAPITALIST ON
Vhlf TO THIS SECTION
With the mercury la Grants Pass
Friday dancing opposite the figure
105, Saturday 108 and Sunday 110,
the people of this city Bunds were
willing to cry enough. Sunday was
one, ot the record days for heat la
years, and suffering was Intense, one
consolation as expressed by many of
the merciful was that It was Sunday,
hence the horse population was not
compelled to toll In drawing heavy
loads under such a burning sun.
What few horses were so unfortunate
as to have to work had the sympathy
of many.
At night the heat was Intense,
the going down of the sun not re
lieving the red hot city to any great
exte.nt until about the hour of 10
o'clock. One minister dismissed his
congregation after only a brier ser
vice, a thermometer In the church
reading 97 degrees.
At the Presbyterian church Rer.
Frank Doming Stout, Chicago cap!
talist, and prominent in the Ameri
can industrial and financial world
nlo that the shipping rates be taken I and whose private car arrived In
up with the railroads and adjudged Grants Pass last week, returned to
au-
had in his trunk, and led, leavln&n ald of the minlug Industry; that this city Sunday 'afternoon by
the lease bills now before the federal jtomoblles with his family from Cres
congress be opposed; that congress ! tent City, where Mr. Stout, spent se"-
be uiged to make an Increased appro- jeral days enjoying cool breezes and
prlatlon for the national mining bi-1 looking over proposed harbor lm
reau. Iprovenients there. Sutulay after-
The last resolution adopted was j noon seated in the shade of his car
one thanking the Commercial club, ' Mr. Stout talked interestingly to a
the papers of the city and various I representative of The Courier of his
citizens for their efforts to make the observations at Grants Pass, the coun-
Robcrt McLean told his friends that
,nmmn01i fnr nnntntmn to the they could now realize a little of
nn-tttnn nf nuM flr warden has not " mea" 10 conaucl cnureB
yet been decided, although the names la porto Rlc0' where that nln-
ot two or three likely candidates WttB onc8 I0CBWU- u
have been handed to Mr. Fromme. It M Prevailed mat nigni was a wi
fe itinnrtt tht th inh win tmv 1100 lar condition in the Island possession
M VMwoit ----- T I 1 . . , h M A
ft mnnth and traveling exnenses. and stated tne miniBier, ana u reminuw
will last from now until the end ot P1D1 00 oia W moD
tha fire dansrer season, probably the rorto "cns.
end of September. It calls for a man Thlrt Prlor n tn C,V were pop-
well acquainted with the geography ular Pluces W no UPU1
of JosflDhlne countv. and especially n'ebt. Hundreds ot gallons of this
one who has had experience in the "at "ade" and nzsmg stun were
timber familiar with handling .men. quaffed. The ice man wore a broaa
has good, cool Judgment, lots ot en- BlnIle an wood maa ,at lum
ergy and a keen Interest In the wel- The cheerful Idiot was early abroad
fare ot Josephine county's orooertj Uhs "is It hot enougn tor youi
and resources. ot soveral times, but this
lata I
A number ot other counties n am noi seem io anect mm.
an . .1 It J
thn Btate have volunteer and Dald P0" weainor, saia one ir
The body of John E. York, who
was murdered last Thursday nlsht,
and his body thrown into Rogue riv
er, was exhumed during the early
hours this morning. The order to
dig Into the gravel came froi'i Jus
tice Holman, who instructed Fred
Wkhmau, in charge at the Granite
Hill cemetery, to uncover the body
aud take from York's neck tbe rope
that was used by the murdere" to
take his victim's life by choking him
to death.
Wlrhmnn. In speaking of his grew-
some task Bald: "When 1 uncovered
the grave and got to tho body, I
found that the rope hud been so
tightly drawn about the man's neik
that It was necessary to use a knife.
The rope had cut Into tho flesh so
deeply that the neck insld.i the rope
was of the circumference of that of
a child. Then, too, the flesh had
swollen to such an extent that It
bulged out around the rope to the
extent that It could hardly be seen.
I got my knife blade undoi 1t, nnd
whacked it in two. I then took the
outer clothing from the body and
with the rope brought them here to
the city hall."
The clothes and rope were tied In
a gunny sack, and sn odor of the
grave was painfully perceptible.
The heavy logging chain which hsd
been wrapped around York'f neck,
which was Intended to sink the b dy,
was also taken to the justice's office,
and when dumped on the floor made
a noise which sent a creepy feeling
stealing up and down the spines of
the persons present Thi clanking,
urewsome relic of the murder fsied
a setting which flashed a homchi of
the death chamber of some grim trw
er In a castle ot medieval dsys.
congress a success, particularly com
mending C. L. Mangum for his un
tiring and faithful work. '
The balance of the session was 'do
voted to talks by visiting delegate?,
adjourning at 3 o'clock to meet In
Medford January 17 and 18 next.
Yesterday's Proceed I nj;.
(From The Courier July 18.)
When the gavel fell this afternoon
calling to order the Southern Oregon
and Northern California Mining Con
gress In Its second semi-annual meet
ing, there was an enthusiastic and
earnest audience of bronsed nccn ot
the mines, mining investors and op
erators and a number of men of wide
technical knowledge all represent
ing mining districts from Josephlno
county to as far south as Redding,
Cal.
' Tbe delegates were welcomed to
Grants Pass by attorney O. 3. Blan
chard In a happy address. Mr. Blan
chard' paid tribute to the hardy min
er In the tar away hills, the miner
of 'today and the miner of othet days,
and not forgetting to pay high trib
ute to the noble pioneer wonton who
shared the hardships of thel nns
bands; tribute to the mining iran who
puts bis money Into the goldei hills,
tribute to tbe engineer and the geol
ogist whose keen and analytical
brains solve the difficult problems
and make mines grow where nooe
grew before.
President Young of Ashland ans
wered briefly the address of welcome
end appointed a committee ct three
to name the time and place ot tbe
next semi-annual meeting. Presi
dent Young named oa this eotKmlUse
H. L. Herzlnger, of Grants Pass; C
B. Watson, of Ashland, and Col.
try botween here and tbe coast town
and several national questions. The
Chicago man Is of flno physique aud
his features depict a character ot rug
ged honesty and sincerity. Both
courteous and conservative the visit-J
or is a perfect type ot the Ameri
can who thinks big things and does
big things.
Mr. Stout was here several years
ago, and he remarked that
Grants Pass had made marked im
provement in that time.
"Wo have enjoyed the past few
days very much," said Mr. Stout.
"Tho great redwood forests between
here and Crescent City proved a
revelation to my sons and daughters.
One of my sons has Just graduated
from Yale, and at the end of the
school term I asked my children
what they proposed to do or where
would they prefer to spend several
weeks ot vacation. They have been
In many parts of the world, so I
told them If they had no particular
country In view that I would take
them west to see their own country.
So we have taken In the Rocky moun
tains, Yellowstone and other places
of Interest, but not until we rode
through the great redwood forests
between Grants Pass and Crescent
City did tho young ladles and my
sons become enthused. They de
clare it to be one of the grandert
sights In the world; and I agree with
them. If you have never Ukea that
trip by all means do so. At Cres
cent City I talked with young Mr.
: pv n-itnrdlng his fstber's plans
to build a harbor at Woollcyporc
The matter looks fesslbl and Mr.
Wool ley deserves to succeed.
"The greet thing needed here now
Tnnt1nnHf on ! '' I
fire wardens, as well as patrolmen,
employed by tltnbermen's aesocls
tions, and there is no reason why
Josephine county should not have
equally as good protection as the
hcBt of thorn," said supervisor From
me yesterday. Nearly all of the Sis
kiyou national forest officers, of
which there are now 25, have state
appointments as volunteer fire ward
ens.
tlnilst. "Glad It Is good for some
thing," said tho cynlo as he slapped
at a fly and made a wry face.
NORTHWESTERN COMING
IS AGAIN STATED
That Grants Pass will get the
Northwestern Pacific railroad In Its
extension from Eureka, Cal., to Port-
II. C. Bateham, who was Indicted una is a siaicmeui given out nc nan
about 10 days ago by thu ginud Jury Francisco some weeks ago and print
on ,a Borlous charge, is confined In e,i at that tltuo In The Couiler. The
the county Jail as a res i t of one of 8nll F, anclHco Chronlclo in a recent
his bondsmen withdrawing When i MH . . , tives nuljllcltv to the matter
Uuteham was arrested he was allow- tt(;an. The Chronicle says-
ed ball In tho sura of $1,000, and w. 8. Palmer, aonoral manager
Mrs. Bateham and O. A Hamilton 0f tno Northwestern Pacific, which Is
went on tho bond. Hamilton two owne(i jointly by tho Santa Fo and
days ago withdrew, hone Batehnin Southern Pacific, has returned from
was remanded to the che-lf until an- Eureka whore ho has boen Inspecting
other bondsman comes Ui ward. tho Oreiron and Eureka line, which
has been taken over by tho North-
Tho auto which caused the dath wontorn.
of tho little Kelly girl, and the scrl- "tk8 OreKoti and Eureka extcuda
ous wounding of the other members from Euruka to Arlnldad. Tbe North-
of tho family arrived In Grants Pass WM)tcr pactfi0 acquired the Oregon
today from tha country, being drawn atld Kurcka lino six yean ago, but
by a team of horses with tho driver tho jne nai teon under lease to the
and a companion seated Ip tho auto Hammond Lumber comnanv. which
Tho novel scene of two horses trot- has used It to transport to tidewater
ting up tho street hitched to an auto tmbor from Its heavy holdings In
caused much Interest. Tho machine ii.imhi.Mf.
was taken to tbo Jack Williams ml
dence.
"Tho extension ot service north by
the Northwestern Pacific is said to
mark the beginning of a project to
Dr. James Iughrldgo of T.tneuin, link San Francisco and Portland by
Neb., has been spending several days Une more railroad. The proponed
with his brother, Dr. B. ioiiKhrldgi road will, it Is said, be extended grad-
of this cltv. The doctor hsd been at- ually to meot the demand of traffic.
tending the American Medical asso- It wilt follow the coast ot California
elation In Los Angeles and stopped to the Oregon, whence It will bead
here on his return home. IU was ar- In a northerly direction to Grants
-ompanled by his 5-year-old son Pass, Ore. It will be a scenlo roots.'
Jack, and they left Wdn'sdny even
ing for Portland. whre they wllj, vis-
It with Mrs. Kittle !UKhrttt(4 ly
beforo going to their home.
Geo. Aiken went to Rosebnrg Tun
day evening to spond several tfiyi on
business.
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