Rogue River courier., September 01, 1911, Image 1

VOL. XXVII.
GRANTS PASS, JOSEPHINE COUNTY. OREGON. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1011
NO. sa
MORGAN ATTEMPTS
TO BREAK JAIL
IRON BARS AXD SAW PASSED IX.
TO HIS CELL.
STARTS TO SAW OUT BARS
Sheriff Smith Hopes to Discover Par.
ties Who Supplied Murderer
With Tools.
, Mike Morgan, self confessed mur
derer of John E. York, wh,oni Mor
gan killed in a camp near the City
park and threw the body into Rogue
river, has been frustrated in a plot
to cut or kill his way out of the
county jail In Grants Pass.
Saturday last Sheriff Will C. Smith
made a raid on Morgan's part of the
jail and discovered a crow bar, two
other pieces of iron and also found
where Morgan had been attempting
to cut the steel bars with a hack saw.
The hack saw Morgan declared he
had thrown down the toilet. These
articles were passed into Morgan, but
by whom and when is yet a mystery.
A Courier representative discuss
ed the matter with the sheriff last
Saturday, the day the discoverv was!ery grand. At Santa Cruz th ev Ktnn
made, and at the request of the slier -
iff refrained from giving the matter
publicity for the reason that the
iff hoped to discover the outside cul
prlt. But to date no information of
value has been secured which would
lead to an arrest. Hence the matter
is given publicity.
Morgan, realizing that ho will eith
er be hanged or go to prison for ltr,
in a desperate plot hoped to make
h5 escape. That he would as soon
murder one of the sheriffs deputies
or the sheriff himself, if thereby he
could regain his liberty, Is a belief
among those whom have given the
matter thought. That it was a close
call it Is admitted.
Slieriff Smith, speaking of the mat
ter to The Courier, stated:
"Confined with Morgan is younger the Panama exposition, which
Jeter, charged with issuing bogus Iwtll i,e a sort of auxiliary to the San
checks, and when I made the dis- j Francisco exposition. The event was
,covery of the irons Morgan and Jet- celebrated on a large scale and the
ri ca.ii ouu&m io utuiuo ii on me;
other, and Morgan declared that oth
er prisoners passed in the saw and
irons. And Morgan blames the oth
er prisoners with Informing me of
the plot.' Both statements are false, j From g(in Francisco they came by
as other prisoners would have no'tlle roas, route t0 Crescent City and
more opportunity to get outside tnejfrom Crescent City over our own
Jail to get weapons or tools than! mad home.
Morgan, end as for my Information Mr Kinney had much to say about
as to the fact that the Irons were in
Morgan's apartment, I received the
information through an anonymous
letter. Who this anonymous writer
ls I have not been able to discover. I'
have been sweating Jeter and Mor- gtate an(j i9 ioyai to the particular
gan, In an effort to discover Identity part of the country In which he re
of the outside party who handed lnjgue8r Knockers have a hard time,
the saw and irons. But so far have jrvcry fellow Is expected to get Into
not been able to get a line on him. tne cour ad pun fl'n(i j be doesn't
"Morgan had been sawing on the , there Is trouble." He thinks we have
steel'bars, but the saw made a poorimiri, t0 iearn from California, eBpe
impresslon on them. j dally In the matter of road construe
,vWhon I made a search I found a tjon The only really bad roads he
piece of Iron about as long as a crow- countered during his 6,000 miles
bar and two other pieces of lron;0f t,.nV(.i were between Crescent
about a couple of feet long. Morgan jclty nn,i Grants Pass and the most
declares he threw the saw Into the 0f tJmt was In Josephine county,
toilet and It went Into the sewer. j Mr Knncjp d(wd by RavIng. .,We
"I am anxious to land tho criminal jhaVfl enJoyed oup trp thoroughly,
who passed In that stuff, as the penl-' a th)ng napppnPa t0 mar the
tentiary Is yawning for such as be." Jp,onf,lire of our journey, and KOod
Grand Juries In days past have A)0iUh hng bp(l (he ruje sInr.e wc
recommended a fence around the Jail; 8tartedi In tho niatter of our car,
and a residence for an officer, tliat,the ony trouble wc have had or
the prison could bo more effectually fumiJ whpn the )lros Bavo 0t fln,,
protected from outside ympalhlzers thlp wn(J pnMlj. rem(M,(,di j ln
with criminals, though to date no j fa.mpra and i,snpSg ,n(M 0f this rlty
steps have been taken to comply with l rnnnt. roul,j pa(!! over tho hlgh
thls recommendntlou. ways whlih wo encountered, for they
Hiinlv would Join In the Rood road
It. R. I1MVF.Y rUtf'HAM'S ;ilinv(,mPnt to an extent that would
TRAKJOTT srilKNKl'K RANCH , m,niethliiR. Wc are glad to get
, .-- lmm and I am ready to Jnln In any
II. R. Ullven of Grants Pa. has ; tvov-rnent. that moans the upbuilding
MirchAHP.! th Traucott S. honker,
ranch of 80 acres, also the S.heuker
placer of 20 acre, both located ou
Thompson crctk.
Mr nilvon la niiuh IileHB-'d with
value of the ranch to be $8,000.
There are 30 acres of land in cultl
vation and half a million feet of mer
chantable saw timber. -
The value of the placer as a mining
proposition is unknown. The for
mer owner has been mining ft in a
small way for five years. Yet while
the value of the placer is unknown,
the new owner estimates Its val
ue at $100 an acre as agricultural
laud.
KINNEY FAMILY HOME
, FROM AUTOMOBILE TRIP
The II. C. Kinney auto tourists
who came In from California Monday
afternoon, arriving by the Crescent
City route, were Mr. and Mrs. H. C.
Kinney,-their son Paul and How-
ared Hall. When they left here June
1 Mrs. Van Dyke was In their com
pany, but when Dr. Vau Dyke died,
she came home and Paul's chum,
Howard Hall, joined them in San
Francisco.
Going out the party ran from here
to Ashland and then direct to
San Fra;iclseo, stopping a day at
Shasta springs, 140 miles from this
city, one of the most beautiful spots,
Mr. Kinney says, to be found In the
whole country. The place was a
day's run from Grants Pas,
From San Francisco they weht
down the coast by the way of Half
Moon bay aud Santa Cruz. The road
all the way, was fine and the seen
Ped over a day, going up to Redwood
nark which conta'ins several hundred
slier-'acres,' covered with grand trees of
the variety from which It takes its
name. The grove belongs to the state
and Is looked after by a keeper. The
red woods of this park are of large
size; many of the trees being 24
feet In diameter. I There Is a fine
hotel In the park which Is well pat
ronized by the many visitors.
Returning to Santa Cruz, they fol
lowed along the coast to Los Angeles
and then on to Pomona, where they
visited Mr. and Mrs. W. A. MeCor
mlck, the latter being the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Kinney. Here they
made headquarters and made side
trips to many places. They were at
San Diego when ground was broken
Kinney party greatly enjoyed the ar-
fair. They left there to go to San
Francisco, but made a trip to the
Lick observatory on Mt. Hamilton
near Los Angeles on the way back
l tne improvements which had been
made on the California roads since
his party made the trio two years ago.
"People are alive," he says, "In Cal
if,.nia mid evi.rv mnn (a for the
" '
I nm K'nd to see the progress wtiu'n
Im'i boon made In Irrigation since I
left home. Now that It Is to tho
Interest of tho Chicago people, tn give
atcr, I fed that we will gft it.
TWO LANDMARKS:
GO UP IN FLAMES
THE TIFFS AM) CROW HOUSES
ARE DESTROYED.
RECENTLY REMODELLED
Interesting History Connected With
PiomHjr Days of Southern
Oregon Country.
At V-45 Friday eveniug the grand
old home on Tokay Heights known as
the Tuffs place, and owned by R. E.
Kroh, was totaly destroyed by fire.
Mr. Kroh had just finished em
bellishing the noted old house, and
It was handsome throughout all of
its eight big rooms. All walls were
tinted, handsome mission doors in
stalled, waterworks put in from a
bold spring In a nook up the hill from
the home, bath fixtures installed and
otherwise made modern to the min
ute. How the house caught fire Is a mys
tery. Mr. Kroh states that no In
flammable material was In any room,
as he had had tho place cleaned up
inside and out. Ills loss Is between
$4,000 and $5,000, with Insurance of
$2,000. The Insurance was In two
companies, $1,000 each, npd Mr.
Kroh states that one of the policies
he Is doubtful of ever collecting on,
as the policy was taken cut by the
former owner and has been lost.
A handsome modern home will rise
la place of the old one and Tokay
Heights made still more beautiful,
thus says Mr. Kroh.
Some History.
The original residence was built by
J. P, Tuffs in 1S77, and was a well
built structure. It was not the stage
house proper, but was headquarters
for private travelers and tourists,
also freighters with their teams, trav
ersing the coast country from the
terminus of the Southern Pacific road
coming from Portland at Roseburg to
points In California.
There have been many post card
pictures made of the original house
and marked "General Grant's Head
quarters," but this Is a myth, as Gen
eral Grant wa9 .never In this region.
However, many men noted In social
and political life made this home a
stopping place, Mr. and Mrs. Tuffs
dispensing hospitality In true west
ern fashion.
Mr. Tuffs was born In Eastport,
Me., and moved to Chelsea, Mass. He
Bottled In this valley In 1851, coming
to the coast by way of Cape Horn,
landing at San Francisco. There he
bought a pack outfit and horse and
mafle his way north wtrd, stopping at
Intervals en route to work at vari
ous placer mines.
Mrs. Tuffs was born In England,
and when a child she came with her
parents to America, to the state of
Illinois. After a short residence In
Illinois her father and mother, Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas Croxlon, decided to
come to Oregon. In April, 1832,
with 11 other families, thoy started
westward, and reached Salem In Oc
tober of the same year. The party
came with ox teams the entire dis
tance. The first winter the Croxtons liv
ed In Salem. In tho spring they went
Into the Umpqiia valley, remained a
short time, then camo to this region,
Bottling on land, a Dart of which U
now n the city limits of Grants Pass.
This was In f 853.
Mr. Tuffs had been here then al
most two years. He met MIbs Crox
ton shortly after her arrival and a
happy courtship resulted In marriage
In December, 1854. The couple set
tled on a donation claim of 320 acres
located about two and one-half miles
west of the present town of Grants
Pass. Tho land embraces a part of
the present A. G. Hood farm. Later
Mr. snd Mrs. Tuffs bought 612 Brr'
from a trat east of the present city,
the land then being known as tbe
John K. Jones place. A part of this
If now beautiful Tokay Heights, anl
on their purchase they built a home
which became noted in this regton,
and which was the one that wag de
stroyed Friday night
Mr. and Mrs. Jones, from whom
the Tuffs bought the land, lived In a
house a short distance from the
Tuffs home, and were slain by In
dians In the month of October, 1855.
Mr. Jones was killed outright by a
shot from a rifle, and Mrs. Jones was
wounded in the right shoulder. She
died two days later at the old Van
noy place, where she had been taken
on mule-back by neighbors.
Mr. Tuffs began farming on his
new purchase and, on several occa
sions, packed In produce to miners
working in the diggings at Kerby,
Waldo and Althonse. On one trip
he used 20 animals, packed with
green corn, vegetables and butter.
Mr. Tuffs died April 2T, 1906. The
couple had not lived at the old home
for some years previous to his death,
their residence being on East D street
In this city.
Another old landmark in Josephine
county gone up in smoke; this time
the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Gale,
which was known as the old Crow
place, on a ranch below Merlin, on
the Galfce road at the upper eud of
Hell Gate.
The old houso burned Monday at
12:25 o'clock, aud with Its furnish
ings was a total loss. Insurance was I
$1,100, In a company represented iu
Grants Pass by Frank S. Torrey. The
house and contents were worth
somewhere between $3,000 and $4,
000. Mrs. Gale was in an upper Btory
room,' when she heard the roar of a
blaze. She ran downstairs and out
Into the yard to get a garden hose
aud the the same time called Mr.
Gale. Water was immediately ap
plied, and after a few minutes they
believed they had the fire Quenched.
In the meantime the furniture had
been moved onto the porch. Sudden
ly flames burst out again over the
building, and in a twinkling the en
tire house was a mass of flames, and
was soon destroyed, together with the
furniture on the porch.
In addition to the loss of the fur
niture and other articles, were sever
al valuable paintings and Mr. and
Mrs. Gale's clothing. A trunk contain
ing Important papers was saved.
WORKMAN ON RANCH
. FOUND DEAD IN BED
C. J. Crowley, a laborer, was found
dead In bed Wednesday Morning on
the pld DItmus ranch, owned by
Cook and Woodford, and located In
the Merlin country. x
Dr. Strieker, us coroner, was call
ed to tho scene and states that death
wasj due to apoplexy.
Crowley hud appeared at the ranch
In the evening two days before and
applied for work. He was assured a
job, given supper and assigned to a
room In the ranch house. Next day
he worked at digging ditches and
proved a fine workman, In fact was
so zealous In his labors that it con
tributed to his death, believes Dr.
Strieker.
That night the man ate heartily,
went to bed and died alone.
Discovery of the death was made
by a boy who went to wake Crowley
after the man had not responded to
calls.
Deputy Sheriff Mason of that vi
cinity was notified, and that officer
In turn notified Dr. Strieker.
The belongings of the dead man
consist of a five-cent piece, twopurs
es, a tape measure In case, a pair of
dlmunltlve earrings sot with greon
glass and worth only a few rents,
and a note book. Tho note book con
tains an Intermittent diary, In Eng
lish and Spanish. Written on one loaf
was: "This book belongs to Con
Crowley, bought at Haywrrds, Ala
meda County, California, July 4,
1910." His full name. C. J. Crowley,
appeared on another leaf.
The little book contained lines
showing where Its ownor was at dif
ferent times and a pathetic feature Is
that he had neatly written In the
dates from now to the end of th
year opposite which h had expected
to record his travels or experiences
for the day.
There wns not a word In the book
giving the name or names, or mak
ing reference to any acquaintance or
relative.
CHICAGO
VISITORS
GREATLY PLEASED
OFFICIALS OF IRRIGATION' COM
PANT. RiriTRX HOME.
WILL EXTEND THE DITCHES
Confirm Announcement That Apple
gat Ditch Will Re
Constructed.
The Chicago visitors, Messrs.
Strock, Irwin, Atkins and Grosser,
officials of the Chicago-Rogue River
company, left yesterday morulng oa
the southbound train for a tour of
California before returning to their
homes. That they were pleased with
this region, with the -people, and with
tne condition or their property and
the outlook for the future Is bett
evidenced by the statement of Mr. Ir
win, attorney for the company, to a
Courier representative that he had
had the beat time of his life and that
he regretted he could not remain in
definitely.
During their stay the visitors .lid
not have an Idle moment, as George
Sanders kept something doing every
minute and 10, was a tired but happy
party which took the train yesterday
morulng. Several visits to the big
power and diversion dam above town
were made and the party took a trip
over the ditches already construct
ed. They also drove over every flec
tion of the district susceptible to ir
rigation, and they are now fully ad.
vised as to the needs and require
ments of the people as regards Irri
gation. .
They have gone with the fact firm
ly Impressed on their minds that here
Is one of tho greatest undeveloped
countries out of doors, and ;hcy are
firmly resolved' to do their part to
ward making' It the Pasadena of Or
egon. The climate, the scenery, the
soil, the water, and the natural re
sources have each received words of
commendation from the visitors and
have played a prominent part In the
forming of their opinion that this Is
a good country for the Investment
of eastern money.
Friday afternoon the visiting offi
cials met with the officers of the
Josephine County Irrigation and Pow
er company and signed the deeds err
veylng the property of the latter com
pany to the Chicago-Rogue RIvor
company, In accordance with the res
olution of the stockholders at their
June meeting.
While here these gentlemen con
firmed the announcement of Mr. San
ders that the big gravity ditch ard
the Applegate ditch will be construct
ed this winter, each to a point five
miles west of the city. Active con
struction work will be started as soon
as the ground softens up and he
ditches will bo. ready to receive water
at the beginning of next season, which
Is May 15.
During their stay in the city the
party was entertained at the home cf
Mr. Sanders and each visitor express
ed himself as delighted with the
treatment he recclvod. All of ihftn
are acutely Interested In the pending
litigation and regretted that the com
ing arguments did not occur during
their stay. Probably tw0 of tho of.
ficlals will roturn to Chicago this wiy
and stop off and attend tbe court pro
ceedings, If they occur within the
next two or three weeks.
The annual meeting of the Chicago-Rogue
River company will be held
In Chleapo during the latter part of
the month of September and the par
ty will be at home ind make a rnpo-t
In regard to the rompany's property
In this county and the prospers for
Its business here In the futurn.
After the annual meeting, It it the
Intention of other members of thi
corporation to pay a tIbU t Oisntu
Pass, not only to Invertlgste their
business Interests but for an outing
as well.
It Is fortunate for this part of the
Rogue River valley that theae capi
talists have Interests here for they
will be of great service la developing
irrigation and Introducing this section
to other Chicago men of wealth. Jose
phine county hag great need of mrii.
to open mines, farms and other eater-
prises and. in this connection th..
gentlemen will be of service to us and
reap handsome profits for theuiselve.
GLOBE-CIRCLING AUTO
- VISITS GRANTS PASS
Dr. Charles C. Perclval. of Nw
York City, and George D. Brown of
Detroit, in the globe-glrdllug Abbott
Detroit "Bulldog" automobile, which
la pathflndlng a new route for the
proposed pacific international high
way, from TIa Juana, Mexico, to Van
couver, B. C, arrived in this city
trom the south at 2 p. m. Thursday
with a total mileage to date of 5S,
219,
Dr. Perclval has been traveling
since last July and has been in 48
states and three-fourths around the
border of the United States, and
spent three weoks in Mexico during;
the recent rebellion.
The presont'run Is being made un
der the auspices of the El Camlno
Real association and "Pacific Motor-
Ing.'V the oldest motor magazine on
the Tnclflc coast, and the idea Is to
perpetuate El Camlno real pr Klng'a
highway, the old road built over 100
years ago by tho mission priests, and
which for nearly a century was the
old road on the Pacific const and the
21 missions extending from Santa
Tomas mission In Mexico, 121 mllei
below San Dlogo, California, to San
Francisco, the old place where the
wayfarer could find rest and refresh
ment.
Dr. Perclval and Mr. Drown con
template visiting Alaska and will try
to drive as far north ar parallel 64,
and thus oblnln the honor of having
boon the flrBt automoblllsts to pene
trnto the Arctic circle,
For this trip the Abbott will be
equipped with front runners in place
of wheels, and special spiked tlrea
on the rear wheels will give traction
over snow and ice. From Alaska the
trip will continue back to Seattle and
across Canada to Montreal and New
York City, thus completing the first
automobllo trip around the border!
of the United States and Into every
state.
From New York the trip will go to
the Isthmus of Panama and then to
the Sandwich Islands, Japan, China,
Philippines, Australia, New Zealand,
Africa, Asia and Europe, It being the
Intention of Dr. Perclval to make a
complete Journey of the world, which
will, It Is figured, take at least two
more years.
The Idea Is to make the entire trio.
whleh Is scheduled to cover 100,000
miles, with the same automobile,
which will be turned over at the
completion to automobile engineers
to bo appointed by tho American Au
tomobllo association, who will tear
It down and render an exhaustive re
port, which will, It Is hoped, prove
of great value to the Industry.
NARROW KSCAPK IX
AITOMOUIIJ.; A('CII)i:iT
W. O. Miller, tolograph operator
at the Pacific Tolephoue & Telegraph
office of this city, received word Sun
day of an automobile accldunt which
occurred on the Rosuburg-Myrtlo
Creek road, in which his brother,
Southern Pacific operator ut Leland,
aud his sister, Mrs. Charles Engor
and two childruu, of Brownsville, had
iiunow escapes from serious Injury or
death.
The auto was driven by George Lu
cas ami wns carrying five passengers.
Tho oilier passcugor besides the ones
namod, was Gcorgo Kohlhagen of
Kuseuurg.
Tho car was wrecked uoar Sheep
CHIHU bY the breaking rf hA
In, whan the auto was descending a
grade. I.ucas steered tho machine
against a bank, but It failed to stop.
swerving back Into tho road, whero
It overturned.
Kohlhagen was tossed over Luacs
head but sustained ouly a few bruis
es. The two children note Imprla-
ioned squarely undor the car, but when
released It was found that nolthor
had suffered so much as a scratch.
Lucas was considerably bruised
and Mr. Miller was unhurt, Mra. Eng
er'a back was painfully wrenched.
bis purchase and estimates the real us