THE SUMPTER MINER
Vol ii.
SUMPTER, OREGON, SEPTEMBER 14, 1900.
NO. 2
V
TRIPPLE
TRAGEDY.
Fred Kane Shoots His Wife,
Child and Himself.
BURNING TWO HOUSES
In One b the Body of the Dead Child In
sanity (he Only Reasonable Theory to
Account For the Frightful Deed
Chances Are That He Will Dle-Hls
Wife Will Probably Recover-Both
Now in the Hospital Here.
This afternoon the camp is In a fever of
r scltement over news that Fred Kane had
:his morning shot his wife, her child and
himself, and burned their home. All par
lies concerned are well known here and
the tragedy is the topic of universal con
versation. Many groups of men are
standing on tiie streets discussing the af
fair, and anxiously awaiting the latest in
formation. I
The tirst news of the occurrence was
received here by telephone from the Bald
Mountain mine shortly before 12 o'clock. I
Marshal Austin and Constable Maker
started at once for the scene, on the Kane ,
Brothers claims, two miles from the Bald
Mountain, i miles from Sumpter. The
story gathered by these officers In about
as follew: I
Fnrly this morning Frank Katie took ,
his Winchester title and lelt the house, '
stating that he was going to kill a bird !
that Mrs. Kane's little five-year-old 1
daughter had been in the habit of leedlug.
I he child asked him not to kill the bird.!
in a few minutes he returned and shot at
;he child, killing it. The sime shot
vounded his wife, going through her'
rody. From this fact it is supposed that j
she had the child hi her arms at the time,
trying to protect it. j
Mrs. Kane told the officers that lie then 1
Vit her with a club. Some time after-1
wards, noticing blood on her dress, which
.ante trom the wound, he called her atten
tion to it and asked what had happened.
She, judging that lie was demented, told
him that a man had shot her and per
suaded him to go in pursuit. When he
icft the house she made her escape and
went to a nearby cabin.
On her way she met Tom Mohen and
two other prospectors, to whom site told
the story. They armed themselves and
started tor the Kane house. On the way
they met him and, it is said, took to the
vonds, not caring to fraternize will) a
.r.iz.y man carrying a Winchester which (
he knew Inw to use. It Is supposed Kane
then returned home and burned the house,
with the body of the child that he had,
Killed. When Marshal Austin arrived
the house was in Haines. 1
It is further surmised that he then went
to his brother Matt's cabin, a quarter of a ,
mile away, intending there to burn nisi
own body. He must have entered through I
a window, for the door was locked and
the ritle was found where the window was,
with the stock burned off. It was there,
evidently, that he shot himself; possibly
accidentally while trying to crawl In the
window, after having set the house afire.
He told the marshal that a man with a
black mask had shot him, but there Is
thought to be no shadow of truth in this
statement. Both officers agree that he
seemed to be perfectly rational when they
talked with him. The theory is that the
gun shot wound brought him to his
senses.
These are the facts as near as can be
learned at this writing, divested of many
unimportant details.
About four o'clock the woman was
brought to town and taken to Dr. Tape's
hospital. He and Dr. Anderson exam
ined the wound and found that the ball
had entered below the seventh rib and
penetrated the lungs. The wound is
thought not to be fatal. There is a gash
on the forehead, which may have been
caused by another shot. There are also
bruises that confirm her statement re
garding tne clubbing.
Dr. Fisher went out to the mine this
afternoon and did all he could there to re
lieve the man's sufferings. He was
brought to the hospital, arriving about
six o'clock. Drs. Anderson and) Tape
made the examination and found that he,
too, had been shot through tbe lung, the
ball passing within three-quarters of an
inch of the heart. His is considered a
very dangerous wound and the chances
are largely against Ills recovery.
Last winter Fred Kane and Mrs. Toney
worked at the Star hotel. She was a di
vorced woman witli several children.
They were married. Some months sub
sequently the marriage ceremony was
again performed, the reason assigned for
this being that sulficient time had not
elapsed between the granting of the di
vorce and the matriage to make that un
ion legal, under the laws of Oregon,
which prohibits divorced persons from
marrying within six months. The wo
man will be remembered as the one who
took a prize at the masquerade ball here
last Christmas, dressed as a ,,cow-glrl,"
impersonating the "Wide West." Little
is known here of her antecedents or rela
tives. Kane brothers have resided in tills dis
trict for some years and are well and fav
orably known. They own a number of
mining claims, some of which are said to
be excellent properties. Temporary in
sanity is the generally accepted theory to
account for the otherwise inexplicable
tragedy of today.
Hiram Griffin Breaks a Leg.
H. It. Griffin received a telephone mes
sage this morning from Susanvllle that
Ills son Hiram had been thrown from a
wagon anda one of his legs broken. No
details were given. Dr. Brock chanced
to be at Bonana on a professional visit,
and lie was telephoned to go to Susan
ville and attend to the case. No word
has been received from him at the time
THIi MlNt-R goes to press.
Fourteen Relatives Killed at Galveston.
Leo Burcelle, proprietor of the Vienna
Cafe, is a native of Galveston, lexas,
and all of his relations live there, either
in town or down the island. Among the
killed in the recent storm there he has
seen the names of fourteen relatives.
They are people of prominence and re
ports pay much attention to them.
Through the Yellowstone.
The new route via the Oregon Short
Line Railroad and Monlda, Mont., enables
you to make a delightful trip through the
Yellowstone National Park, entering via
Mouida and coming out via Cinnabar,
making it unnecessary to cover any por
tion of the route twice. For beautiful
descriptive booklet, write or call at Ore
gon Short Line Ticket Office, 142 Third
street, Fortland, Oregon.
SCHOOL STATISTICS.
Opened Monday With an At
tendance of 174 Pupils.
Tuesday evening there was enrolled in
the Sumpter public school 174 pupils.
This was the end of the second day of the
session. One year ago the attendance on
the second day was 112. This is an in
crease of 62, or more than fifty per cent.
The 174 pupils are divided among the
grades as follews: First, 42; second, 25;
third, 28; fourth, 14; fifth, 24; sixth, 17;
seventh, 15; eighth, 6: ninth, 3.
Last session closed with 230 pupils,
which on an equal ratio, would run the
number to over 350 this year. Two years
ago the entire number in attendance was
114.
The census taken last March shows
that there are 37s children of school age in
this district. It is therefore possible, but
not probable that the Increase during this
term will be as great a per cent as It was
last session.
Two years ago the enrollment tor the
first week amounted to 84, less than half
of the present number. Willie this Is a
gratifying Increase, it is no hides to the
growth of the town, as Till: MlNI-.H lias
frequently pointed out and explained.
WORK ON THE BIG HOTEL.
Foundation Finished and Brick Laying
Commences October 10.
I avid Wilson returned to town yestei
day and is misy today getting ready to
start active work on the big brkk hotel.
William Slinson lias moved his residence
from the lot and much of the stone for the
foundation lias been delivered.
A kiln of 200,000 brick is now being
burned, w liicli w ill be cooled and the brick
ready tor delivery by October to. Mr.
Wilson says that by that time lie will
have the grading, excavation and the
stone foundation completed. I he brkk
walls will be up and the roof on the struc
I ture hi thirty-live days trout the time the
brick work commences. No accurate es
timate can be made as to the time required
to finish the interior, livery man who
can be worked to advantage will be em
ployed and the job rushed to early com
pletion. No definite arrangements regarding the
management of the hotel has yet been
made, but some one will be put In charge
who understands the business and it will
be run as a first-class house.
Red Men's Rtftotian and Dance.
A. B. Cherry, great sachem of the res- j
ervation of Oregon, Improved Order of
Red Men, and editor of the Northwest 1
Calumet, published at Fortland, was In
town yesterday on official business. After ,
the regular lodge meeting, a reception was
tendered the Great Sachem, including a
dance, attended by invited friends of the
Order.
Ten Stamp Mill For the Gold Hill.
Colonel James A. Panting, manager of
the Gold Hill mine, which Is situated six
teen miles ejst of Baker City, In the
Burnt river district, visited the city yester
day. When seen by a reporter, the Colo
ns! said: "We are now laying the foun
dation for our new ten stamp mill and are
making them broad enough so that we
can increase the plant to fifty stamps next
spring. We have oceans of low grade ore
already uncovered and will sion have a
second Treadwell mine in operation, I
may be an enthusiast on eastern Oregon,
but have backed my opinion of our district
with hard cash. We will run our plant
by electricity, generated by water power
and propose to do up a brown job before
we get through with it. Our companv
has spent 5125,000 up to date In develop
ment and next year the Gold Hill will be
among eastern Oregon's wonderful pro
ducers." Democrat.
Rich Ore From Rock Ceeek.
Last evening some rich specimens of
rock was brought to this city from Bock
creek by J. Napp, a well known mining
man and prospector of this vicinity. He
stated that he has a group of three mines
on which he is doing development work.
He has a tunnel run on one of them and a
shaft sunk t,o the depth of 80 feet, which
uncovered the vein of very rich ore. These
clalm are in a new district and from all
Indications will prove to be a dividend
paying vicinity. Republican.
DEVELOP THE MINNEAPOLIS.
Portland Company With Ample Capital
Will Make a Mine of It.
A mining proposition has been finan
ciered in Fottlaud and ample money se
cured to develop the property, which is
the Minneapolis, regarding the recent rich
strike on whUh full particulars were given
in 1 III: MlNl-U several weeks since.
The company lias been Incorporated
under the name of the Fortland Gold Min
ing and Milling companv. I he incorpor
ators are C. II. Feuner, W.ll. Muzzy and
I:. Sanderson Smith. The company is
capitalized at Jioo.coo; a million shares at
ten cents each. I here have been placed
in the treasury 250,000 shares.
I:. Sanderson Smith, who with C. II.
Fenner, seemed the propeity under bond,
Is in iliarge of the work. He says the
plan is to run a tunnel near the foot of the
hill, which at a distance ol 340 leet will
brh.g them immediately under the old
workings, and attain a depth of 250 feet.
I he company began hauling lumber
this morning for the necessary buildings,
all ol which will be made substantial and
comfortable. Work will be continued all
winter. Mr. Smith says the Fortland is
going to be one of the big mines of this
district, and that (lie early date at which
it is going to become a producer will sur
prise the natives.
Call for Bids on Tunnel Work.
Sealed bids will be received by the Dia
dem Gold Mining company until October
to, 1000, at their office in Sumpter, Ore
gnu, tor the running of C100 feet of tunnel,
being the continuation of the company's
present tunnel, which is In 225 feet. The
company reserves the right to reject any
and all bids.
The Diadem Gold Mining Co.
W. H. Mnsby, Secretary.
Sumpter, Or., Sept. iK, 1000.
Water Notice.
The lawn sprinkling hours are from ft
to o o'clock p. m. Consumers are res
tricted to their own grounds, and will not
be permitted to sprinkle the public streets.
Buuuhig water through an open hose at
any 0 tier hour than those mentioned,
ranii-iti? allowed. 'I he 'water will Ik:
"shut off" whenever these rules are vio
lated. SWMI'TliK WATIiH CO.
"The Fortland", conducted by Gus
Woodward on Mill street, is fully a
representation of its name. A visit will
convince you of this.
Go or send to the City Green house,
Raker City, for choice carnations; thirty
five cents per dozen. Roses fifty cent
per dozen.