THE SUMPTER MINER
vol,. II.
SUMPTER, OREGON, MAY 22, 1901
NO. 37
i
MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
TOUNG MAN KILLED AT NORTH
POLE MINE.
Pound in tils Bunk, hli Head Beat to a
Pulp with a Club Negro Cook Arrested
on Suspicion No Positive Evidence of
his Guilt Coroner's Inquest Being Held
This Afternoon.
Ira Jelison, a young man about twenty
two years of age who has been working
at the North Pole mine boarding house,
died at the hospital here last night at n
o'clock, as the result of wounds on the
head which he received last Saturday
night, Inflicted by some unknown person.
Su nday morning he was found In his
bunk In an unconscious condition, his
head being badly bruised and mutilated,
having evidently been beaten with a club.
He was brought to the hospital here and
placed under the care of Dr. Anderson.
At that time his head was so badly
swolen that it could not be determined
whether or not the skull was fractured.
Though unconscious most of the time,
he could be aroused and would show
signs of mental activity. Last evening
symtons of a fractured skull were devel
oped and Doctors Tape and Anderson
operated on him, removing six pieces of
the skull bone. He lived three hours
after the operation, having made no
statement regarding his injury.
Sunday evening Constable Baker and
Justice Felix went to the mine and ar
rested Jack Miller, the negro cook at the
boarding house, on suspicion of having
commuted the crime. On instructions
from the county attorney, he has been
held in jail here, awaiting the result of
the Injurifs to Jelison, no warrant having
been Issued against him. What evidence
the officers have of his guilt, If any, has
not been made public. It Is stated, how
ever, that it is entirely circumstantial In
character. There is considerable mystery
surrounding the case and those who
would naturally be supposed to know
most about It are doing the least talking,
which Is doubtless very proper. Monday
the club with which the murder was com
mitted was found in the kitchen of the
boarding house.
Coroner Snow arrived on the one
o'clock freight from Baker City today
and Is holding the Inquest this afternoon.
The first session was held over the re
mains, now In Case & Co.'s undertaking
parlors, after which the coroner left for
the mine, where another session Is in pro
gress and the important witnesses are be
ing examined.
The verdict of the coroner's jury Is be
i ng waited for with much interest by the
public at large. The time has not been
set for Miller's preliminary hearing.
Praire City Mao Held Up.
W. J. Donaldson, of Prairie City, came
in yesterday with two passengers en route
to Baker City. He reports being stopped
by an armed man on Burnt river moun
tain the night before, who had taken his
rig for the stage. Donaldson claims that
the night was so dark he could not see
more that the outlines of the man, who
was hidden behind a large boulder near
the road, but that when ordered to stop he
did so and while answering the highway
man's questions about the stage, he was
qui etly secreting what money and other
valuables he had, expecting to be ordered
out and with his passengers be searched.
He was allowed to proceed, however,
without unloading and on meeting the
west bound stage notified the driver, who
had among his passengers two armed
men. From last accounts nothing more
was heard of the would-be stage robber,
and It Is a question whether Donaldson
might not have been mistaken In the
man's Intentions regarding a hold-up.
DR. TAPE LEASES HOT LAKE.
Will Take Charge June t and Build a 100
Room Modern Hotel.
Dr. Tape returned Monday afternoon
from Hot Take, Union county, where lie
has been making numerous visits recent
ly, presumably for the benefit of his own
and Mrs. Tape's health, but in conuersa
Hon with the Doctor en route home, he
produced a document from the depths of
one of his long professional coat pockets
?nd said: "There Is the lease to the en
tire Hot Lake property, with an option to
purchase same and we will take charge
there on the first day of June." By "we,"
the Doctor meant himself and Mrs. Tape,
whom everyone acquainted with her
knows to be a first class professional
nurse and none better fitted to be In charge
of such a place as the Hot Luke Sanitar
ium will be, for It is the Intention of Dr.
Tape to so call the place hereafter.
The medicinal virtues of the Hot Lake
waters are becoming well known, as is
proven by the crowds who go there to be
benefitted by them. In fact, the writer
knows that the place Is too crowded tor
any reasonable comfort at this time, but
the accommodations will be bettered as
soon as possible, by the addition of a new
ioo-room hotel building with modern
equipment, lighting plant, and as the
water of the lake can be used for heating
purposes, generating its own steam, that
part of the apparatus can be run at a
small expense and be in use the entire
year when needed.
Dr. Tape desires it to be understood
that he will not give up his Sumpter hos
pital on account of his new connection at
Hot Lake, but he has an arrangement
about completed whereby a prominent and
competent physician will enter into pait
nershlp with him here and take full charge
of the hospital, to which he will be able to
give a certain amount of his attention
also.
Healy's Rich Placer Ground.
P. D. Healy returned today from the
Pine creek placer mines, east of Bridge
port and about forty-four miles south of
Sumpter. This Is the property which Mr.
Healy and P. J. Griffin purchased last
fall and have put In excellent condition for
work at this time, which Is being done
with the aid of five men and two giants.
A partial cleanup was made this week
and to see some of the gold taken there
from would make some peoples eyes stick
out a foot. One nugget shown at THE
MINER office was as large as a Saddle
Rock oyster and weighed nearly $50. A
hand full of others vary from the size of a
pea to that of a peanut. Just west of the
ground mentioned Is where the $108 nug
get was recently found. Mr. Healy says
they will work Into the month of July (U
their property.
ail For Bids.
Bids will be received by the under
signed for a contract to be let for a $o-foot
shaft to be sunk on the Crlzzly Gold
Mining company's property near Granite
summit. Bids will be opened May 20,
1001. Address Grizzly Gold Mining Co.,
B. O. box 183, Sumpter, Oregon.
TALK OF THE TOWN
W. R. Hawley Is In Baker City on
business today.
Henry Spauldlng and wife are visiting
In Baker City this week.
Neil J. Sorensen wen to Hot Lake on a
business trip this afternoon.
The Sumpter band orchestra will give a
dance at Bourne Friday evening.
Dr. Brock went to Whitney and Gelser
Sunday on professional business, return
ing Monday.
Manager McCallum, of the Bald Moun
tain mine, made the round trip to Baker
City today on business.
Mayor and Mrs. Robbtns went out to
the Concord mine Saturday afternoon.
They returned home today.
Attorney C. H. McColloch returned
Monday from Willamette valley points
after an absence of one week.
T. T. Danilson returned this forenoon
from Ontario. While there he sold his
fruit ranch, located near that town.
M. E. Balne returned home Monday
from the Burnt river country, where he
had been on a mining deal that was con
summated J. B. Wilson, representing Collier &
Son, New York publishers, is calling on
the Sumpter book worms this week and Is
doing a good buslues.
Jim Cornfield returned a few days
since from Hot Lake, apparently entirely
cured of rheumatism, with which he had
been suffering for months.
Mr. Paradise, foreman of blacksmiths
for the Sumpter Transportation company,
cut his knee with an ax Saturday and Is
now forced to use crutches In walking.
F. A. Williamson has moved his
depot for the Huzelwood Ice cream, and
other confections and cigars, to the new
Mill street stand, opposite the Opera
house.
Mrs. J. H. Brown will leave tomorrow
or next day for Malheur City, near which
place her husband Is mlnnlng. She will
mrealn there for several weeks, possibly
during the summer.
Joe Mlkel returned from California
Monday. He has acquired some oil lands
there that he hopes will "pan out big."
He will spend the summer here looking
after his mining Interests.
A. P. Goss received a telegram several
days since announcing the death of his
father at Hudson, Wisconsin. The de
ceased left Sumpter several weeks since,
having been unwell most of the time dur
ing his visit here.
H. T. Booth, state manager of the Pa
cific Mutual Lite company, of San Fran
cisco, returned Monday from an extended
visit to Canyon City and John Day
towns, having had a pleasant and an un
usally profitable trip.
E. A. Worswlck, brother of Mrs. Brock,
arrived in Sumpter Thursday from his
home In Bellevue, Idaho, and accepted the
position of assistant cashier In the Bank
of Sumpter. President Goss Is fortunate
in securing the services of so valuable a
man.
J. F. Alden, formerly of the Sumpter
Grocery company, came up from his
Starkey Prairie ranch last week, bringing
several head of horses which had been
wintered there foi local parties. His fam
ily will soon join him there to spend the
summer, at least.
The morning passenger train on the
Sumpter valley railway brought In 58
passengers today. This was a few more
than usual, but the travel this way has
been heavy for the past week or ten day
and will doubtless increase as the weather
grows warmer If It ever does.
John R. Cassln, secretary of the Alamo
Mining company, arrived from Spokane
Monday afternoon, and went out Immedi
ately to the mine, being met here by W,
H. Jackson, employed by the same com
pany, at Alamo. It Is supposed his visit
has something to do with the probable In
stalling of a mill on this property.
Gus Trelwald, president of the Star
Brewing company, at Portland, was up
visiting his general agents In this part of
the world last week. Manager Sterling,
of the Sumpter Forwarding company,
handles the product locally and supplies
all the outside towns reached from this
point, doing a large shipping business.
David Wilson left today for Ontario,
where he lives and Is putting up some
new buildings. The supply of brick on
har' ,t the new hotel here has been ex
hausted, but a new kiln Is being burned
and will be ready in a week or ten days.
Meantime there Is plenty of work to keep
busy the men now employed on the hotel
structure.
The school board at Its meeting Satur
day evening reelected Mrs. Holland and
MIssGilllsple teachers for the next session
of the public schools, and also selected
Miss Hattle Eckersly, of Cove, Union
county, as one of the teachers. The com
mencement exercises will be held In
Ellis' Opera house the evening of May 31
when an attractive program will be pre
sented. S. G. Murray, western manager for
the IngersollSargent Drill company, left
Saturday for Idaho points. Including Sil
ver City, where he had sold to the Trade
Dollar two electrically driven compres
sors; the power to drive which is gener
ated by the waters of Snake river. To
the same company he also sold twenty
drills of his firm's make, and to the
War Eagle Mining company, near Silver
City, a class "A" five drill compressor.
Elk and Moose Deal Closed.
Several weeks since Till: MINER men
tioned the fact that W. C. Calder had
bought for Tacomaaud Portland people
the Elk and Moase mines, located on
Bald Mountain, between the mine of that
name and the Mammoth. Monday he
succeeded In buying the remaining Inter
est for the same parties. As soon as pos
sible work will be commenced on the
property under Mr. Calder's direction, and
a producing mine should be the result, as
the claims are contiguous to two divi
dend payers.
Questions of Burning Local Interest.
A meeting of the long dormant Business
Men's league is called for this evening at
the Sumpter Townslte company's office.
The oblect of the meeting Is to start the
ball rolling for a Fourth of July celebra
tion, to discuss what shall be done re
lating to placing the merits of the camp
before the Intesnatlonal Mining congress
which will hold a session In Boise In July,
to consider the possibility of constructing
a road to the Burnt river country and
tackle a few other prblems of local Interest.
Prompt attention to orders for cut flow
ers and floral pieces. City Green House
Baker City, Oregon.
Dunphy & Gertridge's Club saloon Is
the popular resort for mining and com
merclal men.
Only the best brands of liquors and
c gars at the Club saloon of Dunphy &
Gertrldge.
Always reliable Giant powder.