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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1908)
DAILY CAPITAL JOUIINAL, SALEM, OREGON, MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1008 4 ORA ROBEY MURDER AND GRILL SUICIDE 'Youth Cran-d by Jealousy, Murders Sweetheart nnd Commlta Suicide by Shooting nt Mldiilglttr-Only'Ono Witness Krar tlio SceneHod Evidently Carefully Prcparcdfor J)ecdnnd"'Vrotc Letter to Mother, Kxpbtlnlng Why He Had, 'Decided Upon" Crime Bullets Pierced Hearts of Both Girl Hcfuscd to Mnrry on Los Tlinn Year's Court- flhlti -Had Tlircnfrmxl ITer. .& J Tho Marshflold Times of April 1C hnB a detailed Btory of the murder nnd Biilcldo of Ora Robey and John Grills, both well known at Salem: Grill Hnd Mot. Carrying out a ctfrefully laid plot that his mind, crazed by Iovo nnd Jealousy had conceived nnd ar ranged for ending his troubles, John Grills last nigh about midnight, shot nnd klllod Ora Roby and then committed nulcldo on South Sheridan stroot on they were enrouto homo. Four shots woro flrod from a 38 cal ibre revolver, two missing entirely and tho other two piercing tho heart of each and producing almost In stant death. Tho trngedy, which occurred about 300 yards north of tho raco track Bthblos, was witnessed by one, Dnn Stnrr, a horso tralnor, who was returning to tho Btables from tho city and wna within about 200 ynrds of tho couple whon tho shots woro fired. Owing to tho darkness, ho could not distinguish who It was but liastoncd, passed tho bodlos to tlio stables to cot nld. Tho InBt npark of llfo was gono, whon ho and M. H. Nay and othors roturnod, Grills lying on tho bIcIo walk and tho girl Just off tho walk In the mud. A Struggle Took Place. Tho tragody had not been without n struggle Tho box of candy, tho book and tho shawl scattered along tho walk nnd tho lloolng footBtopn that roHldonts of tho neighborhood honrd told plainly or tho girl's of forts to snvo horself. Tho powder burim on the clothing nnd skin showed that GrlllB hnd followed hor nnd placed tho murzlo or to gun within a few IiipIiob or hor body be roro ho pulled tho trigger. Tho bul let passed through tho honrt and body, Imbedding ItsoU Just bononth tho Bkln on her brdnst. Sho plunged forward, off tho wWk Into tho Btrect whoro sho wbb found, hor only ap peal bolng a few screams ovldonlly nttorod boforo tho fatal bullot had boon fired. ' ... Scarcely 20 BccomlB artor ho had killed tho girl, according to tho evi dence or nolghbora who hoard tho nolso or tho tragedy, arllls placed tho muzzle of tho rovolvor to hlB breast and flrod, tho bullot pnsBlng through his honrt nnd Imboddlng It soU JuBt beneath tho skin bolow his loft shouldor. GrlllB' platiR ror ending It all wore rovoaled this morning whon tho let tor, printed In thlB story, was round In hla pockot. Wrltton In a pencil, evidently with n nsrvous bund ho told of tho ravings of a orazod mind. In addition to tho lottor wan a noto on a picture poatnl card, containing practically tho same data as given In tho letter. Met Down Town, GrlllB mot MIb Roby down town Inst evening Just whore and how, no ono appoara to know. About 11:30. thev stopped at Jaok Davlfl 1 Bistell that .sho come In and drink somo soda. Sho compiled. While Bhe wmb drinking, ho excused hlm- boii ana went into the back room where ho bade good byo to Cecil Holland, Jack Davis, Julius Egonoff nnd some other boys there. While ho dln't glvo them nriy reason for bidding thorn goodbye, tho Inforenco tncy nnd that he was going away, probably to Portland he had been talking of tho trlpt Thon thoy left tho plnco together and prococdod homeward, that bolng tho last seen of thm nllve. About if! minutes Inter, tho tragedy occurred. AVoll Known Here, y Grills was n foundrymnn nnd had been rollowlng thnt vocation. lie Is n stop-son or tho Into Dr. Murphy and lived with his mother, Mrs. Mur phy, his sisters, Mn. Win. Wado and Mary GrlllB. Ho wbb born at Rose burg nnd camo hero rrom Salem. HIb ralhor Is u cohtractor at'Rosc burg and Snlom now. Two other nlstors, ono at Salem and one at oardlnor, nlFo survlvo him. Ora Roby Is tho daughter of 8, O. Roby who rosldos near tho fair ground. Sho would havo boon 23 yoars old August 30, noxt. Tho fam ily moved from Salem to North Bend Inst September and a few months .later moved to Marshflcld. She had ronldod at homo and yes terday Btartod to work In the nilly Taylor candy Btdro. Sho Is Burvlvod by hor parents, a twin brother, Orloy, and two other younger bro thers, Arton nnd Alonzo. Tho Roby homo Is In South Mnrsh flo'd bplng a whlto houso Just across tho stroot from tho race track. GrlllB had recently boon working nt tho Nelson Iron Works of which hi brothor-ln-law, Wm. Wado, Is nn officer. Whllo tho doflnlto arrangements havo not boon inado ror tho tunornla, Grills' will probably bo hold Sunday. Tho body or Miss Roby will bo sent to tho old homo In Snlcm tor Inter ment. Ifml TltmnPiint ITnt. Thero had booh warnings' or tho tragody but no ono had tnkon tho threats or GrlllB Horlously. Tho night or tho second night previous to tho crlmo, Grills, nccordlng to tho story told by MIhb Roby to hor folks, had placed a rovolvor agahut hor broaBt, "I would end It all now ir It wasn't ror your mamma and mlno." It oo ourrod nt MIsb Roby'a homo, nftor all had gono to bod, MIhb Roby was frlghtonod and told hor family. Hor mother Bug gostod thai GrllU bo put undor bonds to koop tho ponco or othor procautlonB tnken. Mr. Roby tlwright to send hor away but couldn't do bo and tho matter was lot drag. MIbs Roby was norvouB until a short time afterwards, Grills told hor that he waa going to Port land In a day or two. Provlous to this, ho had told hor that ho would won thnt sho wouldn't where ho bought a box or candy, walk down town with nnyono besides 8ho waited at io door but h In- himself or wrlto to nnv othor fol- Kitchen Cabinets - . . . jVrt'AT The labor Saver, Every Woman ants Theio la no possible investment thuj will glvo go nuioh g-nulne, long lled aiij complete satlsfnottQP as an lflweil KItohon Cnblnot with It th kitchen work oan Ije ,dane with tjio, loast olllert: clonnlng up can be done (n hair tt usual (innj. H th h r.Hh and chrfitlue- at Jl(o wm)in of tiro homo oonutl tu! m h fa-.n ly asw. -fcca cjit l10 oar Uto.-and look at tho Klwell Kitchen Cabinet. WBm&W MNm Matting Now patterns, choloo deslgus and fine toxturo U what wo are, nojr. Qffarla In matttagB. This Huo will aHPal to ou tlio motnont you sa It. ror tho toxturv and pattorus Just shout quality rrom first to last. Soe this ttno Hue or light summor floor covtrlugs. (Ciil0YVl .Cl!i!i3JMilDGlLJjj j xaff kWd Iowb, Intimating that ho would taka strenuous ' BtepB to prevnt. This threat resulted In Miss Roby's twin brother, Orely Roby, calling on Grills and nsklng him what he meant and telling him If ho couldn't be have better to stop calling on hor. Grills said that he didn't mean noth ing but had merely been angry on account of the tenor of a note that Bho had written him. In nddltlon to this, Miss Roby asked him what he had meant by his threats and he said -that he shouldn't be taken seri ously. Wanted to Miirry Her. According- to tho evidence given by the dead girl's twin brother at the Inquest this morning. Grills hnd asked Miss Roby to be his wife although he had known her but two months. According to what his sis ter had told him, she told Grills that fiho wasn't going to got married now and wouldn't mnrry nnyone unless she knew them for nt least n year. GrlllB kopt insisting but was put off and ho Is said to havo crown In sanely Jealous, thinking she Intend Mlss Roby's father said that ho didn't want to discuss Grills' actions with Grills as ho might get angry, and say moro than ho should, so ho Bent Orley Roby, tho twin brothor, to drills as previously stated. Mother Had Premonition. Mrs. Roby, tho dead girl's mother, heard tho fatal shots and immediate ly suimlsed tho truth. Sho had been asleep but awakened her husband. Thoy got up, found their daughter was not home but seeing that tholr Bon, Orton, with whom she had gono down to tho skating rink, was not in.returned to bed. Tho mother re mained nwako, however, and when 0 o'clock camo, sho insisted on Mr. Roby nnd Orley nrlslng nnd Btnrtlng n search for Ora. Thoy Btartod down town and whon passing Mrs. Murphy's homo, whoro Grills made his home, Orloy stopped to-lnqulro about Grills. There, they learned tho truth. Left With llrfltlier. Last evening, nbout 7:30, MIbb Roby and her brothor, Orton, agod 20, otarted down town together. Just boforo lonvlng sho wont over to her coiiBln, Moses M. Dullock, who makoB his homo with tho family and said 'Good-bye, Undo Bill," nnd stopping over to hor mother, kissed her nnd said, "Good night." Soon nrterwardfl, Bho was soon at tho skating rink, skating with Dan Stnrr who was tho ondy near wltnosa or tho trngedy. Just how nnd whoro Bho mot Grills could not bo ascer tained, Orton having left her and spent tho night down town with friends. GrlllH Had Recti Drinking. Cocll Holland, who had known Grills alnco tho lattor'B coming to Coos Day, testified thnt ho Baw Grills around tho Bkatlng rink oarly In tho evening. Grills, he said, had boon drinking but was far from Intoxi cated. Grills also was displaying tho rovolvor nnd twirling It around his flngor but Holland didn't think much of tho latter fact as ho had froquontly soon Grills with a gun. Grills, ho said, appeared to bo In his ueunl mood. Grills had rocontly told Holland that somoono In Marah- fluid had throatonod to shoot him (Grills) on sight nnd ho proposed to bo propnred for thorn. Later, Holland saw Grills with tho girl whon thoy stoppod at Jack Davis-' store. Starr Saw Shooting. Dan Starr, a horso tralnor who aloops at tho fair grounds, tostlflod at tho coronor's Inqtiost that he was within nbout 200 yards of the couplo whon tho shooting took plnoo. Ho Raid that he was on route homo and whllo going down Shorldnn Btroot heard a shot flrod. It appoarod to bo ahoad or him Soon" nrter the shot, ho heard a scuffle and a glrl'a screams ror holp. He hastonod abend j thon hoard two shots In rapid succ-emlon and arter an Interval' or Bevoral wcoads a rourth shot. Ow ing to tho darkneas, he couldn't nnnko out mu oh but was moroly nblo to see the tlah of tho last shot. He t hurried on, noticed a body on tho .sidewalk and made straight tor tho Istabli's where ho awakened M. H. N'a and returnod to investigate and give the alarm. Aft-r welng that the ,to weim dead, they camo down town for the officers. I Previous to the shooting, he testi fied that he had skated -with Miss I Roby at the rlak. He- didn't ror member of having held any conver sation with lr, othor than that sho had introducod him to hor brothor, Orton Roby. That was about 9 o'clock and ho dlda't notl03 her nft- I erwards. Coroner's Inquest. Dr. is. Mlngus. the Coos ocainty Icoronpr, Imnanueled a Jury consist ,lng of Charles A Howard. II. J. (Landen, iM. R. Coign. Chas. W. MoCullooh, L. W. Traver and Goo. riiomason. All testified substantially to tho racu ahovo set rorth. Wall. Frlzaon and LaChauello Hvo on Broadway, a block rrom the scene or the trag ody. and Nay at the race track, and were unions the flrat an the ermm.l. Wall telephoned to Marshall Cnrtar aim acoomuaniad the officer to tho scene about SO mluutee after the lae shot was fired. Dr. B. Mlafcua was also called and the bodies removed to Ti J. Lewis morgue. The Inqact waa also keld at Mr. Lewie' parlors aad attracted a groat crowd. Coroner's Vordlct. Artor completing the Investiga tion, the coroner's Jury rstumed two ?ird,c.1!" T?. nrst,n th 0 or the girl, finding that she had come to her doath from a wound Inflicted b John Grills, the crime being aom mltted throuah Jualouy m th cas or th cian. tbey found he had como to his doath at hU own hands, tho wound being Inflicted with sui cidal Intent. (JrilU lAtter to Ills Moiher. The following letter wan rouud in GrUU pocket. U be ng enclosed In a sealed envelop wh'ch wa-j d dressed, ' Mother from John' WMl, mamma, I had to do it. iwwtuwwwtiwwwwwwwinwiimwwimwwwwwiwwiiim,! Us W.U 4 H ' (' jl H iK- Save Your Dollars in ( Weekly Capital Journal, one year Seml-Wockly Oregon Journal ono year .'u.'bo ' Regular price to both papers .'. .7." 7. ....... ...'.,', ,$2. Bo Both Papers One Year For Price of One AT OUR EXCLUSIVE CLUB RATE $1.50 Dally Capital Journal, by mall fi.oo Dally Portland Journal, by mall,...., ...,. . jjtc.oo Dally nnd Sunday Portland Journal, bj; mall' . . 97,50 Exclusive Great Cut Rate Offer for the Two Dailies Daily Capital Journal and Portland Journal, by mall, ono year $7.50 Dally Capital Journal and Dally and Sunday Portland Journal ono year, by mall , $0,00 SAVE $1.50 ON THE FIRST COMBINATION AND $2.50 ON THE SECOND Thcso prices aro strictly act cash In advauco mall order propo sitions, nnd do not apply on nny of our city carrier or special de livery system. THE SEMI-WEEKLY OREGON JOURNAL PubllBhes tho latest and moBt comploto tolographlc nows of tho world; glvoarollablo market roports, bb it is published at Port land, whoro tho market news can bo ami Ls corrected to dato lor each Issue; has an ontortalnlng Btory pago and a pago or moro of comlo each wook, and It goo to tho subscriber twlco evory week -104 times a year. THE DAILY CAPITAL JOURNAL Is a clean, model, up-to-dnto local nowspapor. It gives all the latost nows and happenings and should bo In ovory homo In this vicinity. Tho two papors mako a splendid combination nnd you sutb monoy by Bonding your subscription to , . E. H0FER, Publisher, v.; '.-.VV Salem, Oregon IWIiWIWWWPWWtiWlltllWWWIWWWWtlWWWWWWsltlitiWWsilli1illltlt Yes, I told hor I would do It nnd I moant It You mustn't take it too hard for I couldn't holp it. Sho Just drove mo to It, Sho will not bothor nnybody oIbo. Thero Isn't much t& do In town. I know I havo been a bad boy but It Is all over now. She has recolvod hor reward. I could not llvo una boo anybody olso havo her, 1 know I am crazy but I can not colp It. I never wna nny good and I would ho worse In tho futuro. Glvo my lovo to all tho girls and toll thorn why I dono It. Sho prom ised mo, thon she trlod to shako me but tho couldn't, ir 1 can't havo her nobody else will do. "Tell mil to got that bill rrom Fred and ndd $G to It ror Cecil Hol land. But find OMt what ho wants first and then add $1 lor tho Pioneer Hardware storo. Pny baaror 75 conts ror hauling tho boat. Then add what ho thinks it Is worth and give to to dock. "Goodby, "JOHN." Portland Market. WheatClub, 84c; valley, SO 8Gc: bluoBtem, 87c. Poultry Hona, 14Hc; ducks, lGlblOc; pigeons, old, $1 per dozen. MUlstuff Bran, $24. Hay Timothy, valley, 7.50; al falfa, ;i2012.50. Votch $14. o-- - DoWItt'B Llttlo Early Risers, tho famous ttlo liver pills. Sold by a'l drug' lata. He Got What He $ , "Nino yo-rs neo It lW my tlmo hnd cope, kji Farthing, of Mill Creel, i IT wna en run down toll UTI I on a very slender thrl B thon my drugniu PlnntrlA Hltterl. I DOSgH ! nn,i t cot what I needed- 1 1.0,1 nnn fnot In the P" Rtnrtrln Hitters DUt It bl turr again, and ITe ,,1 Blnco." Sold under RB,MB - nnm.'o Hnii more. j, li o .-,. --- BAliCM MAKKET. Local Wholesale Market, J7VSC 10c. Hies 14 c. Ikittor Creamery, Cows $3 C 3.50. Hens llo; nilxed ohlokons, Loqal whoat S2fl5Q, Osu Sfto. narley $2G. Flour Hard wheat, ?4.S0C4.80. valloy, $4.00. Hay Cheat, 13f 14 glover, $10 ff 2 por ton; timothy, $14(fJ15. Onions 3 0. Hops 1007 crop, 4 04 &c Cascara Dark 3 to 3& c, Mhalr 2.0 e. Iteiall Market. OaU $1.46 10 par owt. Whoat $1.00. Rollod barloy $31. Bsbb ICo. Duttor Country, 30oj oroamery, 30c Flour Valley, $1.20 pr sack; hard wheat, $1.40$1.50. Draa 90c per saok; $30.00 por ton; shorts, $i.sj l)Sr 8aok. Hay Cheat, $1617; elver, $15; ohoat, 85c; okiver, 75c per cwt. Oranges $2.502. 50. Ltiostock. Hogs Fat, $5.60. Stock hogs $4.60. Steers Tops, $3.60 fair, $2,75 0 $3.00. Veal 66 Sc. Tropic! Fruits. Danamw $6 00. Or-ugch $2 402 50. Lonions $3.50 4.50. BEER PROMOTES TEMPERANCE Recognized as a Food Product So Dealt With by the Govern n ... ,.. ... u mnA nr that the drinks il l 19 UOIUjJ 1 CUUJiU JifU. IUU null" w.-. - ,tflf" Ipromotoa temperance and obrloty to a far greater e "ill tho prohibition laws on tho statute doom. . titt All enllghtoned European naUons are encoursB faoturo and consumption of light boars conmiu.-d ono-half per oent alcohol, and the result hos hen 4- ... . . -. i -.. ...Ill 10 uu siucaro lovers 01 luiupefuntc nnjJUTe The Unltod States government has takfn.a... rtuUI this direction, tho war depaitmont hokUBg iw M of tho army canteen for tho salo of beer dsibb -slty In the lntorost of temporance and sourl ety. w Beer is today recognized as a "Food Froau. . with by tho government. rontrdlfted t All the great inauranco compamea -- ,m woff that have been given currency through prow t(ei 1 tho drlnklnc of beer was a bar to securing t t lately published to the world at large the s -darts drlnklug beer modorately (not more than to BrT-iri H ty-four hours) woro tho very best or rfsKs. toof . i. ., nin nt death r .v.- uisurunco reports snow iui iw operate or. v ers Is thirty per cent greater than arooBg bjw ;i Beer la puro and wholesome, and the oaj fl( eTlWy 1 i win ho n ..nh n nart or the dally subsist as are milk, bread and othor food nec0SfiUIfl'iss0CutaJu' ti, ,nr i.,au.oH i.v tho Saleni Brewery a us sense tho very best that mode -n enterprise can for itself and ls Its own best advertisement. SAI FM BREWERY AS SALEM, OREGON SOCIATI