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
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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