, 1866-02-16
ASSASSINATION OF FERD.PATrERsoN

Town was thrown INTO ieVer OF exeltementt by
the announcement that Ferd Patterson, who
had been spending the winter at walla WaIla,
had been shot and instantly killed. Immediatei
ly on hearing the report we proceeded to Dan.
Welch's saloon, and there found Patterson
stretched on the aOOr, with the life blood oozing
from four or FIVE wounds, either of them sufi :
cieut to produce death. The circumstances at
tending the shooting as near as we can gather
them, are as follows: About half-past eight
o'clock in the morning, Patterson had gone into
Richard BOgles barber shop to get shaved
few moments later, Donehae, the man who
killed him, entered the shop from the rear, aud
seated hmselfin the back room, from which he
hadA good view ofPatterson whilst being shaved
Not word passed between the two men, aud
the barber had finished shaving Patterson, aud
was dressing his hair, when Mr. Wood, the da-
guerrean artist, who happened to be present,
noticed Donohue advance toward Paterson,
holding at the same time his hand behind his
back and grasping revolver. Donohue being
policeman, Wood supposed that the intention
! was to arrest Patterson, and that he (Donohue)
thus held the pistol in order to be prepared for
resistance. After advancing to within few
feet of the deceased, Donohue paused for per-
baps thirty seconds, and then hastily rushing on
Patterson with his pistol, said patterson you
must kill me, or I'll kill your Before Patterson
had time either to speak or move, Donohue dis
charged his pistol, the ball from which entered
the right side of his face nearly on line with
the mouth. On being shot, Patterson exclaimed
'ioh, my GodT' and sprang toward the door.
Whilst thus endeavOring to escape DonOhue dis
charged two more balls ,one ofw which took efectthe
other passing through trout window, at an ell
ovation considerably higher than a mans head.
Patterson succeeded in getting out of the barber
shop, and reach ed Welchs saloon, which is next
door The moment he got inside the door of the
saloon, he sunk down helpless, and whilst in
this position Donohue, apparently determined to
make sure work. again advanced on the pros
trate man, and discharged two more balls both
Of which took effect. After completing his bloody
work, Donohue went and delivered himself up,
and was forthwith committed to the county Jail.
As the news spread it created the widest
citement, and forthwith thousand and one
/
erybody pronounced a cold blooied murder.-
One fthe reports WAS that Donohue and Pat
terson had difficulty in Portland year or tive
since, and that the killing was the result of an
old grudge. Another version, WAS that Pdtter-
son had been noisy the night previous, and on
being demonstrated with by Donohue, replied,
"thc next time see you, I'll kill you - None
of these reports could be traced to any reliable
source, and at this writing the whole murder re-
mains mystery. The'friends of the deceased
even say that Patterson was an entire stranger
to Donohue, and the assassination was part of a
deliberate plan to get him out Of the way. The
examination, which will possibly be held to-
day or Tomorrow, will most likely throw some
light upon a deed that for the present is shroud-
ed in mystery
fthe parties to this tragedy, Patterson is too
well known to require description. From gen.
q -tleman who knew him well! we learn that he
cmigrated to California from Louisiana in ls4o,
and has ever since resided on this coast. In
carly days he followed the business of packer,
E but falling into the habits of the country became
a gambler and for number Of years has fol-
lowed sporting for livelihood. Whilst living
in Northern California he was engaged in one
or two diiliculties-none Of them serious. By
t his friends he has always been regarded as a
/, clever, good-natured fellow, except when under
the influence of liquor. At these times he was
dangerous, aud it was on an occasion of this
kind that the best fpieud he ever had was COM
, pelled to shoot him in self-defense. This oc-
; CURED many years since. The circumstances
attending his killing Capt. Staples, at Portland
must still be fresh in the minds of our readers
t On that occasion all the parties were under the
: influence of liquor, aud the whole sad affair wa;
) the wiud-up of drunken debauch. Of the kill
:. ing ofPinkham, in which Patterson again fig
> ured as principal, opinions varied. Whatever
the merits of that case, jnry of his countrymen
acquitted him of all crime, and that verdict
), we have no right to go behind. We have only
II to add that at the time of the shooting, Pater-
d son entirely uaarmed, having neither knife
. nor pistol. We are informed that he was borr
in Tennessee in 1926, and moved, with hi'
father, DR.. T. F. Patterson, to Augustine, Tex
u as, in lS4l-leaving home for California in '49
= His mother and father have died since he lef
y home. lie has sister (married to DR.. R. E
d Spencer, Dentist,) living in New Orleans.
!. fthe murderer, Donohue, we find it impos-
+. sible to learn anything satisfactory. All thai
we know of him is that he lived in Portland
and that about year sines-hs went to the DUise
} mines. Late last Fall be came down to Walls
Walla and for month or two has acted in th'
. capacity of private Watchman. What his OBJ
y ject was in Pefpetrating such cool and delib
;; crate murder we have no means of knowing. Al
already suggested, it is possible that the exami
s nation will unveil the mystery that at presen
surrounds the bloody deed.
TUE PRovocATIoS.
.. In Justification of his deed, Donahue state
3, that bis life had been threatened by deceased
II 1t appears that about gear since Patterson go
n into a difficulty about woman in Portland, ant
:, that Donohue, who was then policeman, wa
- very active in endeavorinZ to effect his arrest