, 1881-02-19
COOKS VICTIM.
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IaE s ss.ls suvis EssSs sis ,xAp:
| 4 ssrapxe CanhjnatksA ef Circumstances
Rrssshi 70 Light amer Nasy Hesths.
From the Dailes loastaia-er We CLEAN the
following interesting sequel 10 murder com
mitted near that place
OVER TWO YEARS AGO.
"Our citizens will readily call to mind the
! circumstances Of the finding of the dead body
OF a man on q sand bar in the river JUS,
above town during the freshet last Spring.
the particulars OF which were published In
the IHoastaia>er at that time. Circumstsn-
ce. combined to show that it was the corpse
OF man murdered by one Cook, who vas
| swung into eternity for a crime committed
in the county jail about two ye.rs ago. Cook
made st,temcp: just prior to bis death, de-
clarins that he had killed man and tod
where he had buried HIM. also describing
what would be found un the body. He like
Wise stated that prominent business man of
this city w1s
IMPLICATED IN THE MCEpEK.
Dlligent search was made At the time, but to
no avail, and little or no credence was given
to Cooks story. The Spring freshet un-
earthed.. the drcnmposed remains OF a man,
however, and upon searching the clothing
articles were found which verified the con.
demned criminals statement The garments
had the appearance of once being Of fine
material, though badly faded aud torn. The
pistol was .'buli dog" iive-shooter Of the
Smith & Weston make, and al Of the cham
bers were loaded. Appearances Indicated
that the deceased man was not over 80 years
OF age at the time oi death, Of medium height
! and we'll proportional. In the pocket book
Columbus, and check on the Sapa City
Bank, so badly failed and water soaked that
nothing farther than the printed mstter
coali he deciphered Now comes the
sTkANGEST Part OF THIS TRAGIC STORY
Last week received letter from Mrssrs-
! Spencer & Henning a law firm OF Napa City,
! California, asking information concerning
certain James Montgomery Parker, who left
San Francisco for Oregon in May 1875. since
which date nothing has heen heard OF his
whereabouts, except from one J.tferics, who
wrote that he had died in Klckitst valley.
This information was received IN tl.e fall Of
1878. The man Parker came To Oregon with
the intention Of buying land, and had in ms
possession about $1,000 In COIN He lett a
brother In Napa ~ whom lie WAS greatly at.
tached, and who intended joining him here
as soon as possible. Besides the
COIN ~ HIS rosSEsSIoS,
Parker left sum Of money on deposit Ill
the Napa City Bank. He Is described as be-
ing 30 years Of age, ) feet $ or inches IN
height, We'll bull, dark hair. wore rlus.
tache, had large scar on the left si'le Of his
face, and following the occupation OF labor
er When he left home he had in his I,os-
session bulldog pistol, diary or pocket
book aud a knife, the latter Of which We
have no description. Thus it will be seen
that the articles founl on the body and those
described as being III the possession Of Par
ker tally exactly. and also the dates OF the
missing mans arrival IN this State with that
O. the murder; we have no doubt but that
the two are one and the same man. Our
theory Of the affair Is this; Parker bought a
ticket IN Portland for Columbus. and ON his
way concluded 10 lay over in this city. la
the interval he
BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH COOK.
who. on learning the l'rge sum in PArkeIs
keeping, determined T. possess himself OF it.
He enticed the unsuspecting victim to the
upper end of tsxnsh nj finder the corcr OF
night dcliberate) nnrIerel him. Un!"ubt-
edly he hal been drinking and WAS unable
t. give any resistance Cook took the coin
and leaving the pocket book, pistol and
knife and the bank check Oh the body. He |
then dragged the corpse ont IN I re sand har |
and buried it. leaving the spade with which |
he dug the hole on the spot. He WAS shrewd
enough TO know that the
KNIFE, PISTOL AND POCKET BOON
would be strong evidence of his crime. which
accounts for his not taking them. His sen
sat,u,al statement that prominent business
man Of this city was implicated III the affair
vas . myth-and eoncocted simply to create
flutter of excitement at the time He Sas
the only party interested in the bloody affair. |
As City Marshal Jones sent the ticket found
to the O. r. NiCompany's Office At Portland, |
the interested parties have only to inquire
whether ticket TO Columbus MAS sold TO I
James NJ. Parker about thr-e years ago last !
August, and If 50, the fiual link in the chain !
of c,rcunstantial evidence will be completed. |!
All in all, it has been a straBgc drama-the !
confession of the murderer, Cook, the sub |
sequent finding of the body and the deep !
my srcry as tn the mans rlen,lty and now |
wears. after the almpst conclusive evidence !
Is brought to light that 1t IS the James :
Montgomery Parker that relatives and /
friends in California are searching III.
s,sELy SLAsDEKED.-For long and weary !
months the reporter Of the Daily SrArErNAS !
has Isborel faithfully ami assiduously tr !
bring bis III suite ap9en6age, kloan to the |
iliterate world as moustacbr, to that state !
az perfection that would make him the envy !
Of his associates and the Joy OF his female
acquaintance, aud Low his psece Q: mind
and prospective happiness is forever blasted
La H. a