The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-11-27

The air of mystery that pervades
the supposed murder of the man
Skiff, at North Powder, Oregon,
and for the committal Of which
George Boiler with his accomplices
are now under indictment and wait
ing trial at Union, is creating con-
siderable of stir throughout Ore
gon and the papers of that State
devote a good deal of space to the
matter. The Sunday Welcome,
published at Portland, in its last
issue gives the following additional
particulars concerning Boiler and
his wife and also the character OF
their attorney employed to defend
them:
Boiler, the proprietor Of the hotel
at North Powder, where Skiff was
last seen alive, and who is under ar
rest, with two accomplices, charged
with murder, at one time ran ferry
at Farewell Bend, I. T., and is said
to have on two different occasions
taken men across the water who
had money and who were drowned,
as he said, by the upsetting of the
boat, although on each occasion
Boilers clothes were perfectly dry
These two mysterious cases resulted
in his having to leave Farewell
Bend. Boiler is said to have been
tried for murder in Montana and
acquitted on the grounds of self
defense. His partner, wood dealer
in Austin, Nevada, owned consid-
cradle property in the shape OF
wagons, horses, ETC., mystcriously
disappeared, and when last seer
was in the company of Boiler. Two
weeks after the supposed murderer
appeared with bill Of sale for al
his former partners property. Al
Elko, New, a man worth $25,OO(
was taken to Boilers house Will
the smallpox, and there died. Prior
to his death he made the man hi:
administrator, and
TRUE TO Ills NATURE
Boiler appropriated everything t.
his own use. A brother of the de
deceased came from the East anC
had detectives employed on thu
case against Boiler, but they wer'
unable to fasten any crime upol
him. The authority for the caree
of Boiler in Nevada is gentleman
who was then sheriff where the sup
posed crimes were committed an,
is now resident of Baker City
His wife, who is a fine looking wo
man. was once tried for murder
but acquitted on her evidence tina
she had killed the man because h
was attempting to outrage her. !
gentleman who is here from Nortl
Powder says that the accused ar
very much afraid of the testimOn,
of Mrs. Ed. Hughes, the wife of
former purser OH a steamer runnin
to Portland, who is now suing to
divorce. She saw Boiler standin
over Skifr in a threatening manne
and afterwards heard an cutlery {
murder, but imagined it nothin
but u bar-room fight. Israel, tn
young lawyer who recently kille
Mr.. Cohen, is Mrs. Hughes atto1
new in her divorce case and ha
also been retained for the defens
i'm the Skiff murder. Israel is sal
to he bright lawyer and now
HAS NINETY CASES
Before this term of court, and COZ
: ducts them in his cell, his partner
CARRYING out his instructions; ne'
: ertheless he is considered a bad egI
and his companions are pimps an
gamblers. He was brought up
Olympia and is the son of respect;
bic people. To show his characte
he once expressed himself as gla
when he heard that his wife W;
dead. He is about twenty-nir
years of age, while his victim Cohe
was sixty-fve-a man beloved b
all who knew him, and generous
a fault. There are some twen1
poor families in Baker count
whom he clothed and supplied wit
provisions who will sorely miss II
kindness Of this good old ma
! Once every week he would tai
: $l5 in money and scatter it amor
5 the poor boys of Baker City, all
l whom loved him like a father l
rael's pal has been arrested by o
: der of Lawrence, one of the pros
4 cutting attorneys, as an accomplc
thus destroying the hopes express
by Israel that this fellows eviden
I, would clear him. The detectlv
are said to be now working on Il
theory that the body of Skitf W
burned by the murderers, and tn
they have a very good clue.
MRS. BOBIER AND CLARK,
ri The postohice clerk at North 70
der. who were last week arrest
> for tampering with the letters
detective Wood, who is employ
: in working up the case, waived c
n animation before the U. $. Coz
q missioner at Portland and att
; ward succeeded in obtaining 81
. and returned to North Powd'
The detectives and Union cOun