Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-12-16
MAN SHOT NEAR SUBLIMlTY.
Mr.. VIM. Riggs Shot Dead by Oran
Hammond-Foul Play
Suspected.

Yesterday afternoon about three
o'clock, terrible tragedy occurred
near Subllmlty, the details of which
are of most shocking character.
The circumstances were about as fol-
lows: Mr.. Thos. Hammond and his
twelve year old son, Oran, who live
at Stayton, went to the farm
of Mr.. Hammond's father
two and one-half miles
northeast of Sublimlty. There
they were joined by Mr.. VIM. Riggs,
whose farm joins the Hammond
place. No particulars are known
except the story of Mr.. Hammond,
which il as follows: A band of
quail was started up and Mr.. Ham,
mond shot one bird. Then his son
wished to have shot at the rest.
To this the father consented, and
as he and Mr.. Riggs were directing
the boy how to shoot, the latter
stood to the left of the boy, and al
most at the end of the gun. AS
the boy raised the piece to fire
the father says he was very
nervous, not being used to shooting,
and as the bird flew to the left the
boy hastily and excitedly fired, lodg-
ing the entire charge in the right
side of Mr.. Riggs head ard jaw,
blowing one side of his head entirely
off, and causing instant death.
Coroner DC. Byland,of Woodburn,
was telegraphed TOR, but as he had
not appeared last evening, an in
quest was held before Cyrus Clark,
Justice of the peace. A jury was
empanelled, composed of the follow
ing named gentlemen: James Tay-
lor, Newt LeCroiX, N. Lambert, Pat
Lambert, Yes Lambert, and Geo.
Carter. The examining physi-
clan was DR.. Hunter. The
verdict of the jury was given
as deceased met death by the ac-
cidental discharge Of gun in the
hands of Oran Hammond"
Immediately after the inquest both
Mr.. Hammond and his son were ar
rested and held to await examine
ton this afternoon at 2:30 on the
charge of manslaughter. This ac-
ton was brought about by the
friends of Mr.. Riggs declaring that
he and Mr.. Hammond had had an
alteration at Sublimity Sunday
morning, caused by Riggs stock
running on the Hammond farm
without consent. The only wit
nessess to the terrible tragedy were
Mr.. Hammond and his son, hence
any evidence or testimony against
him must necessarily be of a circum-
stantial nature. Hammond denies
that be and Riggs had ever had any
trouble, and emphatically declares
his Innocence of the bloody deed.
In an interview with Mr.. Ham
mond he insists that If he had iu-
tended to commit the tragedy he
would not have been so careless as
to take his young son with him.
He feels perfectly easy rs to the out
come of the matter in so far as fast
ening any blame to him or his son,
except, perhaps that they may have
been somewhat careless in the use of
their gun.
1t was discovered by those whom
Mr.. Hammond called to the scene
where he had left his boy with the
dead man, while he went to Mr..
Riggs home for help, that both bar
rels of the gun were still loaded.
This fact lead to the suspicious
which caused Mr.. Hammond's ar
rest. What could have been the
motive for reloading the gun, or
whether other weapons played a
part In the tragedy Is unknown.
The whole thing Is a terrible blow
TO the community in which 1t occur
red, and all join In the hope that the
verdict of the coroner's jury may not
be reversed. Both the gentlemen
seem TO be highly respected by all
their neighbors, and the outcome of
the case will be looked for with in
tense interest. The JOURNAL can
be looked 10 for u full account of
the case.