The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-03
MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
q Old Rsneher Near Green River
shot in Cold Blood.


The Particulars.
rrnYu Coroner smart. deputy sheriff
rroossrx and UnIeFtaker Jones, who
/. ,rtarned from slaughter yesterday the
fosloxing particulars Of mysterious
~order which occurred near that place
vsre learned;
Eayiy on Sunday morning q man
.sed 81 years, named James Creeexn
( -. hot down by an unknown assss-
- q be emerged from his cabin.
.sh;eh L located on his homestead Ut
: mint eight miles from Slaughter. At
!. tos,eiv location in the woods. The
t,.dy vas found by neighbor named
w7lism Nelson. who resides about
- miles away, on Sunday evening.
4 - rreegan's custom every Sunday
). shsve and dress himself in his hest.
~srrfuIiy make up his bed and then 70
s q Nelson = place for his mail and
!. ~ his Sabbath dinner there before
Z. uznrned. On Sunday last he
;ss,ra 10 DO this, and the omission was
= vsu1vkAbIe that Mr.. Nelson con-
sss,ied thnt there must lie something
$500 snd determined 20 investigate
q mi ct the cause. With that OBJ
- a REV he went 10 Creegau's
800 md was greatly Mortified 20 find |
~ neixhhor lying dead in front Of the ]
80 door Of bis domieiIe. Mr.. Neil |
- xss too much agitafed over the /
5 srIm discovery 10 investigate the cause
Il Creeran's death, bat presumed that /
81 had died frora an epilepfic fit. So
81 harriedly left for Slaughter. where
- notified Or. ID. Il. Hoye Of the
desth OF creegan. The latter started
fDY crregan's cabin. but failed 70 reach
il He, however, returned to Slaugh-
trr and sent telegraph message TO
l'orouer Smart appri<sng him OF the
inci OF Creegan's death.
10 THE scKsg OF rHE AcEnEk.
On Monday Coroner Smart. @. u
Jones Of Cross Il CO.. and Deputy
sheriff Woolery left or the II :ts train
Tor Slaughter, bat owing 10 The fact
that the train was delayed. they did
not reach that place until { 30 O'Clock
ID the afternoon. Here IL WIS learned
that the Cresgan place was eight miles
away. Al wagon was secured and
Messrs. Wooiery and Jones were dis
patched for the body. A wagon ride
81 five miles brought them TO Green
river, which WIS crossed in q dugout.
From there the ranch lay three miles
up the trail, where the old man had
lived all by himself. Here the body
OF the murdered man lay just a. IL
had been left by the murderer.
The cabin occupies 10 by II feet OF
space, and Ii built of logs and shakes
with q single roof. The door Is 50
low that one has TO stoop when enter
ing or leaving the cabin. The cabin
faces down the mountain in an easferiy
direction. The rise behind the cabin
Ii very abrupt and the mountain rises
to great height above il. This gave
the murderer splendid opportunity
10 shoot CYeegan as he emerged from
the cabin in the morning. A paper,
the Irish World. was found on the floor, 3
opened. Just inside the door, and
Crsegan's spectacles were under his
elbow. The body lay alsnest across
the door with the left hand under the.
head. A plate was under the head,
covered with blood. In falling the
murdered mans head struck with
such violence that the nose bied pro-
fuSeiy.
7Hg BULLET wousp.
On the right breast, about two and
: hall inches 10 the right OF the me-
dian line, and short distance above
the right nipple. was a 4i-ealibre hull
lei wound. The bullet had evidently
Isa<.. ssI All
There was no possibility that the de.
pistol. ef the bulldog pattern. lav on
4 shelf ii the cabin with all it, chs
bers loaded An ancient ransket Was
siso found inside the cabin, but il eyi.
IDENTIFY had not been discharged for
was inerusted with rust.
Mr.. Jones. who was acting as deputy
coroner. locked the cabin and left the
Messrs. Jones and Wooiery, assisted
BY the neighborS, packed the body
distance OF three miles 20 Green river.
This was no easy task. as the path Was
3 rough and crooked one. From
Green River 10 Slaughter the Journey
was made in wagon. The start
" a. AitAtfG Win AflE HtAfAt4tI H&2ff
body ut 5 O'Clock, and Slaughter was
reached at Q o'clock. DR.. ID. Il. Heye,
assisted by Mr.. Jones, at the request
Of the coroner. held an autopsy on
the body, and il revealed that the bull
let had passed from where IL entered.
IN the right side, downward and clear
through the right lung. and then
struck the lower edge of the liver. cut
ting of a small piece. 10 came three
inches 10 the ieft of the nedian line,
and considerable distance below the
lower end Of the shoulder blade.
II may be said here that a siiligent
saayrh' was made both on Monday
and Tuesday in the vicinity OF the
cabin for the bullet. but ii could moi
he found.
INQUEST or TaR CORONER.
Al the conclusion of the autopsy
nr, Smart held IA inquest, with the
SHOWING named as jurors: G. Ill.
French. foreman. W. III. Hcmphiil.
{. Y. Lockridge. T. G. rortway. John
Nopding aud NJ. III. Corners. DIR. II.
Z. Hoee, Frank Smith. J. G. Gilmore.
Charles White. Daniel White. W T.
Ballard. James Hinged and William
Nelson were the witnesses.
The most important testimony was
given by Frank Smith. He swore
that he had seen the Vaughn boys on
sunday afternoon at point about
l0nr miles from treegan's place.
They were hunting at the
TINE. and one OF them had
Winchester rifle with him. There
Was no evidence elected at the inqui-
ataoa 70 show that there could he any
aot;se for the murder of Creeean. rs
ae seemed 10 have no enemies IN that
section. Ii was revealed that he and
Vaughn had slight quarrel some
TINE since, but this was healed and
ssldently forgotten hy tae parties.
tais was evidenced by the fact that
Ieegan since the quarrel loaned
Vaughn his horses 10 use them on
parnes 10 town.
The murderer must have shot him
AID then hurried away from the scene
y the bloody crime as fast as he could.
VERDICT OF rue JURY.
AZ The conclusion Of the inquest the
lary returned the following verdict
We. the Jury. aaa. according 10 the
sslaenee giYea. that James CFeegaa came
- a,s death hy gunshat wannd fred by
Fssaes unknown ,e the jury