The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-04
A MURDERED LOGGER.
Richards Missing Body Found
in Lake Washington.
DEADLY CUTS TELL OF A CRIME,
His Neighbor Palasio, One OF . Sup
posed Gang OF Counterfeiters, 6us-
pected Of Killing Him.

The mutiiated body Of Leon Richards.
logger on Mercer island, who disappeared
about May l, was found near his cabin on
the Lake Washington shore by w. d.
Ciegg, Mercer island farmer, yesterday
morning at o'clock. Richards is sup
posed to have been murdered by an Italian
named Antoine Palazio, who was at one
time employed by him and has not been
seen his disappearance.
Richards was well known along Lake
washington. having been a resident of
Mercer island for long time. His cabin
Is on the east shore of the island, about a
mile and half beyond Appleton's wharf.
On May he disappeared, and at the same
time Palazio dropped out of sight. The
latter formerly lived with half q dozen of
his countrymen on the island. They had
all along been in dsrepute among the
farmers. who regarded them as dishonest
characters, and when Richards could not
be found it was believed that he had been
foully dealt with by Palazio. The rumor
reached the sheriff. who detailed two of
his deputies to make an investigation.
They reported that the logger had turned
miner and gone to the Alaska gold fields
on the Yukon. This was Richards in
tention, but yesterdays discovery plainly
shows that he was murdered.
1t was about daylight when w. D. Clegg,
who owns farm about a mile south Of
Richards cabin, started to Seattle in a
rowboat. When near the cabin his atten-
ton was attracted to nauseous odor
and, rowing close to shore, he found the
body of man, well advanced in decay,
floating among some logs near. the shore.
He hurried to Seattle and notified the cor
oner
Coroner Horton, accompanied by Clegg.
an assistant and Deputy Sheriff Charles
Woolery. chartered the steamer Latona
and went to the spot where the body was
found. The remains were recognized as
those of Richards. There were numerous
knife cuts in the face, deep cut in the
breast and another across the stomach.
The head had been crushed in, evidently
with an axe. Around the neck was a rope
with loop at the end OF it. the center OF
which was rotted and parted. 1t is possi-
bic that after the murder the murderer
tied the rope around Richards neck,
weighing the other end down with rock,
and, rowing out into deep water. threw the
body overheard. In time the rope around
the rock rotted and the body rose to the
surface and fioated to shore. The body
was placed on board the steamer and the
cabin was visited. The place showed
signs of fierce struggle. The stove in
the corner of the cabin had been kicked to
pieces, while other articles were scattered
about. In a corner was pair of trousers
with marks OF bloody hands on them.
The murderer had evidently wiped his
hands on them and then thrown them
aside. A bar of soap was discovered under
the bunk with blood clots on it and there
were blood stains on the floor and wall.
The remains were taken to Bonney e.
Stewards undertaking rooms. In the
watch pocket of the trousers on the body
were found a counterfeit dollar and a
25-cent piece. When Palazio lived with
several of his countrymen on Mercer
island the farmers gave it out that they
were counterfeiters, although, so far as
known. they never gave evidence that
such was their occupation. The finding
of the spurious coin on Richards,
who was always known as an
honest man, gives new lite to the
rumor, however, and advances motive for
the murder. 1t may have been that the
logger discovered that Palazio had at one
time been engaged IN making bad money,
and charged him with the crime, and that
Palazio became both frightened and en-
ragged and attacked Richards with knife.
Coroner Horton will hold an inquest on
the body this afternoon.