The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-10-19
FROM THE BIG CITY
Portland and Her Muir
der Mystery.
The Pests and Our Fruit
Industry.
What Drink and Gambling Has Done
for Many Young
Men.

Portland, Oct 16th.-The last mur-
der mystery has scarcely yet been a
nine days wonder. and already in
terest is dying out. Early in the
| week y. n. Sleeves, an attorney of
shady reputation, was arrested, and
later in the week he and "Bsu CO..
Kelly were indicted. The theory of
the police is that Kelly did the decd
In the employ of Sleeves. Kelly has
made a partial confession, in which
lie says it was the intention to hold
SayreS in confinement for a time, but
does not say when or how he was to
be released with safety to his cup
tors. 1t is surmised that it was the
plan to shanghai Sayres, but this
seems scarcely possible, since he was
13 years of age and ship captains do
not want decrepit old NEIL in their
crews. kelly'S necktie was found at
the probable scene of the killing, on
the river bank, lying near Sayres
battered hat, and there is evidence
that Kelly came home late that night
covered with mud and burned his
clothing 1t is believed that unless
more evidence develops it will be
impossible to convict Kelly of murder
in the first degree, since it will be
hard TO prove that he intended to Kill
him at first, but only did so in strug-
gle when he resisted being kidnapped.
Just what evidence there is against
Sleeves has not yet transpired. He
was counsel for w. o. Allen. defend
ant in law suits brought by Sayres to
the amount of about $4,000, but how
it would profit either Allen or his
attorney to have Sayres put out of
hn rI,ox hnc IL
Allen is not suspected of completely
in the matter, and yet an attorney
would scarcely murder his clients op-
There is a mystery of motive not yet
made plain, that leads to the conclu-
sion that the bottom of the affair has
by no means yet been reached.
Besides it's usual collection of toughs
and professional criminals, the county
Jail now contains an unusual number
of men who have held positions of
trust and confidence i'll the commun-
ity and have violated theln without
any cxcIse except bad habits and in
nate dcpraH ity, sad examples of the
old doctrine of total deprdvity. The
latest of these is Sleeves, against
whom lies this serious charge of mur
der. Another is BrI('- the dnfaT1It-
ing bookkeeper of tho Oregonian and
the Sunnysidc Land company, whose
trial will be held in Il few days. AT
ter a disappearance Of about two
years he was brought back last
spring from Kansas and has been in
Jail ever since. Harold Pilkington,
convicted of embezzlement, is await
ing sentence. He is a young attorney
and son Of DR.. PilkingtOn, Portland
physician well known throughout the
state. Another is Charles H. Ashby,
formerly a clerk in the wholesale
drug house of Smell, Heitshu & Wood
ard, arrested for passing worthless
checks. His downfall is caused by
drink and gambling, but the root Of
the difficulty seems to be streak of
moral irresponsibility in his nature.
Reinhart, a systematic defaulter in
a large wholesale house, is another
of this class of prisoners. This line
of thought suggests that the Portland
bar has been getting it rather heavy
of late. Two are under conviction for
crime. One has had two trials and is
awaiting third, and three are under
indictment or awaiting the action of
the grand jury. There are enough at
liberty, however, to DO all 1ne legal
business, good and bad, that offers.
This Sayres case coming on so soon
after the appointment of John Mimic
chief of police, gave him an opportun-
ity to demonstrate his abilities as
peace officer. No such prompt, vigor-
GUS and successful police work has
been done here in years. and those
who felt inclined to criticis2 the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Mimic or the ground
that Hunt had made il ;,OOd chief are
forced to Idmit that the city Las lost
nothing by the change. Mintos
friends are delighted, as it only bears
out what they have )ersjstently
claimed, that he has no equal as an
officer in the state. We will need just
such Il man this winter.
The state board of horticulture was
in session Saturday and Monday. The
secretary an the district commission
ers submitted their reports to go in
the biennial report to the legislature.
From these it seems that the fruit
industry in Oregon is in great peril.