The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-09-28
MURDER, SUICIDE, WHICH?
E H. Burnham, a former Corval-
lisite, Found Dead on the
Streets of Albany.

Tuesday night the body of E. H. Burnham
was found in an alley, back of the United
! Presbyterian church in Albany. There was
bullet hole in the left side. under the heart,
anil when discovered the body was still
warm. In one of his vest pockets was found
| 81 35, in loose silver and watch key, but
no watch. A lady, living in the vicinity of
the church, heard the shot, and also, some
one calling for help. She awakened her
| husband but, before he reached the scene,
others had found the body, and were taking
it to the engine house, where an inquest was
held the next day.
Mr. Burnham was about fifty years of age,
and unmarried. Fl came to Corvallis about
l6 years ago, and was associated with w.
E. Paul, in the painting and paper hanging
business, for several years. The first work
he did on arriving here, was for s. G. Nc
Fadden, who had the contract for building
two dwellings in the Irish Bend neighbor
hood One of the houses was being built
for George Coffee, and the other for Hugh
! Heron, and Mr.. Burnham did the painting
on both. Since leaving Corvallis, he was
employed on the worlds fair buildings at
| Chicago He arrived in Albany week ago
| today, and was stopping at the st. Charles,
whose landlord, MIR Giblin, he had boarded
with while living in Corvallis. He was al
ways known a sober, industrious person,
and his best friends never knew of his being
subject to spells of dispondency, and take
little stock in the suicide theory.
| Some of the evidence brought out at the
inquest would tend to prove foul play, ra-
ther than self murder. After the shot, he
was heard to cry for help, which in itself
disproves the idea of suicide. One of the
wrong side out, and the watch, which he
was always known to carry, was nowhere to
be found. What kind of evidence is this
| upon which to base a theory of suicide?
When men commit self murder, it is not
usual for them to leave such plain evidence
| of robbery as this The ball entered be
tween the 9th and 7th RIBS, and passed hor
izontally through the body. According to
the testimony, the shot must have been fired
| two or three feet distant from Burnham's
person, else his clothing and flesh would
have been powder burnt. The idea that
man will hold pistol two or three feet from
him, and fire a shot in such manner as to
pass horizontally through his body, is alto
gether improbable. If the people of Albany
ale to leave such an apparent cold blooded
murder and robbery as this, pass as a sui.
eide, without further investigation, the town
will become veritable rendezvous for thugs,
thieves and murderers. Better to admit
that Albany was the scene of one of the most
cold blooded murders ever committed in the
state, than attempt to shield her fair name
as peaceabe, law abiding community, by
concealng the crime behind the verdict of
coroner's jury.
MIR. Burnhan had in his possession a GER
tifcate of membership in Heinzelman Post,
No. 33 of San Diego. He was also a member
III good standing of Corvallis Lodge A. F. &
A. NJ. NJ s. Woolcock, Dr. Il. J. Wilson
and w. E. Paul were present at the inquest
and escorted the remains to Corvallis, where
the body was taken in charge, and buried
in Crystal Lake cemetery by the masonic
order of this city.
Rev. Bob johnson, pastor to his excelen-
cy, Ira Campbell, of the Eugene Guard, is
back in harness again, editing the Corvallis
GAZETTE. Bob is a porcupine quill singer.
He stabs hard-when he stabs at ai.-Sun-
| Mercury. We are loath to spoil a good
Gem, but Bob says it is either do that or
take thrashing. The fact is, Bob has wan
dered from the straight and narrow alley,
| and has become a bloated office holder, and
he now looks back and ''scorns the base de.
grees by which he rose" We wish the Mer-
curry would be little more careful. This
thing of going around under escort, and be-
ing compelled to communicate with the out
side world, through the transom, is undig-
nified to say the least.
| John Hess, who has been living at Eugene
| and Corvallis of late, and who is here visit
| ing his brothers, had an experience with a
| horse the first of the week that came near
being fatal. He, with others, had just
started out of town, when the horse began
to buck, and as the saddle turned he fell
under the horse and was either kicked or
trod on in manner that left him in rather
| bad shape. He was taken to DR.. Little
| fields office, where his wounds were dressed.
One rib was broken, severe cut was re.
ceived over one eye and the bones of his
nose broken. He presented rather fright
| full appearance, but is reported as getting
along all right. Graphic.
| The Land of Promise
Is the mighty West, the land that ''tickled
with hoe laughs harvest" the FL Dora
do of the miner; the goal of the agricul-
tural emigrant. While it teens with all
| the elements of wealth and prosperity, some
Of the fairest and most fruitful portions of
it bear harvest of malaria reaped in its