The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-15
ROLLINGBAYMURDER


Crime Revealed IN the pest-Inseili-
gencer OF January 10. there is such . mis-
stassmses of facts in the ease that. as one
VINO was present while the inquest was
being he'd. I wish TO give more os the
truth, 50 as 20 make the chances or .den-
tsfication OF the poor man more certain.
In the first place. instead cf Eagle Har-
Dor, the scene OF the murder was at thu
head Of Rolling bay. As 20 the tale Of
"the" odor being suca as 20 lead cne 10 an
yesfsgase the cause" was within two
feet OF the body. and no oder sssch as
would be foHnd on one 80 far gone as
was represented was percestlols. also
that the body was badly burned alb over
the right side - a mistake. The right
arm was burned TO the elbow. and the
left TO the wrist The right thigh was,
badly roasted from the hip 10 the knee
on the outside of the leg. Otherwise there
was hardly u mark of fire on TIE body,
only that the clothes had been burned 50
that the pockets were gone. The
story that the shoes were con-
grsss shoes. and on his feet at
the time o. the inquest, is All q
mistake. as they were lace Shoes about
number I, and were tied Together by the
strings aads hanging overhead on the west
side Of the shack. on q beam which ran
across the salsiale. That the feet had been
gnawied OF by animals and birds. was
another mistake. as there was no sign
OF anything OF the kind. except on the
right foot from the snstep to the little toe
the rats had grsawei the skin OF SO that
the tendons were showing. This fact OF
itself d4sproves the story of the shoes
- ~s>ss
would have shown the marks left by the
rats. His hat was a new soft black felt.
size about is or I IA. made IN Chicago.
with two cards with the makers name
and address. doubled and placed inside the
sweat leather, showing that the hat had
evidently been a itle too large. The
hat was found hanss.ag on a peg on the
east side OF the u aek. Again. the story
that 1.-THE whole head was far gone with
decay" was a mistake, as IL was not
evea d.sco.yraa texcept by b,oodl only
q little around the right eye. close TO
where the bullet entered at the temple.
Another means OF Identification which
was not given is that there was
the remains OF a barred FAM
mel chest-prosector found tied
round his neck with a white cord or
tape AS to his height being IS feet Q
inches I dent think he was a bit over
feet inches in height. or that he
weighed any over 40 pounds. Judging
by the size of his legs and body which
was stark naked, or nearly SO, only a
vestige of clothing remaining ON the
left leg below the knee, as the coroner's
jury had stripped the body to look for
papers or other means Of Identification.
Now as 60 the theory that he had been
murdered at some other point and brought
into the shack 10 be disposed or In such
a manner, IL does not look at all reason
able. AS the position OF the arms and
legs would inAcate. the body had lain
till cold before being taken there. / viii
give you my theory OF the whole matter.
as well as that of Mr.. Nathan Bucklin
sheriff-elect OF kitsap county, who was
with me atsthe time. The unfortunate
man had one or more companions, and
had stopped in the little house to stay
over night, and had made a fire 10 warm
by. There was a plank alongside the
fire, which had evidently been used to sit
on. Either this man had money or
other valuables. and was killed for
"a money, or the men had
liquor among them and had got
into an alteration. ana the shooting was
the result. that the killing had been
done right where the body was found,
and he had fallen alongside and partly
into the fire, and. being dead when he
fell, could make no effort 10 get out Of
the fire. Everything indicated that the
fire had been made there on purpose 10
camp by. and not for the destruction OF
the body for. IL stfch had been the pur;-
pose or the mufIerers, they could more
certainly have accomplished it By plac-
Ing the body in the old dwelling, which
had quite a large amount of hay In if.
and then setting fire to 1t. as any one
capable OF murder would not hesitate at
arson as well. That the body had been
there as long as three or four weeks /
think mistake. as proven by the condi-
ton of tho body. Any one who has been
In the army and on "a battlefield would
testify that the first stage of decomposi-
ton Is the gas bubbllng out of the mouth.
which sign was absent entirely In this
case. Beside. after decay sets in, the
face becomes badly Giscolored, purple
10 black being the color at that
stage Now the coroner having the
corpse buried without an autopsy or
anything more than very superficial
examination az TO the cause of death
is in itself very careless way for a
public official 10 do his duty. Beside ehere
was camera In Port Rlakelcy and n
Photograph could have been taken as
another means OF Identification. | don't
think Mr. Fmpett. who found the BODY
FIRST was present 10 be sworn az to the
fats in the case, at least not while I
was there. All / have said can be veri-
fed by Rnckiin and others. IL necessary.
Mr.. Charles Peters. engineer of the
steamer Alta, went to Port glakeiey on
New Years day ON horseback. on the
road ahead of him. at the head of EagIe
harbor. he saw two fcen dodge Into the
brush I'll he nassed. On his return ha
met them south OF the Mcdonald rareh.
They inquired the way TO Port Biakesey.
He says they were hard looking cfti-
Gems. ans! that he would be afraid to
meet them Ii the dark on lonely road
! don't think the murder dated back amy
before Christmas. possibly about New
Years day. as the condition OF the body
was such as to dIsproye very much :,