The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-08-28
is IT MURDER
OR SUICIDE ?
Fisherman SwenSOn Pound Dead On
His ScOW Near Clifton
Yesterday.
SAID lie TOOK HIS own LIFE
But Coroner PohlB Investigation Re-
vcalcd Facts which Seem to Point
10 Murder--shot Through the
Heart by Shot Gun.

What appears 90 have been another
murder In the neighborhood of Clifton
took place early yesterday morning.
AZ nrnt. as shown by the following
telegram. It was thought that a sui
eide had been committed.
Clifton. August S.--A fisherman nam
ed John swcnson committed suicide
here this morning by shooting himself
In the breast The cause Is supposed
10 have been dependency brought
about from the use Of liquor. lie told
some friends here this morning before
committing the deed. that he was go
Ing 10 sea 10 get away from drinking
The deceased was native Of Sweden.
about 20 or 20 years Of age. unmarried.
and has hshed here for Cook for the
past ten or twelve years, and was called
a good fisherman.
As soon as the news was received
In the city, Coroner Pohl went 10 Cllf.
ton for the remains. He returned yes
terday afternoon and TO an Astorian
reporter. said
AT . o'clock this morning I found
the body OF swcnson. shot through the
heart lying In front Of the door OF his
cabin. on iloat near Clifton. The
fioat contained. besides the house, the
netracks belonging TO the deceased. who
was well known fisherman.
when I arrived upon the scene, the
body lay right In front Of the door OF
the cabin. with the feet within twenty
four inches Of the door way. the head
pointing away from the door and the
body lying upon the hack The wound
was evidently made by shot gun
and Il did not appear 70 me the man
could possibly have committed suicide
II looked very much like case OF muir
der. The shotgun was lying across the
threshold OF the door. the butt end In.
side OF the room, II was a double
barrelled gun. and one barrel had been
discharged. the load still being In the
other. The direction Of the wound
was downward. and do not see how
he could have fired the shot at himself.
II was suggested 20 me that possibly
IL was an act of vengeance for some
real or fancied connection swenson
may have had with the Gunion wom-
ans murder
II noticed another fact which would
seem 10 dispel the theory OF suicide.
The door OF Swenson's cabin on the
float Is secured by n paddock which was
fastened 10 the door post by chain
and staple, The staple had been fresh
ly pulled from the wood work. as was
plainly evident from the fresh marks
on the woodwork and the door thus
opened. The key 10 the paddock was
in Swenson's pocket when found the
body. He would scarcely enter his
own house by breaking in in that man
ner There was every appearance that
some one had broken into the house
and waited in ambush for his return.
The suicide. or murder. probably hap
pened about $50 in the morning. Rail-
road workmen near by are blasting the
line through a blum, and as the noise Of
the reports are quite common. no one
noticed the discharge OF the shot gun
Fearing that some damage might be
done TO the scow. the workmen sent
man TO swenson to notify him to
move out OF the way. II was then that
the dead body was discovered"
The inquest will be held at $3.50 this
morning. when new light may be
thrown on the matter.