The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-11-06
MURDERAT WESTON
Unknown Man Found Near
the Railroad Bridge.
HIS SKULLWAS CRUSHED
Was Probably Murdered and
Robbed by Tramps.

A few weeks ago foul murder was
committed within half.mile of Weston,
with no one to witness the tragedy save
the All-Seeing Eye with no human hand
to stay the murderer's arm, and no evil
dence Ct any sort to afterward brand him
before mankind with the mark OF Cain,
and with just vengeance exact from him
fulhllmeut of the Mosaic law Of "a life
for life."
Three weeks ago girl students of the
Normal school saw man lying beneath
quilt, while out hunting specimens
along the creek below town. They sup
posed he was asleep, and hurried from
the spot in fright. He was asleep, but
the sleep was that of death.
Last Tuesday morning at 8 O'Clock Prof.
H. L. Talkington Of the Normal faculty,
was also engaged in specimen hunting
in the game locality He noticed a pe-
culiar odor and pushed into the brush.
He saw the man lying there and his NOS
trils convinced him that the party must
be very much deceased, He lifted the
covering from the dead mans face, and q
single look was sufficient to determine
thatit was not desirable specimen.
The professor retired from the spot with
expedition, and hurried to town to ac-
quaint the authorities with his gruesome
discovery,
Coroner Folsom was summoned from
Pendleton, and held an inquest at the
scene in the afternoon The body was
found to be lying in the natural attitude
of sleep. 1t lay partly on the right side,
with the head on one arm. There was
nothing between the body and the
ground, but heavy quilt covered it, and
over the face was thrown a burlap sack
and piece OF sack-cloth. Near the head
the hat wss lying.
1t required but little investigation to
show that the man had been murdered,
possibly in his sleep. A few inches
above the righS eye there was small
dent in the skull, and on the back OF the
head there was large dent where the
skull had been crushed in by fearful
blow. Near by we're railroad coupling
pin and five-eighthe bridge bolt about
eighteen inches long, undoubtedly the
weapons OF death.
careful to cover completely his tracks
from pursuit. There was nothing LEFT on
the body by which ii could be identified.
The man was very we'll dressed, having
worn good whole suit of gray. His
overshirt was of brown material, with
braid across the breast, and at the throat
was neat black silk necktie The
underclothes were also OF good quality,
and bespoke man careful Of his person
al comfort and cleanliness. In tho pock.
cts were two collar buttons, one with a
glass set in 1t, common pocket knife, q
package of smoking tobacco, ANAL
book containing railroad map, and a
scrap OF newspaper. On the margin OF
this scrap was printed in the manner in
which newspapers are usually addressed
the name of John L. Adams, but there
was nothing to confirm any belief that
this was the mans name.
The jury conducted ths investigation
With difficulty and aversion. as the odor
was almost unbearable. The remains
we're in a bad state of decomposition, ex-
cept the feet, which were found to be
white and natural in appearance when
the shoes were cut from them. The man
was evidently well and solidly built and
about five feet nine inches high.
The body WAS inferred in Weston GEM
etery when the inquest had been fin
ished. Weston Leader