The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-06-06
COLUMBIA RIVER
GIVES Up ITS DEAD
Second Chapter 10 the Horrible Mur-
der Of Ester GuniOn and
Her Companions.
JACK LAMBERT's BODY FOUND
The Skull Mas Frishtiully Crushed and
There kss a Bullet hole ia the Neck
--Eyideaee That -Four Persons
We're Murdered

That four persons we're fouliy murdered
on the night OF May = seems established
beyond the shadow OF a doubt Yester-
day morning Coroner Pohl and Sheriff
Hare returned from a trip up the river,
bringing with them the body OF Jack
Lambert. which was found near Quinn's
point late Thursday evening.
As Is well known. about o'clock on
the evening OF May ., Samuel Meilandt,
Adolph Gunion. his sister. Esther Gunion,
and Jack Lambert. we're seen on a whls-
Ky scow some distance this side OF Cliff
ton. All were drinking heavily. About
3 o'clock the four persons started for
their homes down the river. Lambert in
a small skin. the others In a fishing ooat
Not one has since been seen alive.
Las; Friday evening the mutilated body
OF Miss Gunion was found on the beach
near Smiths point Her head was crush
ed and there was every evidence Of fouI
murder. At first II was thought the
woman was murdered In this city but
Il now transpires that the crime was
committed up the river and the body
brought to Smiths Point in a boat Il
was said mlIkman had Identified the
body as that OF a woman whom he had
seen on the roadway near the point; that
she was In company with a man, and in
an intoxicated condition: that the milk
man was asked and agreed to take
the woman TO a hotel. as she was too
drunk 10 walk and that her companion
was unable to lift her into the wagon.
whereupon the milkman drove of. The
police pronounce this story fake, as. II
Il were true. the woman must have been
murdered on or near the railroad uestle,
IN broad daylight As men were and are
working daily on the trestle, 10 commit
such a crime without being seen would
have been an utter impossibllity.
Furthermore Meilandt, Lambert and
Guuion were missing. Nkan last. seen
alive, the three men and the woman were
together, and Il was evident all We're
killed at the same time, A few days
after the murder the fishing boat OF
Meilandt-"K Kinney, No. 62"-was found,
with several large holes In the bottom.
evidently made with the butt end Of an
oar. This in itself was proof positive
that something had happened the men.
The finding of Lambert's skin day or
two ago. badly smashed and blo0d-be-
spattered. strengthened the belief that
the men also had been murdered. The
discovery OF the mans body Thursday.
and the subsequent positive identification.
tells its own story. That all four men
were murdered Is undoubtedly the case,
except, perhaps. one Of the two 9TH
er missing men-Meilandt or Gunion-
committed the deed. But 1t does not
seem probable either the woman's lover
or brother would take her life.
Lambert's body Is in a badly decom-
posed condition, and has evidently been
in the water for several days. However
the identification was positive. An ex-
animation revealed the fact that the mar
1 had been shot in the neck. the bullet en-
/ tering the left side and the skull hac
/ also been crushed as II by a heavy blow
/ from a club or other blunt instrument
! Either wound would have caused death
The authorities are working on the cas-
and II is thought the murderers will b.
brought TO justice.