The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-01-08
JAS. EGLIN DISAPPEARS.
Strangely Vanishes Saturday
Morning-Doubtiess a Vic.
tim of the Willamette.

O'Clock James Eglin drove into
Corvallis and has not been seen
since. There is u strangeness con
nected with his disappearance,
and several sensational matters
surrounding The case have given
rise to countless rum0rs more or
less wild, su Ilal The case has re-
ceived more than usual public at
tention.
Free from surmises and unau-
thenticated rumors, so far as is
absolutely known, the story is as
follows:
Friday night James Eglin.
who, with his father, owns and
operates livery stable here.
drove to Albany in buggy. tax
ing a drummer with him. Later,
VIM. Williams, an employe OF
1.-THE stable. drove to Albaiiy with
two Corvallis women. About
10 O'Clock, both E.lin and Will
hams went to Schmeer'< stable Tor
their b,l.gieS and the two women
arrived lalel. They arranged
for each buggy TO take one wo
mar, but one of the women OBJ
jecled to Eglin's driving, as he
WIS, she said, very intoxicated.
Schmeer. assured her that Eglin
was a, safe driver and the two
conveyances started homeward.
They reached Mona Smiths place,
which is about one mile below the
big prune farm, at ten minutes
past eleven. Both buggies halted
here until five minutes past
twelve. They talked loudly and
passed around bottle frequently.
Mr.. and Mrs M. Smith heard them
talking, but most of the conversa-
ton was Of an obscene nature and
neither would repeat it. Mr.. Smith
said that .Eglin did not seem to
take any part in the conversation;
that although he was frequently
addressed by the others. he made
no audible reply,
Leaving the Mona Smith place,
the party drove OH towards home.
When the buggies reached Mr..
Hart's house. short distance
below Corvallis, the woman
riding with Mr.. Eglin became
alarmed at his driving, which
seemed reckless, and at her re-
quest, both vehicles came TO a
stand. She then came to town in
Williams rig, leaving Eglin to
follow after. 1t was then shortly
after one o'clock. Previous to
this, it seems that Eglin's buggy
had tipped over and Williams had
helped right it.
When Williams reached town.
he let the women alight and drove
to the stable. Finding that Eslin
had not arrived, lie waited Il few
minutes and then drove down in |
search OF him, accompanied by |
Charley Smith, out failed tosfind |
him. Williams aid SMITH then |
returned to the stable.
A few minutes after fiye;Eg-
Inns team came tqtlfAsk,bl9~with- |
out the driver or sBugE land with
three of the tugs tied up. Search
was then renewed and the bu :gv
was discovered on Water street
near the residence of A. Hodes.
The top had been torn. from the
buggy and replaced, aud from
tracks in and around a shed con-
nected with the electric light
works, it is evident that Eghn had
driven in there and doubtless tore
off the top when entering.
From the horses and mans
track, it is thought that Eglin
unhitched the horses where the
buggy stands and drove them
up Water street to the Kisor res
idence, in front Of which tracks
indicated that the horses had
stood or tramped around for some
time. From this place mans
footprints were traced leading to
the river bank, down over it and
into the water. Eglin's pipe
was found near here and every
thing indicates that the unfortu-
nate young man found death in
the Willamette.
OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.
While rumors of foul play
were rife for awhile, there is
to warrant such a the
Dry. While the affair is certain
Iy strange and mysterious, it is
best explained by the assump-
ton of stupor OF temporary in
sanity. 1t is highly probable
that when the buggy was upset,
Mr.. Eglin received some injury
in the head, unknown to his
1t is not impossi-
BILE that he, stableman, should
retain enough reason to handle
the horses and yet lose all
knowledge of locality.
Mrs. Hodes and Mrs. Clark,
who live near the place where
the buggy was found, heard
some one driving around the
block several times Saturday
morning between 4 and 5 O'Clock.
One of the ladies, later, heard
some one staggering on the side