The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-10-21

OF MRS.
STRONG
Writes a Letter Making a
Confession.
The Whereabouts Of the
Husband Still ShrOuded in
Mystery.

THE Journal is in receipt Of the ap'
pended letter from a man who claims t'
have assaulted Mrs. Fred Strong in thii
city on last Wednesday evening.
Is This a Confession1
SALEM, Oct. 10. 1901.
Ed. JouRNAL:-I wish to make state.
mpnt in regard to the assault made on
Mrs. Strong on the nightoi the 10Th inst
il you will allow me through the col
umns OF your paper. | will say IN re-
gard TO the man, Strong, he may be q
gambler and very bad man Tor what
know. but he is not guilty OF the above
assault, ae am the guilty party, and
had | not made a grievous mistake, l
never should have written this letter.
Guilty as | may seem, l am not bad
enough TO let an innocent man suffer Tor
my crime. have suffered remorsesince
[ learned my mistake in the person; II
grieves me to learn that had attacked
an inoffensive woman, especially one
who has to work for q living.
Last August at the coast met young
lady, became jealous of her, she re-
pulsed me. Then | made up my mind to
have revenge. She lives in the neigh
| borhood OF --- street. ! saw her as
thought, go out in company with little
boy, a relative as | supposed, as he
was also at the coast with her. | watch
ed for her and as il was my only chance
| made the attack, as | wished to leave
the city that night, owing to my stupid
blunder 1 wished Ia remain TO see how
my victim Jared. am happy to learn
she is not seriously hurt.
BY the time this reaches your Office !
will be far from Salem. l used one ounce
Of chlorofOIm.
AS to who the assailSnt really was is
yet to be disclosed. THE JOURNAL has
been attempting to learn the identity OF
the man ever since the remarkable affair
and TO learn a reason for the criminal
assault on an inoffensive and defenseless
woman, who was knocked down, gagged |
and chloroformed in this city on her
way home from church.
The impression was frst given that
Mrs. Strong's husband was the perpe-
traitor Of the deed, it appearing that no
possible motive could be assigned else
where. This couple have been separated
or about year, since which time Mr..
Strong hae been in Oklahoma, or such
vas the statement made in letter re-
,eived from him by Mrs. Strong,
The morning after the assault
was made on Mrs. Strong, she received
information to that effect in letter
written by MIR. Strong from Heppner,
Or, and in il he stated that he would
leave that place soon, to get a band OF
sheep. This might account for bis alb
senoe from that city on the day he was
said TO have beer seen here. Chief OF
Police Gibson Immediately wrote TO the
city marshal at Heppner TO learn whether
or not Mr.. Strong was in Heppner on
Octobor 18th, but has received no reply. |
Mrs. Strong has also written to hdr hus-
band to clear himself from suspicion II
possible, by sending an affidavit as to
his presence there.
mistake was made by several re.
garding the identity OF Fred Strong, has.
band Of the Mrs. Strong who was attack
cd. He is by trade printer, but often
did other work, and was employed at
the Allen Cannery year ago last sum.
mer for several months, both at day and
night work.
lie was confused with another Fred
Strong, u gambler, from Forest Grove,
who formerly was in Salem occasionally.
II Mr. Strong can prove an alibi, there
Is one other man known who may be
connected with the affair, and if the
letter given above is not "iake" he
may be- the author OF that statement.
On last Saturday afternoon young
man apparently about "a years Of age,
called at Mrs. strong's residence
and seemingly was not thoroughly ia
miliar with the place as he inquired
whether or not Mrs, Strong lived there.
On receiving an affirmative answer he
inquired as TO her health, and then ex.
pressed his sympathy and great regret
that the accident had ever happened to
her, AS soon as he left Mrs. Sorong
tried remember who he was, but could
not do 80, and decided that he was
perfect stranger to her, and that she had
never before seen him. Her description
of him tallies exactly that Of man who
was seen in that vicinity several times
the past week.