The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-04-01
Gull TY AS CHARGED.
The BAKER COUNTY ASSASSIN
CONVICTED OF MURDERIN
FIRST DEGREE. s%a
Sobbed Like a Child on Witness
Stand III his own Behalf
More Significant Devel-
opments in Burdick Case
Other News.

opments in Burdick Case
Other News.
Baker City, Or, March 28.-Fol
the first time in the history of Ba
ker county jury returned YER
dict of guilty of murder. in the first
degree this afternoon in the Arm.
strong murder case. The jury stood
s TO 4 of murder in the first degrt {
s.n the first ballot, then the vote
gradually changed to II to 1 for
murder iu the first degree.
This morning early the jury
came into court and asked for fur
ther instructions on the question OF
what constituted reasona BILE dou bt.
The eide glanees of the otherjurors
plainly indicated the man for whose
benefit the special instruction was
asked, and the one who was evil
IDENTIFY holding out for murder in
the second degree.
Armstrong says be deserves to
die, and, so for as appearances go,
does not seem surprised at the ver-
dict. When the verdict was an
neunced he never finched or chang
ed color, but when he arose to leave
the courtroom his face flushed to a
deep red. He will be sentenced next
Tuesday.
Armstrong broke down and cried
like baby while on the witness
stand. He admitted that he killed
Minnie Ensminger, but insist ted
that he did not intend to kill her,
and could give no reason for doing
SO. The sensation of the trial was
oceasioned when Armstrong took
the witness stand in his own behalf
this afternoon. The courtroom was
crowded at the time, about half the
audience being ladies. Armstrong
said he was Is years of age, and
that both his parents died % years
ago. He first met Miss Minnie
Ensminger in February, 1900; that
they were engaged to be married; !;
that about the middle of December
last he received letter from her
where be was at work, at the Max.
well naine, in which she said she
could not marry him Christmas
and that she never could become
his wife in this world; that she
would rather die than go back on
him. She invited him to come and
take dinner with her New Years
day, but not to try to talk to her
before that time.
He said he Immediately gave no
his place at the mine and came
down to the valley. He wrote her
q letter and asked for an interview
before Christmas. He eaid there
was q slip of paper in small en-
velope in the letter which Miss Ems
minger sent him on which some.
thing was written, but he declined
to say what it was, except that it
was nothing detrimental to Miss
Ensminger. He declared that he
resolved to kill himself, and bought
q revolver fer that purpose. The
letter which he received he burned,
also the slip of paper in the small
envelope, because he said he did not
want it found on him when he kill
ed himself.
The night of December "a he
went to the dance, but did not talk
to the deceased. He went out in
the yard when Miss Ensminger
started home, and as she passed he
said it was his purpose to tell her
goodbye and shoot himself right
then. AS she passed he drew his
revolver and fred twice at Miss
Ensminger, ran about 80 feet and
shot hin self. He declared he never
thought of killing her, had no de-
sire to kill her and did lot know
why he did shoot her. During the
time he was telling his story he
broke down frequently and cried,
and many people in the audience
cried also. The prosecution did
not cross-examine the defendant
extensively.
Buffalo, March 2S.-When the
Burdick inquest is reopened on
Monday morning by Judge Mur-
ply it is possible that other witnes-
4 Al IL