The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-02-11
WlTHERS EXPIRES.
BRANESHERIEF PASSED AWAY
AT ELEVEN O'CLOCK sATUR-
DAY. ..1


Story of the Shooting - Women
Pinoned Sherif's S Arms and Ly-
ons Fired-Pursuit of As
sassin by Posses.
7 Eugene, Or, Feb. 7.-Sheriff
Withers died at Hale today at
11:22 A. M. The body was brought
to Eugene, arriving at 9 o'clock this
evening An autopsy will be held
tomorrow to locate the bullet. FL
liot Lyons, the horse thief who shot
Withers, is still at large. Lyons
wife was brought in today, arraign-,
ed and placed in Jail.
Sheriff Withers lost conscious
ness about 5 o'clock last evening,
and without rallying grew gradual
lys weaker until the end came this
morning. Mrs. Withers arrived Is
minutes before her dying husband
became unconscious.a Strong stim-
-ulants had been used to keep the
sheriff alive until her arrival. The
poor woman is PROSTATE with grief.
Before Sheriff Withers lost con-
sciousness he made a deposition re-
garding the affair before Justice G.
K. Hall. which will be used as eyi.
dence against Lyons father, mother
and wife. The penalty for their
crime is life imprisonment. The
posse arrested the family of Lyons
yesterday and brought his wife to
town, where she will be held for
completely in the crime. The aged
father and mother were arrested,
but left at home. The old lady is
72 years old, and is completely
.prostrated. The officers fear she
will die, and for that reason did not
care to take her into custody.
A number of deputy sheriffs are
out looking for Lyons, but no news
has been heard as to his wherea-
bouts. If the posse has secured any
valuable information, they are wise
ly keeping it to themselves. Two
conflicting reports have been receiv-
ed of Lyons being seen yesterday
morning. One is that he was seen
passing Goldson, and the other that
the Crow stagedriver saw him on
the road toward Lorraine. These
places are in opposite directions
from the starting point, and the re-
ports cannot both be true.
This evening the posse returned
from Hale, having no trace of the
murderer. They came in to form
ulate definite plan of action. and
will at once resume their work.
There is a reward of 81, 900 offer
ed for the body of Elliot Lyons,
dead or alive. The Lane county
court offered $500, and J. e. P.
Withers $500 more. Fred Fiske,
| the deputy sheriff, has been sworn
in as sheriff. 80 is'' :S '''- ,''s' 5'
r, Besides the posse there are a
number of manhunters out on their
individual account, and officers in
all directions are notified to keep a
lookout. Last night several men
from this city were out watching
every place where it was considered
probable that the outlaw might
want'to 60. ~. 7f'' ~ .i
Lyons has few friends, but it is
said that over in the forks of the
river near the Mckenzie lives a
widow with whom Lyons has been
to some extent intimate, who would
harbor him. In fact, it is believed
that for three weeks he has been
staying at this place while the Off
GERS were looking after him. He
also has sisters and brothers in va
rious parts of the country, and a
number of his wife's relatives. Dep
.uty Fiske is sparing no effort to To-
cate the criminal, and is directing
the work from his Office here.
Sheriff Withers was the most
popular county official in Lane
county, although 3 democrat, hav-
ing been elected sheriff three times
by big majorities in a county over
whelmly repub blican.
Lyons has been wanted for sew
eral months for stealing horses in
Josephine county last fall. He was
arrested in that county, but escap-
ed from the officers and has been
at liberty for several months. It has
been reported that Lyons had made
his boasts that he would never be
taken alive.
Lyons had relatives in this coun-
ty. His mother and two brothers
lived on the Wildcat road just over
the summit of the mountains be-