The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-04
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
DETECTIVES RELIEVE THEY ARE
on THE RIGHT TRAIL.
The Man suspected Is Lumberman. whose
Feeling Against Dexter Was Intensely
Hostile and whose House ID . Few
Miles From the Dexter Estate.


TRAppER LAKE JUNCTION, N. Y, Oct. g.
pinkerton detectives and Sheriff Steen-
berg of Franklin county believe they have
struck a trail which will lead them to the
murderer of Orlando Perry Dexter. who
WIS shot to death in the early afternoon
Of Saturday, Sept 10, while driving from
his home, in the North Woods, to Santa Clara,
a hamlet of Franklin county. four and a
half miles southwest of Mr.. Dexter's
estate
one man is suspected Of the crime. He
il hmberman, whose camp is about
three miles from where Mr.. Dexter lived,
and who Sc home il few miles to the north
of the Dexter estate. Only one or two
links in the chain of evidence against this
man have to he forged and he will be taken
into custody,
1hs man has been suspected by John
p Badger, who had been Mr.. Dexter's
attorney for many years. practically since
the dav of the murder. In an interview
given out in New York on Sept. 2l,. the
dav the murdered mans body arrived in
tina, city, Mr. Badger said:
9Th. motive for the crime was ,mdoubt-
edy revenge The only motive
We can hit on is presented in a recent pur-
chase Of Mr.. Dexters. The land
in, luded in this purchase is over the line in
5, Lawrence county, In the town Of Hoppin-
ton. Through it runs a stream Of water,
which has been used for long time by the
natives 10 float pulp wood to the mills below.
Mr.. Dexter was not inclined to allow this
Use of the stream aftss bought the land.
and considerable animositv was manifested
toward him by one man. l might say.
even, that this feeling was one of intense
hostility
4 few days after that interview, Mr..
Badger returned TO Franklin county, au-
thorized by the aged father of the murdered
man to offer reward of 81, 900 for the capt
ure ard conviction of the murderer. With
the lawyer came Pinkerton detectives and
they have been at work in this region ever
since,
The Detectives learned, almost as soon
rs they arrived here, that not long before
his death, Mr. Dexter had bought from a
certain lumberman a tract of land at a
much lower price than the man had asked
for it at first. The man, so the detectives
were told. was practically forced to accept
Dexters valuation of the property, owing
to the fact that Dexter threatened to have
the man enjoined from floating logs to
mil down a certain stream which Baxter
cont rolled,
The detectives also learned that two days
before Dexter was killed he and some
friends drove over into ST, Lawrence county.
The road whioh Dexter followed that Cay is
crossed at right angles, about five or six
t,tr NAT NaT
road Just before MIR. Dexter ard his party
rea he'd the Crossing of the roads one OF
the party saw man hiding behind some
bushes The party halted, whereupon the
man, with a gun on his shoulder. stepped
olt aid walked away down the orossroad.
The deteC tives examined the pla w ere
the man had been seen in hOinR, ana they
found that the branches Of the taller under
brush hau been rec emily cut away and that
person standing where the man had been
seen would have a clear view of any one
who might pass along the road TOW ard the
st Lawrence county Iine. The Getet tlves
traced the man after he left his hloing place,
and they know of at least one stop he ma.
on his way toward home and what he said
TO the persons he met.
1t may be remembered that the bullet
which killed Mr.. Dexter passed through
his body and into the horse he was GrivinR.
Three days after the muruer the horse was
Nlli'i anu All dulOpSJ =" my
the outlet. 1t was found, and an examl-
nation showed it TO be 3s talibre with soft
nose 1t is said that rifle belonging to
the suspect carried that size and charae ter
of bullet.
Added to these fccts, 1t is known that
Wien the wife of the suspect heard, while
her husband was away from home, that
Dexter had been killed size appeared to
be- gre thy aaitGted and exclaimed:
"oh, my God''
Tho man WIS not at home on the day
the murder WIS committed and did not get
home until the next morning. The theory
OF the detectives is that he learned. III some
way or otter, that Dexter was to drive
to Santa Clara on the afternoon OF Sept.
49, 1t is sid that on the morning OF that
day the suspect was nj Like Ozonia. about
four miles west of Dexter's home. road
leads from the lake to the private road
leading to the Dexter house. While drlv-
inr along that road, and when seventy-tive
rods from his home, Dexter vas killed:
Il is supposed that tie suspect W liked
up Tie main road from the lake, turned into
Dexters private road and in the woods
wsich line this road lay in wait for his
victim Having killed him, it is supposed
the suspect returned to his camp, spent
he rest of the day and the night there,
4. l.. 4. ,tINn