Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-01-15
First Pronounced Su-
iCide, but Now Said
to Be Murder
One FelSvn has Brought Sns-
kici0n Cn himself County
Court Offers
Reward

The Marion county court, at the
request Of Deputy District Attorney
John H. McNary, has offered re.
ward of $500 for the arrest and con.
viction of the murderer of L. B. Saun.
ders, the hop dealer, who was shot to
death in Butteville a short time ago.
and by this act the court has taken
step that will be approved by every
law-abiding citizen of Marion county,
who desires to see justice cone, and
the guilty punished.
On the morning of the 10th of No.
vember, on the streets of the little
town Of Butteville, in the northern
portion of this county, the victim of
a tragedy was found lying dead, with
two pistols beside him. i. B. Saun.
ders a local hop dealer and grower
and aJman Of prominence in that com.
munity, was the man, and his taking
off was then, and is now, shrouded in
deep mystery-a mystery that it is
hoped may some day be explained,
and which the county court last Mon.
day decided should be probed to the
bottom.
The story Of the tragedy, so far as
known, is still fresh in the minds of
/ the readers of The Journal. On the
morning Of November 10Th, Saunders
body was found, and, in response to a
request by telephone, Coroner Clough
went to the scene at once, empanelled
a jury, and held the necessary legal
inquest. At the investigation 1t was
shown that the deceased had on the
previous day gone from his home with
considerable money had spent some
of this in paying bills, and had spent
the evening at Strains saloon in
company with the proprietor OF that
place and Whitley and Macarthur the
last one named a resident of Yamhill
county, and the other two citizens Of
Butteville. According to the testr-
mony of those three men, Saunders
had several times during the evening
complained of the presence in the
town of a mysterious stranger, whom
he feared. About half an hour before
midnight Saunders left the saloon for
his home, and few minutes later the
three men named left also, and walked
up the street; Strain carrying a lighted
lantern. According to their testi
mony, when approaching the street
corner, they heard a shot beyond an
intervening building, and, reaching
the corner, they heard a second shot,
and saw the fash of a pistol, and at
the same time heard the falling of a
body.
But this did not cause them to in
vestigate, Strain, the saloon man,
stating he believed at the time that
hold-up had occurred, and, having his
days receipts on him, he did not de
sire 60 mix up with hold-up artists
! and he therefore went home. All
three stated that no investigation
was made by them, although the two
alleged shots were fired with in 200
feet OF the corner on which they stood
and Immediately in front of house
When the inquest was held it de.
veloped that Saunders had been shot
in the left temple. the bullet pene,
trating the brain The face was not
powder burned, and the indications
were that the shot had been fired
from some distance This was stated
by DR., B. f. Giesy to be the case, ho
testifying that the shot had been fired
at distance Of from three to ~ feet.
He did not remove the bullet, holding
that it was unnecessary. The verdict
Of the coroner's jury was that the man
had been killed by a shot fired from
a gun in the hands of some unknown
parties.
Later, after the inquest had been
concluded, the physician and others
in that section pronounced the case
one OF suicide. and Sheriff Goliath,
who went on the ground the day fol.
lowing the inquest, also pronounced
it suicide. and the matter was dropped
Now the relatives OF the deceased, who
are satisfied that 1t is not a case OF
suicide, but murder most foul. have
started an investigation. and placed |
the case in the hands OF some expert |
detectives, who are in hopes of soon |
running down the guilty parties. and /
it was to assist in this that the county
court offered the reward.