Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-01-31
AN OLD MYSTERY CLEARED.
Body of JOHN Westley Stantruff
Found in AISea Mountains
Inquest Held.

A mystery of eleven years
standing was cleared up last week
by the accidental finding of the
remains of John Wesley Slant,
ruff, in the Alsea mountains.
On Jan. II, 1894, John Slant
ruff left his h ONE near Bellfoun
tain, early in the morning, tax
ing his gun, a belt of cartridges,
hunting knife, milestone, and
other hunters accessories, and
struck out into the mountains
for a hunt after deer. This |
was nothing unusual at that
time as the woods and mountains
abounded with game, both large
and small, and many settlers Sc
cured their winters meat in this
way. AS John was considered
an excellent woodsman, the
thought of his getting lost was
far from the minds of his parents,
aud he had many times before
been away in the mountains two
days at a time before returning
home, so that his parents were
not so very uneasy. But later in
the day, along towards evening
the sky became overspread with
storm clouds, and by night a
great storm was raging. The
storm increased in fury and the
snow began to fall 1t lasted for
fully 36 hours, and is said to have
been one of the most terrific
that has ever swept over that part
iof the country. When the hardy
mountaineer failed to return
home, however, after the storm
came up, his parents, and rela
tives began to feel uneasy, but
expected that perhaps he had
tounn shelter IN the mountains
and was waiting for the morning
when he would have daylight to
guide him out of the forest. But
the second day came and he did
not return.
The third day after young
Stantruf's disappearance, his
parents aroused the neighbors.
and a searching party went out.
A deep snow had fallen and all
traces of the hunter was lost, so
that the searchers had nothing to
60 by, but the general direction
that they knew he had taken.
The mountains were covered as
thoroughly as possible, and the
search continued several days,
but all trace of him was lost as
completely as if the earth had
opened up and swallowed him.
Finally he was given up for
good, but everyone had come to
the conclusion that he had met
foul play, and the body had been
destroyed or buried. AS time
went on this conclusion became
conviction in the minds of near.
ly all of the settlers in the neigh.
borhood- 1t even came to &
suspicion that his assassin liveo
in that section Of the country
This opinion was held by many
until last week.
HUNTERS FIND BODY.
Last Thursday, Jan. 26, Chas
Broln6eld and J. E. Hawkin
were out in the mountains north.
west of Green Peak, and abou
II miles from Bellfountain
They are trappers and hunters
and were looking for new trap
ping grounds with the intention
of moving further into the noun
tains. They came to a small
mountain stream near lis source
The stream flowed toward th
Alsea valley. down the western
slope OF the mountains. It wa
lust over the summit of the noun
tains from John Stantruf's home
Hawkins was in the lead, fol
lowing the stream down tn
mountain. He came to a larg
fallen tree that looked as thougl
it had been lying there for man,
years. AS he climbed over th
tree the sight of a rubber boo
met his eye, and glancing furthe
up, alongside the body of tn
tree, he saw a felt hat. By thi
time his companion had caugh
up, and they investigated further
tTheu found the hare skeleton c