Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-02-03
Death of Edwin Stone.

NoWp porI saturday AFTERNOON 10f
short business visit. was taken back on
a special train Sunday afternoon in a
dying condition and died Monday morn.
ing at his home in Albany as the result
of burns and probably blows received
III a mysterious manner in Newport
early Sunday morning. The following
account of the sad incident, taken from
the Albany Herald, is practically that
given by all who were in position to
know anything about it:
Mr.. Stone, accompanied by E. j.
Seeley and Mr.. and Mrs. J. X. Wealth.
erford, went to the bay with a view to
visiting his properties at Seal Rocks.
On Saturday evening he spent several
hours in the company of friends, and
retired in the Abbey House annex
where he had room, about 1870
o'clock, Ed Sullivan, resident of
Newport, going with him to his room
About ] O'Clock Sunday morning, two
gentlemen Fooming in the house on
the first floor, heard fall up stairs
and calling for help they assembled to
the room occupied by Mr.. Stone when,
on reaching the head of the stairs,
they detected the odor of smoke. The
room was promptly entered, where it
was found that the bed aud carpet were
on fire and Mr.. Stone was found lying
on the floor unconscious and badly
burned.
The unfortunate man was quickly
removed from the room and the fire
extinguished. DR.. Carter, the local
physician, was at once called and mill
istered to the injured man. 1t was
found that he was badly burned about
the body and the lower limbs, his night
clothes were burned on his body, and
the fire had scorched his breast and
head in several places. Both arms
showed bruises and the head was in
jured indicating that blow had struck
the man down.
AS quickly as possible Mr.. Stone Was
brought to this city on a special train,
arriving here at 4 O'Clock Sunday after
noon. Mrs. Stone and DR.. w. H. Davis
had gone out on extra train to meet
him and Joined the party on the va.
quina special at Corvallis. MIR. Stone
had been unconscious from the time he
was found until he reached Summit on
his way home, when he partially re-
gained consciousness, and asked who
had struck him. He was in a semi.
conscious condition from that time un.
til he died Monday at a. m., the eff
forts of the physicians being unavail.
ing At no time was he able to give an
account of the occurrences leading up
to his injuries.
The death of Mr.. Stone is shrouded
in mystery. There is a strong suspi-
cion of foul play, and party suspected
OF the crime is under observation in
Newport. Saturday evening, stranger
supposed to be a tramp, approached
him and asked for work, saying that
MIR. Stone promised to give him EN-.
ployment. Receiving a refusal, he
hung about, and when at 10 O'Clock Mr..
Stone said he intended to retire. the
stranger disappeared. When the fire
was discovered in Mr.. Stones room the
tramp was found hanging about the
hallway of the hotel, and he even as
sisted in putting out the fire and car
RED the injured mans clothing out of
the room. He could give no account
OF himself and his statement that he
had room in the building was shown
to be false. He is being watched there
and it is probable that he will be taken
into custody. The theory is that Mr..
Stones room was entered while he was
asleep and an attempt made to rob HIM.
When he awoke he was sandbagged
and in the struggle the lamp was upset
setting fire to the room. Five dollars
is said to haye been taken from his
clothes.
Edwin Stone was native of Wiscon-
sin and came to the Pacific coast with
an uncle in 1864, when but IA years old.
He first located in Canyon City, and
later went to the mines in Montana,
where he was very successful. He later
engaged in the general merchandise
business in Missoula, Mont. One of
his clerks, a boyhood friend, was A. b.
Hammond, and the two soon formed q
partnership and have from that time
forth been business associates and
friends. Later Mr.. Stone became
county treasurer and held other politi-
Cal offices and finally went into the en-
ploy of the Northern Pacific and was