Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-05-15
JOHN THAWSON is KILLED In A
ROW YESTERDAY MORNING.
Two Parties, One of SWedeS and tn c
Other NOrwegianS, Become lntOxi-
Gated sand Get Up a Quarrel Over
NafiOnaIifieS, and ThawSOn is
FILLED With SCantIinq.

John Thawson lies dead at the morgue
as the result of a row at an early hour
yesterday morning on Hume street, in
front OF the city Jail, and IA corono,'s jury
was unable to say at whose hands he
met his death.
The row occurred between one and
two O'Clock in the morning, and the
murder was committed while officer
SearIes walked around the block bounded
by Hume, River, q and streets. as
that officer testified that he passed the
spot in going his rounds; walked around
the block, stopping but moment to look
into the Eagle dance hall, and when he
returned the man was living dead on the
Sidewalk. He removed the body into
the Jail and summoned DR.. Schumacher
to make certain that life was extinct.
Beside the body lay piece of 2x6 scant.
ling about We feet long. the blood on it
showing it to have been the murderous
weapon used. When the doctor pro
nounced the man dead, 'oroner Camp
bell was notified, and at ten o'clock yes
terday morning jury was impaneled
for the inquest.
From the testimony adduced it ap.
pears that John Thawson, B. Salkirge
and A. Anderson left the Eagle dance
hall on their way to the Palm. These
three were Swedes, and when opposite
the Jail they met party of Norwegians,
Martin Mathewson, John Vogton, Ole
Oleson and another man whose name
was unknown. The Thawson party
were all seafaring men, while the four
thev met were employees Of A. Carlson's
logging camp, and. from the testimony,
all had been drinking freely and were
oscillating between the two dance halls.
Salknge testified that his party was
attacked by the four men, ant that one
of them struck Thawson the fatal blow.
Although he was able to say the assail-
ant was of dark complexion, and de-
scribes his clothing minutely, he per-
sisted that he would be unable to identify
him. Anderson, the other companion of
Thawson, was struck by the fata! stick,
a nail in it cutting his hand, but his tes.
timony was as vague as that of Salkinge.
Martin Mathewson, a large dull look
ing Norwegian, was unable to speak
English, and officer Chrst'anson was
sworn as interpreter. He told the story
OF his party OF four leaving the Palm and
meeting the three Swedes, whom, he
said attacked them, and he picked up
stick and struck one OF the three, and
that was all he remembered.
John Vogton and Ole Oeson, com
panons OF Mathewson, were examined,
and contradicted the story that Mathew
con had used the stick. Vogton said
that while those two parties were quar-
reling another party came up, and that
it was one of this third party that gave
the fatal blow. Oleson was positive that
Mathewson had not used the stick, but
said he had struck the first blow, with
his fist; that he, Olson, got blow on
the nose, and ran across the street 80
that he did not see the scantling used.
While the jury leaned to the belief
that Mathewson told the truth, and that
he inflicted the mortal wound, they did
not consider the evidence sufficient to
justify verdict to that effect, and they
rendered a verdict of homicide commit.
ted by some person or persons unknown.
Mathewson is still held by the authori.
ties pending the chance OF securing addi.
tional testimony in the matter, and a
man named Epperson, whose hat was
found near the scene of the row, is in
Jail on suspicion of having been concern
ed in the affray.
John Thawson, the deceased, was we'll
known on Grays Harbor, where he has
been coming off and on for the last
twelve years as mate on coasting schoon.
ers. At the time of his death he was
working on the tug John Cudahy. He
was about AZ years of age, a widower,
with one child, daughter about nine
years OF age, who lives with some friends
in South Aberdeen. The funeral will
take place next Sunday afternoon, under
the auspices of the Longshoreman's
Union, OF which deceased was a member.