The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-11-13
A TRAGEDY
VICTOR E. D'ANNA SHOOTS
BENJAMIN GOHLSON
AT SALEM.
Takes to Flight and Kills Himself
While Officers Are looking. for
Him-Kills Man who caus-
ed His Arrest-Other
News.

News.
Salem, Nov. 10.-One of the
most tragic, sensational and Gelib'
crate murders, with an equally trag-
ic su,cide as a fitting end of the
Whole affair, at least, so far as crime
is concerned, transpired in this city
about 6 o'clock this morning when,
in a fit Of remorse over the disgrace
OF nights debauchery and his SUBJ
sequent arrest, Victor E. D'Anna,
civil engineer for the Willamette
Constructiop Company, and pop
ular society man, deliberately shot
AID killed Benjamin Gohlson, an
employee of the Farmers Feed
Stables, out OF revenge, escaped to
, the country and eluded arrest long
enough 10 reach the asylum farm
six miles south, where he telephon-
ed to frie nd in the city, and then
calmly went out behind a nearby
woodpile and blew his own brains
out with the same revolver with
which the murder was committed
Coroner Clough was notified of
1.-The finding of the body, which was
I identified as that of D'Anna and is
now reposing in the morgue in this
city. D'Anna was popular in cir
cles in which he moved and was
very brilliant, proud and ambitious.
The body will probably be shipped
to bis father in Oklahoma. His
victim was steady, sober and in
dustrious young farmer boy, and
did nothing to merit the tragic fate
which he met.
Until he reached the asylum farm
D'Anna was seen only once after
leaving the city by the railroad
track near the Reform School. He
was first teer there at II o'clock,
hatless, pale and nervous, at tel
ephope by A. B. Dilley, an attend
ant. WneD he had finished talk
Ing be turned and walked out OF
the building, but nodded an indif.
ferent "How- -do-you-do' to a like
salutation from Mr.. Dilley, and
walked across the yard. Five min.
ntes later a shot was heard. His
body was found by John Noyan, a
farmer, behind woodpile with a
wound in the head.
D'Anna was In the habit of going
out on periodical sprees, and drank
heavily all last night and up to an
early hour this morning. While
in a drunken stupor after his nights
carousal. coatless aud hatless, he
put In an appearance at the Farm.
ers' stables about Ago o'clock this
morning, went into the sleeping
room occupied by young Gholson
and went to bed. Gholson called
in night Watchman John Longcor.
who made D'Auna get up and took
him to the police station. D'Anna
called up City Recorder Moores by
telephone aud was released on his
own recognizance to appear at 10
O'CLOCK this morning.
After being freed he is supposed
TO have gone to his room, secured
his revolver aud some cartridges S
and returned to the stable, knocked
on the door ard, when Gholson op.
ened it, fred one shot, which took
effect In Gholson's left breast in ths
region of the heart.
Gholson, who was up and dressed
did not utter cry, but ran as fas
as he could across High street te
the Low livery stable. Walter
Low the proprietor, saw him stag
ger about and thought it was 6
drunken man. He approached hin
and when near enough he recogniz
ed Gholson in the dim light o
dawn and incandescent electric