The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1906-08-10
SLAYERS CAPTURED
Boys Confess the Murder Of
William Powell.
READERS OF DIME NOVELS
Fifteen Y Year-Old Murderer Claims
Victim Threatened Him With
Knife Before He Shot.

In custody of Sheriff Fred Fiske,
Thomas Reeves and Hugh Saxton,
ragged, unkempt boys arrived at Cot
tage Grove Tuesday morning to an
swer to the charge of wilfully murder
ing aged William Powell, "a Gettysburg
hero, refugee Of the San Francisco
disaster, and as harmless wanderer
as long years of toll ever brought to
senile dotage. Manacled together
with strong cuffs of steel, the boys
they are aged only 16 and IS years
took their arrest lightly.
Hugh Saxton, the younger, whom
the old man said before his death was
the murderer, rolled cigaretts with his
hand that was free, and maintained
an air of Bowery toughness until con-
fined in the dingy little Jail. Then
he broke dcwn and wept.
The juvenile murderers are porducts
of Portland says the Journal, and
gained their desire for glory as des-
peradoes, they declare, by reading the
direful stories of Deadwood Dick,
Nick Carter and similar yarns of Grim
son. type One is a graduate of the
notorious" "Goose Hallow" gang which
has infested that portion of South
Portland for years.
Thomas Reeves is Is years of age
and lives at 546 Columbia street, Port
land. On the witness-stand he con-
fessed that he fred the fatal shot,
though the old man declared that the
younger lad was the murderer. He is
member of what he calls the West
Side Club, an organization of young
men and Toys who reside in the Goose
Hallow district. The object of the
club he says, is to teach its members
how to fight aud to have good
tint.
Hugh Saxton is 16 years of age. He
says that he lives at 438 Carter street,
Portland. He is a typical waif who
ran away from his home in Texarkana
Texas, one year ago, because the town
wasn't large enough, he says, and be-
cause he wanted to see the world.
He rode the brake-beams across the
southern desert to Sacramento and
from there rode the beams to Portland.
He arrived in that city month ago.
Both Saxton and Reeves were en-
ployed until "a week ago at the Port
land Wire q Iron works, Third and
Flanders streets.
Criminal history furnishes few in
stances of such brutal wanton murder
of the deed of which tho two young
sters are accused Walking the rail
road tracks near Cottage Grove last
Sunday evening, they came aero IS the
camp of aged William Powell, who
was preparing meal. They demanded
food and the old mau petulantly re-
fused. Then ii is charged that they
sat down beside him and taunted
him.
"Get busy, old man; cook that
meal aud when you're through We'll
eat it," they said. When he had
finished cooking they tried to take
bis meal away, he resisted and the
young lad, it is charged, whipped out
an oath and with revolver a shot
was fired and the old man fell, mortal
ly wounded to the ground.
The lads ran off, but gang of rail
road IL borers who were bathing in
Il stream nearby heard tho old man g
groans and went to his assistance.
On handcar he was removed to Cot
tage Grove and to the office of DR.. @.
Il. Hockett, where an operation was
performed, but the wound was fatal
aud the old man expired the next
morning.
II was several hours after the crime
that tho posse started i'll persuit OF
the old mans slayers.
Sheriff Fiske with Special Deputy
w. Mcfarland followed tho railroad
track in Il southerly direction and
finally overlook the fugitives, They
were only half an hour behind them
when the lads were captured neaI
Drain by town Marshal Mynott of that
place.
After firing the shot and seeing thC
old man fall the boys sped blindly
down the track. They ran ror mile
or more, they say, until exhausted
when they hid themselves in hay
field. They spent Sunday night in |
NOW and emerged next morning
Cautiously they continued their jour
noy down the tracks and met u track
walker with whom they talked ant
contlded. It was the trackwalkel
who a short time after gave the
sheriff the right scent.
Stations along the railroad town'
throughout this section had mean
while been notified of tho crime ant
complete descriptions of the lads sen
out.
The marshal of Drain stationed
himself on the railroad tracks a shor
distance north of that town and wait
ed. He had not waited long when twt
boys walking rapidly appeared j:
sight. They saw him aud turning
ran in the direction in which the,
had come. Leaving the tracks tn
officer followed the wagon road an'