Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-02-12
the AWFUL CRIME or
E An oagooM MAN

McMtnnvtIle, Or6., Feb. lZ.--In the
Yamhin county Jail hers, awaiting
trial IT the approaching term Of court.
is I man who IL charged with what
the authorities regard AZ n Of the
most appalling crimes ever recorded
In Oregon. His name Ia Abram Hem
bree and he Is accused Of having muir
dered his wife and his sixteen-year.
old daughter; Of having chopped their
bodies up, burned the heads In the
kitchen stove: carried wood and
stacked It around the remains. and
then set fire to his home to hide the
evidences OF his crime
The accused mai belongs to one
! OF the pioneer families Of this section.
Hts father crossed the plains In 1913
and settled in this county In 1855
he met death Ia battle while leading
la company Of Oregon volunteers
against the Indians. Twenty years
ago young Abram Hembee married
q handsome girl. Columbia Lawrence,
and settled In the adjoining county
OF Tillamook. Hembree was rather 4
thriftless fellow. given to dissipation
though never considered q real "bad
man" He was In the habit OF fire.
! ~quenting q crossroads saloon with
one or two registering companions
and when In his cups was wont to
flourish his revolver and descant upor
. his prowess and bloodthristiness. But
) his bravado seldom got beyond the
talking stage.
IL His wife. patient and Industrious
stayed at home and reared her fam
ily. which consisted Of a son, aged Is
4 daughter, Ora. aged 16, and tw'
4 younger boys, aged IL and 10. Thu
!. Oldest boy finally left home, leaving
the dauhgter and two Younger boy
with their mother.
The murdersof mother and daughtc
Is supposed 10 have taken place Of
= December 20 last. A few days befor'
that date the two boys left homo T
visit 4 relative. On the morning Q
december 80. Hembree arrived at tn
mouse Of n neighbor. clad only In hi
undergarments. wet and chilled I
: the home He asked II hts wife b
daughter were there and declare
\ that his house was burned and the
were gone.
He said that the family had avail
enet to fnd their home In fame
ana all had carried out what the
!. could: that his daughter wanted I
!. 70 back for 4 trunk which containe
her little belongings; that he = ad o
= dered the women not to enter tn
= house; that he had gone around I
the storeroom in the rear to attemr
to save some provisions and ths
when he returned the women wer
some: that he had called and recei'
ed 40 answer; had searched the bar
ana then concluded that they migl
! have sought 4 neighbor's. and 2
I TO had sasfk the hufning house.
4 tss1asrse,A iAale,s f~Asa repeated :
.IIsA{ yshAriab AnAr the .ccroner. Was =
s5lNt~ ths,JNmA sltsHap believed
MI yjenhuk AaAas< 1ey4lqp@Ants arouse
I, I~tHjpicion. ThAnyMApA, Tefy MpsUttgl
. klsjseached. In = heating stove vel
. fodnf homes whichs physicians pr
j.. nounced 10 be part Of skulls. ind
e. eating that thev had been crushed
e broken up before being burned.
wss said that teeth . found lynn
ID among the bones Of the Re {, m
" that four cords Of wood had bee
"a ha0sed 10 the house . few days befci
the tragedy.
vi Hembree's cioudcd cr-ee~ was r
d callet and he was finally PLACED vi
II. der arrest.
e- When all the facts became know
~ the wrath Of the neixhbors wa
aroused 10 fury ana soon there ~
talk OF iynching. Hembree was CO.
sequently brought to McM,nnvil'e b
~! the authorities for s~afekesping 4
" the next hearing Of court he VII b
tried for murder 10 the Arst degree