Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-08-06

noon last Sunday an accident oc-
Cured at what are known as the
Oregon Caves in this county, which
resulted in the death OF one of the
most popular young men in Grants
Pass.
1t had been planned by Frank Ellis
a former clerk in the National drug
store, who was married little over
three months ago, and Arthur Vim
yard, clerk in the grocery of T. B.
Cornell, married less than a week,
to go on a camping trip to the caves
and they left here on Thursday of
last week and arrived in the neigh
borhood of the caves on Saturday, on
the Williams Creek side. They were
accompanied by their wives and sis
ter of Mrs. Vinyard, also a sister of
Mr.. Vinyard. On Sunday morning
they started for the caves. being sup
piled with ball of cord and some
candles Ellis had taken with him
from camp a SO calibre revolver.
Near the entrance of the caves they
met two strangers who told them
they We're from California and had
been in that neighborhood for some
time These strangers showed some
curiosity or interest in the party and
asked them many questions and
among others where their camp was
located. After leaving, the strangers
were the subject Of comment by the
party Some one venturod the
opinion that they were bandits and
there were other idle specuations re-
garding these and other men who
had, or might have, occupied the
caves. Then they talked about cou-
gars and bears inhabiting the caves,
The specuations and stories were
certainly calculated to make the
women, all of whom were extremely
young, decidedly nervous, but they
entered the caves at the upper en-
trance using their ball of cord 70
guide them ont of the dark cavern
on their return Ellis went ahead
with q gun, and, as he expressed IT,
ready for any emorgoucv Vinyard
carried the candle. From the en-
trance they slid down an incline for
few feet and then followed wind
in" passages, passing through a
number Of chambers. At one place,
about a hundred and fifty feet from
/ the entrarcc, Ellis climbed a passage
several feet above the floor Of the
room they were leaving. Suddenly
shot rang out on the confined air
of the cave and Ellis fell back at the
feet of Vinyard, who was nearest
to him. The women screamed In
terror. Three of them with Vinyard
started for the entrance but one girl
stopped and wanted TO 60 back and
not leave Mrs. Ellis. But Vinyard
went on calling upon the girl TO fol-
low or she would be killed, and
/ taking the candles with them
they all fled leaving Mrs. Ellis and
/ her dying husband in the dark
cavern where not ray Of light
penetrated The wife groped her
way to the side Of her husband and
taking two matches from his pocket.
struck a light and by this means and
the sense OF feeling, found that the
ball had entered the left eye and
from that wound the blood was flow
ing. She tore up her undergarments
with which she endeayored to
staunch the flow Of blood, and sit
ting down she took his head I'm her
Lap, calling him loving names and
pleading with him TO speak to her,
but he had been unconscious from
the very first. She pressed the
cloths she had provided TO the wound
aud felt his heart and found II beat
Ing weakly, but a moment later she
imagined the throbs grew stronger
and attributed II 10 her stopping the
flow Of blood Finally after what
seemed 70 her hours, the heart beats
ceased and She became convinced
that he was dead, bnt still she pillow
"a tha head of The loved one in hc.
lan and continued 20 do so until th'
body grew cold and the rls.dues o
death came on; then O. was she aros
and took of more of her garment