East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-10-07
HUSBAND s CRIME
CAUSES TRAGEDY
WOMAN KILLS HERSELF
AND BABE AT NEWS
Mrs. Policy, Formerly Pendlct0n Res
idcnt, Commits Double Crime in
Far Away Indiana When She Hears
Her Husband Occupied Cell IN Ba-
lScr City Jail.

The Baker City Herald of Tuesday
evening chronicles the tragic death
of former Pendleton woman as fol-
lows.
When Joseph w. Policy, charged
with forgery, was placed on the wit
ness stand in his own behalf this
morning he did not realize that he
was swearing falsely when under oath
he stated that he had wife and
family OF three children in Fleenor,
Indiana.
He did not know when Katie Pol
ley receiYed letter from Baker CITY,
Ore, telling that her husband occu-
pied a felon's cell in the Baker coun-
ty Jail, she Immediately grabbed her
infant babe in her arms and left her
home in Indiana.
He did not know that one week
later friends Of the family found Kat
ie Polley's body hanging to a tree
mile and half from Bloomington,
H., and at her feet was the corpse OF
her infant, its life having been taken,
il is presumed, by the mothers hand
so that the child would not live to be
taunted by the statement that its
father was a jailbird in Oregon
No. Joe Policy knew none Of these
terrible facts when he was compiling
testimony in his own behalf in Judge
Smiths court this morning. Officials
had kept this information from the
prisoner and kept it out of local
newspapers so that Polly would be
in better condition TO fight for him
self against the state of Oregon, his
accuser. Not that any one of the Of
ficials wanted to see him cleared, for
that did not enter into the case. They
desired that he have n square deal
even though his crime might seem
a fact.
The story came from far off Indi-
ana several days ago and officers OF
the court read those letters with tear
ful eyes. so revolving did the situation
seem. It can truthfully be said that
the feeling for Policy was bitter, for
4, Is known that he has been a bad
actor while in the west. Not only IN
the case Of which he Is accused. but
he has other things on the calendar
which do not look good I'm the race
of Tho fact that Katie Policy, his wife,
was several hundred miles away try
ing TO raise a family while the father
and husband was living the life that
kills in this western country
Two years ago Joe Policy brougnt
his wife to Pendleton. Her health
was bad and she remained in umatilla
comfy for a time regaining her
strength She returned to Indiana
and he STAYED in the west. He has
not seen his family since that time.
The baby that was killed Is spoken OF
ne an infant in the press dispatches
but II was about three years old, ac-
cording to information from Indiana
Polley's career in Baker City IS
not unlike some others VINO came
from the east and try to beat the oiu
game of getting money without work.
ing for IT, He was here Tor some
time saw chance to turn a trick
that he imagined he could pull out OF
all right. and did so. He was caught
inst as they are all caught, at the
game. But he gave the sherilts
chase for II was necessary to send
a deputy into Kansas in order tha'
policy might be brought to justice
His trial occurred this morning
and the case went to the jury just be-
fnrn moon.