The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-03-25
JURY HOLDS
NO ONE FOR
FORT KILLING
Clein's Story is Tangled but
He Still Maintains
Innocence.

The coroner's jury today found
that John Saudawski, Russian of
the age of 35 or 40 years, came to
his death between March ! and
March 81 at a place unknown, by
gunshot wound inflicted by a party
or parties unknown. Saudawski's
body was found last Sunday after
noon on the Fort George Wright
reservation.
After three nights of questioning,
Deputy Prosecutor Donovan last
night was enabled to secure an adj
mission from Paul Clein, held for
the murder OF John Saudawski, that
he and Saudawski ate supper on
the night of March /, the date of
the murder, at the German bakery,
and that Saudawski ate pork and
beans. The autopsy held by Drs.
Witter and Tooker disclosed beans
in the dead mans stomach, which
DR.. Witter said might have been
there for from two to four hours.
This bit of evidence is important,
as it helps to coyroborate the be-
lief of the state that Saudawski
met death on Monday night,
March /.
Clein has proved to be one of the
hardest customers the state has
ever tackled in the securing of ad.
missions relating to the crime of
which he is suspected. Clein was
once member of the Canadian
mounted police and has also served
in the German army, and Is sharp
enough to know that all admissions
made by him are fatal to his case.
He has explained things in a way
that did not explain them, as sub
sequent investigation revealed. He
has become entangled in his state
ments, has told conflicting stories,
yet through 1t all, denies any re-
sponsibility for the murder of the
Pole, Saudawski.
The states chief missing link at
this time is the lack of evidence
showing that Clein was near the
spot where the body was found on
the night of the murder. A 80 cali
Der traded off by Clein since the
murder has been recovered, and
this helped to weld another link in
the chain. Clein denies the owner
ship of the weapon. claiming that
he gave it to his woman friend,
Mrs. Douglas, last February. and
that she parted with it.
Mrs. Douglas, who was employed
at the Lynne hotel, where Clein
roomed under the name of Wilson,
says she was engaged to marry
him. She has closed up like clam
since the arrest of Clein became
public and refuses to tell anything
of the actions of Clein about the
time the crime was committed. The
state holds no further suspicious
against Joe Conrad, an acquaint.
ance of Saudawski.
At the coroner's inquest held this
morning at the Turnbull undertak.
ing rooms evidence was taken only
as to the nature and cause of the
death of Saudawski. The witnesses
were Charles Koneki, Polander
who came to Spokane with Saudaw'
ski over three months ago; Ser
geant H. A. Lathoff of Fort Wright
who found the murdered mans
body; Drs. e. P. Witter and w. N
Tooker, who conducted the au
topsy, and 0. N. Anderson, the I'M
dertaker's assistant. who dressed
the body after the autopsy.
Sergeant Lathoff testified tc
tracks of rubber tired vehicle be-
ing seen near the spot where the
body was found, which might show
that the body had been hauled
there instead of the murder being
committed on the reservation.
Drs. Witter and Tooker testified
to finding three 32 caliber. bullets
but the undertaken, Anderson
found a fourth.
The doctors thought Saudawski
might have been knocked down and
then shot. The bullets were fired
at close range, but far enough away
that there were no powder burns
Either of the three bullets found
two in the neck and one in the
brain, would have proved fatal. The
burned condition of the body, which
had been fred by kerosene, was de
scribed by the doctors.
The finding of the dead mans
overcoat rs to so yards from the
scene of the murder was detailed
by Sergeant Lathoff on re-examina
ton. The pockets were turned in
side out and there was blood on the
right sleeve, as IL the dead man hat
drawn the same across his face.
WASHINGTON. d. c.. March %
Taft tnAa~ Nominated II