The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-06-21
R|CHTF Ill
ST RUCCLE.
Evidence of a Terrible
Murder in a Hotel
in Portland

4
Central hotel. cheap hotel on Third
and Flanders street in this city, was
the scene OF terrible murder yes
terday afternoon A man beloved
/ To be William A. Johnson. perhaps
i from Seattle, was the victim aud n
woman supposed .to be has wife
and man named A c. Powers. who
registered as being from Nome. Alos
IA are missing and arc being search
ed for by the police.
The murder was discovered Iate
last night when blood was seen ooz
ing from trunk which had been sent
10 the Union depot and checked for
snlPment TO North Puyallup, Wnsh
Inc trunk was broken open and tho
rody OF the murdered man dlscov.
cred. The head had been badly bat.
tered and the victim choked The
eNpressman who took the trunk TO
the depot told tho detectives that he
got the trunk at the Grand Central
hoteI. IL was the work OF but a fow
minutes TO trace the crime 10 room
lls, which had been occupied by w.
a, johnson and wife and little girl
about I years old There is no trace
oil Powers or Mrs. Johnson. both OF
whom left the hotel yesterday after
noon. but at different tlmos
The room occupied by the John
sons presented terrible scene.
Blood was everywhere. indicating a
frightful struggle. The mattress was
covered with blood and was turned
over, with the evident desire TO con
ceal bloodstains
The blunder OF the murderers in
wrongly routing the trunk sent TO the
Union depot was the means OF dis
closing the CHASTITY murder The VIC
tim Is William A. Johnson. who. with
DIS wife and seyen-year-old son, ar.
rived here Monday morning, In COM
pany with a man who went by the
name of A. c, Powers The party
registered at cheap north end ho-
lei. Powers as coming from Nome
Alaska. but tho Jobnsons did not
give their residence
Powers, whose real name is James
II. Webb. and Mrs Johnson, were ar.
rested AT an uptown lodging house
carly today They were located
through the finding OF the little boy.
during the absence OF Powers, or
Webb, and the woman.
They were apprehcnded as they
We're returning from an automobile
trip 10 suburban resort Both the
man and woman though badly intox
fcated, denied all knowledge Of the
crime. Webb declared that he saw.
Johnson last at the Union depot yes
terday afternoon waiting for train
to go 10 Seattle. He asserted that
johnson was intoxicated at the time.
Nothing OF Importance was elicted
from either
On Webbs person was found two
watches one OF which Mrs. Johnson
identified as her husbands, and two
lady's haDdkerchiefs, both blood
stained. One of Webb's hands was
injured and bandaged He carried an
international typographical card is
sued by Vancouver, B. c.. local num-
Der 226
Webb is believed 10 have operated
iu real estate in Seattle within the
past few months
An ordinary looking trunk vas re-
ceIved at the depot late In the day
and ordered checked via the Oregon
& Washington railroad 10 North Puy-
allup. a station not on that road
Shortly before ten O'Clock last night
There the mistake was noticed and il
was sent back 10 the baggage room
A little later one OF the baggage
men noticing a pool of blood. which
had trickled from the trunk. and
breaking the trunk open. discovered
the body Of man
Investigation by the detectives de
Yeloped that the mans name was w
4 lob fr,t 10
occupied by him and his family, re-
suited In the discovery that the mat
tress was saturated with blood, and
also that blood was spattered over
many personal belongings OF John
son
Several beer bottles were found In
the room and a bottle Of wood alec
hol. empty.
The detectives believe that Johnson
was first dngged with the alcohol.
then struck over the temple with
blackjack" as he lay on the bed.
next shot through the temples and
finally 10 make death certain, John
sons ncgligee shirt had been twist
ed and tightly knotted about his neck
Among the Johnsons belongings
were a large number OF cards bear
liB tue ucilur vi -hl9S hlhN
some OF them having the address, "315
South Wall street" and others "l031
Ellis street" San Francisco The
Wall street address does not name
any city but ls believed By the no
lice 10 be In Spokane, Washington.
In Powers room, a suit case was
found containing a blackjack c1olted
with blood and frayed at one end n
handbook OF the Scandiuayian-Amcrl-
can bank OF Seattle, belonging to j.
=. Webb, some loose envelopes which
had borne the same address and an
International Typographical union
card, No 1926 issued by the Van
couver. B. c. local. to j. P. Webb.
According 10 the clerk OF the house,
the trunk left the hotel about the
middle OF the afternoon. The clerk
5aid he remembered the incident be-
cause the porter commented upon It's
weight, after having carried it to the
express wagon. A few minutes later.
the clerk stated. Mrs. Johnson and
her child left the hotel and did not re-
turn About six o'clock Powers
came down and, after saying that he
vas going out for little while, men.
aoned that the Johnsons would prob
ably so TO Seattle on night train.
The sum OF $1.900 In currency was
iouDd on Mrs. Johnson The woman
laid her husband had recently sold