Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-21
FIND BODY IN TRUNK
GhastIy Discovery at Union
Depot at Portland, Ore.
HIT, SHOT AND STRANGLED
Victim, Family and Friend Had
Just Reached City.
WIFE AND MAN IN CUSTODY
Blood-Stained Blackjack in Sus-
poets Room-Error Leads to
Unearthing of Crime.

PORTLAND, Ore, June 21.-The blum
der Of the murderers in wrongly routing
a trunk sent to the Union depot in this
city was the means late yesterday of
disclosing CHASTITY murder. The victim
Is William A. Johnson, who, with his
wife and seven-year-old son, arrived here
Monday morning In company with a man
who went by the name of A. c. Powers
The party registered at a cheap north
end hotel, Powers as coming from Nome
Alaska The Johnsons did not give their
residence.
Powers. whose real name is j. F.
Webb. and Mrs. johnson were arrested
at an uptown lodging house early today.
They were apprehended as they were
returning from an automobile trip to
suburban resort. Both the man and
woman denied 'all knowledge of the
crime. Webb declared he saw johnson
last at the Union station yesterday after
noon. waiting for a train to go to Seat
tie. He asserted Johnson was intoxicated
at the time. Nothing important was
elected from either.
On Webb's person were found two
watches. one Of which Mrs. Johnson iden-
tilted as her husbands. and two women's
handkerchiefs, both bloodstained. One
OF Webb's hands was injured and BAN
graphical Union card issued by Van
couver. B. c., local No. 2226.
Webb is believed to have operated in
real estate in Seattle within the last few
months.
Trunk Wrongly Routed.
An ordinary looking trunk was received
at the depot late in the day and ordered
checked. via the Oregon and Washington
rai fn D,,r
on that road. Shortly before 10 o'clock
last night the trunk was taken to the
platform. There the mistake was noticed
and it was sent back to the baggage room
A little later one of the baggagemen
noticed a pool OF blood which had
trtckled from the trunk, broke it open
and discovered the body of a man.
Investigation by the detectives de-
veloped that the mans name was w. A.
Johnson and a visit to the room oc-
cupted by him and his family resulted
In the discovery that the mattress was
saturated with blood. and also that
blood was spattered over many person.
al belongings OF johnson. --
The detectives believe Johnson was
drugged with alcohol. then struck over
the temple with a blackjack while he
lay on the bed. next shot through the
temple, and finally, to make death GER
tain. Johnson's neglige shirt had been
twisted and tightly Knotted about his
neck.
In Powers" room a suit case was
found containing blackjack clotted with
blood.
Complained of Weight.
According to the clerk Of the hotel the
trunk left the hotel about the middle
of the afternoon. The clerk said he
remembered the incident, because the
porter commented on its weight after
having carried it to the express wagon.
A few minutes later, the clerk stated.
Mrs. johnson and her child left the h0-
tel, and did not return.
About o'clock Powers came down,
and, after saying he was gong out for
a little while, mentioned that the John
sons would probably go to Seattle on
night train.
The sum of $1,000 in currency was
found on Mrs. Johnsons person. The
woman said her husband recently had
sold a farm near Seattle and had in
trusted the money to her for satekeep-
ing.