The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1911-07-07
VICTIM OF JUSTICE" SERVED EIGHT
YEARS FOR CRIME NEVER COMMITTED

Sonntttcd IN my lite was stealing
a watermelon. still I spent seven
years ten months and thirteen days
IN the Oregon penltentlary. convict.
ed OF murder. And when the man
who ! was supposed 10 have mur.
dered. was found, and ! was given
my liberty, the mother Of my five
children was the wife of another
man"
This was the strange story told
by w. l. Veach at police head
quarters this morning. just before
he was released afgei' spending the
night ON charge of drunkenness.
M anreSvdewE az. .gg % cetaoin
Had Served Eight Years.
On October 20. 1905. he was re.
leased fro mthe Oregon peniten-
tiary. He had served less than
eight years Of 9s-year sentence.
Albert Tcppln, the man whom he
was accused OF killing. had been
foand by detectives. He went TO
Medford. where his wife lived, and
who Is now the wife of man who
had been his best friend. He made
that visit, and has never been back
since.
Il said would never return TO
the state that had ruined my life.
my hopes, and removed everything
dear 20 me-" he said.
"And I've never seen Oregon
since. When came to Seattle this
time came up as a cook ON the
steamer Oleum. to keep from pass
Ing through Oregon | have n map
OF the United States az home. aud
I've got a black cloth pasted over
the state OF Oregon"
How II Happened.
The black shadow that ruined
werch's life came during the sum
mer OF 1897. He was living happily
with his family in Jackson county.
Oregon. He had been playing the
fiddle AZ country dance. Return
ing home he became tired In.
stead os going home he stopped In
the cabin belonging to Albert Tep-
pin and slept few hours
Convicted Of Murder.
When he arrived home the next
day he was told that Teppin's cabin
had beer burned down. and that
some bones that looked like human
bones had been found. No trace
could be found Of Teppin. Natur.
ally. IL was concluded the bones
must have been his Veaeh was
the man who had been known to
have been there last. He was ac-
cused OF numbering him. The de
fectives worked with him until
they almost made him believe that
he had committed murder He was
convicted and given % years.
Wife Marries Another.
Afser be had spent four years In
the p1kifeniiary. four years that
seemed like four hundred. he re-
celved word from his wife and n
good friend asking for his consent
10 marriage
Shaved Harry Tracey.
n told them BY all means to get
married. But from that moment
my hear was broken. ! couldn't
eat. couldn't sleep. ! got sick.
After about six weeks In the hos
pital / felt better. | had lost all
hope and interest in life. but from
This time on the days passed away
much quicker. | became a trusted
x-fsoner. I was always handy at
all kinds of work. and ] was given
the job OF shaving convicts. !
shaved Harry Tracy. the notorious
outlaw, many a time. was less
than 20 feet away from him when
he escaped.
Toward the last / shaved no one
but the guards. was given more
liberty. Finally. on October 26,
1901 shall never forget the date
"a detective came to the peniten-
tiary with Albert Teppin. identi
fled him. And nov my rage was
aroused. ] told him that he had
better not meet me again. ] felt
that be was TO blame.
Since he was pardoned Veach has
been In almost every part OF the
world except Oregon. He has tried
10 forget his broken hopes and joys
Of life OF which so-called justice
deprived him. He has spent
larger portion OF the time as a
marine cook. Once at Long Beach.
Cal. he happened to think that
Teppin resided there. He had made
money In the mining business and
had retired 20 private life.
veach asked a policeman II he
knew where Teppin lived. When
he heard Of his address he told the
policeman his story and added:
'sBut | know | can take him by the
hand now and talk with him like
a friend"
"The next day, when reached
Teppin'g residence, was told that
he had gone to New York that
morning" said veach. The police.
man had told him was coming. !
have never seen him since.
Veach is looking for his son in
this city. He has a brother In bust
ness at Christopher, on the Taco
ma interurban line, where he is go
ing this evening.
Former Wife Died.
Last Christmas the mother Of
his children died. Her husband had
already died before her. The fam
lily is now widely scattered. His
children are all making their own
living In different parts of the
country, while the two youngest
ones are In an orphan asylum in
Oregon. Veach Is now a man OF
5s, though he looks younger.