Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-10-10
BERT CUMMINGS
IS ARRESTED
CHARGED WITH COMPLETELY IN
MURDER.
is SON-IN-LAW OF MIKE SPANOS
Cummings Was Arrested Just After
Crime Was Committed, But Re-
Ieased-FOund That His AIibi Was
Not Perfect, as Was Thought.

Bert Cummings, step son-in-law of
Mike Spanos, who is in the county
Jail awaiting trial on the charge of
numbering George Dedaskalous, a
Greek, at the box factory in Medford
September %, was arrested Monday
afternoon charged with completely in
the crime: Cummings will be given
his preliminary hearing probably
Tuesday afternoon
Sheriff Jones and Police officer
Cingcade have worked up a case
against Cummings which hinges
about the recovery of the pocket
book of the murdered man, which
was found last Thursday by the Of
ficers. Cummings is said to have
been seen throwing the pocketbook
away in the rear of the Big Pines
Lumber Company's yards on Fir
street on the afternoon of the Mon
day following the murder. This
pocketbook has been positively iden-
titled as the property of George De-
daskalous, the murdered Greek.
Alibi Said to BE Faulty.
Cummings, who was thought to
have proven a complete alibi at first,
10 hOM oolu w nave lOll lhC hOuoC
where he lives on North Fir street
about II o'clock on the night of the
murder and to have been absent for
an hour.
1t will be rendered that Mike
Spanos, who was bound over for the
murder, stated that he had seen
Cummings place something that
looked like gold" on a shelf at the
Medford hotel where the murdered
mans watch was afterwards found
and that Cummings had dropped a
blood-stained five-dollar bill at the
same time. This information com
ing from Spanos had at first made
the case look worse for him, but il
is now the belief of the officers that
Cummings did have something to dc
with the case.
Evidence Withheld.
The officers have in their posses
soin other evidence which is said to
incriminate Cummings, but they are
withholding it at the present time.
1t is now certainty that Spanos
or Cummings had something to dc
with the murder, as the watch and
purse have both been found on tips
coming from them No trace of the
money has been found by the of
ficers
Spanos, in the county Jail, con.
tinues to maintain that he is limo
cent of the crime. He has lost his
air of bravado and seems to realize
the seriousness of the charge against
him.
AT first l did not realize that al
innocent man could get into such {
hole he stated in an interview
"and consequently, | did not believ,
that | was in any great trouble.
realize now, however, that it doe
look bad for me and | am worried
Still do not believe that an innocen
man will be punished. | think tn,
truth of the whole matter will com,
out sooner or later, and then it will
be known that l never killed a MAJ
for few hundred dollars"
Cummings in Trouble Before.
Bert Cummings has been in Med
ford about two years and has beer
in trouble several times. He wa
forced to marry the young daughte1
of Mrs. Spanos in order to escape
statutory charge which has been fileC
against him. Since that time he has
been under suspicion number o
times and under arrest few times
Recently he has been washing dishes
at local hotel. He is now lodged in
the city jail awaiting preliminary ex
animation.