Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-10-15
With Oath ON HIS Lips
Prisoner Sends Bullet Into
Brain and Dies Instantly

on leaf of small notebook taken
| from the pockets of the dead man;
what mother-in-law won't
do. Darling wife your mother
caused me to kill her and man,
and myself to get out of it, Whay
coldnt we of lived togever and
bin happy with our baby girl and
baby
When the body was searched by the
Coroner a box of 100 dynamite caps,
and a string of fuse about six feet
| long, was found in the pockets, which
led to the assumption, in connection
with the above note, that deceased
had contemplated the destruction of
the entire family, and it is supposed
that the idea that this would be dis
covered by the authorities, was what
caused Moore's agitation when he
was arrested. He knew that the dy-
Mantle caps and fuse would be found,
and the whole story would probably
come out.
Dynamite is Missing.
Early Friday morning, Sherman
Hayes, foreman for George Rose, who
operates a hopyard near Indoepend-
ence, and for whom Moore had been
working, reported to the Sheriff that
he had lost three or four sticks of
dynamite and believed it had been
stolen. 1t is the theory of Sheriff
Grant that Moore had taken it and
the caps and had planned to blow up
the house where his wife was living
with her mother Acting on this the
ory, Grant on Saturday searched the
premises at the Dow home where Mrs.
Moore, who is the youngest daughter
of Mrs. Eta Pickett, lived, and dis
covered a paper cover to the dyna-
mite cap box and some freshly burned
paper under a window of the house,
but careful cearch failed to disclose
dynamite cached on the premises.
The revolver which Moore used was
the property Of Hayes.
NOn-SuppOrt Is Charged.
Relatives of Mrs. Moore testifying
at the inquest, declared that Moore
had failed to support his wife and
that, finally, she had refused to live
with him and had made her home
with her mother. Moore had been
forbidden to visit the premises and
had been ordered away several times.
He continued to loiter about, how
ever they said and late in August had
been arrested on a charge of trespass.
He was fined $40 in Justice Holman's
court, which he paid. He still con-
tinued to appear at the Dow home,
however, and only week or so since
met Mr.. Pickett in the road near the
house and asked If he might see his
wife. His request was refused and
he left
Funeral Monday Morning.
Mr.. and Mrs Charles Moore of Tan
gent, Oregon, parents of the dead
man, accompanied by their daughter
arrived in Dallas Sunday afternoon
and made arrangements for the fune
raj, which was held Monday morning
from Chapman's undertaking par
lors, conducted by Rev. Edgar w.
Miles, interment taking place in the
odd Fellows cemetery.
Declaring that his son was more
sinned against than SHINING, Mr..
Moore. called at this office Monday
morning and made a statement to the
effect that deceased had done the best
possible for his family. Mr.. Moore
stated that his son had tried to sup
port his wife but that the latter would
not permit him to do So and that
there was no truth whatever in the
charge of non-support. He also stat
ed that John had not been exactly
right at times since a severe attack of
fever which he suffered when he was
about 13 years of age. Since then he
had developed a highly nervous tenn
perament and was greatly afraid of
the law. He attributes his desperate
act of self-destruction to his abnor-
NAL fear of the law, and the conse-
quences of arrest and scouts the the
ory of dynamiting. Both Mr.. and
Mrs. Moore declare that their son
would never have had trouble and
would be alive today had he been
permitted to treat his family as he
wished and to have supported them,
as he was willing to do. He declares
that abundant proof can be pro-
duced to substantiate this position
and that his neighbors at Albany and
Tangent are well aware of this fact.