Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-04-18
WILD Man OF THE
0LYMP|CS CLAIMS
TWO MORE VICTIMS
Louis Blair and Charles Lathrop,
Members of Posse, Killed by
John Tornow.
BROTHER vows VENGEANCE
Bandit Cornered in Cabin in
Depth of Woods Wreaks Death
on Pursuers.

John Tornow is dead, killed by
shot through the head from the
gun of Deputy Sheriff Giles Quinn
by of Chehalis county who fled
panic stricken from the scene of
the shooting Wednesday without
ascertaining what effect his shoot
ing had had. The discovery was
made by the posse which returned
to the scene Thursday to recover
the bodies of Blair and Lathrop,
when Tornow's dead body also
was found and brought back to
camp. III
Two more victims, Louis Blair,
brother of Eli Blair Of Olympia, and
Charles Lathrop of Shelton, making
a total Of six, were added Wednesday
to the list of those who have met death
at the hands of John Tornow, the wild
man Of the Olympic peninsula. The
shooting occurred in the wilds of the
Oxbow country, Chehalis county, about
80 miles from Shelton and 10 miles
from the nearest logging camp. A
third man escaped.
ELI Blair, who is employed by the
Olympia Light & Power company, left
Olympia Thursday morning, vowing he
would trail Tornow until one or the
other were killed. The shooting caused
CONSERVATION throughout the district
and immediate steps were taken by the
Chehalis county authorities to organ
ize q posse to capture Tornow at any
ost, and to- bring back the bodies of the
slain men. The men who were killed
had been active in former hunts for
Tornow and at the time were members
Of posse. headed by Deputy Sheriff
Giles Quimby Of Chehalis county, who
escaped and notified the authorities Of
the shooting.
Quimby was still so panicstricken
when he reached the logging camp that
he was unable to. give very coherent
story Of the shooting, but It appears
that the three men had been on the
trail of Tornow for several days, and,
following the tracks Of the outlaw
through the wilderness, crossing
streams and penetrating brambles and
the deep jungles of the giant forest,
vhere the brightest sun finds difficulty
in penetrating, came upon an old cabin
in the Oxbow country, not far from the
Fillishak, a little creek which finds its
way into the Satsop.
Believing themselves near Tornow,
they separated to surround the cabin,
Blair and Lathrop approached the ut
laws rude structure from the front,
while Quimby slipped around to the
rear. Il
AS Quimby reached his station he
heard the crack of shots in rapid sue
tession, and running. around saw Tor
now standing in the doorway, pumping
bullets into the prone figures of Blair
and Lathrop. h
Dropping behind shelter, Quinn
by opened fire, pulling the trigger as
fast as his finger would work. When
his magazine was exhausted he fed
in blind panic, not stopping to ascer.
tain whether Tornow had been wound
ed, or whether his companions were
dead, and made a wild, mad rush for
the nearest logging camp. from where
he telephoned the news to the Chehalis
county sheriff at Montesano.
Tornow's two first victims were his
nephews,' the Bauer twins, whom he
is charged with killing while all three
were in the woods hunting bear. His
next two were deputy sheriff and
game warden of Chehalis county. men,
hers Of a posse who were searching for
him for the alleged murder OF his nep.
hews. A reward of $4,000 is offered for
his capture. ..a..
| More than three years ago John Tor
now, after escaping from sanitarium
in Portland, where he had been placed
BY relatives for treatment for his mind
rade his way on foot back to the fam
ily home on the Satsop and shortly aft
erward went into the woods, declaring
he would no longer live among men
For a long time he lived as hermit
only once In great while visiting the
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