Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-04-22
TORNOW shot
AT QUIMBY
Three Bullet Holes In Tree
Behind Which Quimby
Stood Tell the Story
CLOSE CALL FOR DEPUTY
Sheriff Matthews Gives Out
Details = Empty Shells
Show Lathrop Fought

Three bullet holes in the tree be.
hind which stood Giles Quimby as
he fred at the bobbing head of John
TOxnOw, the wild man" of the Ok.
bow country, tell very different
STORY of the battle that ended in
Torn0w's death from any previously
given to the world. These marks,
says Sheriff Schelle Mathews, show
that instead of firing at the pros.
traxe bodies of Louis Blair and Chas
Lafhrop, the desperate outlaw was
popping away at Quimby. The dis.
covery reveals for the first time how
close Tornow came to claiming three
victims instead of two, and shows
that had Quimby been less securely
prctected, the terror of the Wynooche
country might still be roaming the
woods in defiance of all law.
lathrop Got Into Action
Sheriff Mathews reports that three
empty shells from Lathrop's gun were
found by his side Lathrop's hand
W28 ON the lever and there was a
shell ready to be sent into the mag
anime. showing that he had swung
hin zdfle into action before Tornow's Z
1tD finished him.
Instead Of using a revolver, .as re
ported. Tornow shot with a rife he
secured when he killed Deputy Sher
t1k Nmer and Mckenzie. the gun
oelsax1ng to the former.
Tho sherin gave out the follow
ing Interview:
We did not reach the bodies
Fkxsday afternoon until 4 O'Clock,
bsenuso Quinby, in his eagerness to
1HG us to the spot, miscalculated the
dfse2nce to ridge and We swung
1hsut eight miles to the east. But
We finally got our bearings and were
0oaa on the right trail.
As we came to where an elk had
been killed, Quimby told us we were
within a short distance of the clear
ing This was not the elk that they
had found Tuesday, but was evident
ly killed Wednesday morning by Tor
now, who had cut the hind quarters
and without skinning them had TAX
en- them to his cabin.
Dead Outlaw Found.
I'VE swung around and Quimby
told us the cabin was near so he
led MS to foOtlog across a stream
and We crossed over When we ap
preached the cabin we formed in a
crescent and cautiously crept up.
was within 10 feet of the body oil
TornOw when l discovere dit, anG
by this time the posse was searching
the house for him. l hardly recog
nized it as body, because it was
almost the color of the leaves or
the ground. 1t was getting dark and
1 called the boys over, saying it was
Tornpw.
I'VE examined the body and in go
ing through the pockets found S7.4(
in silver, lot of fishing tackle and
a silver match safe.
in the cabin was found an ole
army 1890 rifle and shells and am
mnnition for it.
Tornow wore the hat taken from
Deputy Sheriff Colin Mckenzie. He
had on at least three pairs of pants
His shoes were new and were calk
ed. showing that within the past
geek or less he had made a raise
Almost Trapped Outlaw.
The cabin, the best he has con.
structed, was built on an island in
rhe center of small marsh or lake
and there was only one way to get
10 the island and that was across the
foot log which he could have held
against a small army.
Before Blair, Lathrop and Quinn
by could get to the cabin they had
to- cross this log. That Tornow did
not nre then causes me to believe
that he was almost surprised, just
managing to reach the tree from
which he fired on his victims.
AT this time l want to give Giles
Gsvimby all the credit that is due
him He showed great nerve unde,
trying conditions. He fired sever
shots in all at Turnow and every
bullet just niched the tree, all be
ing within space of six inches
Quimby says now that he might have
hit Tornow in the body the sixth
shot, as the outlaw seemed to lurcf
ana showed more of his body. Al
he did so, Quimby sank on one knee
took deliberate aim at his head ant
fired"
''fn the cabin were the two hint
quarters of elk meat, pail Of frogs