Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-08-08

places where the weapon sank into his
neck and that the first cut would have
killed him almost instantly Had it not
been for the victim s backbone, the
head would have been cut clear off the
body, the knife stopping at each slash
on the bones in the back of the neck.
May Have Been Running.
In the case of Mrs. Koda, it is evi.
dent that she was struck, not held and
quietly cut to pieces. The wound in the
back Of the neck is such that the ply.
sicians are led to believe that the mur-
derer slashed out wildly while the wo.
man was either running away from him
or trying to defend herself, as the cut,
a single one, nearly severed her neck
bone and came very near beheading
her.
The little year.old baby of the mur.
dered woman was either stabbed acci.
IDENTIFY in the stomach or purposely de-
stroyed by the same hand that brought
death to the other two. The little
stomach was frightfully gouged with a
knife or some other sharp instrument
and life must have fled within few
minutes, according to the doctors.
Is Mystery.
To place the guilt of the triple mur.
der will be a long and tedious job, ac
cording TO Sheriff Esch and Acting
Chief of Police Welch. In the opinion
of Sheriff, Esch, who in company witt
the acting chief, made careful inquiry
into the case this morning by question
ing both Koda and Matsura, it is hard
ly possible that Koda committed thu
crime, although he is still under sus
piciOn.
Sheriff Esch stated this morning af
ter talking with the husband of tn,
dead woman that the latter did no
know that Joe Kiyokawa had been kill
ed, being under the impression that N,
one but his wife and baby had beef
murdered Sheriff Esch stated that h,
hardly believes that Koda performed
the crime, but stated that nevertheless
the husband was still open to suspicion
Many Conflicting Stories.
The authorities are at sea, in fact
and unless something more tangible an,
more certain turns up, 1t is doubtful i
the murderer or murderers will ever b.
found,
One report is to the effect tina
another man in company with Kou
and Matsura boarded an Asylum ca
last night about 6 O'Clock with the in
tention Of visiting a sick friend in tn
Salem hospital. Later they are said t.
have walked over to State street an,
boarding a car at Twenty.fourth an,
State, returned as far as High an
State. They then entered the Big
theatre, it is said where they remaine
until a friend of Koda 3 notified hir
that Mrs. Koda had been killed.
According to a statement made b.
Motorcycle Police Spencer, Koda an
his two companions were in the noodl
Joint Just twenty minutes before tn
murder took place. Spencer states tina
he was in the place last night and oil
served Koda, Kiyokawa and Matsura /
the restaurant at that time. Twent
minutes after leaving the place, h
states, news came to him that the mn
der had been committed.
Another theory is that in view Of th
alleged fact that the dead man hs
been intending to leave for Washing
ton, it is possible that he attempted
prevail upon Mrs. Koda to accompan
him to that place and upon being r
fused he flew into rage and while
the act Of cutting her throat, the 9th,
party entered and picking up a secon
knife, which was found later, murderC
Kioakawa and in the struggle, the b
by was killed.
Another stclkler.
Although Koda tells the authoriti,
that Joe Matsura and another man a
companied him 10 the hospital alor
about 6 O'Clock, returned to the eli
and attended the Bligh theatre, viii,
must have been not earlier than 7'3
as the show does not open until the
the fact that Mr. Spencer saw the thr
men in the restaurant twenty minut
4 before the murder was reported max
, it a question whether or not the who
D story as told by the TWO suspects is