Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-09-10

his wife, telling her to hide certain
tools belonging to Jack Madill and
to burn the alleged bill of sale for
McLeod's personal property as we'll
as several other papers. His young
wife, who is the mother of three small
children, the youngest four months
and the oldest three years, was
crouched against the crate in front of
the steel door of the Jail listening
breathlessly to every word when Will
liams' attempt was discovered Of
ficers Immediately searched the Will
liams home and .ound clothing, tools,
suitcase and papers belonging to Ma
dill.
The suspicion that Williams killed
Jack Madill is based on the fact that
about six weeks ago he and Madill
left for Dave Elders sheep ranch at
Keno Springs with Mddill's two buck
skin mares and much other necessary
equipment and Williams returned
with practically everything but Madill
himself.
Williams had Madills clothes when
he returned, it is said, and had them
altered to fit him. Since then he has
disposed of rifle that belonged to
Madill, and one of the buckskin
mares. Williams has told several
conflicting stories concerning the
whereabouts of Madill, telling some
parties that he went to LakeView,
others that we went to Alturas, and
since arrested has said that he saw.
Madill in Klamath Falls few nights
ago.
That Williams was the last person
to see NJ. r. Johnson, the trapper,
who suddenly dropped out of sight
last winter while trapping on Upper
Klamath Lake near Naylox, is stated.
Only few days previous to Johnson's s
disappearance Williams was at the
residence of Babe" Taylor at Nay
lox and in the evening left the house
saying to Taylor that he would see
him the next day. Williams was not
seen for some time after that and it
is stated that Johnson was last seen
on that day.
w. R. Hall, who was last seen in
August 1912, lived in a cabin in Mills
! Addition to klamath Falls. Williams
lived near Hall. Halls disappearance
and the mysterious disappearance of
tool chest and other property and
the fact that Williams has a mania
| for stealing leads to the suspicion
that he had something to do with the
disappearance of Hall.
In the Mcleod murder it is appar-
ent that Williams motive was to Sc
cure McLeod's personal effects and
then by occupation to ultimately Sc
cure title to the homestead, held by
Mcleod by squatter's right, but title
to which could not have been secured
until it was thrown open for entry by
the government. Williams moved his
family onto the place only five days
: after he murdered Mcleod. Exercise
of common sense would have told him
that he would have been suspected
and probably never could have Sc
cured title to the land.
For this reason it is believed that
only that unknown force which in
evitably attracts murderers back tc
, the scene of their crime could have
made Williams move onto the place
Criminal history gives abundant
-. lproof that murderer always returns
/, /, to the place where he took a life
.. even though years may elapse before
he does so. ,t actn
Since his confession Williams il
abject, broken in body and spirit. anC
; we're it not for his extreme corward
. ice might attempt to thwart justic,
. by taking his own life. Never sine,
= he was first arrested has he showI
= signs of any of the nerve il mus
! have taken to take the life of Nc
= Leod, while his victim probably la,
u asleep in bed.
, That the deceased father of viii
> liams recognized his son to be klep
u tomaniac and to have a passion TO
= crime is stated 1t is alleged tina
before his death the father deposite,
with another son $4,000 to be uset
), only to help Frank and to defen'
:. him when in trouble. This story
!, said to have first come from William
himself. No such living brother o
!, other relative can be located.
That Mrs. Williams had no knowl
edge of the atrocious acts of her hus
: band is believed by the authorities
!. Last Friday Williams took his wifi
y and children to the Mcleod rancI
,, with the evident intention of livin
. there, and 1t is not believed that sh
= : would have gone with him had sh
been cognizant of the awful Grim
: and the body of Mcleod near he
door.
Those who best knew Williams 4
Ashland say he is twenty-eight o
twenty-nine years old instead G
twenty-three as he says. He is boy
ish looking owing to Indian blood an
the absence of a beard. w. l.. Tat
of Ashland knows Williams is abou
his own age, which is twenty-nln'
through having been compelled I
beat him up in hard fight on Graz
ite street in 1904. Williams was {
vicious disposition and inclined
pick row. He jumped Tate an
was knocked over a baninster into
vacant hillside lot on Granite stree
Tate thinks Williams still wears
scar on his forehead as a result {
this fight. Sheriff Low, who hi
been largely instrumental in tracin
Williams crimes, is a former Jackso
county citizen-a half brother
Oscar Low and Mrs. John Morlan
near Ashland.
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