The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-09-24
WALTER CASON SHOOTS
AFTER EARHART HAD
FIRED ONCE AND
MISSED.
COURT RELEASES CAS0N
Earhart Said to Have Held
Old Grudge and Had Made
Many Threats That He
Would Kill Cason.

Walter Cason, city marshal of
lone and deputy sheriff of Morrow
county, shot and instantly killed T.
G. Earhart, better known as Char
lie,' at the corner of the Palace ho-
tel in this city last Saturday evening
after Earhart had pulled a gun and
fired one shot at Cason. The shoot
ing was not entirely unexpected, due
to threats which Earhart made sew
eral years ago, when he was taken
to the penitentiary, after he had
shot up the town of lone on the
night of July 8, 1908.
Il shot him in self defense" was
the statement made by Cason to Mar
shall McCraw, who found Cason
standing not far from where the
shooting occurred Here is his
gun and here is mine" said the lone
marshal, handing McCraw the two
guns. Cason was taken to the coun-
ty Jail where he was held pending
the arrival of Coroner Chick from
lone.
The coroner's inquest was held at
the Court House on Sunday morn
ing. The jury selected by Justice
Cornet consisted of w. B. Barratt,
M. D. Clark, Frank Gillian, w. o.
Minor, Geo. Currin and Geo. Thorn
son.
The first witness called at the
inquest was Walter Cason He tes-
titled that he was standing on the
corner of the Palace hotel talking
to his son, Guy Cason, little after
s o'clock. He looked down the
street and saw Earhart coming up.
When he was within a few feet from
Cason, he said. "Well Walt, it is all
off" He drew his gun and fired one
shot. Cason testified that he then
drew his gun and fired, just how
many times, he was not sure, and as
Earhart started to fall, he rushed in
and grabbed Earhart's gun. He did
not remember whether he struck
Earhart as he fell or not.
Hugh O'Rourke, one of the eve
witnesses to the shooting testified
that he heard three shots, there be-
sound Of any of them. He said he
'olld not tell vl.o fired the shots
and that he heard no talk prior to
the SnoOtlng.
Marshal McCraw was the first per
son to arrive after the shooting. He
testified that he heard several shots
fired. He hurried to the scene of
the shooting and saw Earhart on
the sidewalk and Cason standing
over against the hotel. Cason hand
ed him both guns.
Sheriff Evans was the second man
to arrive on the scene. He testified
that he was standing in the shoot
ing gallery of B. X. Searcy down the
street not far from where the shoot
ing took place. While there, Ear
hart came in and asked for a match.
He appeared to be very nervous and
excited. He went out of the shoot
ing gallery and up the street. The
sheriff testified that it was only
few minutes after that he heard the
shooting. When he arrived he found
Earhart laying on the walk and Ca
son standing over by the side of the
hotel.
Deputy Sheriff McDuffee arrived a
few minutes after the shooting. He
ordered the body removed to the
Case Undertaking establishment. He
was present when Mr.. Case removed
the clothing from Earhart's body,
and examined the wound. Mr. Case
took about dozen cartridges from
the clothes. These he turned over to
Mr.. McDuffee. After. comparing the
cartridges found in Earhart's cloth
ing with those in the gun, the depu-
ty sheriff found them to be identical.
Mr.. McDuffee picked up the ball that
,, fell from the wound. He testified
that he thought the abrasion on the
front of Earharts head was caused
from blow or the fall.
Guy Cason, the other eye witness
testified that he was standing on the
corner of the Palace hotel talking
to his father. His father told him
that he was going to stay clear of
Earhart if he could. About that
time, Guy testified, that his father
said. there he comes now" Ear
, hart was only few feet away He
walked like he intended to pass by
but stopped suddenly and said
We'll, Walt, the game is on With
; that, he pulled his gun and fired.
He testified that Earhart appeared
to hold the gun about waist high
and close to his body. Guy testified
that as Earhart fired, he, Guy, step
ped aside few feet. His father shot
but as to the number of times he
could not say. After his father shot
he rushed in and grabbed Earhart's
gun, but he couldn't tell whether his
father struck Earhart or not.
Ed Case of Lone Rock, who was in
Heppner attending the fair, was
standing on the south steps of the
hotel at the time the shooting oc-
Cured. He testified that he heard