The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-06-26

VINO was laboring under great excite
ment, did not stay to investigate the
result of the shots, and according to
MS statement, though that Martinson
was only wounded. He made his exit
from the front door, hastened to Mr..
Harts residence and told his neice of
the shooting. In the meantime Hart
mad rode to Oroville to inform the Of
hcers that Martinson had appeared at
the Kline home. Mr.. Kline started for
the home of j. j. Bennett, with his
nelce and child, some mile and a half
away, below Golden. On the road
they met Mr.. Hart returning, and Mr..
mime took the horse, came to Orovil'e,
reported the shooting to Deputy Sher-
III Carrel and gave himself up Dep
uty Carrel took hack and went to
the scene of the tragedy, intending
to bring the body to Oroville, but de-
clded afterwards to notify the pros
ecutlng attorney and coroner and
await instructions. 1t was decided to
mold the inquest at the house where
the shooting occurred.
Late Thursday evening Deputy
Prosecuting Attorney Chas. A. john
ston, Coroner r. F. McCampbell, and
Deputy Sheriffs j. w. Carrel and Ed.
Burden met at Mr.. Kline's place for
the purpose of examining into the
cause of the shooting and holding an
inquest. There were several persons
present from the surrounding country,
and the following jury was empannell-
ed: G. b. Harpham, H. H. Scott, Ed.
Lumbstrum, Harry Williams, M. E.
Paxton and w. w. Buchanan. The
premises were examined and testi-
mony taken. From appearances the
first shot fired by Kline passed
through the edge of the door jamb, on
the right side of the door, just below
the latch, and that bullet cut a piece
of flesh out of the ball of Martinson's s
left hand. A round ragged hole
through lower pane of glass in the
window indicated the course of the
second bullet, which struck Martin
son in the left breast, just below the
collar bone. Fran all appearances
Martinson had crawled into the house,
and continued crawling on his hands
and knees through Kline's bedroom.
through the kitchen and into the
front room, where he laid dead on
the floor at the foot of the bed, rest
ing on his left side with his legs
drawn up. The progress of the
wounded man through the house was
marked by blood prints of his hand,
and he bleed very profusely from the
wound in the chest. He had evident
ly lived long enough to open the draw
ers of sewing machine and pull all
the contents out on the floor, for
what reason no one can imagine, and
there were several articles of cloth
ing belonging to the child under the
body. When the body was laid out
and stripped nothing was found upon
his person but some matches, tobacco,
pictures of Mrs. Martinson and the
child, and $1.5O. Four witnesses were
sworn and gave testimony as follows:
Chas. U. Kline, who did the shoot
ing, was the first witness to give test
imony. Attorney Johnston explained
to Mr.. Kline his rights under the con-
|stitution, and that he was not expect
ed to give testimony that might in
crminate himself, and if he testified
in the case he did so at his own voli-
ton. Mr.. Kline said he had nothing
to conceal and was ready and will
ing to tell all he knew of the unfor-
tunate circumstance. He was sworn
and the following is substantially his
narrative of the shooting
About 2 o'clock this morning, Thurs
day, June Is, was awakened by the
barking of my dogs. | heard two men
talking in a low voice near the chick
en- coop, (Which is a short distance
west of the house) The door of the
room in which l sleep was open. l
got up at once | saw Ben Martinson,
the deceased, at the door. 1t was
twilight. / seized my gun, 25-cal-
abre Stevenson rifle, that was leaning
against the wall. | threw shell in
to the gun. The men evidently heard
me and ran down the hill into the
brush to the north of the house.
told my neice, who was awake, to get
her child and we would go over to
Ed. Hart's place, less than quarter
OF mile away. We left the house to-
gether and went to Mr.. Hart's, | car
rying the child and she carrying the
, gun. | asked Mr.. Hart to go to town
and tell Deputy Sheriff Carrel that
Martinson was at my place, and he
left for town on horseback. At about
half past 5 o'clock | went over to my
house to feed the stock and get break
fast ready. l feed the pigs and cook
ed breakfast. While eating breakfast
at about half past o'clock, l heard
noise at the west end of the house.
, as though made by man walking.
) stepped to the door leading from the
kitchen to my bed room, the outside
door of which was open. My gun
: was leaning against the wal in the
, bed room, near the kitchen door, and
in plain sight. AS l reached the kit
chen door Ben Martinson appeared at
; my bed room door, and placed one
| foot on the door sill, in the act of en-
! tenng l said to him, "You get out
; of this house." He replied, D
you, | will get you this time" and al
> the same time threw his hand to-
f ward his hip pocket as though going
, to pull a gun. | grabbed my rifle
and fired at Martinson and he stepped
; back and toward the right. l could
see him looking through the window
t at the side of the door, with his hand
in a position as though he had a gun
fired through the window the sec
ond time, and Martinson fell, or dis
l appeared. | was very much excited
= did not investigate as to whether he
was dead or wounded, but hastily lef
!, by the front door, and went to Mr.