Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-11-02
SUSPECTED OF MURDER
INDEPENDENCE JAPS MAKE
HOWL FOR BRIEF PERIOD.
Maltreated Wife Disappears From
Scene of Disturbance, Caused By
Old King Booze.

About four clock Friday mornin
Sheriff Orr rubbed the sleep out 0
his eyes, swore a solemn oath, AM
answered the telephone. Excited vote
es from the Independence neighbor
hood cried to him that one Mr.. Pa
jima, Japanese, had most surely
murdered his wife,. The sheriff los
no time in getting his trusty ForG
out of the garage, and was soon al
the scene of the tragedy. The mys-
terry, horrible and gruesome as were
its possibilities, unravelled itself un-
der the searching investigation of the
sheriff in this way.
Act Palma, a japanese emlpoye
of the Sperling hop yard, had gone
to town with friends. Clown" be-
ing Independence the friends partool1
of the refreshment that has made
that city famous. About II o'clock
Palma returned home, and in his Ii
quored frenzy maltreated his wife
when she was too slow in preparing
for the revelers midnight repast
Of models. After taking as much
abuse as she could stand the little
woman fled from the place. A search
did not disclose her hiding place.
Act 2-The Japs went back to In
dependence in search of the woman
and communicated their troubles to
a deputy sheriff. When they return
ed to the hop yard again the woman
was still missing and the drunken
mongolians set up hue and cry that
was heard for mile. Screaming and
crying they aroused the neighborhood,
which stood back in deadly fear, for
it was certain that murder was be-
ing committed. Palma rushed from
the house and into his buggy, and
started for town again. The spec
tators were sure, from the speed he
was making, that he was taking the
remains of the dead woman to a place
where they would never be found.
They called the sheriff and the act
was done.
Act 3-All perfectly good melo-
lramas must have third act and |
sheriff. An authenticated sheriff is
hat much better, if the stage man
lger can get such character. Sher-
if Orr answered the call and when
le entered the house he found things
n chaotic state. Dishes were smash
d, furniture was upset and every
oosened object was either broken or
opsy tuvey. Some of the woman s
lothes had been stuffed into the
tove, and to the unframed eye a
errible deed had been committed. No ,
ne knew where the woman was, and
ntil one of the Japs was advised by
hone from the Mclaughlin ranch
hat she had been found, consterna-
on reigned supreme. The Jap who
eceived the information said nothing |
} the sheriff or his own countrymen :
ntil the officer had told them what !
n awful deed they would have to pay
IL That intimidated the one who =
eceived the news, and after giving I
is reason for secrecy as his fear that =
alma would still harm the woman, \
2 told the sheriff that she had taken p
,fuge over night in the Mclaughlin +
arm. Nearly frozen and frightened e
3lf to death the woman was taken, Il
lrly in the morning, from his hid q
g place. When Palma sobered the E
lstomary melodramatic lecture await \
| him, the woman discarded her OBJ n
ctions to her wrathful husband and h
ey promised to live happily ever h
ter, as the curtain came down with i
thud. Sheriff Orr was late on the n
b the next morning. Y