Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-07-16
PARROT HELD FOR
MURDER OF WEISS
LOCAL OFFICERS FILE CHARGES
AGAINST MAN ARRESTED BY
TACOMA POLICE,

Information charging Joe Parrott
with murder in the first degree and
naming him as the man who killed
Fred Weiss, the local tailor, on the
trail from Gate to Bordeaux camp No.
early in June, was filed in the local
superior court Thursday by Prose-
cutting Attorney Geo. F. Yantis. Par
rott has been in Tacoma in the
Pierce county Jail for 80 days on a
charge Of vagrancy pending investiga-
ton into a recent murder at Wilke-
son. Sheriff Fred w. McCorkle went
to Tacoma after him Thursday morn
ing.
The local tragedy and that at Will
keson occurred about the same time
and Parrott was picked up by the
Tacoma police on suspicion that he
was connected with the Wilkeson
shooting. They have been unable to
implcate him in that affair, however.
after a months investigations, and SO
turned him over to the local authori-
ties who are confident that in Parrott
they have the man who killed Weiss
Gate Resident Identifies Parrot.
Parrott has been identified by a
Gate resident as the man to whom he
talked half an hour or SO on the af-
ternoon of June 8. when Weiss start
ed from Gate to the Bordeaux camps,
and who then told him he was going
up to camp No. to look for job.
The shoes Parrott wore when he was
arrested in Tacoma were also identi-
fed as very closely resembling Weiss
shoes, which were missing at the time
the body was found. Other informa-
ton gathered by local authorities ap-
pears to link PARROT strongly with
the Weiss murder and both Sheriff
McCorkle and Prosecuting Attorney
Yantis believe they are ION the right
track"
E Several stories told by Parrott have
been investigated and found to have
been false and he has not been able
to give a satisfactory account OF his
actions at the time of the Weiss trag-
edy. He has previous jail record,
the authorities say. Chief of Police
Ben Hall, who has carried on an in
dependent investigation Of the case,
is confident he has some clues it will
be difficult for Parrott to explain
away.
Tries to Escape in Tacoma.
Precautions are being taken by the
local authorities to keep good watch
OF Parrott, for the prisoner, after
throwing pepper into Tacoma de-
tective's eyes Wednesday afternoon
and attempting to escape, bOasted to
the officers there that he would kill
himself or else escape. The detective
had taken the prisoner. without hand
cuffs, out to be shaved and on the
way back to the jail went into to-
bacco store to buy some tobacco for
him when Parrot threw pepper into
his eyes and "ducked out" Of the
store. The detective. though almost
blinded, chased him, shooting twice
in the air and then at the prisoner,
who fell. He had been shot through
the hand and one finger had to be
amputated.
Parrott had cunningly accumulated
the pepper at meal times, by demand
ing more seasoning for his food. After
his attempt to escape. Parrott, boast
ing that he could stand more pain
than anybody in the world. said:
"Why don't they get Brownie
gave me Weiss shoes. They don't
get Brown but they try to kill me.
I'll show 'em. I'll kill myself. Why
do they say I killed a man? They
keep me locked up here and say
they're going to hang me. 1t will
take more than there are in this place
to do that. Maybe I'll get another
chance and then I'll make good my
escape"
Says Parrot Killed Weiss.
D. O. Smith, captain of detectives
IN Tacoma, declares he has positive
evidence that Parrott murdered
Weiss.
PARROTS shoes were found near
the body of Weiss and the prisoner
had the dead mans shoes on when
he was arrested here. Although 1t
has never been made public before.
we found reliable man in Gate who
positively identified Parrott as the
man he talked with for nearly an
Aox r. h. dnn