The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1916-06-01
MURDER And SUICIDE
OCCURS AT HERMISTON
Hermiston Herald.

Goaded on Dy a crazed brain cyyln2
for righting of fancied wrongs, Joe
Roth Thursday lay in wait for James
Ralph, shooting him twice and a
moment later turned the gun to Lis
own head and fired. The shooting
took place just few minutes past 9
Thursday evening. There was no
warning and both apparently died ill.,
stantly.
James Ralph had been out riding
during the evening and on his return
ran his car up to the front door of the
Sapper Bros. garage. This large door
has no lock on it nor no means OF
opening is from the outside. The gar
age was closed and Mr.. Ralph did not
have key to the side door. He
knew, however, that by taking a
screwdriver he could lift the door
sufficiently to get his fingers under
and then raise it. He did this and
just as he succeeded in raising the
door as high as his shoulders there
were two shots in quick succession
and Mr.. Ralph fell backward to the
walk. A moment later a third Shot
was fred. Witnesses who had seen
Mr.. Ralph run his car to the garage
open the door and the shooting, sum,
moned help and went to investigate
Drs. Wainscott and Monkman were
sent for and also the chief of police
Examination Of Mr.. Ralph showed nc
signs of life and the physicians both
ave 1t as their opinion that death
was instantaneous. A hurried inves
tigation showed that the person do.
ing the shooting had gained entrance
to the garage through side door and
apparently left by the rear door. The
only theory advanced was that Mr.
Ralph had come upon some one ir
the garage with no business there ant
who had shot to protect himself
More careful examination later dis
closed the body of Joe Roth lying il
the rear of the building with bulle
wound in the head.
As soon as the shooting occurred {
telephone message was sent to Pen
dleton for Coroner Brown. Accom-
panied by Sheriff Taylor, Mr.. Brow I
hurried down and after on .investiga
tion called jury and held an inquest
Those who had seen Mr.. Roth anf
Mr.. Ralph earlier in the evening were
called as witnesses. Tom Mooney
who was in front of the harness shoI
about half block away, told what
he saw. With the information gath
cred from those placed on the stanG
the jury returned its findings thai
James Ralph had died from a gun
shot wound at the hands of Joe Rotl
and that Joe Roth had died from g
self-inflicted gunshot wound. Wher
the coroner searched the body Of
Roth a second revolver was found il
the left coat pocket. 1t had one ex
ploded she'll The first revolver was
found near the body and had three
shells that had been fired.
The unexplainable part of the trag
edy is the cause Neither Joe moi
Frank Ralph could give any possible
reason. There was occasional differ
ences of opinion between their broth
er and Roth, but not serious and nj
more than thought would naturall!
follow with the conducting of bust
ness in which several were associated
together. Mr.. Roth's daughter, Mrs
Hiatt, is as greatly troubled over th,
cause as the Ralph boys. Her father
came home with the evening papel
and after reading for a time left witt
the word that he was going to thu
office. This was the last seen of hin
alive by the family. Mrs. HAT
knows of no differences which coult
possibly have caused the act. Th'
only possible theory is that Roth
brooding over what he considered in
justice from Ralph, became unbal
anced and took this means of re
venge. Even this does not seem pos
sible for Roth had worked for Ralpl
seven years before coming here ant
they were stockholders in the sam,
comnanY in this city for four years.