Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1918-07-05
Terrible Tragedy
Enacted
ALTREE HOME SCENE OF
MURDER AND SUICIDE

In a moment of jealous in
sanity, Tuesday morning, Or
land Flowers murdered his wife,
Imogene, and then committed
suicide, the terrible act being
committed at the ]. C. Altree
home, one half mile west of
town. Mrs. Altree is a sister OF
Flowers and Mr.. Altree is an
uncle of Mrs. Flowers.
Since the crime was COM
mited, it develops, that Flowers
had been obsessed, for the qast
several months, with the idea of
desertion from the army, and his
wife and other relatives were
having a hard time to hold him
to his duty. 1t seems that twice
he, has ove:stayed his leave
when home on furlough, and the
last time was severely r9pliman-
'ded and gwen tc understand
that he shouldn't let it occur
again. This ,Ambittered him
against the service more than
ever, and when home Last Sat-
urday, he again talked DESERT IN,
but his wife plead with him to
return and finally succeeded in
getting him to start Sunday
morning. On reaching Albany,
however, he changed his mind
and returned, and that he had
made up his mind to Kill his wife
and himself at this time has been
proven conclusivcly by the find
ing of the following message,
written en- the window ledge of
S. P. coach No. 1866:
"Orlan Flowers Going to
Toledo, Oregon, and something
is going to happen when he gets
there.
"Orlan and Imogene are go
ing on a long journey and they
are not coming back any more,
IAN bound round with tn: Ma
son Dixon Line, That's why l am
Feeling fine"
There is no doubt but what
Flowers was insane, and with the
craftineSs of the insane he pat
iently waited his time and killed
his wife and himself, when the
act was least expected.
Tuesday morning at about
seven thirty the terrible tragedy
was enacted, Flowers shooting
his wife twice through the head
as she was dressing, and then
shooting himself I'M the right
temple, both dying instantly.
There were no witnesses to
ths crime. Following is the
testimony of J. C. Altree as
given at the coroner's inquest:
Questions by Mr.. McCluslSey.
Q. Your name Is ]. C. Altree?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Do you reside at Toledo, Lincoln
County, Oregon?
A. Yes sir.
Q. You may state where you were on
the morning of July End?
A. Here at home.
Q. You may state what happened with
regard TO these two people whose
bodies are here.
A. This morning, about Z o'clock, 1
was sleeping in this bed, in this room,
my wife and slept here and Flowers
and his wife slept there. He had got.
ten up and gone down stairs and. I
think, about twenty minutes or such he
came to the foot Of the stairs and he
said Jean. are you going to get up?"
she says "Yes" and turned over and
said Uncle Clarence, you had better
get up first. Then got up and dres-
sed and went down stairs and as I
went through the kitchen he met me
there and went right up stairs and I
went out the back way and had been
gone not to exceed a minute and a half
or two minutes when / heard a shot
Tired and | heard lmogene say you
have killed me" or something to that
effect. / ran back here and in the
meantime there were probably three
or might be four shots fired and ran
right up stairs and they were lying in
this position, except she moved her
left arm little and Of course went
back down stairs.
Q. Who else was upstairs?
A. Austin, my boy.
@. How old is he?
A. He is about Is or 16.
Q. When you came up here. did you
notice whether Orland was still breath.
ing or not?
A. He was not.
Q. Did his wife show any signs OF life
at all?
A. No, she just moved her arm and so
far as l could see they were both dead.