East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1920-06-11
Crazed Farmer Opens Fire on
Asa Thomson and Joe BIa-
kelly and is Killed by First
Shot From Thomson's Rifle.
HAD MADE THREATS
TO FIGHT TO DEATH
Unusual Case Brought to
Tragic End While Officer and
Echo Citizen Were Striving
for Peaceful Capture.

Making good his threat that officers
of the law would never take him alive,
w Fl. Smith. Echo farmer was shot
and killed yesterday afternoon yshile
resisting arrest by Deputy Sheriff Joe
BlalSley and Asa b. Thomson OF
Echo Smith fired two shots at TheDa-
son. which were answered by one shot
by Thomson. instantly killing the man.
A coroner's jury at Echo last night
exonerated Thomson OF any blame
for the killing and declared that II was
done in self defense. The jury. called
by Coroner J. T. Brown. consisted of
Frank Spike, j. Frank Spinning, wiz
liam Nixon, George Coppinger, II. c.
fBranstetter and Isaac GobbeIf- Dep
uty District Attorney G. Y. Randall
also attended. faF&
Sees Man Coming; Shoots
Smith,. possessed of a desire to kill
Joe Ramos, had previously frightened
away the Echo marshal when he was
sent to arrest the man. He was at
work in a box near gate in his irrf-
cation ditch when Thomson. armed
with high powered rifle. approach-
ed. followed by the deputy sheriff at
one side. The men were agreed on a
peaceable arrest but Smith, looking up
to see Thomson approaching. grab
bed his revolver and shot Just as
he fired his second shot. Thomson
fired his rifle. The bullet struck the
fugitive above the eye and shattered
his skull, The men were not more
than 40 feet apart. MIR. Randall satd
today
Not a word was spoken BY either
of the three men, according to testi-
mn OF L n.
ployed on the smith place, at the In
quest last night. He was in the field
nearby and saw the Incident. No
shots were fired by Deputy Bial<eiy.
the exchange of bullets being so rapid
that he could not get his gun out OF
the holster. i'.sHf
Smith was unmarried and thought
to have been about SIS years old. He
has lived in the vicinity OF Echo for
a number of years and was operating
the Spike place under lease. No trace
of any relatives had been found last
night in looking through his papers.
His body was taken in charge by the
coroner and turned over to the un-
dertaker at Echo for burial.
The events leading up to the drama.
tic killing of Smith moved with lightn-
ing speed. Smith developed a desire
on wednesday to kill Joe Ramos, who
shared the canal serving their places
with water. and who regulated the
gates. He went to town, purchased
the Colt special revolver and cartridges
and then went to Ramos place. He
demanded $40 for damages to his land
and $43.60 as payment. for the gum
Ind cartridges, He held the gun
against Ramos while he wrote out the
check for s53.e0. s~sss
Smith threatened Ramos with in
slant death II he told the police or
attempted to stop payment on the
check Then he told Thompson. his
hired man. that he had nothing 20 live
FOR and Ramos, a young man. had
to live for. He said they
would not take him alive.
Tried to Dissuade Smith
Thompson, on the witness stand.
said that he argued both on wednes-
day and yesterday to Smith to forget
his desire to kill Ramos and to give
himself up to the officers. Each time
the old man declared he would have
10 be taken dead.
Ramos was shielded ia Echo yester-
day. upon his return from PendletSns
with the information filed by the dis
.rict attorney. He and others In town
Snew that Smith meant business. Tho
manner in which the old man resisted
capture strengthens their belief that
he had gone insane.