Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-06-09
Life Termer Confesses
To Shooting in. Burgess

James Ogle, doing life term in
the state prison here together with
Walter Banaster and David Smith for
the murder of ]. N, Burgess and G..
f. Peringer in the Claremont tavern,
Portland on the night Of November
%, 1919. last night made a written
confession to the effect that he was
the man who fired the fatal shots.
According to Ogle's confession Smith
upon whom an attempt was made to
shift the blame at the trial of the
men, was in the dance hall at the
tine of the shooting while Banaster
was IN the basement. The confession
was made in the presence OF Warden
L. H. Compton, deputy warden
Lewis, Eugene HALEY, principal keep
er and j. S. Murray chief clerk a.
the penitentiary.
Shot For Resistance.
The Claremont murders came as
the climax of a holdup of the stav-
ern, Burgess and Peringer, both
wealthy Umatilla county stockmen
were in Portland attending the In
ternational Livestock show. Together
with party of friends they had gone
out to the tavern the fatal night and
were seated at a table in private
dining room when a masked man en-
tered the room and commanded the
party t6 throw up their hands. When
the men in the party refused to com
ply the bandit began shooting killing
both Of the men.
The tnree men were arrested few
days later, convicted and sentenced tc
III terms in the state prison here
where thel were received on .NovmbeI
q, 1919.
sveral days ago Smith approached
Warden Compton with a statemen
to the effect that Ogle was ready t
come clean" on the Claremont mur-
ders
Ogle C0nfesses.
Last night Compton called Ogle In.
70 the warden's office and gave hin
an opportunity to make statement
want to make statement t
s.raghten out this shooting PROPOSE
uon' he declared.
Warden Compton asked him to tel
sne story IN his own words warning
nun, however, that he could expcc
no ieniency as a reward for any con
esslon he might make.
They can't try me again cal
tney?" he asked.
Warden Compton assured him the.
could nor.
Statement Written.
Wen, after we had entered th'
mouse smithy was to look after th'
uanee han and Dutchy and 1 pro
eeeded to round them up," sOgle'
ovhtession reads. Il makes this room
"here they were gambling. The,
1ers playing poker there, women ant
ai' so | opened the door and sat
put EN- up, and they showed thel
snairs back Of the table and Peringe
snut the door. They would have go
'ue out | put my foot against the doc
ano kicked 1t back. l fired one sho
the ceiling | said you had bette
pot them up and Peringer starte'
grab me. Then was when I sho
NJ num- l shot him two or three times
-ne other fellow. Burgess, grabbed
aeer bottle and drops it and mad
preak for his pocket so when h
made that shift l threw it into hin
@lu then took the rest of the buncl
hall" '"'' my
Wrong Pin Identified.
Where was smithy at that time
INJURED Warden Compton. in orde
: o'ear up any question as to smith
'alt In the actual shooting.
DO not know" Ogle declared
ne was supposed to be in the dane
h ,'Sll also Banaster was down in tn
assiaent. 1t seems that there was
oinah who identified the pin tina
.,'''hy had as being worn by the ma
h uo aid the shooting. The stick pin
~ 1 was little different color iron
IN ~ one he had. She might have iden
~ ~ the first stick pin she seer
~ showed me the stick pin wor
ss.'a = snaiths but I had thrown min