The Columbia evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-04
DENTIST WILL
BE TRIED ON
DEATHCHARGE
DR.. R. NJ. Brum6eld, Leading
Citizen of Rosebury, Ore,
Is Suspected Of Be-
ing Murderer. \
HERMIT LABORER VICTIM
Accused Subject to Amnesia--
Remembers Nothing of
Act-Says He Feels
No Remorse.

RosEBUnC, Ore. by Mail TO United
Press. .)-Roseburg's own tragic drama Of
Doctor Jekyl. suspected as Mr.. Hyde.
will approach its announcement here to-
morrow when DR.. Richard Melvin Brum-
field. once a popular dentist here. is
scheduled 10 go to trial TO answer charg-
es duplicating him as the murder Of
Dennis Russell. hermit laborer. the night
Of July l3.
Brumfield came to Roseburg from In
diana, settled down as one Of the city's
leading dentists, and made for himself
an enviable niche as social lion. He
married. For some years matters went
smoothly for the Brumfield family. Then
it seemed as though all the four-leaf
clovers on his ranch just outside the city
died all at once. His house burned down.
Later the new home he built also burn.
ed. In each case he had insurance to
cover, or nearly TO cover the loss.
Then he bought additional land. heap
ed added financial burdens upon himself
until the citizens of Roseburg began to
regard him as a man who had the iron
nerve TO play the game quietly, calmly.
for large stakes. He was carrying big
load.
He continued to mingle with the life
Of the town. He was the leading expon-
eni Of the arts. was well-read. well-versed
in the lore Of poetry, music, and itera-
. iure.
Then one night wayfarers discovered
Brumfield's car aflame at the foot Of a
steep embankment Aid was summoned.
and there, beneath the car. they found
body wearing Brumfields ring. his
crsvat pin. with his keys hanging in the
automobile ignition lock. but with the
head blown off the body. apparently
with dynamite. Sticks of dynamite were
found in the car. Search started for |
Dennis Russell as the murderer Of good
ole Doc Brumfield.H
Almost everybody agreed il was the
Docs corpse, but some began TO doubt.
An inquest was held. The town divided.
Some said the body was Brumfield's,
others said ii was Russel's. Men came
forward who said they had seen the two
together the night of the murder. had
heard gun shots, had seen Brumfield
bundling something that looked like
corpse into his automobile. The corpse
was clothed in Russell's rough working
clothes. Russell's letters wer found
in the pocket. The coroner decided the
body was that Of Russell and, instead
Of hunting for Russell. they began hunt
ing for Brumfield. A reward of $1,000
was offered.
The Doc was found in Calgary. Al
berta, Canada, and was brought back
here to face trial. He was indicted. But
he couldn't remember. He might have
committed the murder: i, the officers
said so, there must be something to it.
On the other hand. it seemed to him that
had he killed a man he should feel some
remorse. He felt none, he said.
He just couldn't remember Brum- 4
field confessed 10 having had attacks
of amnesia at recurent intervals during
his life, and they had proved embarrass-
ing. And he could not explain why he
had shipped box Of feminine "pretiies-
TO himself at Seattle, under the name
Norman Whitney; the alias he assum-
ed while working on an Alberta farm
nrinr IN he ,rrae,