The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-07-14

his face bore a repelling scar. Hi
vengeful looks at the time of trial herr
! attracted notice. He is said to have
declared vengeance then.
Pagan followed Miss Watkins her,
! from California. The latter, a trained
nurse. had been superintendent of 1
hospital at FL Centro The mans at
tentions there, it was declared at the
trial, had caused her to leave and come
to Oregon. He is alleged to have con,
stantly bounded her here. The at
tempted assault created no small sen.
sation at the time of its occurrence
Miss Watkins at the time was employed
as nurse by the Cottage hospital.
Pagan on returning here told aquain.
tances that he was determined to get
revenge on the young nurse. He de-
clared that officials at the penitentiary
had informed him that a condition to
his parole necessitated his submission
to an operation for sterilization. While
he was under the influence of the anes-
thetic. he declared, he was emasculat-
ed. The man apparently brooded over
the operation and was determined in
his mind that Miss Watkins was re-
sponsible. An examination of his body,
brought to an undertaking establish
ment, revealed that his story as to
emasulation was correct.
A jury impaneled by Coroner Sfton
Thursday night returned a verdict of
justifable homicide. The formal YER
dict merely mentioned that the man
was shot by members of a sheriff s
posse in order to effect the rescue of
Mrs. T. j. Miller and her daughter,
held by Fagan under repeated threats
of death.
Undertaken Anderson ascertained
from state prison records at Salem that
Mrs. S. r. McCulley, Fagan's grand
mother, resides at Fort Gibson, Okla,
who was informed of the tragedy and
asked her wishes as to disposal of the
body.
A dispatch from Salem indicates that
Fagan's pardon partly resulted from
recommendations of Sheriff johnson.
The news item states that Sheriff John
son wrote letter declaring it his be-
lief that the minimum term would be
sufficient for the man. MIR. johnson
says the only recommendation ever
made by him was written on the formal
blank which accompanies every prison
er committed to the penitentiary.
81 did, says Sheriff Johnson, "rec-
ommend in this document that Pagan
should receive parole on serving the
minimum term. The law itself pro-
vides this, in case of good behavior on
the part of the prisoner. But | believe
the parole board should have commune
Gated with me subsequently and have
conducted a more thorough investiga-
tion. in order to ascertain all local cir
cumstances governing the case.
1t developed at the inquest that it
was reported to the sheriff. Office sew
eral weeks ago that Pagan had not
only threatened the Miller family, but
others engaged in trial that resulted
IN his conviction.
Two shots were fired at Pagan, ac-
,ording to testimony at the inquest.
The name of the other marksman was
not revealed.
The possemen who first overhauled
.he Miller automobile included C. C.. |
Anderson. Walter Walters and Glen
Sloat. Mr.. Walters, who knew the
)aroled convict, approached close to
he car and appealed vainly to him to
'elease the women. The men, trailing |
he car down the isolated road, sudden
y overhauled it as they turned curve.
They were halted by the desperado's
hreats to shoot
The coroner's jury consisted of the
citizens: l.. N. Blowers,
?. S. Kelly, F. A. Cram, w. j. Baker, |
}. A. Molden, w. M. Stewart.
Acting on instructions from the dead |
mans aged grandmother, Mrs. S. r.
NcCulley, of Fort Gibson, Okla. I'm
Iertaker Anderson Saturday buried the !
'ody of Luther Pagan. AS the grand
mother is said to be in destitute cir
the county, it is presumed |
viii pay the cost of the burial.