The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-02-02
BUTTERCREEK WILD
MAN IS RUN down
Unknown Man That Had Been
Source of Terror to Butter
Creek Residents Is Killed by
Government Trapper.

French and Joe M. Hayes ranches
or Butter creek, and has been some
what of terror to the residents OF
that vicinity. 1t could not be learned
whether the fellow.was insane or a
fugitive from justice, and his habit
Of appearing in unlocked for places
at unseemly times in different por-
tlons of that section and over
stretch Of several miles, always car
rying sack on his back and a gun
and axe, caused alarm to both male
and female citizens and the sheriff's
Office at Heppner had been called
on at different times to try and take
the man in. A call of this kind came
in on Saturday during the absence Of
Sheriff McDuffee, and Deputy Child
sey instructed the parties to try and
capture the fellow and bring him to
town, as it was not possible for the
Office to take the time to go out there
and hunt him down.
Charles McDevitt and J. C. Whit
tington, two young men in the en-
ploy of billiard French, came upon
the man Saturday and endeavored
TO induce him to accompany them
TO the French ranch. He came along
for ways and when informed that
he was to be brought into Heppner,
he rebelled and refused to go far
ther and his captors were unable to
bring him along. McDevitt left
Wilmington in charge and started
for the ranch to get a rig and during
his absence the stranger suddenly
rallied from his feigned state of ex-
haustion and grabbed Wilmington,
and after a short struggle in which
the two went down on the rocks OF
the hillside, the man made get
away. During that night he visited
a sheep camp on the range OF Joe
Hayes, where he took some provis-
ions and secured Winchester rihe.
On Sunday a posse, consisting of
McDevitt, Wilmington and Archie
McCampbell a government trapper,
took up the hunt and were not long
in locating their man at point about
four miles up the creek from the Joe
Hayes place. McCampbell gave
chase and fred shot or two wild in
order to frighten the fellow, but
failed in this and the wild man took
refuge behind a pine tree, throwing
himself to the ground and drawing
bead on McCampbell who had ap-
preached so near down the hillside
that he could not retreat, and he
found it up to him to act quickly. He
fired, striking the man in the fore
head and killing him instantly, the
body rolling few feet down the hill
side from the tree, where il was later
picked up by Coroner Case and Dep
uty Sheriff Chidsey. The fugitive
seemed to have all the advantage of
McCampbel when he was hid be-
hind the tree, and it was possible to
see but just a small portion Of his
head above big root of the tree
behind which he was lying.
The gun he had was an army Win
chester Of large calibre, and when
picked up was found to be cooked
for firing and was loaded to capac-
ity, one cartridge in the chamber and
FIVE in the magazine,
The body was brought to town on
Monday about noon by Coroner Case
and prepared for burial. There were
no marks of Identification to be
found. The man had stated to those
who came in contact with him that he
was a Russian Pole, and his speech
was that of foreigner His first
appearance in the Butter creek coun-
try was about SIX months ago, as near
as could be ascertained, and the evil
dence produced at the coroner's in
quest Wednesday would refute the
story that he is the same party that
appeared in the Butter creek coun-
y and terrorized the people out
there some three years ago.
Coroner Case held an inquest at
the court house yesterday and en-
ranneled the following jury: F. R.
Brown, Jeff Jones, Oral Scott, Alex
Conett, Lee Slocum and M. ]. Dew
in. Witnesses called we're billiard
French, John Brosnan, Joe Hayes,
Archie McCampbell, Charles Nc
Dewitt and J. C. Wilmington. After
the presentation of testimony, the
jury returned a verdict to the effect
that the man had met his death by
shooting at the hands of Archie Nc
Campbell; that the circumstances
proved the same to be in self defense
and justifable, and McCampbell was
exonerated
From what information we can
gather, it is quite evident that the
man is fugitive from justice, an
escaped convict from the state peni-