Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-10-31
RAYMOND LOGAN MURDERED IN
COLD BLOOD BY UNKNOWN
SLAYER SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Body Found Lying in Wagon Box Four Miles West of
Plentywood- Discovery Made By Alfred Knutson While
on His Way Home-ExC Convict Being Sought Muir
der Suspect Spent Saturday Night in Plentywood

A man hunt IS on for one, Jack Smith.
an escaped convict from McNlel Island
Federal Penitentary, who. suspicion
points strongly, is the slayer of Raymond
Logan, whose body was found lying in
pool of blood in wagon box, last Satur-
day night.
The eruesome find was made by Alfred
Knutson when he was returning home
from picture show. Knutson had noted
a team DR. wing triple box wagon at the
foot Of sand hill abont mile west o.
here early in the evening while on his
way to town. He encountered this
strange team and wagon about four miles
west Of town on his return and, sensing
that something was amiss. climbed into
the wagon to inAes'ieate.
A moments glance was sufficient to
the investigator that he had discovered
a tragedy more than usual in its grlmness
an he lost no time in tying the te m u
the wagon and hurryine to info m
the authorities He reported his find to
Coroner Martin Nelson who, in company
with undersheriff Bob Smith, fastened to
make the Investigation.
The body, when discovered, was cold
and stiff, indicating that the murder had
occurred at least seven or eight hours
prior to the discovery.
Erickson Identifies Body
Ii was A. C. Erickson, former county
attorney, who identified the body as that
OF Raymond Logan, a resident OF the
Daleview country. confirmed this identiR.
cation with his testimony at the inquest
held at the undertaking rooms in Plenty
wood the next morning, after the body
had been brought to town.
Blunt Instrument Used
Examination of the dead man disclosed
that death had been caused by some
blunt instrument. The skull had beer
caved in by two blows-one over the right
temple and the other at the base of the
skull Just in back Of the left ear. The eaI
was also split by the impact Of the latter
blow. There were also two minor bruises
-one on the chin and the other on the
cheek, which. it is believed, were caused
when the body fell to the ground.
There were four witnesses at the in
quest, Alfred Knuts0n, who discovered
the body, A. C Erickson. who identified
it, Coroner Martin Nelson who described
the state Of the body when investigation
was made and the causes of death; and
DR.. C. E. Martin who testified that he hao
seen the dead man the day previous
about one o'clock and that he had sold
medicine to him.
Conflicting Clues
Clues OF conflicting nature have had
a tendency to confuse the authorities III
running down the murdurer, as reports
from the Daleview country are in sharI
conflict with the testimony given by DR.
Martin at the inquest, as a Mrs. Luxford,
who had been keeping house for the MUIR
dered man up to the time Of his disap-
pearance, stated that Logan, in company
with the man whom the authorities are
seeking, left the ogan place be ween
1880 and two O'Clock Saturday afternoon.
She described the sought man as
being dark comp exioned, of less than
medium height and he wore large west
tern hat, and blue and green mackinaw
jacket He claimed to be wolf trap
per and had engaged Logan to take him
to Criss Coulee some distance southeast
Of there.
Neighbors Saw Pair Start Of
Mrs. Logan's statement was further
corroberated by statements of severa
people in Daleview among them the
store keepers. Logan, it is reported
drove the team up to one of the stores
while the stranger got off and went int,
one of the stores where he purchased I
bag of cookies and several boxes of mat
ches. But by far the most important in
formation cleaned in the Daleview vicin
ity was that of two boys who each wer'
driving a team from Outlook where the!
had been hauling coal. The first lat
claimed that he saw the two, Logan ant
the stranger, in the wagon. with LogaI
driving the team. the other lad who fol
lowed eoout al hour after stated that h
saw STRANGER driving the team and 'ths
Logan was not in sight. 1he man ap
peared to be driving as though in erea
hurry, the boy stated. The former la
was the last TO see Logan alive-this wa