Hide Article Text (OCR)
EVENING, NOVEMBER 13, 1900.-niSiA TRAGEDYIIVICTOR E. D’ANNA SHOOTS BENJAMIN GOHLSON AT SALEM.IIIITakes to Flight and Kills HimselfWhile Officers Are looking, for*Him—Kills Man whocaue-ed Hie Arrest—OtherNews.i-ii1Ii!IISs1Iii!—IISalem, Nov. 10.—One of themost tragic, eeneatioral and deliberate murders, with an equally tragic su cide as a fitting end of the whole affair, st least, so farascrime is concerned, transpired in this city about 6 o’clock this morning when, in a fit of remorse over the disgrace of a night’s debauchery and his subsequent arrest, Victor E. D’Anna, a civil engiueer for the WillametteConstruction Crmpany, and a popular society man, deliberately shot and killed B9tjamin Gohison, an employee of toe Farmers5 Feed Stables, out of revfnge, escaped to the country and eluded arrest long euongh io reach the asylum farm six miie3 south, where he telephoned to a friend in the city, and then calmly went out behind a near-by woodpile and blew his own brains out with the same revolver with which the murder was committed.Coroner Clough was notified ofthe finding of the body, which was identified as that of D’Anna and is now reposing in the morgue in this city. D’Anna was popular in circles in which he moved and was very brilliant, proud and ambitious. The body will probably be shipped to his father in Oklahoma. His victim was a steady, sober and industrious young farmer boy, and did nothing to merit the tragic fate which he met.Until he reached the asylum farmfrom his mouth in a stream, took hold of him and said:“My God, Gholson, what has happened.“I am shot,’’ Gholson gurgled in a weak voice, pointed to the region of his wound and eank to the floor. Low hastened to summon a physician, but Gholson sank rapidly and died in a very few minutes, before Dr. W. H. Byrd arrived.Several persons in the vicinity of the scene heard ti e shot, and a few claim they saw the principal in theoold-blooded deed.Edward Ellis, who is employed as bartender in the Senate saloon, across the street on the corner of State and High streets, heard theshot and went outside. He says he saw one man emerge from a small room in the livery .stable and run across the street toward Low’s stable. Then a second man came out and calling to the first one he commanded, “Come back; don’t go over there.” He then took to his heels, and his retreating footsteps died away in the distance in a southerly direction on High street. Ellis could recognize neitbej of the persons in the early morning haze and would not be able to identify either.A white Stetson felt hat, light black serge coat, and an umbrelH, positively identified as the property of D’Anna, were found later by the officers in the street in front of a disreputable house, conducted by Mrs. Hattie McGinnis, at the corner of Liberty and Ferry streets. When last seen at the Salem hotel,where he again ealied up RecorderMoore and talked about hie troubles over the telephone, shortly before 6 o’clock, and the shooting, D’Anna wore a black derby hat and heaviercoat of dark material as described by Proprietor P. Fennel. When he finished talking over the telephone, he asked Mr. Fennel where the young livery man’s room was and, upon being informed, went out, and a few minutes later a shot was heard. When in the custody of officer Loogcor, D’Annawas veryHCinowisaof00thdeagbostiofdofrtmlahitiievstierpcca ‘beofaredtv * ~ i c. abu-ive in hie language, and officerD Anna was seen onlv once after T , B sip-Aadsde.leaving the city by the railroad tiaek near the Reform School. He was firet tesn thfre at 11 o’clock, hatless, pale and nervous, at a telephone by A. B, Diliey, an attendant. Wnen he bad finished talking be turned and walked out of j the building, but nodded an indifferent “How-do-you-do” to a likesalutation from Mr. Dilley, and walked across the yard. Five minutes later a ehot was heard. His body was found by John Noyan, a farmer, behind a woodpile with a vtound in the head.D’Anna was in the habit of going out on periodical sprees, and drank | heavily all last night and up to an early hour this morning. While in a drunken stupor after his night’s carousal, coatless and hatless, he put in an appearance at the Farmers’ stables about 4:30 o’clock this ocomiig, went into the sleeping-room occupied by young Gholson and went to bed. Gholson calledin night Watchman John Longcor,who made D’Auna get up and took him to the police station. D’Annacalled up City Recorder Moores by telephone and waB released on his own recognizance to appear at 10 o’clock this morning.After being freed he is supposed j to have gone to his room, secured his revolver and some cartridgis, and returned to the stable, knocked on the door ard, when Gholson op-! ened it, fired ons shot, which took effect in Gholson’s left breast in therrgion of the heart.Gholson, who was up and dressed,did not utter a cry, but ran as fast as he could across High street to the Low livery stable. Walter Low the proprietor, saw him steg-jger about and though* it was a drunken mao. He approached him and when near enough he recognized Gholson in the dim light of dawn and incandescent electricLoogcor says he reputedly threatened to “get” somebody for gettinghim into trouble. D’Anna believed Gholson had his missing property in his possession, and told Officer Longcor:“I will get him for it, I will get | you, too, before 3 o’clock this afternoon.”Gholson was about 48 years ofage and a sen of Edward Gholson, a pioneer farmer near Zena, Polk county, and had been emp oyed at the stables, of which T. M. Jones is now proprietor, for just one year. D’Anna was about 3o years old, and his relatives all reside in Virginia. He has been employed by the Willamette Construction Company as engineer in charge of a surveying crew in laying out the line of the Oregon Electric Railroad Company, which is building between here and Portland. He was quite popular here and was also well knownand popular in Portland.Either etung by remorse over the disgrace of li3 arrest for he was ofexceedingly proud spirit, or elsefirmly resolved to kill both Gholson and officer Longcor and thencommit suicide, D’Anna hastily scrawled two notes while in his room, after his arrest, one of which wa9 addressed to his father, Signor D’Anna, Oklahoma City, Okla.,and the other to Miss Lena Hutton,a young society belle of this city, and sister of the wife of State LandAgent Oswald West, with whom hekept company. In the note to the latter he said: “Dearest Jake—Keep this as the last of my only. Think of me no more. Yours and only yours, Victor.”In that to hi9 father he wrote | simply: “Good-bye, papa; I can’tstand this disgrace. Victcr.”therotarratbofDlab{inliiincltbliimOTwFwolecuiminliihierwwtbLrcblccfc81Clelt;bitllrtlwAbt!Pfihlights, and seeing blood gushing!—All colors of pyrograph leather at Ingle Tozier’s.HOME-SEEKERSnfifiti86O
Newspaper Details
Corvallis Times
Corvallis, Oregon, US
Tue, Nov 13, 1906
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Charles G.
KY, USA 29 Apr 2020
Other Publications Near Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis Daily Gazette Times
Corvallis Times
Corvallis Daily Gazette
Corvallis Gazette
Corvallis Benton Democrat
