Upon returning home unexpectedly from a logging camp last night about 10:00 o'clock, John Johnson, residing on Maple Creek, a few miles south of Acme, on the lower Siuslaw River, found E.S. Prindel in the house with Johnson's wife and he killed Prindel as the latter ran out the door.

     

The news of the killing was received in Eugene shortly after 1:00 o'clock this

afternoon in a call from there for the sheriff to come and investigate the affair. Sheriff Brown, accompanied by his deputy, George Fisk, Deputy District Attorney, G.F. Skipworth, and coroner, W.T. Gordon, left soon afterward in an automobile for the scene of the tragedy. They received absolutely no particulars of the shooting, but the Guard, upon telephoning to Hale, the nearest point by which a conversation may be carried on by telephone, learned that Johnson had been away from home for several days working at a logging camp. He evidently suspected Prindel of trying to break up his home and returned to his house unexpectedly finding him there. Prindel ran out the back door as Johnson entered and the latter fired, the bullet striking Johnson in the back of the head, killing him almost instantly. [THE ERROR IS ORIGINAL]

     

Johnson did not attempt to leave the vicinity of the tragedy, to escape the action of the law, but notified neighbors of what he had done, and as soon as possible Sheriff Brown was notified. He is waiting the arrival of that officer and will depend upon the unwritten law to clear him.

Guard Special Service

CORONER'S JURY SAYS KILLING JUSTIFIED

 

John Johnson is released from custody after the inquest over Prindel's body.

Sheriff and party now on way home.

Hale, Aug 23, the coroner's jury at the inquest held over the remains of E.S. Prindel, who was killed by John Johnson on Maple Creek Sunday night brought in a verdict of justifiable killing and Johnson was released from custody. The jury consisted of the following: H.H. Fisk, Wm. Brand, J.L. Furnish, C.H. Young, J.D. Hill, and C.B. Fern.

 

A telephone message to the Guard from Hale today brought the information that Sheriff Brown, Deputy Fisk, Coroner Gordon, and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Skipworth, who started yesterday afternoon in an automobile to the scene of the killing of E.S. Prindel by John Johnson near Acme, arrived there last night about 9:30 o'clock after an uneventful trip.

After a full investigation of the killing and the events that led up to it the officials held an inquest.

     

Prindel, for some time past had bothered Mrs. Johnson and finally succeeded in accomplishing his purpose, seeming to win her affections. It seems that Johnson suspicioning something wrong, finally making up his mind to prove to himself whether or not his wife was true to him, and knowing of Prindel's presence in the vicinity, for he lived near Five Rivers, in the Northwestern part of the county, he decided to return home unexpectedly from the logging camp where he was employed. When he returned home at 10:30 o'clock Sunday night his suspicions were confirmed and crazed by a natural jealousy in such a case, shot and killed the destroyer of his happiness as he ran out the back door.

     

Prindel was a single man and aged between 30 and 35 years. Johnson and his wife have one child aged five years. Johnson is of a quiet disposition and was never known to harm anyone. After the shooting he went to the nearest telephone station and phoned to Sheriff Brown that he had killed Prindel and was waiting to be placed in custody. He asked whether he should come to Eugene or stay there, and the sheriff replied that it would be better for him to remain at home and the inquest could be held in his presence.

 

PRINDEL OLD OFFENDER

From a former resident of Yoncalla, who knew Prindel in various parts of Douglas County, it is learned that Prindel was the type of man that often gets into trouble of this kind. This man says that in Douglas County, he was always trying to mix into family affairs, and was accused of being on intimate terms with a number of women.

     

A telephone message to the Guard late this afternoon brought the information that the sheriff and party had passed Mapleton on the way home and expected to arrive home late tonight. Prindel's body will be interred tomorrow afternoon in the cemetery at Deadwood.

EUGENE DAILY GUARD

Eugene, Oregon Wednesday Evening August 24, 1910

 

Coroner's Jury Verdict is Approved

People of Siuslaw, Even Slain Man's Brothers, Think Prindel Got Dues...

Deputy District Attorney G.F. Skipworth with Deputy, Sheriff Brown, and Coroner Gordon and Deputy Sheriff Fisk went from here to investigate the killing of E.S. Prindel by John Johnson on Maple Creek on Sunday night, said this morning that the coroner jury's verdict of justifiable homicide was well received by the citizens of the lower Siuslaw and everybody, even Prindel's brothers and other relatives seemed to be satisfied with the decision.

     

According to facts gathered by Attorney Skipworth before and during the inquest, Mrs. Johnson, who is a very pretty woman of a brunette type did not bear the best reputation and her husband had suspected her a long time of not being right. "He is of a very jealous disposition", Mrs. Johnson told the attorney, and she admitted that often she did things just to excite his jealousy. Her maiden name was Rose Case, and her folks reside at Yaquina Bay. She is said to have a little Indian blood, and is better looking than the average woman found in the mountainous regions.

     

The Johnsons have a little boy aged five years, named Bennie. Johnson declares he will not live with his wife again and she seems to be willing to the separation and wanted to come to Eugene yesterday with Sheriff Brown, Attorney Skipworth, and Coroner Gordon, in the automobile, but there was no room for her in the machine. Johnson is a Swede and is a hard worker. He owns the 160 acre homestead where they have lived for the past five or six years. He was engaged in work at a logging camp previous to the tragedy.

     

Prindel was employed as a cheese maker for George Hasbrouk in the latter's cheese factory near Acme and was considered by his employer to be a hard worker and steady. Hasbrouk says Prindel left Saturday afternoon to go see Miss Ada Weeks, with whom he was keeping company, residing on Fiddle Creek. The Johnson home is on the road between the cheese factory and the Weeks place and it was while on his way back that Prindel stopped to see Mrs. Johnson. Prindel owned a 160 acre ranch on Deadwood Creek, besides considerable personal property. His parents and three brothers were at the inquest and they seemed to be satisfied with the result.

Mrs. Johnson's Story

The story of the killing of Prindel by Johnson as told Deputy District Attorney Skipworth is substantially as follows: Her husband was away at the logging camp at the time. Late Sunday evening, Prindel came along the road in front of the house afoot and stopped to talk to her. He asked if he might come into the house and she consented. The little boy, Bennie soon became sleepy, and was put to bed after which Prindel made improper advances toward her. She resented this, she said, and then he began to struggle with her, trying to force her upstairs. He succeeded in getting her to a landing, halfway to the tope of the stairway when she heard the front gate creak, and knew that someone was coming in. Prindel then ran out the back door and she immediately heard a shot. Soon afterward her husband came in badly excited and demanded to know who was in the home with her. She refused to tell and he replied that he would go out and see what had become of him. He soon returned and exclaimed "Rose, I have killed my best friend!" She then admitted to her husband, she says, that Prindel was there and that he had made undue advances, but she had repulsed them.

     

Johnson then, endeavored to reach some of his neighbors by telephone to tell them what he had done, but was unsuccessful. He then went to over to O.C. Stanwood's house and Stanwood an George Hasbrouk, Prindel's employer, went to Johnson's house and removed the body to Florence, where the inquest was held Tuesday. Johnson and his wife went along with Stanwood and Hasbrouk and spent the remainder of the night at Florence.

Johnson was Suspicious

Johnson's own story was that he was very suspicious of his wife and decided to go home in the dead of the night to see if there was really any foundation for his terrible imaginations. As he neared his home he saw footprints in the dust, and found that they led directly to the gate. He them went inside the yard and sat down at the side of the house for at least half and hour. He could hear footsteps inside, but could hear no voices. Being almost sure that someone was in there with his wife, he went out into the road again to convince himself that the footprints led to the gate, and being satisfied turned back. As he entered the gate the second time, it creaked on it's hinges and Prindel, hearing it, ran out the back door. Johnson saw a dark form, but could not distinguish whose it was. He had his 26-30 rifle and said he fired from the hip without taking aim, just to scare the man, refusing to tell who the man was, he went out to find him. He was horrified to find that it was Prindel, whom he had considered as one of his best friends.

The West Florence Maple Creek News

August 26, 1910

OBIT: Prindel shot and killed nearly a mile from the Alene post office, the death "mysterious", but editorial column maybe indicates that JOHNSON shot him.

EVERETT S. PRINDEL:

Burial: Deadwood Cemetery, Lane, Oregon

Cause of Death: Gun shot wound; murdered