Knife Wounds Caused Death

Wm. M'Laughlin Victim Of Unprovoked Attack Yesterday.

Worth Held For Murder

Tragedy Enacted in Small House at Rear of Lewiston Feed Yard.

William V. McLaughlin, for many years a resident of the Lewiston country, is dead as the result of knife wound received late yesterday afternoon in a house located at the rear of the Lewiston feed yard and Robert Worth is held in the county jail charged with his murder. The tragedy was witnessed by John Schantz, C. O. Iverson and C. Freng. The arrest of Worth was made upon information furnished by Shantz who was standing beside the body of McLaughlin when Policeman Charles L. Monroe reached the scene. Worth had left the house and was standing near the railroad track. When arrested a pocket knife covered with blood was secured but he has declined to discuss the crime with which he is charged.

As Officer Monroe approached the house, Schantz pointed to Worth and said, "there is your man." At that time Mr. Monroe did not know that a murder had been committed but upon looking into the door saw the body of McLaughlin lying on the floor. He asked Worth what he had done and Worth replied, "I did not say I murdered him but you can take me along if you want to," Worth was then taken to the city jail but was afterwards transferred to the county jail. After his arrival at the latter place he ordered a hearty supper at which time he remarked, "I want plenty of bacon as this is my last meal as I am going to be hanged."

From information furnished by Schantz, there appears to have been no trouble between the men. He explained to the officer that McLaughlin was standing near the door of the cabin and that Worth was sitting near the rear wall. Suddenly Worth arose and with an oath started toward McLaughlin saying, "I have stood it as long as I am going to." He was seen to strike three times and with the third blow McLaughlin sank to the floor with the blood gushing from a deep wound in the right side of the neck. He was dead in two minutes.

It was not until after the tragedy was concluded that Schantz knew that Worth was using a knife. The weapon had been held in the left hand with all but the blade concealed and the steel had been sunk deep into the body of the victim at each blow. Examination of the body at the undertaking parlors showed that the wound in the neck is about one and one-half inches in length and that both the jugular vein and carotid artery on that side of the neck were severed. Another wound about three inches in length and penetrating the cavity of the chest is located above and in front of the right nipple while the third wound penetrating the cavity for fully three inches is below and in front of the right nipple.

As McLaughlin sank to the floor, it is stated Worth stepped from the house and hurriedly walked to Main street. He then returned to he house and then stepped to the railroad track a few feet away, where he remained until arrest. Freng departed for his home in the eastern part of the city immediately after the murder while Iverson joined Worth near the tracks. Iverson and Freng are held at the city jail as witnesses and Schantz will be summoned before the coroner's jury, which will be convened at the Vassar undertaking parlors at 9 o'clock this morning.

It was learned from parties about the feed yard that the men had been diluting and drinking alcohol during the day and both Freng and Iverson were intoxicated when taken into custody. Schantz and Worth were apparently sober and it is understood that McLaughlin had drank but little, or none, of the mixture.

The complaint charging Worth with murder in the first degree was filed last night by Policeman Charles Monroe in Justice of the Peace Manning's court and Worth was arraigned on the charge. He waived preliminary examination and the case will be tried at the next term of the district court.

McLaughlin has been a resident of Lewiston country for the past ten or twelve years and much of the time has been employed at the Madden and Thiessen stock ranches. He has a brother, James McLaughlin, who is a resident of the Alberta country. For the past several months McLaughlin has resided in the city and has been employed as a porter at the Kentucky on East Main street.

Worth came to Lewiston about a year and a half ago and has been employed in various capacities about the city. For a considerable period he was given employment unloading wood, coal and lumber by the Potlatch Lumber company. He is about 61 years of age. Worth, Iverson and McLaughlin, occupied cabins at the rear of the Lewiston feed yard and the tragedy was enacted in the cabin occupied by Iverson.

Iverson and Freng had recovered from their intoxication sufficiently at midnight last night to relate the circumstances leading up to the killing. Iverson stated that McLaughlin came to his cabin about 11 o'clock in the forenoon and shortly afterwards Freng joined them. He said they had a drink of cherry brandy and about noon Worth appeared with a pint of alcohol. In the meantime Schantz had joined the party and the five men drank the pint of alcohol. He stated he and Freng were absent from the building at the time of the killing.

Freng stated that he had been at the Iverson cabin from about 11 o'clock until a few minutes before the murder. He said he and Iverson had stepped out and that he concluded to go home. Just as he was starting for home Schantz rushed out and said a murder had been committed but he thought it was a joke to get him to return to the cabin so he continued on his journey. He said he stopped at the feed yard near the flour mills where he and a friend drank a quantity of alcohol and that he did not know of the murder until the officers called at his house in the evening. He said he was sober when he left the Iverson house and that Iverson was the only one of the party who showed the effects of the alcohol.

Statement is made by George Fidler to the effect that he was attacked by Worth at the latter's cabin about two weeks ago. He stated he and a party had been drinking alcohol at the Worth cabin when Worth seized a hatchet and struck him over the head. The handle was broken at the first blow and other members of the party overpowered Worth before he could inflict further injury. The matter was reported to the police department at the time but Fidler declined to swear out a warrant for Worth's arrest or to appear as a witness against him.