MARRIED.

Shooting at Medford.

MEDFORD SHOOTING SCRAPE.
"Bud" Hamlin Punctures Edw. Armstrong with Three Shots
from His Revolver--Armstrong Still Alive.

    Medford, Ore., Feb. 13.--A shooting affray occurred on the main street of this city, resulting in the probable fatal wounding of Ed J. Armstrong by Bud Hamlin.
    The men were both under the influence of liquor, but had had no previous [omission]. Hamlin drew his revolver and fired four shots at Armstrong.
The Evening News, San Jose, February 13, 1900, page 1

    A. J. Hamlin, who shot Ed. Armstrong at Medford Sunday, was held to answer by Justice Stewart. His bonds were fixed at $1,000, which he gave. The wounded man is improving, and will soon be out again. The evidence adduced at the preliminary examination was rather favorable to Hamlin.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, February 15, 1900, page 3

    Medford, Ore., Feb. 13.--Edward Armstrong, a brick mason, was shot and fatally injured by A. J. Hamlin, a farmer living near here. The men had been drinking together and became involved in a quarrel.
Pullman Herald, Pullman, Washington, February 17, 1900, page 6


    Ed Armstrong, who was shot a few weeks ago by Bud Hamlin, is said to be improving, and there seems nothing now in the way of his recovery. One of the three bullets, which could not be located when the wounds were first dressed, was removed this week by the attending physicians, Drs. Stephenson and Wait.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, March 2, 1900, page 7


"Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, April 9, 1900, page 3

    MEDFORD, April 12.--A. J. Hamlin, found guilty of shooting Ed Armstrong in March, was today sentenced to 18 months in the penitentiary. Hamlin's sister was sent to the penitentiary last year for arson, having set fire to her brother's barn and grain stacks. Armstrong has nearly recovered from the wounds received in the shooting.
Morning Oregonian, Portland, April 13, 1900, page 8

"Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, April 16, 1900, page 3


    Medford, April 12.--A. J. Hamlin, found guilty of shooting Ed Armstrong in March, was today sentenced to 18 months in the penitentiary. Hamlin's sister was sent to the penitentiary last year for arson, having set fire to her brother's barn and grain stacks. Armstrong has nearly recovered from the wounds received in the shooting.
    Hamlin took an appeal to the supreme court and is out on $2000 bonds, which he furnished, pending the decision.
Valley Record, Ashland, April 19, 1900, page 1


    D. B. Reame, G. W. Hamlin and T. Beckett went to Portland Tuesday, having been summoned as witnesses in a case that the U.S. grand jury will investigate.
"Medford Squibs," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, April 26, 1900, page 3


    A. J. (Bud) Hamlin has withdrawn his $2000 bond and appeal to supreme court for reversal of decision in the case where he was convicted by the jury and sentenced to 18 months in the penitentiary for shooting Ed. Armstrong. Sheriff Orme takes him to Salem this
week.
Valley Record, Ashland, April 26, 1900, page 3


    Mrs. Amos Smith went to Medford Saturday to see her brother, "Chub" Hamlin, who is ill with typhoid fever. She returned Monday.
"Personal," Rogue River Courier, Grants Pass, November 8, 1900, page 3


    J. H. Ward has traded his two and one-half-acre orchard tract in West Medford to Wm. Hamlin for 146 acres of agricultural and timber land, on Rogue River, three miles this side of Grants Pass.
"Additional Local," Medford Mail, June 21, 1901, page 6


    A. J. ("Bud") Hamlin, who was sent to the penitentiary for 18 months for shooting Chas. Armstrong, has been discharged. He proved an exemplary prisoner and cut down his term materially.
"Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, July 11, 1901, page 7

    EDEN PRECINCT, Ore., Dec. 17.--(Special.)--Ed Hamlin has purchased the beautiful home of Mrs. Leta Furry on the highway south of Phoenix. This is one of the most desirable homes along the highway between Medford and Ashland. It consists of about 60 acres lying east of the highway, part of which is across Bear Creek.
    The large two-story house has nine rooms and porches all the way round, modern plumbing and large basement cellar. There is a fine drilled well, spacious lawn and fine shade and flowering vines and trees. Mr. Hamlin purchased a large tract of the land three years ago.
Medford Mail Tribune, December 17, 1929, page B3




    The trial of the civil suit of Mrs. Julia Crow against her father, William H. Hamlin, 89, and valley pioneer, for the collection of $5000 alleged to be due for care of himself and wife during the latter's last illness continued today in the circuit court.
    The defense has 20 witnesses to call, and the plaintiff half as many, so the case will not be in the hands of the jury much before Friday evening.
    The case hinges around a domestic quarrel, and testimony adduced by the plaintiff tended to show that after a family conference Mrs. Julia Crow had consented to come from Roseburg and devote her time to the care of her parents. Witnesses this morning testified that Mrs. Crow had left a prosperous apartment house business at Roseburg for this purpose, and that it was agreed that she should be recompensed.
    Practically all the witnesses called are kin, or friends of many years, of the litigants.
Medford Mail Tribune, March 13, 1930, page 4


    Testimony--marked now and again by the bitterness of a domestic quarrel--continued today in circuit court. in the civil suit of Mrs. Julia Crow against William H. Hamlin, her father, for the collection of $5000 alleged to be due for the care of the mother. The taking of testimony will probably be completed late today, and the final arguments presented tomorrow morning, and the case given to the jury by early tomorrow afternoon.
    The trial to date has been marked by conflicting testimony on both sides. The family, well known in Jackson County, is divided. There were several lively legal tilts between opposing counsel.
    Mrs. Vina Eisman testified at the morning session, and said that during the period Mrs. Crow asserts she was attending her mother, they went to dances and shows together. She testified that Mrs. Crow, during the summer months had spent from a week to a month on the Eisman ranch.
    The defense objective was to minimize and impeach the claim of Mrs. Crow that the care administered was exacting, and required constant attendance.
    Mrs. Eisman, before the court could rule upon an objection, denied the statement. "I would not care for Mother as Julia is doing for all of Josephine County."
    The court also checked the witness when she tried to answer the question attributed to Mrs. Crow:
    "I hate the old devil, and you would too if you had been around him as I have."
    The father, 89 years old, who has been a patient witness, straightened in his chair at the query, and appeared distressed. During the five-minute recess he was comforted by relatives.
Medford Mail Tribune, March 14, 1930, page 5


    A verdict in favor of Mrs. Julia Crow for $2289.60 and attorney's fees of $216 were returned here this noon by the jury in her civil suit against her father, William H. Hamlin, Jackson County pioneer. The jury deliberated about an hour and a half. Mrs. Crow sought $5000 and attorney's fees.
    The case was bitterly fought, and was marked with family rancor. The defense called 25 witnesses to the stand; the plaintiff half as many.
    Mrs. Crow based her suit upon the claim that she cared for her mother, and that a family agreement was made whereby she was to "be well paid for her services." She further maintained that she left a flourishing apartment house business at Roseburg. She was opposed in her contentions by two brothers and three sisters, and her father.
    The plaintiff was represented by attorney George M. Roberts, and the defense by attorney Gus Newbury.
    The testimony in the suit was highly conflicting.
    R. A. Settlemire acted as foreman of the jury.
Medford Mail Tribune, March 15, 1930, page 8




    Eyes that sighted the Pawnee Indian far down the dim wagon tracks leading on to the Hudson Bay fur traders trail back in 1852, as oxen pulled their heavy loads on toward the western ocean, reflect today the life and adventure which stirred the early pioneer, as their owner, William Hamlin, 88, of this city, reviews the "trip" as a 10-year-old boy across the "old" Platte River, over the plains to Jacksonville, Ore., 78 years ago.
    With his cap set on his head at a jaunty boy angle, revealing locks of streaked hair, not yet gray, and steady hand resting on the butt of his gun, he told his story this morning.
    "I guess I can talk to you;" he smiled and pushed the cap a bit further back on his head. "I used to talk to the Indians back here in the '50s and '60s down on Bear Creek." He pointed toward the quiet stream that still wends its way through Medford. "No, I didn't like the Klamath Indians. I wanted to kill them all.
    "It took us six months to the day to come across the plains from Iowa to Oregon," he explained, returning to the "big trip." "We followed the trail of the Hudson Bay trappers and came to within three miles of Jacksonville.
    "When we crossed the Platte River there was a Pawnee Indian who asked to sleep under our wagon until we had passed a tribe he was afraid of. We let him. And the third morning one of the ponies, which stood at the end of the wagon, was gone, We sighted him down the trail and my father wanted to kill the Indian but knew it would start them all on the war path."
    There were nine men in the two wagons driven across by Mr. Hamlin's father and uncle. They brought 90 head of cattle with them, he said this morning, and many horses, but the Indians stole all the horses but one before they reached Jacksonville.
    "The biggest stealing occurred at Fort Klamath," he explained, "and the only horse saved was the young colt, which preferred food scraps to grass and hay. She was hanging around waiting for 'grub' at the wagon while the other horses were pasturing the morning when the Indians came and stole them all but her. We came on with the oxen." [Fort Klamath did not exist in 1852; it wouldn't be established until 1863.]
    Stopping at Ashland, the party visited the first sawmill operated in Southern Oregon, having met "Cludge" [Clugage?], who took over the mill, while en route. Mr. Hamlin's father and he started hauling lumber for him, each driving four yoke of oxen.
    Mr. Hamlin was then a boy of 10 "and one that could handle oxen," he boasted this morning. "What I liked was cracking the whip." He later hauled supplies to the soldiers at Fort Klamath and teamed to Crescent City and Roseburg,
    During the big snow of '52 for six weeks the valley was practically isolated from Portland, and the price of flour reached $50 a sack. "My father waited a week and got ours for $25," Mr. Hamlin smiled as if relishing the memories of hardships. "It tasted good without salt too, I'm telling you. If you had been here then with salt you could have had an ounce of gold dust for every ounce of salt. Our cattle were thin from the trip over the plains, so we traded for a fat steer, killed it, and hung it in a tree to freeze, then cut pieces from it with an ax. It tasted good without salt, too," he added with the short, jovial laugh which is one of his most noticeable characteristics.
    "Most of the good land here was taken up before I was old enough to take over a donation claim," he turned to the question of settlement. "So I filed on 600 acres this side of Grants Pass. Oh, yes: I did some mining, too," he admitted, "and I worked on the railroad. The land I now own on Newtown Street used to be the old bicycle race track. I bought it, and some real estate man divided it into lots.
    "One of the greatest tragedies of the old days," he returned to the pioneer times, "was the fire which broke out sometime in the '60s and burned all through the hills. The Indians set it out and burned up a lot of the ranchers' rails. Then [in 1853] someone came riding through the valley calling 'White man killed,' and everyone rushed to old Fort Hoxie and stayed until the Indians settled. Later they broke out again and we cleaned them up at Table Rock. [The "battle of Table Rock" took place near the headwaters of Evans Creek, not at Table Rock.] They killed one of our good men there." A sad expression came to his face for the first time during the story.
    Asked about his gun, he laughed again. "No, I'm not going hunting. Just trying to trade it off. My hunting days are over; I used to hunt when a man could hunt when he pleased, when deer and bear were thick on Bear Creek. We used to hitch up the oxen and go down and pick wild plums, too.
    "I've never been in bed sick one day of my life," he added, to assure the reporter that physical weaknesses don't keep him from following new hunting trails. "Vaccinations never took on me. I went barefooted all through the winter of '52 and didn't feel cold either," he concluded.
Medford Mail Tribune, September 26, 1930, page B3


    In 1852 William Henry Hamlin, a boy of nine, joined the migration from Iowa. His family did not come in a regular train, but organized a party of relatives with two big wagons for the people and a spring wagon to carry "the grub."
    "We met our first Indians just after we crossed the Platte River. We got here all right. The last day of December we landed three miles this side of old Jacksonville. We bought a beef from a miner and hung it on a tree. It froze so hard we were chopping steaks from it with an ax for the next six weeks."
    J. W. Lindsay was 12 years old when he crossed the plains in '64 from Missouri. He reviewed many interesting events of the trail while talking to Mr. Hamlin Wednesday in the Mail Tribune office. . . .
    Mr. Hamlin and party kept their horses until they got to Klamath and lost them all but a pet pony there. "We all made the trip in Studebaker wagons," he volunteered while Mr. Lindsay told his story. "Lots of them went on from Oregon to other camps, but I notice most of them were glad to get back. So I stayed right here. I was one of the first teamsters in this country."