WISE AND MAXWELL SAWMILL
Keno
July 13, 1905: “Wise, Orem & Maxwell have started a new saw mill eight miles west of Keno and would be glad to have a share of your patronage.” (Klamath Republican)
June 21, 1906: “On account of the condition of the roads the Wise saw mill has had to close.” (Klamath Falls Express)
May 2, 1907: “W. H. Wise of Wise and Maxwell was in the city Tuesday. This firm is reported to have a contract for the delivery of 400,000 feet of lumber at the site of the rumored power station near Spenser station, but when questioned about the matter Mr. Wise refused to deny or affirm it.” (Klamath Republican)
May 30, 1907: “The Wise Saw Mill Company is hauling a fine lot of timber to Keno to be shipped to Merrill by boat.” (Klamath Republican)
August 15, 1907: “Henry Evans received a painful cut at the Wise saw mill Tuesday. He fell into the cut off saw, nearly severing the bone of the left arm below the elbow. He is now at Picard and is getting along very well.” (Klamath Falls Express)
August 22, 1907: “The news reached here Sunday evening that a man had been shot at the Wise & Maxwell sawmill, eight miles southwest of Keno. The party bringing the report knew nothing further than that the man had been shot.
Coroner Wm. Martin, Dr. Geo. H. Merryman, Sheriff Silas Obenchain and R.M. Richardson left here for the scene of the shooting Sunday evening about 8 o'clock and returned yesterday evening. The case was clearly one of justifiable homicide and the coroner's jury rendered a verdict accordingly, which as follows:
'Wise & Maxwell's sawmill, eight miles southwest of Keno, Keno precinct, Klamath county, Oregon.-- We, the undersigned coroner's jury summoned to investigate into the cause of the death of one deceased, do find as follows: Deceased was known by the name of George Solts, male subject, nativity supposed to be Portuguese or Bohemian, height about 5 feet, 10 inches, age about 25 years, came to his death from the result of a gunshot inflicted by a weapon held in the hands of one Albert Cole. From the evidence submitted we believe that the said Albert Cole was justified in firing the shot which caused the death of said George Solts in order to save Andrew Wise from meeting a similar death at the hands of George Solts.”-- signed by members of the jury.
The facts of the case are that the party known as George Solts robbed the cook at the sawmill, Mrs. Ida D. Martin, of a sum of money, and made himself a decided nuisance about the mill where he had been employed for the past two weeks. After stealing the money from he attempted to make his escape. He was stopped by employes at the mill and drew a pistol on the men who attempted to stop him. Albert Cole, a boy nineteen years old, went into the house and got a 22-calibre rifle with which he opened fire on Solts. The bullet struck Solts in the right shoulder and pierced the apex of the right lung. After being shot he ran probably sixty yards when he dropped dead.
The dead man bore a bad reputation among those who knew him, and the employees at the mill express the opinion that Cole killed a real bad man. Solts was formerly employed at one of the large stock ranches in Butte valley and it is reported that he left there under criminal circumstances.” (Klamath Falls Express)
Coroner Wm. Martin, Dr. Geo. H. Merryman, Sheriff Silas Obenchain and R.M. Richardson left here for the scene of the shooting Sunday evening about 8 o'clock and returned yesterday evening. The case was clearly one of justifiable homicide and the coroner's jury rendered a verdict accordingly, which as follows:
'Wise & Maxwell's sawmill, eight miles southwest of Keno, Keno precinct, Klamath county, Oregon.-- We, the undersigned coroner's jury summoned to investigate into the cause of the death of one deceased, do find as follows: Deceased was known by the name of George Solts, male subject, nativity supposed to be Portuguese or Bohemian, height about 5 feet, 10 inches, age about 25 years, came to his death from the result of a gunshot inflicted by a weapon held in the hands of one Albert Cole. From the evidence submitted we believe that the said Albert Cole was justified in firing the shot which caused the death of said George Solts in order to save Andrew Wise from meeting a similar death at the hands of George Solts.”-- signed by members of the jury.
The facts of the case are that the party known as George Solts robbed the cook at the sawmill, Mrs. Ida D. Martin, of a sum of money, and made himself a decided nuisance about the mill where he had been employed for the past two weeks. After stealing the money from he attempted to make his escape. He was stopped by employes at the mill and drew a pistol on the men who attempted to stop him. Albert Cole, a boy nineteen years old, went into the house and got a 22-calibre rifle with which he opened fire on Solts. The bullet struck Solts in the right shoulder and pierced the apex of the right lung. After being shot he ran probably sixty yards when he dropped dead.
The dead man bore a bad reputation among those who knew him, and the employees at the mill express the opinion that Cole killed a real bad man. Solts was formerly employed at one of the large stock ranches in Butte valley and it is reported that he left there under criminal circumstances.” (Klamath Falls Express)
August 29, 1907: “Deputy District Attorney C.P. Stone made an investigation of the shooting at the Maxwell & Wise sawmill last Sunday and from the investigation made he is satisfied that it was a case of justifiable homicide and consequently will not prosecute young Albert Cole who did the shooting.
Cole was in town Saturday, having come in purposely to present himself to the proper authorities.” (Klamath Falls Express)
Cole was in town Saturday, having come in purposely to present himself to the proper authorities.” (Klamath Falls Express)
September 12, 1907: "There was a dance Saturday evening at the Wise & Maxwell sawmill. Some of the Dorris young men who attended report a good time." (Klamath Republican)
January 6, 1908: "August 18, at Wise & Maxwell sawmill, near Keno, Albert Cole shot George Soltz, a Portugese laborer, who was intoxicated and attempting to gain a point of vantage to shoot a fellow workman with whom he had engaged in an altercation. Albert Cole, a young man of about 22 obtained a gun from a nearby house and shot Soltz to prevent the intoxicated man doing injury to others. The bullet inflicted a fatal wound. Cole was exonerated by the Deputy District Attorney, who conducted an investigation." (Morning Oregonian)
March 5, 1908: “The Wise & Maxwell sawmill people through their manager, W. Park Sherman of the Dorris lumber yard, have secured several teams to haul lumber from the sawmill and are taking advantage of the good roads to put in a large stock of lumber for the spring trade.” (Klamath Falls Express)
May 21, 1908: “Rev. J. B. Griffith Thursday evening performed the ceremony that united Miss Eva Wise and Mr. Florence T. Maxwell in the bonds of wedlock. The contracting parties will reside at the Maxwell & Wise sawmill below Keno.” (Klamath Republican)
November 26, 1908: “F.T. Maxwell, the Keno sawmill man, came up from that place yesterday.” (Klamath Falls Express)
December 24, 1908: “John Ackley has been hauling lumber from Wise & Maxwell's mill.” (The Evening Herald)
September 2, 1909: “Robert Hunsaker, with three teams, is hauling lumber from the Wise & Maxwell sawmill and loading it on a barge at Keno to be shipped to Klamath Falls.” (Klamath Republican)
April 6, 1911: "The work on Wise and Maxwell's new sawmill, located on the John J. Otey timber, is being rushed preparatory to starting operations for the season's run. Charles Otey, who has the logging contract, is working his two crews day and night to get an ample supply on hand. Large wagon loads of machinery and provisions were hauled out to the mill during the week. The millwright work will start in a few days and will be done by H. J. Van Marel from Klamath Falls and Thomas Mayhew of Yreka. The mill will be equipped with the most up-to-date machinery with a capacity of about sixty thousand feet, and with timber enough back of it to last a goodly number of years.---Dorris Booster." (Klamath Republican)