Brooding over the fact that his wife had recently instituted divorce proceedings against him, W. J. Horton, a logger, Tuesday afternoon at Rainier, killed his wife, Sarah J. Morton, and then turning the weapon on himself sent a bullet through his head. Both the man and his vlctim fell unconscious, Horton dying in less than two hours and the woman lingered for four hours. Both of them were unconscious so no direct statements could be obtained. The shooting occurred in the store of W. S. Cobb & Co., which Is Just opposite the S. P. & S. depot, immediately after the arrival of the boat from Kelso, on which Horton came to Rainier. Evidently Horton had his mind made up as to what he would do and how quickly he would do it, for he walked directly to the store, where his wife was employed, and without a word shot the woman. The woman had recently filed a divorce suit against Horton, and on the summons, which was found on the body of the man, he had written a short note which stated in effect that he could not live without his wife and therefore had decided to kill both himself and her. Another note found on the man's body was addressed to his son, Troy Horton, and dated on Christmas day, Instructing the son to collect certain moneys due Horton and wound up by saying that he had worried over the divorce suit so much that he could stand It no longer and the son would probably not see him again.
When Horton arrived from Kelso, where he has a brother, Bud Horton, a wealthy shipping man, he stood for a few minutes before the barber shop where the manager of the Cobb store was getting shaved, apparently to make sure that the manager of the store was not in his place of business. When he recognized the manager, he at once proceeded to the store and the tragedy followed within a few seconds.
Earlier In the day Mrs. Horton told a woman friend that her husband had, on the preceding day, before going to Kelso, threatened to return yesterday and kill her.
Both had been previously married. Horton had one son, Troy, as the result of the former marriage, and Mrs. Horton had three children, Ray, Guy and Myrtle Wisecup, the issue of the former union. Troy Horton was In Stella, Wash., where his father had been at work recently, since he and his wife separated last October, and Mrs. Horton's children were also away from town.
Mr. and Mrs. Horton formerly conducted a lodging house in Portland. The woman was clerk of the Women of Woodcraft. Mrs. Horton had held a position in the Cobb store since October and she had but recently applied for a divorce, and this is believed to have worked on the man's mind to such an extent that he became temporarily deranged.
The fuuerals of both victims of the tragedy were held Thursday.
St Helens Mist, St Helens, Oregon, 29 Dec 1916, Fri