Wokasch Family

After a bit more research, I found the following article describing in great detail events that lead up to the death of Mrs. Helen Fredrickson from yesterday’s post.

Bullet Kills Woman in Moving Car
Death Unknown for 2 Hours

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) – A Minneapolis woman was killed in early morning darkness Saturday by a bullet that pierced the back seat of an automobile cruising along a lonely stretch of U.S. 97.

Mrs. Carl Frederickson, 48, asleep in the seat, died without outcry. Her death was no discovered by other in the car until they reached Bend, 148 miles north of here.

Meanwhile, police arrested a Klamath Indian, Myron Barkley, 26, on a charge of shooting another Indian, Eldon James Cress, 20, Saturday morning.

After learning of the shooting of Mrs. Frederickson, they began questioning Barkley on whether he had any knowledge of it. Sheriff Murray Britton said Barkley admitted being on U.S. 97 about the time and place of the shooting, but denied knowledge of it.

In the past, a number of drivers have complained of shots directed at their cars on or near the Klamath reservation north of here. Once a couple had to jump from their car and hide in the sagebrush all night. Scores of bullet holes later were found in the car.

Mrs. Frdrickson [sic] was in a car driven by her brother-in-law, Russell Holmes Crawford, 42, Oakland, Calif. With her in the back seat were her son, Tom Byron, 8, and two of Crawford’s children. The children were asleep and unhurt. In the front seat with Crawford were his wife and another of their children. They also were asleep and were not injured.

Crawford said he had driven about 20 minutes out of Klamath Falls when he heard three noises he described as “popping.” Police said the road there passes through the Klamath reservation.

Crawford said he though a tire might have blown out, so he stopped and looked. That was about 3 or 3:30 a.m., he said. The tires were all right. Everyone seemed to be sleeping peacefully, so he drove on to Bend, where they were to visit a sister of the two women. It was after they reached the home of the sister, Mrs. Norbert Schadler, that Mrs. Frederickson’s death was discovered. That was about 5:30 a.m.

The bullet had gone through the metal at the rear of the car, hit her high in the back and stopped just under the skin of her chest.

Sheriff Britton said Barkley told of drinking at Chiloquin until 1 a.m., of going later to Modoc Point and still later of going to Beaver Marsh with Cress. That would have required them to pass the point where Crawford said he heard the “popping” noises, Britton said.

Beaver Marsh is about 50 miles from that point. The sheriff said Barkley admitted getting into a fight with Cress and shooting him.

1958 SEP 07 – The Victoria Advocate – Bullet Kills Woman in Moving Car (Mrs. Carl Fredrickson)

Tags: carl fredrickson, helen wokasch