News accounts of the Corker murder vary in their content, reliability, and truth. The press during the 1880s in many cases wanted sensational headlines to attract readers, and were not above exaggeration, and in some cases blatant misinterpretation of the details. In some of the earliest accounts of the murder, prior to Gus Marple’s arrest, when details were still sketchy, the press went with what their sources told them, even if it was unreliable. One article in particular from the McMinnville News, gives us a good picture of the murder itself and tells us that a “chinaman” is suspected of the crime. I wonder, Gus worked for the newspaper in Lafayette at the time of the murder, he may have planted some of the exaggerated accounts of the murder, which might explain why some accounts vary so wildly from the official reports. He had access to the press and knowledge of how it obtained reports from unofficial and official sources. It’s not improbable that he may have planted a few of these stories. This particular article is the only one that mentions any suspect so early in the investigation. Is it a coincidence that Gus Marple attempted to frame a Chinese man for the crime after he had been accused and arrested for the murder?
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