Harry Minto
Encyclopedia
Harry Percy Minto was the superintendent of the Oregon State Penitentiary
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
from 1914 until his death in 1915. An escaped inmate killed Minto in the line of duty.
, the son of Oregon pioneer John Minto
, for whom Salem's Minto-Brown Island Park was named. In 1890, Minto was married to Jessie Glenn (b. 1870 Salem, Oregon
; d. 1956 Tampa, Florida
). Minto was chief of police for the Salem, Oregon
police department from 1891 to 1895 and he served two terms as the Marion County
sheriff. He was elected sheriff in 1908, and served through 1913. His older brother, John Wilson Minto, was previously the sheriff as well as chief of police in Portland.
In 1914, Minto was appointed as the Superintendent of the Oregon State Penitentiary
by governor Oswald West
. He replaced Berton K. Lawson, who had been involved in the events at Copperfield, Oregon
early that year. As warden, he supervised the arrival of serial killer Carl Panzram
in June 1915.
around 11:30 pm. There Minto challenged Hooker, and Hooker shot Minto in the head, killing him instantly. Hooker was mortally wounded the next day during capture. Minto’s remains were cremated in Portland, Oregon
. Hooker's accomplice, Carl Panzram
, was subsequently executed in 1930 for killing a prison employee at the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
.
Oregon State Penitentiary
Oregon State Penitentiary , the first state prison in Oregon, United States, was originally located in Portland in 1851. In 1866 it was moved to a site in Salem and enclosed by a reinforced concrete wall averaging in height...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
from 1914 until his death in 1915. An escaped inmate killed Minto in the line of duty.
Early life
Harry Minto was born October 16, 1864, in Salem, OregonSalem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, the son of Oregon pioneer John Minto
John Minto (Oregon pioneer)
-External links:* from salemhistory.net...
, for whom Salem's Minto-Brown Island Park was named. In 1890, Minto was married to Jessie Glenn (b. 1870 Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
; d. 1956 Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
). Minto was chief of police for the Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
police department from 1891 to 1895 and he served two terms as the Marion County
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
sheriff. He was elected sheriff in 1908, and served through 1913. His older brother, John Wilson Minto, was previously the sheriff as well as chief of police in Portland.
In 1914, Minto was appointed as the Superintendent of the Oregon State Penitentiary
Oregon State Penitentiary
Oregon State Penitentiary , the first state prison in Oregon, United States, was originally located in Portland in 1851. In 1866 it was moved to a site in Salem and enclosed by a reinforced concrete wall averaging in height...
by governor Oswald West
Oswald West
Oswald West was an American politician, a Democrat, who served most notably as the 14th Governor of Oregon. Called "Os West" by Oregon writer Stewart Holbrook, who described him as "by all odds the most brilliant governor Oregon ever had."- Early life and career :West was born in Ontario, Canada...
. He replaced Berton K. Lawson, who had been involved in the events at Copperfield, Oregon
Copperfield, Oregon
Copperfield is a former town in Baker County, Oregon, United States, located on the west bank of the Snake River, near a place called The Oxbow.-Early history:...
early that year. As warden, he supervised the arrival of serial killer Carl Panzram
Carl Panzram
Carl Panzram was an American serial killer, arsonist and burglar. He is known for his confession to prison guard and only friend, Henry Lesser. In graphic detail, Panzram confessed to 22 murders, and to having sodomized over 1,000 males...
in June 1915.
Death
On September 27, 1915, inmate Otto Hooker escaped from a work gang at the prison and Minto was one of many law enforcement personnel who went searching for the escaped prisoner. After Hooker shot and wounded one law enforcement officer, Minto caught up with Hooker near AlbanyAlbany, Oregon
Albany is the eleventh largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon, and is the county seat of Linn County. It is located in the Willamette Valley at the confluence of the Calapooia River and the Willamette River in both Linn and Benton counties, just east of Corvallis and south of Salem. It is...
around 11:30 pm. There Minto challenged Hooker, and Hooker shot Minto in the head, killing him instantly. Hooker was mortally wounded the next day during capture. Minto’s remains were cremated in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Hooker's accomplice, Carl Panzram
Carl Panzram
Carl Panzram was an American serial killer, arsonist and burglar. He is known for his confession to prison guard and only friend, Henry Lesser. In graphic detail, Panzram confessed to 22 murders, and to having sodomized over 1,000 males...
, was subsequently executed in 1930 for killing a prison employee at the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
The United States Penitentiary , Leavenworth was the largest maximum security federal prison in the United States from 1903 until 2005. It became a medium security prison in 2005.It is located in Leavenworth, Kansas...
.
See also
- Michael FranckeMichael FranckeJames Michael Francke was the Director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, the governmental bureau which manages prisons, inmates and parolees in the state of Oregon. He was appointed by then-governor Neil Goldschmidt to oversee Goldschmidt's plan to double the state's inmate capacity...
, director of Oregon Department of CorrectionsOregon Department of CorrectionsThe Oregon Department of Corrections is the agency of the U.S. state of Oregon charged with managing a system of 14 state prisons since its creation by the state legislature in 1987...
, killed in line of duty in 1989.