Daniel Delaney, one of the pioneer settlers of the Willamette Valley, was slain outside his home in a robbery by George Beale, a former employee, and George Baker, Beale's accomplice. The two men had plotted to steal what they hoped would be a large fortune in gold and/or cash.
At about five o'clock on the evening of January 9, 1865, Beale and Baker blacked their faces with "lamp black," approached the house, and called out. Mr. Delaney walked out of the house and the two men pretended to need directions. At that point, Beale directed Baker to "shoot" and he did, firing a shotgun and hitting Delaney in the chest. Mr. Delaney rose, attempted to move toward the house, and fell forward. Beale shot Delaney twice with a pistol. According to Baker's testimony "a little negro boy standing close by, started and ran into the house, locking and fastening the door." The men broke into the house, shot at the boy several times, and proceeded to ransack the house in a search for money. The boy fled to David Delaney's house (Daniel's son), telling him what had happened.
The men were later arrested as evidence left near the crime scene connected them to the crime. In the first murder trial in Salem's history, the men admitted guilt and were sentenced to die by hanging. Thousands of people gathered to watch the execution, carried out on the bank of the creek, near a bridge on South Church Street in Salem on May 17, 1865.
The Delaney-Edwards house, one of the three oldest recognized houses still standing in Oregon, is on the U.S. Register of National Historic Places. The murder at Daniel Delaney's farm formed the basis for an important part of the legal history of the State, as Baker and Beale were the first people to be executed in the State of Oregon.
It should be noted that the murder took place outside the house, with some of the buckshot becoming embedded in the siding of the house. Several years ago, the house was moved so that it is now about 300 feet northeast of it's original location. This places the exact murder site at approximately N 44.843013, W 122.973546, currently a grass lawn. But the real history is seen by looking at the historic Delaney house.
Visitation Note: Please respect private property rights and do not trespass if visiting this unique landmark.
Note: portions of this description in quotations are excerpts from the Delaney Murder information found on Oregonpioneers.com.