An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 143

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524

USA > Idaho > Kootenai County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 143
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 143
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 143
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 143

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

After the completion of the road Vollmer (named later, Troy), Kendrick and Juliaetta, with their indus- trial and educational institutions, sprang into exis- tence, developed into populous towns and became sup- ply points for extensive and rich agricultural and tim- bered areas. Following the completion of the Genesee branch in 1888, Genesee valley and the town made rapid progressive strides. The Genesee valley, Paradise val- ley, and the Potlatch ridges are now famous the coun- try over for their production of cereals and fruits. The credit due the railroad for this wonderful meas- ure of progress can only be fairly estimated and ap- preciated by a comparison of present conditions with those of the early eighties.

In the political campaign of 1890 the two old par- ties had the field all to themselves, national issues fur- nishing the principal topics for discussion at the sever- al political meetings. Republican nominees were as follows : For judge of the second district, W. G. Piper of Moscow ; for district attorney, E. O'Neill of Lewis- ton ; senator second district, J. M. Wells, of Kootenai county ; fourth district, William Wing of Nez Perces county ; fifth district, J. W. Brigham of Moscow ; for representatives of Latah county, K. O. Skatteboe of Moscow and J. C. Martin of Genesee; for representa- tive of Latah and Kootenai counties, A. J. Green of Moscow : sheriff, F. E. Mix of Moscow ; clerk of the district court, William B. Kyle of Moscow ; probate judge, T. N. Creekmur of Moscow ; county treasurer Robert S. Browne of Moscow: assessor, J. George Vennigerholz of Genesee; surveyor, E. T. Tannatt of Pine creek ; coroner, Warner H. Carithers of Mos-

cow ; commissioner first district, J. D. Wilcox : second district, C. C. Carpenter of Thorn creck ; third dis- trict, A. N. Roberts of American Ridge.

The Democrats nominated for judge, second dis- trict, J. W. Poe of Lewiston ; district attorney, James H. Forney of Grangeville; senator, second district, Lewis Miller of Latah county; senator, fourth dis- trict, Barney Rohenkohl of Nez Perces county ; sena- tor, fifth district, Samuel J. Langdon of Moscow ; for representatives of Latah county, John H. Irvine of the north side, and A. B. Crawford of Potlatch ; for rep- resentative of Latah and Kootenai counties, A. S. Cha- ney of the east side ; sheriff, W. T. Griffin of Moscow ; clerk of the district court, Eugene Buchanan of Mos- cow; probate judge, Roland Hodgins of Moscow ; county treasurer, William Hunter of Moscow ; asses- sor, Albert McKee of Bear Ridge; coroner, C. E. Worthington of Moscow ; commissioner, first district, D. C. Tribble of north side; second district, David Spurbeck of Genesee; third district, D. J. Ingle of Bear Ridge.

The official record of the election is as follows: For governor, the Republican candidate, George L. Shoup, received 1063 votes, a majority of 354 over the Democratic candidate, Benjamin Wilson, who received 709; for representative, 51st congress, the Republican candidate, Willis Sweet, received 1099 votes, while the Democratic candidate, Alexander E. Mayhew, received 055 votes; for represeitative, 52d congress, Willis Sweet received 1097 votes and Alexander E. Mayhew 666; for judge, second district, W. G. Piper received 1072 votes and J. W. Poe 693, Piper's majority 379; for district attorney, E. O'Neill received 955 votes and J. H. Forney 809, O'Neill's majority 146; for senator, second district, J. M. Wells received 1045 votes and Lewis Miller 712, Wells' majority 333; for senator, fourth district, William Wing received 1041 votes and Barney Rohenkoh! 712, Wing's majority 329: for sen- ator, fifth district, J. W. Brigham received 1023 votes and Samuel J. Langdon 747, Brigham's majority 276; for Latah county representatives, K. O. Skatteboe re- ceived 1033 votes, J. C. Martin 1073, John H. Irvine 698, and A. B. Crawford 731, Skatteboe's majority 335, Martin's majority 342; for representative, Kootenai and Latah counties, A. J. Green received 968 votes and A. S. Chaney 761, Green's majority 207; for sheriff, F. E. Mix received 940 votes and W. T. Griffin 827, Mix's majority 113 ; for clerk of the district court, Will- iam B. Kyle received 1126 votes and Eugene Buchanan 636, Kyle's majority 490; for probate judge, T. N. Creekmur received 895 votes and Roland Hodgins 863, Creekmur's majority 32; for treasurer, Robert S. Browne received 917 votes and William Hunter 838, Browne's majority 79; for county assessor, J. George Vennigerholz received 1150 votes and Albert McKee 618, Vennigerholz's majority 532 : for surveyor, E. T. Tannatt received 1077 votes. MI. Tannatt was the only candidate in the field for the office of surveyor. For coroner, Warner H. Carithers received 1059 votes and C. E. Worthington 708. Carithers' majority 351 ; for commissioner, first district, J. D. Wilcox received

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167 votes and D. C. Tribble 198, Tribble's majority 31 ; for commissioner, second district, C. C. Carpenter re- ceived 498 votes and David Spurbeck 335, Carpenter's majority 163; for commissioner, third district, D. J. Ingle received 214 votes and A. N. Roberts 325, Rob- erts' majority III.

June 1, 1891, in the G. A. R. hall at Moscow, the Latah County Pioneer Association was formed. At this preliminary meeting John Russell was chosen chairman and Henry McGregor secretary. At a late meeting the first regular officers of the associaton were elected as follows: G. W. Tomer president, Bennet Summerfield first vice president, Silas Imbler second vice president, James Johnston treasurer and J. L. Nay- lor secretary. This organization has been faithfully kept up during the succeeding years, and each year it has held one or more reunions, thus keeping alive the incidents of early associations and preserving reminis- cent and historical matter for the information and in- struction of generations that may people the country in the future. The first annual reunion and picnic was held Wednesday, June 15, 1892, at the pioneer picnic grounds at the foot of Moscow mountain, northeast of Moscow. At this meeting George W. Tomer was chairman and J. L. Naylor secretary. R. H. Barton was orator of the day. The last meeting was held four miles north of Moscow on the school section near the Beasley place, June 19, 1903. At this meeting C. W. . Farmer was chairman, J. L. Naylor secretary and A. J. Green, a pioneer of 1877, was orator of the day.

As a matter of record and for the benefit of future historians, we give below the names of the pioneers of Latah county as taken from the books of the associa- tion, and where we have been able to obtain the in- formation, the date of their settlement. While there were scattered individual settlers as early as 1869, the home builders began to come in 1871. Those who made settlements in that year were as follows: G. W. To- mer, William Frazier, W. J. Hamilton, William Groat, William Taylor, A. A. Lieuallen, Murdock Cameron, W. R. Tomer, J. S. Frazier, Angus Mckenzie, Donald Mckenzie, E. N. Beach, J. T. Taylor, David Allen, Charles W. Tomer, L. H. Collins. The year 1872 wit- nessed the arrival of John Russell, J. S. Howard, Henry McGregor, Arthur Gosselin and Martin Anderson. In 1873 came Silas Imbler, J. G. Edmondson, Bennet Summerfield, Joseph Cox and G. W. Lowrie. In 1874 homesteads were taken by B. A. McGuire, W. G. Ritchie, T. T. Suddreth, C. W. Palmer and C. C. Palmer, Pioneers of 1895 are J. A. Bundy, A. B. Estes, J. W. Wolf and George W. Wolf. Those of 1876 are J. H. McCallie, W. A. Robi- nett, Charles Kelly, O. H. P. Beagle, S. F. Luper, Riley Knight, J. H. Galbreath, M. A. Corry, Charles Shearer, J. L. Gilbreth. Joseph Gilbert, G. W. Stew- art, T. S. Edmundson, G. B. Christie and Joshua Hol- den. In 1877 the following became settlers : J. Wilson, John Heick, J. L. Naylor, R. H. Barton, John Holden, S. J. Langdon, Jasper W. Wilson, N. M. Hawley, A. J. Green, Y. J. Beall, S. L. Langdon, Abraham Mat- this, Charles H. Kelly, John A. Marlatt, Julius Cher-

pillod, C. T. Stranahan, C. M. Bowers, J. M. Garri- son, Jonathan Johnson, George J. Neighbors, C. H. Oderlin, Henry Cummings and William P. Eagan. These were followed in 1878 by James Johnson, W. S. Craig, R. Beasley, A. J. Hedrick, George Langdon, John Paulson, J. H. Maguire, George A. Gilanore, W. J. McConnell, V. Bartle, M. J. Shields, S. D. Oyler, Robert Purnell, Iver Burke, William Kilde, W. M. Bu- chanan, W. H. Hooper, Ransom Warren and Charles S. Simonson. Arrivals of 1879 were II. M. Rogers, L. Hawley, E. C. Fisher, G. Webber and E. B. Harrison. Later arrivals who are classed with the pioneers are Walter McClin- tic, who came in 1881, and John Grimes, who came in 1882. John H. Buchanan is said to have come here in 1865, and is probably the earliest settler in Latah county.

The following pioneers have not registered on the books of the association the dates of their arrivals: A. N. Miller, G. W. Oglesby, John Roberts, J. H. Ir- vine, W. B. Mckenzie, Thomas A. Nixon, Benjamin F. Shaw, Silas Shaw, W. D. Craig, William F. Dale, C. F. Groat, N. Rowley, William P. and L. M. Mc- Clintic, David McCurry, W. D. Robins, A. A. J. Fry, W. C. Campbell, William Zeitler, Daniel Cameron, W. O. Campbell. F. M. Johnson, John Cummings, A. R. Crow, Ira Knight, Nelson Madesen, W. H. Bundy, Barney J. Olsen, M. L. Dillman, E. N. DeLong, E. F. DeLong, William King, E. C. Fisher, Jefferson Wood, J. W. Ellis, H. L. Land, John Moss, John E. Randall, W. M. Carter, S. H. B. Denny, J. N. Mar- quis, 'Germand Olsen, J. W. Clark, L. D. Jameson, Julius Cenduet, C. H. Jones, L. Stanus, Eli Spittler, Ben A. Gorgan, Nathan Buchanan, D. B. Fleener, A. W. Miller, W. H. Leasure, Hiram R. Russell, G. M. Tomer, J. H. Fleener, F. C. McLean, H. K. Moore, D. L. Bangs, S. M. Bangs, Eugene J. Bonhore, G. N. Parker, J. Woodworth, John C. Miller, Joseph W. Huston, Solomon Hasbrouck, P. L. Orcutt, T. A. Staner, J. G. Vennigerholz and Thomas Big- ham.

The following are the names of the women who braved the hardships of the pioneer life and who came to Latah county in the seventies with their husbands, parents, or other relatives and who are members of the Pioneer Association.

Mesdames E. B. Frazier, R. M. Groat, Mary E. Imbler, Sarah C. McCurry, Sarah Bundy, Carrie Tomer-Hayes, Mary A. McClintic, Lizzie McClintic, Rebecca A. Naylor, Sarah E. Beasley, Fanny Hawley, Evaline Wilson, L. Robins, Mary Fry, Julia E. McCal- lie, Margaret Russell, Sarah Lieuallen, Clara L. Campbell. J. R. Staner, C. J. Knight, Sarah Goede, Carrie Olsen, Jennie L. Cox, Nancy DeLong, Olive Fisher, Mary L. Buchanan, Alice J. Wood, Amanda Gilbreth, Jennie Paulson, S. E. Clark, E. B. Tomer, Massia Edmundson, Thyrza C. McGregor, Martha Cary, S. A. Kelly, Addie Denny, Lucinda Jameson, Margaret Vennigerholz, E. F. Tomer, Jennie Burke, Maggie S. Collins, Amanda Wolf, Mary L. Buchanan, Cary Kilde, Susan Matthis, Diana Bu-

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chanan, L. L. Ricksicker, Margaret L. Hooper, Millie F. Tomer, Eliza J. Garrison, D. J. Wilcox, Sarah Johnson, F. C. McLean, Ella Johnson, Luella Parker, Lillie Woodward, Donald Ryrie, Luella Durham, Em- ma Edmundson, Dora Summerfield, Louise Lang- don Barton, Viola Knight, Lillie Lieuallen, Hattie Jones, Ninia Jones, C. L. Holden, Fanny Langdon, Julia A. Summerfield.

Misses Mande M. Barton, Maggie B. McCallie, and Anna DeLong.

The assessor's report for the year 1891 showed the county to be in a very prosperous condition. The to- tal valuation of property for purposes of taxation was $3,610,596. There were in the county 8,141 horses and mules, 9,183 cattle, 7,705 sheep and 1,478 hogs. This does not of course fairly represent the extent of the stock industry as the assessor very rarely finds all that are grazed or fed in the county. All industries of farm and city were prosperous this year and many new settlers located in all parts of the county. In 1800 Nez Perces county made demands on Latah for about $2,500 in claims as balances due them, and which they claimed had been withheld at the time of organization, when Latah's proportion of the old coun- ty's organization had been cancelled. The commis- sioners of Latah county refused to allow the amount and the matter was referred in regular form to Judge Pip- er's court. August 8, 1891, Judge Piper sustained the commissioners in their action and Nez Perces county did not press the demands further.

At the session of congress creating a United States court for Idaho, the state was divided into three dis- tricts and a place named in each at which sessions of the court should be held. The counties of Idaho, Nez Perces, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone consti- tuted one district and Moscow was named as the place for holding court in this district. In August, 1892, Judge Beatty called a special session of the court at Coeur d'Alene City for the purpose of trying the 1111- ion labor strikers from the Coeur d'Alene mining re- gions. This action on the part of Judge Beatty stirred up a good deal of feeling among the citizens of Latah county as it was thought if he had the authority to hold court where he pleased Latah county might lose the prestige gained by the selection of Moscow as the court center of the judicial district. Newspapers and attorneys of Latah county found expression of their views and their dissatisfaction in many ways and while there was no interference with the session at Coeur d'Alene City there was never afterwards any dispo- sition shown to hold the sessions of the court else- where than at Moscow, where all the regular and spec- ial sessions have since been held.

In 1892 the People's party entered the political arena and with the new issues brought forward for discussion there were lively times throughout the campaign. In this campaign Latah county was rep- resented on the state ticket by the successful candi- date for governor, Hon. W. J. McConnell, of Mos- cow, and on the congressional ticket by the successful candidate for congress, Hon. Willis Sweet, also of Moscow. The Republican county convention was held

at Moscow, August 1Ith, with Dr. W. W. Watkins as chairman and G. W. Coutts, secretary. This was the first county convention of the Republican party in Latah county. There was a decided lack of harmony in the convention, owing to strife between factions of the party, but a full ticket was eventually chosen and by the time the campaign was well under way, harmony was restored and the candidates received the loyal support of all factions. After declaring for pro- tection to American industries and for the restriction of immigration, and after endorsing the records of Hon. W. J. McConnell as governor and Hon. Willis Sweet as congressman, they inserted the following paragraph in their platform: "We demand the free and unlimited coinage of gold and silver and we de- mand that each and every paper dollar issued upon either metal shall, with said metals, be a full legal tender for all debts, public and private."

The following ticket was placed in the field: For sheriff, John L. Naylor, Moscow; treasurer, Robert S. Brown, Moscow : probate judge, Harvey R. Smith, Moscow : assessor, David Fairburn, Moscow ; coroner, J. Edwin Hughes, Moscow ; surveyor, S. L. Campbell, Moscow ; clerk of the court and auditor, B. F. Cone, Palouse precinct ; representatives Latah county, S. A. Anderson, Swan Creek, and Henry H. Bangs, Troy; joint senator Latah and Nez Perces county, J. Morris Howe, Lewiston ; representative Latah and Kootenai, Henry J. Harper. Palonse precinct ; representative Latah county, J. 1. Micham, Kendrick ; commission- ers, Ist district, William Kincaid, Palouse precinct, 2d district, E. T. Platt, Genesee, 3d district, A. N. Roberts, American Ridge.

The Democratic convention assembled in Moscow July 30th. J. M. Walker of Kendrick was elected chairman and J. Woodworth, of Moscow, secretary. After endorsing the Chicago platform as adopted June 24th, the convention proceeded to place the following ticket before the people: joint senator, Latah and Kootenai counties, William J. Quirk, Kootenai coun- ty : joint senator, Latah and Nez Perces county, Thom- as F. Nelson, Cornwall; senator, Latah county, Joe M. Walker, Kendrick ; joint representative Latah and Kootenai counties, John Donahue, Kootenai county ; representatives, William J. Seat, Troy, George W. Wilton, Palouse precinct ; commissioners, Ist district, Dudley C. Tribble, Starner, 2d district, Jerry R. Bak- er, Moscow, 3d district, Wyman Crow, Kendrick ; clerk and auditor, William M. Payne, Moscow; sheriff, Harvey J. Bundy, Genesee; treasurer, Isaac C. Hattabaugh, Moscow; probate judge, W. L. Cul- bertson, Moscow : assessor, L. D. Martin, Moscow ; coroner, Charles E. Worthington, Moscow ; surveyor, William P. Nichols, Kendrick.

The People's party convened at Moscow, August 13th. Hiram Eperly was chosen chairman and T. E. Edmundson. secretary. The Omaha platform was en- dorsed, including the sub-treasury plan and other natural innovations proposed in the national conven- tion. The ticket nominated was as follows: For joint senator Latah and Nez Perces county, John Cheno- weth, Nez Perces county ; senator Latah county, Mar-

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ques S. Smith, Genesee ; representatives, Aaron T. Lane and George W. Tomer, Moscow ; commissioners, Ist district. George W. Griner, Palouse precinct, 2d district, Dudley J. Hammond, Moscow, 3d district, Axel Olsen, Troy ; clerk and auditor, Frank W. Web- ster, Palouse precinct ; sheriff, C. A. S. Howard, Mos- cow ; treasurer, John Gilstrop, Moscow ; probate judge, William A. Comer, Cora ; assessor, Thomas L. Chil- ders, Moscow ; coroner, Amon K. Biddison, Troy; no candidate was nominated for surveyor.

The following is the official record of the election which took place November 8th: The vote of Latah county for congressman stood, Willis Sweet, 1,420, E. B. True, 622, James Gunn, 722, E. R. Headley, 51, Sweet's plurality, 698. The vote for governor stood, W. J. McConnell, 1.397, J. M. Burke, 694, A. J. Crook, 726, Joseph A. Clark, 46, McConnell's plurality, 671. For legislative and county officers the vote was as fol- lows: Joint senator Latah and Kootenai counties, Ber- gen, 1,327, Quirk, 937, Bergen's plurality, 390; joint senator Latah and Nez Perces counties, Howe, 1,225, Nelson, 768, Chenoweth. 731, Howe's plurality, 457; senator, Micham, 1,183. Walker, 783, Smith, 762, Mic- ham's plurality, 400; joint representative Latah and Kootenai counties, Hopper, 1,323, Donahue, 931, Hop- per's majority, 393 ; representatives, Anderson, 1,212, Bangs, 1,153. Seat, 711, Wilton, 588, Lane, 600, To- mer. 776, Anderson's plurality, 501, Bang's plurality, 565 : commissioners, Kincaid, 1,203, Platt, 1,159, Rob- erts, 1.345, Tribble, 870, Baker, 790, Crow, 629, Gri- ner. 675. Hammond, 095. Olsen, 684, Kincaid's plur- ality. 33. Platt's plurality, 369, Roberts' plurality, 661 ; clerk and auditor, Cone. 1.251, Payne, 858, Webster, 653, Cone's plurality, 393 : sheriff, Naylor, 965, Bundy, 906. Howard. 948. Naylor's plurality, 17 : treasurer, Brown. 994. Hattahaugh, 1,152, Gilstrop. 665, Hatta- baugh's plurality, 158: probate judge, Smith, 1,240, Culbertson. 727, Comer. 668, Smith's plurality, 513 : assessor, Fairburn. 1,156, Martin, 827, Childers, 750, Fairburn's plurality, 329; coroner. Hughes, 1, 128, Worthington, 863, Biddison, 723, Hughes's plurality, 265 : surveyor. Campbell, 1,389, Nichols, 925. Camp- bell's majority, 464.

The year of 1893 was one of great disaster to Latah county. The story of the financial panic of that year is too familiar to require detailed repetition here. The failure of large banking institutions in the money centers of the east and west involved those of lesser magnitude in smaller towns and these failures brought disaster to farmers, depositors and to those who needed money to conduct or pay for their farms. Many of the large and small commercial houses all over the west went to the wall and the forced payments of accounts by the small debtors had its influence in bringing about oppressive conditions. Latah county escaped none of the disasters and experienced one special dis- aster that brought many of the farmers to the verge of ruin. from which it took years of patient toil and great privations to escape. The most important failure in Latah county was that of the MeConnell-Maguire Company in Moscow, wholesale and retail dealers in general merchandise. This house closed its doors in

April. The immediate cause of the failure was the sale of the McConnell, Chambers & Company store at Pullman to Maguire & Browne of Moscow, in which McConnell and Chambers held shares. The Pullman house had invested heavily in wheat and the great de- pression of the market caused them to sustain heavy losses, which, involving the Moscow house, compelled it to close. The assets of the firm were $280,000, with liabilities footing $216,000. The First National Bank of Moscow immediately got out attachments for $22,- 3-43.68; the Moscow National Bank, attachments for $26,343. and other creditors ran the attachments up to $80,839.68. The firm filed papers of insolvency to protect its creditors and its affairs were eventually settled to the satisfaction of all, but the business was never reopened.

In addition to the financial troubles Latah county suffered the loss of almost its entire erop of grain, which was exceptionally abundant, by heavy rains that came during the harvest and before any threshing had been done. This was an unusual occurrence, unheard of before and not repeated since. The grain crops rotted in the fields, almost none being harvested and sold, so that the farmers were placed in the most de- plorable condition from which they were many years in recovering. Conditions in 1893 and in the three or four years following can only be realized by compari- son with the present conditions. It is doubtful if in any other section of the country there is a more no- ticeable change during the last ten years than in Latah county. It might almost be termed an advance from poverty to affluence, from depression to prosperity, from general despondency to universal hope, elation and contentment.

Ten years ago the entire country was complaining of hard times, and Latah county was about as hard hit as any other section that found itself hard up and with 110 apparent way of getting out of the difficulty. The people had little or no money, their farms were mort- gaged, back interest was due, small debts had ac- cumulated, their products found poor markets and it was an unusually sanguine man who could see daylight ahead. The land of those who would sell went begging ; there was no demand for it. If real estate transfers were reported, it was not because the pur- chaser wished to buy but because he was forced to do it if he would get what was coming to him. Since that gloomy period the heavy skies have lifted and for several years fortune has favored those who struggled with so much determination against the adversity that spared so few. Many of those who succeeded by great effort in holding their farms have been able not only to raise their mortgages and get square with the world, but also to increase their property and reap larger profits than ever from greater acreage. It is not now a question as to who will buy but as to who will sell. The farmers do not as a rule wish to part with their holdings, but are anxious to add to what they already have. They have done well with their crops and home- seekers from the east, having learned of it, are eager to acquire Latah county land. As a result there is a more general improvement of farms and a more solid

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movement in farm property than Latah county has witnessed for many years.

There were no changes for the better in the general conditions that prevailed during the year 1894. If any- thing, the effects of the financial panic and crop fail- ure were more seriously felt than in the year previous. The crops this year were good but the prices were not, and obligations could not be cancelled. The year closed with all lines of business comparatively at a standstill.

While there have been crimes of greater or less magnitude committed in Latah county, there has never been a legal hanging or murder in the first degree and there have been no lynchings. On Tuesday, October 5. 1894, a terrible crime was committe din the county jail, an insane prisoner killing his cell mate in a hor- rible manner. A soldier named Roberts had, a year or two previously, been arrested at Fort Sherman for killing a brother soldier. He had afterward been ad- judged insane and had since been confined in the Latah county jail awaiting the pleasure of the United States marshal. He was not considered a dangerous man and was therefore allowed free intercourse with other pris- oners in the corridors of the jail. At this time there was but one other prisoner, a quiet, inoffensive young man about twenty years old, named John Witte, who was awaiting triai in the United States court on the charge of selling liquor to the Indians on the Coeur d'Alene reservation. For more than a year Sheriff J. L. Naylor had been trying to induce the United States marshal to take Roberts out of his custody. No attention, however, had been paid to his requests and for about eighteen months he remained the charge of the Latah county officials. On the date mentioned above, during the absence of Jailer Donahue, Roberts attacked Witte while the latter was sleeping and after crushing his skull with a stove lid, literally hacked his victim to pieces with some dull instrument which could not afterwards be found. On the day following the crime the United States marshal started with Roberts for Washington, D. C., and his victim, being without friends or relatives, was buried in potter's field.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 143

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1524

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524