Good old days - Aug. 20, 2009

125 years ago, August 22, 1884

Early Tuesday morning our little city was thrown into a state of excitement by the report that Louis A. Knott, the murderer of Wm. T. Higgins, had been hanged by a mob.

About 1 o’clock a man rapped at the door of Sheriff Marsh’s house, adjoining the county jail in this city.

The Sheriff answered the summons, and upon opening the door was informed by a man he did not recognize that there was a prisoner outside whom he wanted locked up.

The sheriff saw a number of men standing in front of the jail door and also thought he saw others lying on the ground.

Remarking that he would be out as soon as he dressed, he went into his room and commenced putting on his pants.

Just as he had finished his mother entered the room and said the yard was full of men.

Mr. Marsh then went to the back kitchen door, but on opening it was confronted by several masked men.

He shut that door, and turning around, left the house by the front kitchen door.

He had no sooner entered the yard than he was surrounded by masked men who demanded the keys to the jail.

Mr. Marsh told them they had better leave Knott alone and let the law take its course, but they replied “justice demanded that they have the keys,” whereupon they pinioned the officer’s arms and forcibly took the keys to the jail from his pocket.

They then demanded the key to the corral door, and the sheriff informed them that the guards inside had it.

The sheriff remonstrated and told them there was an armed guard inside, and that they entered at their peril.

They paid no attention whatever to him but pried open the door with a crow bar.

The mob entered the jail, pushing the officer in before them, and approached the outside door of the jail.

The leader called through the bars for the death watch, who occupied the main room of the jail, to get up and open the door.

When the guard appeared at the bars he was again ordered to open the door or be blown to pieces.

He drew the staple and the crowd entered the jail.

The leader, after fumbling with the locks for awhile, turned to Sheriff Marsh and asked him to unlock them.

Marsh refused, and the man renewed his efforts, finally succeeding in opening the door.

The mob entered Knott’s cell, placed a rope around his neck and led him out.

They took him to the front of the jail yard, threw the rope over the fence and a number of the men outside hauled him up.

After he was raised several feet it was discovered that his hands were not tied and he was lowered again, but did not touch the ground.

His hands being tied, he was raised again, and the rope fastened to one of the fence posts on the outside.

When he had hanged about 15 minutes, one of the mob felt his pulse and pronounced life extinct.

Someone yelled “Where is Yates!” to which the crowd responded “yes” and “no” and a voice cried out: “Our work is done; let us go,” and they departed as silently as they came.

Knott was left hanging until eight o’clock Tuesday morning, when he was cut down by the coroner’s orders. His faced showed bruises where he had been dragged up alongside the rough board fence. His neck was not broken; he was strangled. He was buried in the clothes in which he died; placed in a rough box with the rope used in the hanging coiled under his head for a pillow. The coroner’s jury later found that Knott came to death by hanging, at the hands of unknown parties. Thus endeth one of the blackest tragedies ever enacted within the limits of Whitman County.

100 years ago, August 20, 1909

There is considerable complaint on the part of people living along the Palouse river because of the condition of the water, which during the past two weeks has turned green and has the appearance of being extremely foul.

A bad accident occurred Wednesday on the Buck grade, overlooking Poverty flat in the north end, caused by a team becoming frightened at an approaching automobile. Both C.W. Quinn and Mrs. Quinn were badly bruised when they were violently thrown clear of the buggy, which was reduced to kindling wood.

Grain is coming to town in quantity, most of it finding its way to the Farmers warehouse. The rush, however, has not begun, most growers still cutting and threshing.

Simon Dreifus, the well known hardware merchant of Colfax, has bought the fine residence on Perkins avenue, in the north end, belonging to John N. Pickrell for the consideration of $3,000.

75 years ago, August 17, 1934

Because of the prevalence of unfilled grain heads, early estimates of the county’s wheat yield have been reduced about one-third, until now the expectations of Colfax grain merchants vary from 6,500,000 to 9,000,000 bushels delivered. Yields are averaging from 18 to 35 bushels to the acre.

Deposits in the First Savings & Trust bank increased in a substantial amount during the first week of the reopening, according to J.H. Ottmar, cashier. Since re-opening August 8, the bank holds deposits of $316,619.14, with common capital of $50,000, capital debentures of $40,000 and surplus and undivided profits of $20,673.29.

Chief of Police Tommy Benton gave us quite a scare by showing up in the office with a rifle just when we were going to press. Now, what had we done? Good old Tommy assured us that he had only been out after a feline nuisance.

The deposits of more than 190 Washington banks are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. This number is more than 95 percent of the institutions in the state.

50 years ago, August 20, 1959

Minor damages to two city waterlines resulted when an earthquake centered in Montana shook Colfax Monday night.

Gas comes to Colfax tomorrow night!

The long-awaited completion of a natural gas line installation which began in June is expected to be realized tomorrow evening.

A search for bedrock in the South Palouse river began last week when members of the Walla Walla district Army Corps of Engineers began drilling operations in connection with Colfax’s flood control program.

Walla Walla County commissioners have sent a resolution to the state highway commission urging the location of a bridge across the Snake River at the approximate location of the present ferry at the mouth of the Palouse River.

25 years ago, August 23, 1984

Volunteer firemen have been on the run the past week responding to alarms in the eastern part of the county where harvest is in full swing. Bennett Land Co. fields of Colfax ignited and threatened two houses and a store. Other grain fires started on the Jim Cloaninger farm on Green Hollow Road, the Roy Parvin farm east of Albion and the George Imler fields on Dry Creek Road.

Councilman Don Rhine still has the option of working as a reserve police officer, but the decision to do so will not be his own. Rhine’s dual position was the center of an angry exchange which wrapped up the Monday city council meeting. Rhine has been asked by other council members to give up one job or the other. Rhine said Monday he decided against earlier moves to give up the reserve police job. He had earlier said he would leave under the pressure.

Tally for remodeling the former county engineer’s office to serve as new office for the county commissioners now stands at $47,908.

Whitman county’s agricultural conservation program will share at a flat rate of $15 for no-till seeding done this fall.

10 years ago, August 19, 1999

Harvest in Whitman County is generally running about two to three weeks behind schedule, and when farmers do get their crops in, a price that is still below the cost of production is waiting for them.

Work on the McDonald Baseball field project at Colfax has advanced to the point where two fields should be ready for play next season, but work on the balance of the project could be stalled by a cash crunch.

Noreen Ewing of Farmington, a flagger for Northstar on the Highway 195 project in the Colton area, sustained a cut lip Monday morning when she was struck in the face by the slow/stop sign she was holding. Ewing jumped into the back of a Northstar vehicle to avoid a southbound vehicle that slid out of control.