Good Old Days: March 7, 2019

 


125 years ago

The Commoner, March 2, 1894

David Black was on the 23rd tried by a jury in the superior court on the charge of committing an assault with a deadly weapon on the person of John Dougherty, October 4th. Dougherty was dealing faro, an unlawful game, at the time and Black had lost money at the table. Black accused Dougherty of robbing him, and reached over the table and took the money he lost out of the coin tray. The dealer resisted and Black pounded Dougherty over the head with a pistol, and the assailant’s arrest followed. The testimony as to the assault was very clear, but Attorney J. T. Brown introduced an instruction which was read to the jury, and which practically settles the case in favor of the defendant. It was to the effect that when a man takes the property of another by fraud or deceit, that other person has a right to use force to regain possession of that property. The prosecuting attorney did not object to that instruction being given to the jury. At 9:30 p.m. the case was given into the jury’s hands, and an hour and half later they returned a verdict of acquittal.

***

Effective Jan. 22nd, the round trip rate from Colfax to San Francisco and return via U.P. steamers from Portland will be $43.25 limited to 30 days, this includes meals and berths on steamer; via S.P.R.R. from Portland $48.75, same limit as above. The latter rate includes five admissions to the fair.

***

Oakesdale had another shooting sensation Saturday midnight, but the facts of the cause of the shooting, as well as the identity of the person who fired the shot, is wrapped in mystery. There was a drunken row in Taylor’s saloon and among the parties who were in the house at the time, A.T. Sinks, who is well-known as a witness for the defense in the Ed Hill murder case. It is said that, as Sinks was leaving the saloon, after some general trouble, a shot was fired at him, and the bullet too effect in his kidneys. Sinks was not expected to live over Sunday, but latest reports are to the effect that his condition has improved. He is still in a critical condition. Sinks himself makes no statement, and other parties who might be in a position to know are keeping very quiet about the affair.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner, Feb. 28, 1919

The Colfax Milling Company has let a contract for the building of a two story addition to the present structure and the work for doing this work has been let to Ackerman & Thiel, local contractors of this city. The contract price for doing the work was let for $3989.

***

The evidence in the $5000 blackmail case of Isaac Neace against W.D. Ragan was guilty and after the jury had debated and deliberated on the case for eight hours they were dismissed by federal judger Rudkin at Spokane Wednesday.

The blackmail case attracted considerable attention in this city as both of the parties to the suit are well known.

W.D. Ragan lived for a number of years near Winona. He is a man of family and is well known in the western part of the county where he had resided for several years. Near where he lived, also resided Isaac Neace. Early last summer Issac Neace received a letter demanding that Mr. Neace leave $5000 at a certain place by a certain time, and threatened him with death if he failed to comply with the requests of the letter. Mr. Neace turned the letter over to the county officers. He was advised by the officers to follow the instructions of the letter, but instead of leaving real money, he should leave a bundle of paper in a sack at the location and to leave this bundle on the night that he was directed to leave the money. Under the orders of the officers, Mr. Neace followed out the instructions of the officers while two deputy sheriffs waited and watched to nab the prisoner.

***

A.F. Davis was arraigned in the superior court this week and pleaded guilty to the charge of issuing checks without funds to cover them. The defendant has flooded the country with bogus checks during the past six weeks and it is estimated that he has purchased nearly a million dollars worth of property. Out of the vast amount of transactions, the defendant has secured very little money but he has caused the civil authorities an endless amount of trouble. The banks on whom the checks were drawn, of course, never lost a dollar as the name which was signed to checks never appeared in the books of the banks as a depositer.

75 years ago

The Colfax Gazette-Commoner, March 3, 1944

Official sound motion pictures of the navy--its ships, planes, men and women in action--are to be shown free to the public here at a special daytime exhibit to be held Thursday, March 9.

LaVance Weskil has donated the use of the Rose theater for the occasion and everyone is invited to attend.

***

W.F. Wilhelm of Rosalia heads the Washington State Swine Breeders’ association elected at the State college in conjunction with the organization’s first annual bred sow sale and showing.

The organization planned a boar and gilt sale to take place in Colfax in October.

Buyers from three states were present with sales averaging $81 per head.

***

In one of the fastest, hard-fought games ever played on the Colfax floor, a determined Bulldog five nosed out a scrappy St. John team, 31-24 last Friday night, to win the Whitman County basketball championship.

The close checking, shooting and drive of both teams provided a game of true championship caliber that kept the one thousand spectators breathless to the final whistle.

50 years ago

The Colfax Gazette, Feb. 27, 1969

A decision on the fate of the Colfax Civic Center building is expected at Monday's meeting of the Colfax city dads. Disposition of the former Colfax high school building was assigned at the last council meeting.

The city suspended operations at the center this year and offered to return the building to the Colfax school board. School directors voted to accept the building without giving the city credit for improvements made to the structure.

The building was first sold by the school board to the city for $1. Roof repairs, a furnace and equipment to revamp the indoor pool put the city's investment in the structure at between $3,000 and $4,000.

A site for the new city hall was also gained when part of the school was removed. School directors reasoned the city's gain of the hall site makes up for the loss in equipment now in the civic center building.

Following the last meeting of the council, Councilman Russell suggested the city keep the building site for eventual use as a shop site.

***

Dr. William N. Freeman and Dr. Ole Slind, both of Colfax, have bought the interests of Roy. G. McDonald and E.A. Hochsprung in the Palouse Nursing Center to acquire complete ownership of the three-story nursing home in Colfax.

At the same time, the doctors announced that they sold their interest in the St. Ignatius hospital building to McDonald and Hochsprung.

The transactions will not affect present operations or plans for either structure. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Enis, who have operated the nursing home for several years since coming here from Seattle, will continue to manage the center under lease from the doctors.

***

First-stage planning for a new arena building at the Palouse Empire fairgrounds was initiated Monday night at a meeting of the Palouse Empire Fair board in the courthouse. The proposed structure would be the largest building on the grounds and provide enough room for indoor shows and judging.

Felix Entenmann, secretary of the board, said the building would offer 100x200 clear space which would allow enough room for livestock, horses shows and judging events.

25 years ago

Whitman County Gazette, March 3, 1994

A proposal to merge the three practices of doctors serving Colfax and St. John was presented last Wednesday at the board meeting of Whitman Hospital and Medical Center, Drs. Richard Holmes of St. John and Dr. Bryan Johnson of Colfax explained the proposal which is now under study.

Dr. Holmes told the Gazette Tuesday he feels the proposal to merge practices is a way to maintain the present level of physician service in Colfax. He added the office at St. John would also be maintained.

“The face of health care is changing permanently,” Dr. Holmes commented.

***

The Port of Whitman is looking for some help from the state to finance expansion and improvements at Boyer Park and Marina. Kevin Kragt, assistant port manager, said the port sent a letter of intent for a $100,000 grant from the State Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC).

The IAC grant money is generated by fuel taxes from motor boats. The grants are allocated to public agencies through a competitive application process. Kragt said if the port received the grant, the money will be used to add new boat moorages, develop additional campsites, improve and expand the beach area, and remodel the bathrooms at the restaurant.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette, January 22, 2009

Endicott, former home of the Whitman County basketball tournament, last week hosted three days of basketball playoffs in the same hospitality mode. The playoff format was different because of changes in state B basketball assignments, but the hospitality was the same.

The playoffs last week were to qualify 1B entrants, two boys and two girls teams, to the state finals which started in Yakima this week.

Colton, Rosalia, St. John/Endicott and LaCrosse/Washtucna were contenders from Whitman County. Touchet and Tri-Cities Prep mixed in the action from the former Blue Mountain B loop.

Missing from the Endicott scene were entrants from Tekoa/Oakesdale and Garfield/Palouse, Their assignment this year to the 2B ranks meant an end to the all-county B hoop party which had annually landed in Endicott's John L. Hardy gym in mid February.

 

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