ONE OF THE FIRST HOUSES IN STARBUCKStill another enterprise of more than local interest, of which the office and headquarters are at Starbuck, is the extensive irrigation project on the Snake River, a short distance above Riparia, founded and mainly owned by Pres. E. A. Bryan, known throughout the state and country as for many years the president of the State College at Pullman. The irrigation tract has been laid out with scientific accuracy and has become a valuable property under the management of A. W. Bryan, son of President Bryan.A weekly paper, theStarbuck Standard, with a circulation of about four hundred, is published at Starbuck by H. G. Roe. It is now in its fourth year, and performs an excellent part in maintaining publicity in the vicinity. In a recent number of theStandardwe note the interesting fact of a mass meeting in the town to prepare for placing the town upon one of the Chautauqua circuits of the Ellison-White Company for the coming year. That a town and community of so small population should undertake so extensive an enterprise is good evidence of the ambition and intelligence of the people.JOURNALISM IN COLUMBIA COUNTYAs an essential element in the view of the institutions of Columbia County we will give a sketch of its journalism.At the risk of repetition we will go back to the beginnings, when Dayton was still in Walla Walla County, for the discovery of the first newspaper. That pioneer in the journalistic field was theDayton News. It first saw the light of this evil world in September, 1874. It was launched largely for the purpose of "booming" the idea of a new county with Dayton as the seat. It was simply a four column sheet. Its politics were democratic. A. J. Cain was the first editor, and Elisha Ping was the financial backer. Mr. Cain had quite an eventful career, both before and after, as a lawyer, writer and soldier, playing an important part in the Nez Percé Indian war of 1877. TheNewshad a varied career, passing through a number of hands, with brief tenure, and in 1881 came into the possession of J. Y. Ostrander as editor, and Walter Crosby as business manager. But it was near its demise. For in August, 1882, it, like other valuable possessions in Dayton at that time, went up on a chariot of fire, and never came down. It had played a good part in the installation of the new county, with Dayton as its official head.TheColumbia Chroniclecame into existence on April 20, 1878. It was designed as the republican offset to theNews. T. M. May and H. H. Gale were the first proprietors, with E. R. Burk acting a short time as business manager. A "cute" announcement in the first issue is as follows: "Afloat—We have launched theChronicleand spread sails for a long newspaper voyage, and we do not see any long breakers ahead. If we do not find a breeze, we will make one and sail right along. Fare, $3. All aboard!"In a somewhat more sober vein the salutatory of the paper, entitled, "Our Bow," proceeds thus: "Friends and fellow-citizens; today we present to you the initial number of theColumbia Chronicle. Not deeming it advisable to salute the public with a lengthy preamble and platform of pledges, about what we will do and what we will not do, we will say in brief: The intention is to establish a newspaper here which shall work for the social and commercial interest of Columbia in particular and Eastern Washington in general. In starting a newspaperin Dayton we believe we are only keeping pace with these modern reading times and the wants and demands of the people."We shall endeavor to make theChroniclea reliable newspaper, advocating the interest of the farmer, stock raiser, and business man, and to aid in developing the resources of this magnificent country. We shall pay special attention to gathering local, territorial and general news, and make theChronicleinteresting as a home paper. Printing our own outside we shall have room for numerous correspondents."TheChroniclewill be republican in politics, and in all our political and public affairs it will be our aim to advance the best interest of the people, censuring the wrong and advocating the right on general principles."That initial number of theChroniclecontains local items and advertisements of much interest. Among the former we find mention of the school, in charge of Prof. J. E. Eastham, and containing fifty scholars. Parents are exhorted to co-operate with the teachers in making the school reach its best attainments.Notice is taken of the death near Lewiston of the Indian Levi, who, with Timothy, had saved Steptoe's command from destruction in 1858 in the disastrous expedition from Walla Walla to Spokane.There is also an item calling attention to the advisability of tree culture, and settlers are advised to investigate the claims of the Eucalyptus tree, which is stated to have been found very valuable in California. The paper asserts that nothing grows so fast as that tree, unless it be a farm mortgage bearing 1½ per cent interest per month, compounded. Trees in California, it declares, have made a growth of from sixty to seventy feet in ten years.In the advertising columns of that first number of theChronicle, we find some names well known throughout the history of Dayton.The Columbia Hotel appears, of which the proprietors are announced as John Brining and Lane Gilliam. There are a number of cards of lawyers and physicians. Among the former we note T. H. Crawford, R. F. Sturdevant and M. A. Baker. Among the latter are T. C. Frary, J. H. Kennedy, H. R. Littlefield and W. H. Boyd, and the Homeopathists W. W. Day and J. P. VanDusen.Of the business advertisements we observe the Standard Soap Works, conducted by W. W. Gardner and M. S. McQuarrie. J. A. Gavitt announces his saddle and harness supplies. W. P. Matzger appears as the producer of artistic photographs. D. B. Kimball, contractor, builder and undertaker, occupies space. There is quite an ad. for H. I. and E. A. Torrance as blacksmiths and wagon makers. Also J. Hutcheon and A. Nilsson call attention to their blacksmithing business.D. C. Guernsey and H. H. Wolfe announce their grand opening for the spring trade of 1878. I. N. Arment announces his extensive stock of watches, clocks, cigars, tobacco, musical instruments, fishing tackle, etc.Mr. R. E. Peabody, now the proprietor of theChronicle, set up that first number of the paper and has been connected with it ever since, except during an absence of about a year in Montana. Mr. Peabody is without doubt the dean of all the newspaper men of Eastern Washington. He, in company with O. C. White, became proprietor in 1890, and in a short time the retirement of Mr. White left him the sole proprietor.In 1908 Dr. Marcel Pietrzycki had an interest in theChroniclefor about fourmonths, during which time he endeavored to advance some radical views on methods of taxation. The connection of the doctor with the paper was suddenly dropped when it became apparent to him that his views were not meeting with popular support.Doubtless next to Mr. Peabody as a continuous factor in the newspaper field in this region is Al Ricardo. Mr. Ricardo was born in Mexico of Spanish parentage. He came to Walla Walla in 1885, and was connected with theStatesmanfor fifteen years. In 1900 he went to Dayton and became interested in two papers, theCourier, a democratic paper, and thePress, a populist paper. These papers were combined in 1900 by a company, but in the next year Mr. Ricardo acquired the entire control, which he has continued to the present.The third of the newspapers is theDispatch. This was founded in 1903 by Mr. Harris. The unique feature of it was the effort by Mr. Harris to maintain it as a daily. This was the only paper in the district covered by this history outside of Walla Walla, which carried on a daily issue. It soon appeared that the attempt was an undertaking beyond the resources of the field, and in 1905 Mr. Harris sold out to H. C. Benbow, a former resident of Pomeroy, where he had been active both as a teacher and a journalist. Mr. Benbow reduced theDispatchto the weekly edition and has maintained it to the present on those lines. Its official name isColumbia County Dispatch, and it is now in its sixteenth volume.The three Dayton papers are clean, well conducted, high-class weeklies, reflecting with accuracy the conditions of the community, as well as exercising a wholesome force in aiding to mobilize the rich resources which center at Dayton. As fulfilling with marked power their functions they may well be a source of pride to their proprietors and of approval to the citizenship.TWO REMARKABLE CRIMINAL CASESOne feature of life in Columbia County seems to demand some attention, and that is the criminal record. This is not for the sake of mere sensationalism, but because of some features so remarkable that they become interesting as a study of the possibilities of human nature and life.The first case that we shall touch upon was that of the murder of E. H. Cummins, railroad agent at New York Bar on Snake River. The story has been told in various forms. We derive our information mainly from Dr. E. H. Van Patten of Dayton. The mutilated body of the agent was discovered early on the morning of July 27, 1882. It was evident upon inspection that he had been murdered for the purpose of robbery. The station had been rifled of all valuables, including money. Late in 1882 Canada Owenby, who lived near Pomeroy, was arrested on account of suspicious circumstances. It was known that he had been destitute of money but that soon after the murder had become possessed of considerable money. He was known to have been in Pataha the day before the murder, then to have disappeared, returning the next morning, and getting a blacksmith to remove the shoes of his horse. He had purchased in Pomeroy cartridges for a pistol which he was known to own, which was of just the size which appeared to have been used for the crime. After his arrest he made desperate efforts to escape, leaping, handcuffed, from a second-story window. He had triedto bribe a guard to swear that he saw him in Pomeroy the night of the murder. Again he sought to induce the guards by bribes to let him escape. Still further he asserted that his wife would testify that he was at home the night of the murder, but when she was called to the stand he took advantage of the right to refuse to allow her to be a witness. A bloody shirt was found which appeared to belong to him. The chain was drawing irresistibly around him. The preliminary trial occurred at Dayton on January 13, 1883. Without being put under any "tenth degree inquisition," Owenby was evidently in a dreadful state of mind, and soon after the discharge of the jury through disagreement, he confessed, first to a fellow prisoner, and subsequently to the sheriff and clerk. The confession was somewhat confused and contradictory, but it involved the assertion that three other men, James McPherson, Ezra Snoderly, and one Porter, were concerned in the crime. The three were arrested and brought to Dayton. The officers became so well satisfied that Porter was innocent that he was released.In June, 1883, Snoderly and McPherson were tried in the district court, presided over by Judge S. C. Wingard. It was an intensely exciting trial. J. K. Rutherford was prosecuting attorney at the time. Judge Godman, Judge Caton, Judge Sturdevant and Colonel George, the most prominent attorneys in the region at that time, were concerned in the case.The result of the trial was that all three men were convicted of murder, though both McPherson and Snoderly maintained to the last that they were innocent. Great efforts were made for a reprieve. Judge Caton secured a stay of proceedings for McPherson. The news of this excited great feeling throughout the community where the conviction was strong that the three were alike guilty in the revolting crime. During the afternoon of August 4th little knots of men, mainly farmers, might have been seen talking earnestly, breaking up their groups whenever any one not in their confidence approached. It was evident that something portentous was at hand.The old vigilante organization had representatives in the community. With that element as a nucleus, a committee called the committee of the hundred and one, was speedily organized and about midnight a strong body of men gathered in the courthouse square. They speedily stormed the jail, in spite of the firing of the guard, overpowered him, broke into the cell where McPherson was chained, took him out and hanged him.On the 7th of August, Snoderly was subjected to a legal execution, in presence of a huge throng, protesting his innocence to the last and extending his hand to Owenby as he passed his cell, with the words, "You are taking my life, the life of an innocent man, but I forgive you and I hope the Lord will forgive you." The sentence of the law was then duly executed.Owenby was taken to the jail at Walla Walla, still admitting his guilt and declaring that he wished to be hanged, as the deserving punishment.But—strange to tell—within a few months, on December 25th, he, with a fellow prisoner, escaped. As Sheriff Thompson was going through the corridor of the jail he was struck to the floor by a brick, evidently hurled by one of the prisoners. The jailer rushed to the sheriff's assistance and was stabbed with a pocket knife by one of the convicts. Rushing from their cells, which had been unlocked, the two men opened the outer door with the key taken from the sheriff, and escaped. Securing horses they made their way to the mountains in the vicinityof Weston, Ore. They there captured two more horses, killed a Chinaman, and robbed his body of a considerable sum of money. But within a few days Owenby, his feet frozen and himself in a starving condition, was found in a barn on the DeHaven ranch near Milton. Being taken to Dayton, where some lynch talk was started, but soon abandoned, Owenby lingered a few days, and then died, declaring that all his assertions of the crime were true, and that he and the other men were all guilty and worthy of death.THE HILL CASEOf this second remarkable case we shall give but a brief account. Its singular features will appear as we proceed.A man was shot in a saloon brawl in Colfax, lingered on some days and then died. There was mixed evidence as to who fired the fatal shot, but one of the drunken crew named Hill was charged with the offense and arrested. Feeling was high in Colfax, and Hill's lawyer, the famous Tom Griffiths of Spokane, regarded as one of the greatest criminal lawyers at that time and a prominent politician, secured a change of venue to Dayton. Associated with Mr. Griffiths was J. K. Edmiston, a leading lawyer of Dayton, one of the most prominent citizens and of the highest type of man. Mr. Edmiston seems to have sincerely believed that Hill was innocent. Griffiths made every effort to get Dr. Van Patten of Dayton to testify that a wound of the nature of that received by the murdered man was not necessarily fatal, but that death was the result of drugs administered after the wounding. Dr. Van Patten declared that only six per cent of the wounds of that type had resulted in recovery. He was not called to the witness stand. A Doctor Harvey of Spokane was brought down as an expert witness, and having taken the stand swore that there was evidence that bichloride of mercury had been used with the wounded man, and that death resulted from that and not from the pistol shot. Griffiths worked this testimony with his accustomed skill and success, and the verdict rendered let Hill off with a sentence of six months in the county jail.Dr. Van Patten remembers that in conversation with Mr. Edmiston, upon the announcement of the verdict, he said, "You have got Hill off with a light sentence, but it will do him little good if he is ever taken to Colfax." Within two weeks after Hill had been returned to the Colfax jail the doors were broken in, the prisoner was hurried into the yard by a group of determined men, and there he was swung from a rope in front of the courthouse.It would not be safe to venture an opinion as to the rights and wrongs of that Hill tragedy, but on the surface it looks a good deal like one of those cases of "expert testimony" which is sometimes the legitimate parent of lynching cases.
ONE OF THE FIRST HOUSES IN STARBUCKStill another enterprise of more than local interest, of which the office and headquarters are at Starbuck, is the extensive irrigation project on the Snake River, a short distance above Riparia, founded and mainly owned by Pres. E. A. Bryan, known throughout the state and country as for many years the president of the State College at Pullman. The irrigation tract has been laid out with scientific accuracy and has become a valuable property under the management of A. W. Bryan, son of President Bryan.A weekly paper, theStarbuck Standard, with a circulation of about four hundred, is published at Starbuck by H. G. Roe. It is now in its fourth year, and performs an excellent part in maintaining publicity in the vicinity. In a recent number of theStandardwe note the interesting fact of a mass meeting in the town to prepare for placing the town upon one of the Chautauqua circuits of the Ellison-White Company for the coming year. That a town and community of so small population should undertake so extensive an enterprise is good evidence of the ambition and intelligence of the people.JOURNALISM IN COLUMBIA COUNTYAs an essential element in the view of the institutions of Columbia County we will give a sketch of its journalism.At the risk of repetition we will go back to the beginnings, when Dayton was still in Walla Walla County, for the discovery of the first newspaper. That pioneer in the journalistic field was theDayton News. It first saw the light of this evil world in September, 1874. It was launched largely for the purpose of "booming" the idea of a new county with Dayton as the seat. It was simply a four column sheet. Its politics were democratic. A. J. Cain was the first editor, and Elisha Ping was the financial backer. Mr. Cain had quite an eventful career, both before and after, as a lawyer, writer and soldier, playing an important part in the Nez Percé Indian war of 1877. TheNewshad a varied career, passing through a number of hands, with brief tenure, and in 1881 came into the possession of J. Y. Ostrander as editor, and Walter Crosby as business manager. But it was near its demise. For in August, 1882, it, like other valuable possessions in Dayton at that time, went up on a chariot of fire, and never came down. It had played a good part in the installation of the new county, with Dayton as its official head.TheColumbia Chroniclecame into existence on April 20, 1878. It was designed as the republican offset to theNews. T. M. May and H. H. Gale were the first proprietors, with E. R. Burk acting a short time as business manager. A "cute" announcement in the first issue is as follows: "Afloat—We have launched theChronicleand spread sails for a long newspaper voyage, and we do not see any long breakers ahead. If we do not find a breeze, we will make one and sail right along. Fare, $3. All aboard!"In a somewhat more sober vein the salutatory of the paper, entitled, "Our Bow," proceeds thus: "Friends and fellow-citizens; today we present to you the initial number of theColumbia Chronicle. Not deeming it advisable to salute the public with a lengthy preamble and platform of pledges, about what we will do and what we will not do, we will say in brief: The intention is to establish a newspaper here which shall work for the social and commercial interest of Columbia in particular and Eastern Washington in general. In starting a newspaperin Dayton we believe we are only keeping pace with these modern reading times and the wants and demands of the people."We shall endeavor to make theChroniclea reliable newspaper, advocating the interest of the farmer, stock raiser, and business man, and to aid in developing the resources of this magnificent country. We shall pay special attention to gathering local, territorial and general news, and make theChronicleinteresting as a home paper. Printing our own outside we shall have room for numerous correspondents."TheChroniclewill be republican in politics, and in all our political and public affairs it will be our aim to advance the best interest of the people, censuring the wrong and advocating the right on general principles."That initial number of theChroniclecontains local items and advertisements of much interest. Among the former we find mention of the school, in charge of Prof. J. E. Eastham, and containing fifty scholars. Parents are exhorted to co-operate with the teachers in making the school reach its best attainments.Notice is taken of the death near Lewiston of the Indian Levi, who, with Timothy, had saved Steptoe's command from destruction in 1858 in the disastrous expedition from Walla Walla to Spokane.There is also an item calling attention to the advisability of tree culture, and settlers are advised to investigate the claims of the Eucalyptus tree, which is stated to have been found very valuable in California. The paper asserts that nothing grows so fast as that tree, unless it be a farm mortgage bearing 1½ per cent interest per month, compounded. Trees in California, it declares, have made a growth of from sixty to seventy feet in ten years.In the advertising columns of that first number of theChronicle, we find some names well known throughout the history of Dayton.The Columbia Hotel appears, of which the proprietors are announced as John Brining and Lane Gilliam. There are a number of cards of lawyers and physicians. Among the former we note T. H. Crawford, R. F. Sturdevant and M. A. Baker. Among the latter are T. C. Frary, J. H. Kennedy, H. R. Littlefield and W. H. Boyd, and the Homeopathists W. W. Day and J. P. VanDusen.Of the business advertisements we observe the Standard Soap Works, conducted by W. W. Gardner and M. S. McQuarrie. J. A. Gavitt announces his saddle and harness supplies. W. P. Matzger appears as the producer of artistic photographs. D. B. Kimball, contractor, builder and undertaker, occupies space. There is quite an ad. for H. I. and E. A. Torrance as blacksmiths and wagon makers. Also J. Hutcheon and A. Nilsson call attention to their blacksmithing business.D. C. Guernsey and H. H. Wolfe announce their grand opening for the spring trade of 1878. I. N. Arment announces his extensive stock of watches, clocks, cigars, tobacco, musical instruments, fishing tackle, etc.Mr. R. E. Peabody, now the proprietor of theChronicle, set up that first number of the paper and has been connected with it ever since, except during an absence of about a year in Montana. Mr. Peabody is without doubt the dean of all the newspaper men of Eastern Washington. He, in company with O. C. White, became proprietor in 1890, and in a short time the retirement of Mr. White left him the sole proprietor.In 1908 Dr. Marcel Pietrzycki had an interest in theChroniclefor about fourmonths, during which time he endeavored to advance some radical views on methods of taxation. The connection of the doctor with the paper was suddenly dropped when it became apparent to him that his views were not meeting with popular support.Doubtless next to Mr. Peabody as a continuous factor in the newspaper field in this region is Al Ricardo. Mr. Ricardo was born in Mexico of Spanish parentage. He came to Walla Walla in 1885, and was connected with theStatesmanfor fifteen years. In 1900 he went to Dayton and became interested in two papers, theCourier, a democratic paper, and thePress, a populist paper. These papers were combined in 1900 by a company, but in the next year Mr. Ricardo acquired the entire control, which he has continued to the present.The third of the newspapers is theDispatch. This was founded in 1903 by Mr. Harris. The unique feature of it was the effort by Mr. Harris to maintain it as a daily. This was the only paper in the district covered by this history outside of Walla Walla, which carried on a daily issue. It soon appeared that the attempt was an undertaking beyond the resources of the field, and in 1905 Mr. Harris sold out to H. C. Benbow, a former resident of Pomeroy, where he had been active both as a teacher and a journalist. Mr. Benbow reduced theDispatchto the weekly edition and has maintained it to the present on those lines. Its official name isColumbia County Dispatch, and it is now in its sixteenth volume.The three Dayton papers are clean, well conducted, high-class weeklies, reflecting with accuracy the conditions of the community, as well as exercising a wholesome force in aiding to mobilize the rich resources which center at Dayton. As fulfilling with marked power their functions they may well be a source of pride to their proprietors and of approval to the citizenship.TWO REMARKABLE CRIMINAL CASESOne feature of life in Columbia County seems to demand some attention, and that is the criminal record. This is not for the sake of mere sensationalism, but because of some features so remarkable that they become interesting as a study of the possibilities of human nature and life.The first case that we shall touch upon was that of the murder of E. H. Cummins, railroad agent at New York Bar on Snake River. The story has been told in various forms. We derive our information mainly from Dr. E. H. Van Patten of Dayton. The mutilated body of the agent was discovered early on the morning of July 27, 1882. It was evident upon inspection that he had been murdered for the purpose of robbery. The station had been rifled of all valuables, including money. Late in 1882 Canada Owenby, who lived near Pomeroy, was arrested on account of suspicious circumstances. It was known that he had been destitute of money but that soon after the murder had become possessed of considerable money. He was known to have been in Pataha the day before the murder, then to have disappeared, returning the next morning, and getting a blacksmith to remove the shoes of his horse. He had purchased in Pomeroy cartridges for a pistol which he was known to own, which was of just the size which appeared to have been used for the crime. After his arrest he made desperate efforts to escape, leaping, handcuffed, from a second-story window. He had triedto bribe a guard to swear that he saw him in Pomeroy the night of the murder. Again he sought to induce the guards by bribes to let him escape. Still further he asserted that his wife would testify that he was at home the night of the murder, but when she was called to the stand he took advantage of the right to refuse to allow her to be a witness. A bloody shirt was found which appeared to belong to him. The chain was drawing irresistibly around him. The preliminary trial occurred at Dayton on January 13, 1883. Without being put under any "tenth degree inquisition," Owenby was evidently in a dreadful state of mind, and soon after the discharge of the jury through disagreement, he confessed, first to a fellow prisoner, and subsequently to the sheriff and clerk. The confession was somewhat confused and contradictory, but it involved the assertion that three other men, James McPherson, Ezra Snoderly, and one Porter, were concerned in the crime. The three were arrested and brought to Dayton. The officers became so well satisfied that Porter was innocent that he was released.In June, 1883, Snoderly and McPherson were tried in the district court, presided over by Judge S. C. Wingard. It was an intensely exciting trial. J. K. Rutherford was prosecuting attorney at the time. Judge Godman, Judge Caton, Judge Sturdevant and Colonel George, the most prominent attorneys in the region at that time, were concerned in the case.The result of the trial was that all three men were convicted of murder, though both McPherson and Snoderly maintained to the last that they were innocent. Great efforts were made for a reprieve. Judge Caton secured a stay of proceedings for McPherson. The news of this excited great feeling throughout the community where the conviction was strong that the three were alike guilty in the revolting crime. During the afternoon of August 4th little knots of men, mainly farmers, might have been seen talking earnestly, breaking up their groups whenever any one not in their confidence approached. It was evident that something portentous was at hand.The old vigilante organization had representatives in the community. With that element as a nucleus, a committee called the committee of the hundred and one, was speedily organized and about midnight a strong body of men gathered in the courthouse square. They speedily stormed the jail, in spite of the firing of the guard, overpowered him, broke into the cell where McPherson was chained, took him out and hanged him.On the 7th of August, Snoderly was subjected to a legal execution, in presence of a huge throng, protesting his innocence to the last and extending his hand to Owenby as he passed his cell, with the words, "You are taking my life, the life of an innocent man, but I forgive you and I hope the Lord will forgive you." The sentence of the law was then duly executed.Owenby was taken to the jail at Walla Walla, still admitting his guilt and declaring that he wished to be hanged, as the deserving punishment.But—strange to tell—within a few months, on December 25th, he, with a fellow prisoner, escaped. As Sheriff Thompson was going through the corridor of the jail he was struck to the floor by a brick, evidently hurled by one of the prisoners. The jailer rushed to the sheriff's assistance and was stabbed with a pocket knife by one of the convicts. Rushing from their cells, which had been unlocked, the two men opened the outer door with the key taken from the sheriff, and escaped. Securing horses they made their way to the mountains in the vicinityof Weston, Ore. They there captured two more horses, killed a Chinaman, and robbed his body of a considerable sum of money. But within a few days Owenby, his feet frozen and himself in a starving condition, was found in a barn on the DeHaven ranch near Milton. Being taken to Dayton, where some lynch talk was started, but soon abandoned, Owenby lingered a few days, and then died, declaring that all his assertions of the crime were true, and that he and the other men were all guilty and worthy of death.THE HILL CASEOf this second remarkable case we shall give but a brief account. Its singular features will appear as we proceed.A man was shot in a saloon brawl in Colfax, lingered on some days and then died. There was mixed evidence as to who fired the fatal shot, but one of the drunken crew named Hill was charged with the offense and arrested. Feeling was high in Colfax, and Hill's lawyer, the famous Tom Griffiths of Spokane, regarded as one of the greatest criminal lawyers at that time and a prominent politician, secured a change of venue to Dayton. Associated with Mr. Griffiths was J. K. Edmiston, a leading lawyer of Dayton, one of the most prominent citizens and of the highest type of man. Mr. Edmiston seems to have sincerely believed that Hill was innocent. Griffiths made every effort to get Dr. Van Patten of Dayton to testify that a wound of the nature of that received by the murdered man was not necessarily fatal, but that death was the result of drugs administered after the wounding. Dr. Van Patten declared that only six per cent of the wounds of that type had resulted in recovery. He was not called to the witness stand. A Doctor Harvey of Spokane was brought down as an expert witness, and having taken the stand swore that there was evidence that bichloride of mercury had been used with the wounded man, and that death resulted from that and not from the pistol shot. Griffiths worked this testimony with his accustomed skill and success, and the verdict rendered let Hill off with a sentence of six months in the county jail.Dr. Van Patten remembers that in conversation with Mr. Edmiston, upon the announcement of the verdict, he said, "You have got Hill off with a light sentence, but it will do him little good if he is ever taken to Colfax." Within two weeks after Hill had been returned to the Colfax jail the doors were broken in, the prisoner was hurried into the yard by a group of determined men, and there he was swung from a rope in front of the courthouse.It would not be safe to venture an opinion as to the rights and wrongs of that Hill tragedy, but on the surface it looks a good deal like one of those cases of "expert testimony" which is sometimes the legitimate parent of lynching cases.
ONE OF THE FIRST HOUSES IN STARBUCK
ONE OF THE FIRST HOUSES IN STARBUCK
ONE OF THE FIRST HOUSES IN STARBUCK
Still another enterprise of more than local interest, of which the office and headquarters are at Starbuck, is the extensive irrigation project on the Snake River, a short distance above Riparia, founded and mainly owned by Pres. E. A. Bryan, known throughout the state and country as for many years the president of the State College at Pullman. The irrigation tract has been laid out with scientific accuracy and has become a valuable property under the management of A. W. Bryan, son of President Bryan.
A weekly paper, theStarbuck Standard, with a circulation of about four hundred, is published at Starbuck by H. G. Roe. It is now in its fourth year, and performs an excellent part in maintaining publicity in the vicinity. In a recent number of theStandardwe note the interesting fact of a mass meeting in the town to prepare for placing the town upon one of the Chautauqua circuits of the Ellison-White Company for the coming year. That a town and community of so small population should undertake so extensive an enterprise is good evidence of the ambition and intelligence of the people.
JOURNALISM IN COLUMBIA COUNTY
As an essential element in the view of the institutions of Columbia County we will give a sketch of its journalism.
At the risk of repetition we will go back to the beginnings, when Dayton was still in Walla Walla County, for the discovery of the first newspaper. That pioneer in the journalistic field was theDayton News. It first saw the light of this evil world in September, 1874. It was launched largely for the purpose of "booming" the idea of a new county with Dayton as the seat. It was simply a four column sheet. Its politics were democratic. A. J. Cain was the first editor, and Elisha Ping was the financial backer. Mr. Cain had quite an eventful career, both before and after, as a lawyer, writer and soldier, playing an important part in the Nez Percé Indian war of 1877. TheNewshad a varied career, passing through a number of hands, with brief tenure, and in 1881 came into the possession of J. Y. Ostrander as editor, and Walter Crosby as business manager. But it was near its demise. For in August, 1882, it, like other valuable possessions in Dayton at that time, went up on a chariot of fire, and never came down. It had played a good part in the installation of the new county, with Dayton as its official head.
TheColumbia Chroniclecame into existence on April 20, 1878. It was designed as the republican offset to theNews. T. M. May and H. H. Gale were the first proprietors, with E. R. Burk acting a short time as business manager. A "cute" announcement in the first issue is as follows: "Afloat—We have launched theChronicleand spread sails for a long newspaper voyage, and we do not see any long breakers ahead. If we do not find a breeze, we will make one and sail right along. Fare, $3. All aboard!"
In a somewhat more sober vein the salutatory of the paper, entitled, "Our Bow," proceeds thus: "Friends and fellow-citizens; today we present to you the initial number of theColumbia Chronicle. Not deeming it advisable to salute the public with a lengthy preamble and platform of pledges, about what we will do and what we will not do, we will say in brief: The intention is to establish a newspaper here which shall work for the social and commercial interest of Columbia in particular and Eastern Washington in general. In starting a newspaperin Dayton we believe we are only keeping pace with these modern reading times and the wants and demands of the people.
"We shall endeavor to make theChroniclea reliable newspaper, advocating the interest of the farmer, stock raiser, and business man, and to aid in developing the resources of this magnificent country. We shall pay special attention to gathering local, territorial and general news, and make theChronicleinteresting as a home paper. Printing our own outside we shall have room for numerous correspondents.
"TheChroniclewill be republican in politics, and in all our political and public affairs it will be our aim to advance the best interest of the people, censuring the wrong and advocating the right on general principles."
That initial number of theChroniclecontains local items and advertisements of much interest. Among the former we find mention of the school, in charge of Prof. J. E. Eastham, and containing fifty scholars. Parents are exhorted to co-operate with the teachers in making the school reach its best attainments.
Notice is taken of the death near Lewiston of the Indian Levi, who, with Timothy, had saved Steptoe's command from destruction in 1858 in the disastrous expedition from Walla Walla to Spokane.
There is also an item calling attention to the advisability of tree culture, and settlers are advised to investigate the claims of the Eucalyptus tree, which is stated to have been found very valuable in California. The paper asserts that nothing grows so fast as that tree, unless it be a farm mortgage bearing 1½ per cent interest per month, compounded. Trees in California, it declares, have made a growth of from sixty to seventy feet in ten years.
In the advertising columns of that first number of theChronicle, we find some names well known throughout the history of Dayton.
The Columbia Hotel appears, of which the proprietors are announced as John Brining and Lane Gilliam. There are a number of cards of lawyers and physicians. Among the former we note T. H. Crawford, R. F. Sturdevant and M. A. Baker. Among the latter are T. C. Frary, J. H. Kennedy, H. R. Littlefield and W. H. Boyd, and the Homeopathists W. W. Day and J. P. VanDusen.
Of the business advertisements we observe the Standard Soap Works, conducted by W. W. Gardner and M. S. McQuarrie. J. A. Gavitt announces his saddle and harness supplies. W. P. Matzger appears as the producer of artistic photographs. D. B. Kimball, contractor, builder and undertaker, occupies space. There is quite an ad. for H. I. and E. A. Torrance as blacksmiths and wagon makers. Also J. Hutcheon and A. Nilsson call attention to their blacksmithing business.
D. C. Guernsey and H. H. Wolfe announce their grand opening for the spring trade of 1878. I. N. Arment announces his extensive stock of watches, clocks, cigars, tobacco, musical instruments, fishing tackle, etc.
Mr. R. E. Peabody, now the proprietor of theChronicle, set up that first number of the paper and has been connected with it ever since, except during an absence of about a year in Montana. Mr. Peabody is without doubt the dean of all the newspaper men of Eastern Washington. He, in company with O. C. White, became proprietor in 1890, and in a short time the retirement of Mr. White left him the sole proprietor.
In 1908 Dr. Marcel Pietrzycki had an interest in theChroniclefor about fourmonths, during which time he endeavored to advance some radical views on methods of taxation. The connection of the doctor with the paper was suddenly dropped when it became apparent to him that his views were not meeting with popular support.
Doubtless next to Mr. Peabody as a continuous factor in the newspaper field in this region is Al Ricardo. Mr. Ricardo was born in Mexico of Spanish parentage. He came to Walla Walla in 1885, and was connected with theStatesmanfor fifteen years. In 1900 he went to Dayton and became interested in two papers, theCourier, a democratic paper, and thePress, a populist paper. These papers were combined in 1900 by a company, but in the next year Mr. Ricardo acquired the entire control, which he has continued to the present.
The third of the newspapers is theDispatch. This was founded in 1903 by Mr. Harris. The unique feature of it was the effort by Mr. Harris to maintain it as a daily. This was the only paper in the district covered by this history outside of Walla Walla, which carried on a daily issue. It soon appeared that the attempt was an undertaking beyond the resources of the field, and in 1905 Mr. Harris sold out to H. C. Benbow, a former resident of Pomeroy, where he had been active both as a teacher and a journalist. Mr. Benbow reduced theDispatchto the weekly edition and has maintained it to the present on those lines. Its official name isColumbia County Dispatch, and it is now in its sixteenth volume.
The three Dayton papers are clean, well conducted, high-class weeklies, reflecting with accuracy the conditions of the community, as well as exercising a wholesome force in aiding to mobilize the rich resources which center at Dayton. As fulfilling with marked power their functions they may well be a source of pride to their proprietors and of approval to the citizenship.
TWO REMARKABLE CRIMINAL CASES
One feature of life in Columbia County seems to demand some attention, and that is the criminal record. This is not for the sake of mere sensationalism, but because of some features so remarkable that they become interesting as a study of the possibilities of human nature and life.
The first case that we shall touch upon was that of the murder of E. H. Cummins, railroad agent at New York Bar on Snake River. The story has been told in various forms. We derive our information mainly from Dr. E. H. Van Patten of Dayton. The mutilated body of the agent was discovered early on the morning of July 27, 1882. It was evident upon inspection that he had been murdered for the purpose of robbery. The station had been rifled of all valuables, including money. Late in 1882 Canada Owenby, who lived near Pomeroy, was arrested on account of suspicious circumstances. It was known that he had been destitute of money but that soon after the murder had become possessed of considerable money. He was known to have been in Pataha the day before the murder, then to have disappeared, returning the next morning, and getting a blacksmith to remove the shoes of his horse. He had purchased in Pomeroy cartridges for a pistol which he was known to own, which was of just the size which appeared to have been used for the crime. After his arrest he made desperate efforts to escape, leaping, handcuffed, from a second-story window. He had triedto bribe a guard to swear that he saw him in Pomeroy the night of the murder. Again he sought to induce the guards by bribes to let him escape. Still further he asserted that his wife would testify that he was at home the night of the murder, but when she was called to the stand he took advantage of the right to refuse to allow her to be a witness. A bloody shirt was found which appeared to belong to him. The chain was drawing irresistibly around him. The preliminary trial occurred at Dayton on January 13, 1883. Without being put under any "tenth degree inquisition," Owenby was evidently in a dreadful state of mind, and soon after the discharge of the jury through disagreement, he confessed, first to a fellow prisoner, and subsequently to the sheriff and clerk. The confession was somewhat confused and contradictory, but it involved the assertion that three other men, James McPherson, Ezra Snoderly, and one Porter, were concerned in the crime. The three were arrested and brought to Dayton. The officers became so well satisfied that Porter was innocent that he was released.
In June, 1883, Snoderly and McPherson were tried in the district court, presided over by Judge S. C. Wingard. It was an intensely exciting trial. J. K. Rutherford was prosecuting attorney at the time. Judge Godman, Judge Caton, Judge Sturdevant and Colonel George, the most prominent attorneys in the region at that time, were concerned in the case.
The result of the trial was that all three men were convicted of murder, though both McPherson and Snoderly maintained to the last that they were innocent. Great efforts were made for a reprieve. Judge Caton secured a stay of proceedings for McPherson. The news of this excited great feeling throughout the community where the conviction was strong that the three were alike guilty in the revolting crime. During the afternoon of August 4th little knots of men, mainly farmers, might have been seen talking earnestly, breaking up their groups whenever any one not in their confidence approached. It was evident that something portentous was at hand.
The old vigilante organization had representatives in the community. With that element as a nucleus, a committee called the committee of the hundred and one, was speedily organized and about midnight a strong body of men gathered in the courthouse square. They speedily stormed the jail, in spite of the firing of the guard, overpowered him, broke into the cell where McPherson was chained, took him out and hanged him.
On the 7th of August, Snoderly was subjected to a legal execution, in presence of a huge throng, protesting his innocence to the last and extending his hand to Owenby as he passed his cell, with the words, "You are taking my life, the life of an innocent man, but I forgive you and I hope the Lord will forgive you." The sentence of the law was then duly executed.
Owenby was taken to the jail at Walla Walla, still admitting his guilt and declaring that he wished to be hanged, as the deserving punishment.
But—strange to tell—within a few months, on December 25th, he, with a fellow prisoner, escaped. As Sheriff Thompson was going through the corridor of the jail he was struck to the floor by a brick, evidently hurled by one of the prisoners. The jailer rushed to the sheriff's assistance and was stabbed with a pocket knife by one of the convicts. Rushing from their cells, which had been unlocked, the two men opened the outer door with the key taken from the sheriff, and escaped. Securing horses they made their way to the mountains in the vicinityof Weston, Ore. They there captured two more horses, killed a Chinaman, and robbed his body of a considerable sum of money. But within a few days Owenby, his feet frozen and himself in a starving condition, was found in a barn on the DeHaven ranch near Milton. Being taken to Dayton, where some lynch talk was started, but soon abandoned, Owenby lingered a few days, and then died, declaring that all his assertions of the crime were true, and that he and the other men were all guilty and worthy of death.
THE HILL CASE
Of this second remarkable case we shall give but a brief account. Its singular features will appear as we proceed.
A man was shot in a saloon brawl in Colfax, lingered on some days and then died. There was mixed evidence as to who fired the fatal shot, but one of the drunken crew named Hill was charged with the offense and arrested. Feeling was high in Colfax, and Hill's lawyer, the famous Tom Griffiths of Spokane, regarded as one of the greatest criminal lawyers at that time and a prominent politician, secured a change of venue to Dayton. Associated with Mr. Griffiths was J. K. Edmiston, a leading lawyer of Dayton, one of the most prominent citizens and of the highest type of man. Mr. Edmiston seems to have sincerely believed that Hill was innocent. Griffiths made every effort to get Dr. Van Patten of Dayton to testify that a wound of the nature of that received by the murdered man was not necessarily fatal, but that death was the result of drugs administered after the wounding. Dr. Van Patten declared that only six per cent of the wounds of that type had resulted in recovery. He was not called to the witness stand. A Doctor Harvey of Spokane was brought down as an expert witness, and having taken the stand swore that there was evidence that bichloride of mercury had been used with the wounded man, and that death resulted from that and not from the pistol shot. Griffiths worked this testimony with his accustomed skill and success, and the verdict rendered let Hill off with a sentence of six months in the county jail.
Dr. Van Patten remembers that in conversation with Mr. Edmiston, upon the announcement of the verdict, he said, "You have got Hill off with a light sentence, but it will do him little good if he is ever taken to Colfax." Within two weeks after Hill had been returned to the Colfax jail the doors were broken in, the prisoner was hurried into the yard by a group of determined men, and there he was swung from a rope in front of the courthouse.
It would not be safe to venture an opinion as to the rights and wrongs of that Hill tragedy, but on the surface it looks a good deal like one of those cases of "expert testimony" which is sometimes the legitimate parent of lynching cases.