The Colville examiner. [volume], November 16, 1907, Image 17

About The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
Practically every section of Stevens county is
now working in accord with the state law requir
ing Sunday closing of business places.
County Attorney J. A. Rochford was called to
Godfrey Wednesday in the case of the State vs. C.
E. Brown. Appearance was before Justice Kirk,
and the county attorney moved to dismiss. The
charge was assault and battery.
At the Echo hall last night was held a social fol
lowed by a dance, the object being to raise money
for the Christmas tree fund. A fine time was en
joyed by those present and a goodly sum realized
for the fund. The ladies each furnished lunch for
two.
Sheriff W. H. Graham was called to the Summit
district west of Addy last week to investigate
charges against P. L. Spaur of killing deer without
a license and of selling game meat. The sheriff
levied a fine of $25 which was paid. In this state
the sheriffs and their deputies act as deputy state
game wardens, and each county possesses its own
game fund. Stevens county now has about $1,000
in this fund. There has been considerable trouble
at times over the fact that people in outlying dis
tricts would insist on killing game out of season,
or without a license, or attempting to evade the
payment of the $1 county license fee. The sher
iff's office has been doing its utmost to see that the
state game law is observed in this county.
The regular November teachers' examination
commenced Thursday and closes today, being con
ducted by the county superintendent Miss Daisy
Hard. About thirty teachers were present. The
annual teachers' institute for Stevens county com
mences Monday and ends Friday and will bring
together 165 teachers from all over the county.
The instructors from out of town will be Prof.
Charles Timblin of the state college at Pullman,
Prof. E. S. Meany of the state university, W. A.
Nicholas of the Colfax city schools, and Henry B.
Dewey, assistant state superintendant of public in
struction. Local assistants to the county superin
tendent will be Principal Cummings of the Col
ville schools, ex-County Superintendant F. Leo
Grinstead, and Miss Dora M. Chrysler, deputy
county superintendent. For the entertainment
and instruction of the county teachers, the differ
ent evenings during the session are well filled.
Monday evening there will be a reception and mus
ical entertainment, Tuesday evening, lecture on
"Old Fogies" by Prof. Timblin; Wednesday even
ing, lecture, ''Two Heroes," Prof. Meany; Thurs
day evening, entertainment for benefit of high
school piano fund; Friday evening, dance at roller
rink. Colville has always welcomed the county's
school teachers and her greeting this year will be
more hearty than ever.
County Attorney Rochford and Sheriff Graham
were in Loon Lake yesterday looking into the
merits of the Nelson case. Mr. Rochford is in Spo
kane today on county business.
A young man giving his name as Howells ap
peared at the county auditor's office this week
with a bountiful supply of scalps of wild animals,
including those of four cougars, fourteen wildcats
and a number of coyotes, and called for $66 bounty
on the same, but as Auditor Savage had only a day
or two previously received a letter from the state
auditor to beware of a coterie of grafters who
were securing the scalps from a St. Louis fur house
and palming them off on Washington auditors, he
held the matter up for investigation.
Harry Nelson, aged about 23 years, who has a
wife and two small children, was brought to the
county jail Tuesday by Sheriff Graham, and is
there being held on commitment issued out of
Justice of Peace J. T. Storm's court at Loon Lake
to appear before the superior court in answer to a
charge of assault with a deadly weapon upon one
R. L. Irvine. Irvine owns a wood ranch at Loon
Lake but is a merchant in Spokane. Nelson has
been cutting and shipping wood for Irvine, and in
their dealings Nelson became indebted in the sum
of $150 which he evidenced in the form of a prom
issory note made payable to his landlord. - Mon
day last Irvine came up to see how things were go
ing on the ranch. In company with his tenant he
toured the farm and finally went to the house. Up
on entering the house Nelson assumed a belliger
ent attitude and struck Irvine with his fist. Irvine
took to his heels, but before he could regain the
public road outside, Nelson covered him with a
rifle and marched him into the house again where
he was ordered to kneel in the middle of the room
in the presence of the Nelson family and say his
prayers under penalty of death. Irvine says he
spent about two hours in the house all the time
under cover of the gun in the hands of Nelson.
Finally Nelson exacted the promise from Irvine
that he should cancel the note by issuing a clear
receipt, and that he should also pay a bonus of $40
which Nelson would accept as compensation for
quitting the farm. Irvine readily agreed to all
that was asked of him, and on tendering $40 in
Spokane clearing house money Nelson declared he
would accept nothing but the coin of the realm.
Finally Irvine was allowed to go to town on the
promise that he would be back next morning with
a clear receipt for $150 and $40 cash. Instead of
returning, Irvine telephoned Sheriff Graham, who
took the morning train for Loon Lake. Nelson,
who is a grandson of J. M. Nelson, who lived near
the red schoolhouse north of Colville for many
years, readily surrendered, and when confronted
with the story told by Irvine, which is substantial
ly as above, he said he did the thing about as told.