Canyon County ID Archives News.....Awful End To An Elopement July 16, 1903
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Patty Theurer seymour784@yahoo.com February 18, 2006, 12:36 am

Payette Independent July 16, 1903
Payette Independent
Payette, Idaho
Thursday, July 16, 1903

AWFUL END TO AN ELOPEMENT

Caldwell Man Shoots Companion of His Flight and Then Himself to Avoid Capture.

A special to the Boise Statesman, from Durkee, Ore., says:

A tragedy that ended the lives of a resident of Caldwell and a 16-year-old 
girl, also of that place, whom he had enticed away from home, was enacted here 
today.  The man was A. A. Earl and the girl Blossom Small.  With pursuing 
officers within earshot of the reports of his revolver, he sent a bullet 
crashing through the brain of the girl and then turned the weapon upon 
himself.  The bodies are now here awaiting the arrival of the coroner.

Sheriff Watkins of Canyon county tells the story of the murder and suicide as 
follows:  “Monday, as charged, Earl, who is a married man, having a wife and 
two children in Caldwell, ran away with the Small girl, who was an orphan 
living with some relatives for whom Earl was working.  Tuesday a warrant 
charging him with rape was placed in my hands.  I learned he had gone to 
Huntington.  When I arrived there I ascertained the Earl and the girl had left 
on foot up Burnt river. Today with an officer from Huntington I started up the 
river after them.  About 20 miles above Huntington we passed them.  They were 
evidently concealed in the brush and we did not see them nor did they see us, I 
judge.  Had they seen and recognized us as officers they might have hidden 
themselves away until after nightfall, when they could have proceeded with the 
danger of being apprehended minimized.

“After we found that we were ahead of them we turned back.  They saw us coming 
and Earl evidently recognized me.  He started off with the girl and we saw them 
running. We tracked them for 5 or 10 minutes when we heard two shots.  

“Proceeding a little further we found both of them in a dying condition.  Earl 
had shot the girl in the left temple, the bullet passing through her head.  He 
then fired a bullet into his right temple.  We had to bodies brought to Durkee 
and the coroner of this county was notified.”


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