Adams County,  Ritzville, WA  

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The Ritzville Times, Thursday, January 1, 1908, issue

Guier Infant
	WASHTUCNA - The little child of Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Guier died Wednesday from heart
trouble. Interment was made in Odd Fellows' cemetery.

January 8, 15, issues missing

The Ritzville Times, Thursday, January 28, 1908, issue

Dale Smith
	LIND - Little Dale Smith, only son of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Smith of Providence, died last
Sunday of pneumonia, aged 8 months and 23 days. The funeral took place from the home at 10 o'clock
Monday morning, the sermon being preached by Rev. H. N. Rounds, pastor of the Methodist church.
Interment was made in the Lind cemetery.

Clarence P. Stice
	LIND - Clarence P. Stice, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Stice, died at the family
home, on the south side, last Sunday morning, aged 3 years and 2 months. Death was caused by
pneumonia. The funeral took place form the Christian church at 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon, the
obsequies being performed by the Rev. H. N. Rounds, pastor of the Methodist church. The small
body was laid to rest in our cemetery by those who had tried to make his young life happy.

February 6 13, issues missing

The Ritzville Times, Thursday, February 20, 1908, issue

Beloved Woman At Rest
	Mrs. Minnie Wyrick was born near Zanesville, Ohio, in 1871, where she grew to womanhood;
taught school there for ten years. In 1903 she was married to E. H. Wyrick at Indenpendence, Kan.,
and moved to Adams county, where they first settled on a ranch on Rattlesnake Flat, later moving
to Ritzville. She died Sunday night, Feb. 16, 1908, and leaves a husband and two little girls,
aged 4 and 2 years.
	Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock form the Baptist church, of
which deceased had been a member since early childhood. Rev. T. J. Collins preached the funeral
sermon.
	Minnie Wyrick was of an affectionate disposition, bright and winning in her ways, so that
friendship's circle was to her a large one. Indeed, it may be said of her that "none knew her  
but to love her." There was a daily beauty about her life which won every heart.
		
The Ritzville Times, Thursday, February 27, 1908, issue

Death of Aged Citizen
	The community was greatly shocked last Saturday afternoon, about 1:30, when it was learned
that W. M. Bennington, an old and respected resident of Ritzville, had passed away. The old
gentleman had been in apparent good health and his demise was entirely unexpected. On Sunday
afternoon the funeral took place from the Christian church, where Elder W. R. Cunningham, Sr.,
delivered a most eloquent and potent discourse.
	Washington Marion Bennington died Feb. 22, 1908, at 1:30 p.m., at the advanced age of 74
years, two months and five days. He first saw the light of day Dec. 17, 1833, near Frankfort, KY.,
the capital city of that state, but he did not long remain in that region, for when he was three
years of age his parents moved to Patonsburgh, in Marshall county, Illinois, where he spent his
youth and grew to manhood. Toward the close of his youthful life, in his seventeenth year, he
embraced Christianity, having been immersed by one of the pioneer preachers of he Church of
Christ laboring in the state of Illinois. In his twentieth year he led to the marriage altar Miss
Mary Jane Trowbridge, and with her he lived in that vicinity for ten years, during which period
three children were born, all of whom are now living in the state of Washington, the eldest, Mrs.
Emma Rylda Vandament, widow of J. K. Vandament, now lives near Lind, Wash.; the next in age, Mrs.
Lydia Ann Ireland, wife of R. L. Ireland of Tacoma, Wash., and the last of the three, William J.
Bennington, of Ritzville.
	In 1863 death claimed the mother of these three children. About two years later, the 27th
of April, he was married to Miss Edith Charlotte Vandament, mother of Joseph Marion Bennington,
the only child of this marriage, who is now a resident of Ritzville, and the editor of the
Washington State Journal. In 1868 he, with his family, moved to Cedar county, Missouri, where they
remained two years and then returned to Patonsburgh, Ill., where they continued their residence
until 1880, at which time, with his family, he went to Franklin county, Iowa, remaining there eight
years; but he was not satisfied there, and he again returned to Polk county, Missouri where they
remained only two years, still being affected with the western fever, and heard of the far off
western country, the state of Washington, he fell into the tide, which finally landed him on the
beautiful shores of the inland sea, geographically known as Puget Sound, settling near Sumner,
Pierce county, Washington, where the writer first met him in November 1897, while holding a  
protracted meeting at that place. The writer brought before him and his son, William J. Bennington,
the great advantages to be gained in Adams county, showing to them conclusively that it would  
advance their interest to make the move and to engage in wheat farming. In the spring, in the month
of March, 1898, the father with his family, and William J. Bennington, with his family, became
residents of Adams county.
	The father took a homestead near Delight, Wash., in 1898; he remained on that homestead
until 1903, when he perfected his title, and then, owing to his feeble health, determined to  
abandon the farm. He came to Ritzville, where he remained until death.
	His wife, with her own son, the son of the first wife, and two daughters of the first wife,
four grandchildren surviving, two of the grandchildren Virgil and Leslie Bennington, the children
of William J. Bennington, and Mira Bennington, now live in Ritzville. Delia Newland, wife of John
Newland and daughter of Emma Rylda Vandament, live near Lind, and Mary Bennington Ireland, in her
youth, lives with her father and mother, Lydia Ann Ireland and R. L. Ireland, at Tacoma.
	This man was named for the Father of his Country, and closed this earthly life on the  
anniversary of the man for whom he was named. Always a quiet and very humble man, he was respected
in the community wherever he lived.
	Sunday afternoon, the 23rd day of February, 1908, a crowded house assembled to hear the
funeral discouse delivered by the writer of this article.

The Ritzville Times, Thursday, March 5, 1908, issue

Death of Fred J. Benge
	Fred J. Benge, who has been at the Walla Walla hospital for the past three weeks, suffering
from a chronic case of kidney trouble, died Thursday morning at 5:30 o'clock, and was buried
Friday from the MacMartin undertaking parlors, in the Masonic cemetery, of which order he was a
member. He was also a member of the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Benge was born near Walla Walla 38
years ago, and has resided in this section of the state practically all of his life. For several
months prior to his death he had been in business along the line of the Portland & Seattle railroad
in this county. Just before he was taken ill his wife was compelled to go to Portland for medical
treatment, and is not expected to recover. They have four small children. He is survived by his
mother, two brothers and three sisters. His father, W. L. Benge, was one of the pioneers of the
west, and died in Walla Walla 35 years ago. His surviving relatives, in addition to his wife and
children, are: Mrs. C. A. Benge, Lexinton, Or., mother; Frank H. Benge, Adams county, R. L. Benge,
Morrow county, Oregon, brothers; Mrs. Mattie E. Henderson, Culdesac, Idaho, Mrs. C. P. Burnett,
Pendleton, Or., Mrs. Rosa Eskelson, Lexington, Or., sisters.

Othello Tragedy
	The community in and about Othello, in the panhandle of this county, was shocked by the
report that F. F. Sherman, a farmer of that vicinity, had committed suicide, by blowing a hole in
his side with the contents of one barrel of a shotgun. The suicide theory was soon rejected and  
that of murder was asserted by those who were familiar with the circumstances, and Sheriff Gilson
was immediately notified and went to investigate the affair. A coroner's jury was empanelled soon
after the arrival of the sheriff, who took Erneste Spurling into custody on suspicion.
	Startling facts developed as the inquest under the directon of the justice of the peace of
Hatton, assisted by the sheriff progressed. Spurling is a man of family, having a wife and two  
small children, and lived on the farm of Mr. Sherman for the past few months; Sherman is a widower
having two married daughters, and lived in the home of the Spurlings.
	It appears that the day before the murder Spurling had been away from home, and upon his
return renewed his charges of intimacy between Sherman and ihs wife. A heated quarrel between
Spurling and his wife followed, and broke out at intervals during the night. In the morning Spurling
went to the barn to do the milking, and upon returning to the house, where his wife and Sherman
were, and seeing something that, to him justified a renewal of the accusation, he again entered
upon a wordy battle with his wife, and beame intensely angered and began to look about for a gun,
with which he threatened to kill himself. Up to this time the wife stoutly denied the charges made
against her by her husband, and admonished him, for the sake of their two children, not to commit
the rash deed that seemed to be in his mind.
	During this time Sherman went to the barn. From the testimony adduced at the hearing it  
appears at this juncture the wife admitted that the relation between herself and Sherman was
highly improper.
	What happened between this point in the tragedy and the firing of the fatal shot that ended
the life of Frank Sherman is somewhat hazy and mystified, as only the story of Ernest Spurling,
who is confined in the county jail, under a charge of murder, and that of his wife has been secured.
		
March 12, 1908, issue - no obits rest of March is missing