Adams County, Ritzville, WA ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Sue Gardner sueboo18@hotmail.com ==================================================================== The Ritzville Times, Thursday, April 2, 1908, issue Death Of George Koch George, the 9-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. George Koch, died last Saturday morning at 7 o'clock after a three day illness. The funeral services were held from the family home, which is known as the Stuible place, Monday morning at 9 o'clock. The services were conducted by Rev. H. Brockman of the Lutheran church, and interment was in the Riverview Heights cemetery. A large number of neighbors and friends were present both at the home and at the cemetery to show their respect and extend their sympathy to the grieving parents. George had always been a frail child and the object of special care and affection, and for this reason their hearts were closely entwined, and the breaking asunder of these ties is the more keenly felt. They are comforted by the thought that the gentle spirit is now forever free from pain and sorrow. - Kennewick Courier Robert W. Hamilton LIND - D. M. Hamilton, brother of Robert W. Hamilton, who died Thursday arrived from Moville, Iowa, Saturday night, and the funeral took place from the M. E. church at 2:30 Sunday afternoon under the auspices of Lind Lodge No. 144, Knights of Pythias. The funeral sermon was delivered by Rev. H.N. Rounds. Clarence Crampton HATTON - A telephone message was received here Wednesday morning announcing the death of little 4-year-old Clarence Crampton, son of Hal Crampton, formerly of this place, at Coeur d'Alene Wednesday morning, after a short illness, and the funeral was held at that place yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock. The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Crampton here extend their deepest sympathy to him in his hour of sadness. The Ritzville Times, Thursday, April 9, 1908, issue Two Deaths At Washtucna WASHTUCNA, April 7 - Mrs. Mary Howard, an aged widow, died last Saturday evening and was buried from the Christian church on Sunday afternoon, Rev. H. M. Babcock conducting the services. Deceased was a native of Ohio, and at the time of her death was 79 years, 9 months and 10 days old. Of her descendants there remain here a son, H. S. Howard; a daughter, the wife of J. T. Howard, and six grandchildren. William Douhan, brother of Mrs. D. C. Carter, died on Saturday night after an illness of three weeks of tuberculosis, during which time he suffered several severe hemorrhages, which tended to hasten the end. Funeral services were conducted at the Christian church Monday afternoon by Rev. H. M. Babcock of the Congregational church, after which the body was shipped to the home of the parents near Columbia Falls, Mont. Mrs. Vida Hawn Mrs. Vida Hawn, wife of A. W. Hawn, formerly a resident of this city, died at the home of Dan Hawn, in Canton, S. D., on April 1, of consumption. The deceased was sick just one year. She leaves her husband and three small children, to whom sympathy is extended in their sad bereavement. The Ritzville Times, Thursday, April 16, 1908, issue Allen Daughter A 2-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allen living on the Flat, died Tuesday of measles. The funeral took place Wednesday at 11 o'clock. The Ritzville Times, Thursday, April 23, 1908, issue Passing Of Fred E. Putnam DIED - At his home on College Hill, in this city, Tuesday morning, April 12, 1908, at 9 o'clock, Fred Elisha Putnam, aged 50 years, 2 months and 20 days of cerebral compression. Deceased was born Jan. 31, 1858, in Wilton, Minn., and at the age of two years moved with his parents to Le Sueur, Minn. On Dec. 4, 1883, he married Miss Jemima Palmer in Worthington, Minn. He lived in Le Sueur until May, 1892, when he moved his family to Ritzville, where they have since resided. He was a devoted husband and a kind and indulgent father; to his friends the soul of fellowship. He was taken suddenly ill Saturday morning and never regained consciousness, death claiming him early Tuesday morning. The funeral services were held at the Methodist church this morning at 10 o'clock, Rev. B. E. Koontz officiating, and paying a beautiful tribute to the memory of the deceased. Besides the devoted wife, he leaves two sons and a daughter. The Ritzville Times, Thursday, May 7, 1908, issue Work of Hoboes Sam Price, a brakeman on the Pasco division of the Northern Pacific, whose home is in Spokane, met death in some mysterious manner about a mile out of Connell about 8 o'clock Tuesday night. Five hoboes were taken into custody as soon as the man was missed, and are now being held at Pasco subject to a coroner's inquest. It is believed by officers of the Norhtern Pacific road at Pasco that Price was thrown from the train by the hoboes while endeavoring to compel them to abandon the train. He was rear brakeman of the train and was not missed until the train pulled into the next station out of Connell. His disappearance then caused suspicion of foul play and the tramps, who were grouped together in one section of the train, were taken into custody. A searching party was then organized to go back over the track, and the result was that Price's dead body was found lying beside the tracks. Price was 45 or 50 years of age, and was supporting a sister and a niece at the little home in Spokane. Following the inquest the body will be taken to Spokane. The Ritzville Times, Thursday, May 28, 1908, issue Brutal Murder Christopher Kyriss of Spokane was murdered for his money and his body was thrown into Lake Coeur d'Alene, if the identification of John Munch of Spokane, who has known Kyriss for years is not at fault, says the Spokesman-Review. Since May 22 the body of a man picked up on the lake shore has been held at an undertaking establishment in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, awaiting identification. Sunday, at the behest of relatives of Kyriss, who were alarmed because they had no word from him since April 27, Mr. Munch who is a contractor, living in Spokane, went to Coeur d'Alene, and became convinced the victim of the brutal crime was Kyriss. The identification was aided by the index finger of the left hand, Kyriss having lost half of that digit year ago, and also by the clothing found on the body. Making identification more certain was the discovery, on top of a stump near the spot on the lake shore where they body was found, of a coat, vest and hat. When Coroner Muntz of Kootenai county viewed the body, the day it was found, he declared the then unknown had been murdered. The absence of water from the lungs, indicating the victim did not drown, and the presence of a hole in the head and the skull fractured and battered as it by a blunt instrument, seemed conclusive evidence of a brutal crime. Kyriss was 61 years old. He was born at Northeimer, Germany, and came to America when he was 22 years old. He and his wife have resided in Spokane five years, coming here from Ritzville where he owned a farm prior to making this city his home. He had lived in Washington 19 years, coming to this state from Illinois. "My husband left on April 27, just before noon," said Mrs. Kyriss. "He said he was going around to the corner, meaning the drug store on Sprague avenue. I told him I though he had better stay, as dinner was almost ready, but he went away. That was the last time I saw him. When he did not back I thought he had gone to Ritzville, as he sometimes did, and I thought no more about it at the time. When he failed to come back after two or three days I sent word to Ritzville, and found he had not been there. I do not know that my husband had any money with him when he left. "He had a fine gold watch and chains. I do not know why he went to Coeur d'Alene. When I heard about finding the body in Coeur d'Alene Lake I felt sure from the description that is was my husband, and sent Mr. Munch over there to find out. It is my husband's body, and I think he was murdered." John Leworthy WASHTUCNA - Members of the local lodge of Odd Fellows will have charge of the funeral of John Leworthy, who was killed by a blast at Twohy Bros., camp No. 2 on the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway, and whose body was brought here yesterday afternoon for burial. The funeral was at 10 o'clock this morning. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows at Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and the Washtucna lodge was instructed to bury the remains at the expense of the orders at Bonners Ferry. His mother, Mrs. Humphrey Harvey of Mt. Laurel, N. J., was notified of the death and also requested by telegram that the body be interred in the cemetery here. John Leworthy, who had been in the employ of Twohy Bros. as a foreman for more than a year, was standing directly over a hole in which giant powder was being tamped for a blast, when a premature explosion occurred, blowing an arm entirely off and shooting articles of rock into his intestines. Splinters of the stick being used to tamp the powder also were found in his body and clothing. Not knowing that his injury was fatal, Leworthy walked a distance of 700 feet after the explosion and called to the other workmen, "Take care of my partner. He is hurt worse than I," but he died the next morning, while his partner lingers in a Spokane hospital, his eyes destroyed and his body mangled. Mr. Leworthy was born in England and came to this country when a small child. He was sober and industrious and a valued employee of the large contracting firm in whose services he lost his life. The Ritzville Times, Thursday, June 4, 1908, issue L. P. Martin Word was received here from Soap Lake today of the death of L. P. Martin, proprietor of Martin's grill. Mr. Martin had a severe attack of inflammatory rheumatism and just recently went to Soap Lake, where he expected to get relief. Mrs. Conrad Hardung Mrs. Conrad Hardung died at her home on the flat in the north part of town yesterday of dropsy. The lady was a native of Russia and was about 66 years of age. The funeral services were held from the German Lutheran church today. Death of William Shoafstall Died, at his home in this city, Wednesday, June 3, at 10 a.m., William Shoafstall. The deceased was born in Indiana, October 17, 1842, where he lived until about seven years ago when he came to this county where he has since resided. The deceased has been in ill health for a number of years with asthma which finally caused his death. The deceased was a bachelor, having lived with his brother here for a number of years. Besides his brother, John, with whom he lived, he leaves four other brothers - Theodore, who lives west of town; Zacharia of Prairie City, Iowa; Samuel of Atlantic City, Iowa, and Jacob of Fort Scott, Kansas. Funeral services were held from the Christian church this afternoon, Rev. Perry Schuler preaching the sermon. The members of the G. A. R. attended the service in a body. The Ritzville Times, Thursday, June 11, 1908, issue Funeral of L. P. Martin The funeral services of the late L. P. Martin were held from the First Congregational church on Monday afternoon, Rev. Wm. M. Proctor preaching the funeral sermon. Deceased was 34 years of age. He came to this country about seven years ago and started a lunch counter in the Shorno building, which stood where the postoffice building now stands, and which was burned to the ground six years ago. About a year later he again opened a restuarant on Second Street, of which he was proprietor at the time of his death. Since coming to this country, deceased accumulated a neat little fortune, which is estimated at about $15,000. At the request of the brother, living in Grand Rapids, Mich., the remains were sent there. G. E. Lovell being in charge of the body. Murphy Infant The week-old baby of Dr. and Mrs. Murphy died this morning at the home on College Hill. The baby, which had been in its mother's arms in the early hours of the morning, was placed in its bed on pillows placed in a rocking chair. The mother, not hearing a sound from the chair this morning, asked the nurse to see if the baby was all right. She uncovered the baby and found that it had been dead for sometime. Mrs. Augusta Koeplin Mrs. Augusta Koeplin, mother of Mrs. John Wellsandt, died at the home of her daughter, three miles east of town, last night. The deceased lady was over 77 years of age, and lived with Mrs. Wellsandt's family. The funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the German Lutheran church, Rev. H. Wittrock preaching the funeral sermon. The Ritzville Times, Thursday, June 18, 1908, issue Mother of M. C. Hayden LIND - M. C. Hayden's mother died at Spokane last Friday. The body was taken back to the old family home in Missouri for burial. The Ritzville Times, Thursday, June 25, 1908, issue Theodore Lewis Miller LIND - Little Theodore Lewis Miller, the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. George Miller of Kansas Prairie, died Sunday of inflammation of the brain. The little one, born May 19, 1907, had been a sufferer for several months from head troubles. The funeral took place from the family home Monday afternoon, the Rev. H. N. Rounds of Lind conducting the service. Interment was made in Kansas Prairie cemetery.