Shot by rustler in 1892: Whitman Deputy will join roster of fallen officers

A Whitman County deputy who lost his life while tracking down horse rustlers 118 years ago in Stevens County will be among 11 fallen officers honored May 10 in a ceremony at the Spokane County Public Safety Building in Spokane. Nine of the other honorees lost their lives over the past year.

Deputy William B. Spencer, 40, died April 3, 1892, at Fort Spokane. He had been shot four days before in a gunfight with a suspected horse thief near Fruitland upstream from the fort on the Columbia River.

The record of Spencer’s death was discovered by genealogist Karen Curran of Clarkston. She works with the Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Project of Spokane.

Rae Anna Victor from the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund committee worked with Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers to complete the nomination process.

Deputy Spencer will be one of two “forgotten officers” who will be honored at the ceremony.

Sheriff’s Chaplain Ron McMurray has been scheduled to give the eulogy at the ceremony.

Newspaper accounts at the time gave varied accounts of Deputy Spencer’s death.

In late March of 1892, Deputy Spencer and Deputy Frank Young began tracking the thieves after horses were taken in Whitman and Stevens counties.

They had a warrant for the arrest of Charles Allen.

The suspect was tracked down March 31 in the Price Valley off the Columbia River near Fruitland. The site was about 25 miles north of Fort Spokane which was at the mouth of the Spokane River along the east side of the Columbia.

According to one account Deputy Spencer told Allen “We want you.”

The suspect stood still for a few seconds, then turned, pulled out a pistol and fire all six shots from his revolver while Deputy Young grappled with him to get the gun.

One of the bullets hit Deputy Spencer in the upper left arm. Although wounded, Deputy Spencer shot from a prone position and killed Allen when one of his shots hit the suspect in the chest.

Deputy Young in a later report described a death struggle with Allen as the suspect attempted to shoot at the two lawmen.

“I hollered to Spencer to come and help me, as Allen was a very powerful man and was getting the best of me, but Spencer answered, “I can’t help you, I am done myself.’’

Deputy Young said all of a sudden Allen let go and throwing up his hands fell over dead.

Young then rode 50 miles south to Davenport where he arrived at 3 a.m. in the morning to have news of the tragedy telegraphed to Sheriff McLean in Whitman County.

A party including Dr. Whitney of Spokane set out to find Spencer and Allen. Spencer was found alive and was taken down to the hospital at Fort Spokane where the post surgeon eventually conducted an amputation at the shoulder. He died after failing to recover from shock and blood loss sustained in the operation.

Spencer’s wife and five-year-old boy had set out to see him, but she learned of his death at Davenport. She proceeded to make arrangements to have him brought home to Colfax.

Born in Canada, Spencer had resided in Colfax for 15 years after coming here from the Williamette Valley. His funeral at Colfax five days after the shooting was attended by 1,200 area residents. He was buried at the Colfax cemetery.