Good Old Days

125 years ago

The Commoner, June 16, 1893

The first venire of jurors in the Samuel McCown murder case was quashed without much expenditure of time. A dozen men had good reasonable excuses for not wanting to spend an indefinite number of days as a murder trial juror. Some had farms that would suffer from want of attention; some had sickness at home and a few were sick themselves. So the court ordered a fresh venire of twenty-four qualified jurors to be returned at 11 o'clock tomorrow. The motion to exhume the body of Langford Summers was, after some argument, granted by Judge Sullivan with these provisos: The court will appoint the sheriff and four physicians to exhume the body of the victim of the Garfield tragedy, and if the condition of the body shall be found to be such that the physicians, by examination, can ascertain the extent and nature of the original wound, and distinguish it from the surgical wounds before death.

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At 2 o'clock this afternoon, Champ Payne, the first of the trio of Langford Summers' slayers to be judged by a jury, was sentenced by Judge Sullivan to a term of five years in the state prison and to pay a fine of $1.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner, June 14, 1918

The special officers of the railroad company swore out warrants Sunday charging Geo. A. Terrian, Harry E. Sullivan and Madison Davis with breaking into the car of liquor at Palasades and carrying out a quantity of liquor. The arrests were made through the active work of the railroad detectives and the prisoners were brought to Colfax Sunday evening by Deputy Sheriff Baker. The prisoners were arraigned before Judge Wm. A. Inman Monday morning before the federal court at Spokane.

75 years ago

The Colfax Gazette-Commoner, June 11, 1943

Improvements of Clay and Cedar streets while an operator and his bulldozer and carryall are available were approved Monday night by the city council.

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A program to assure the use of idle farm machinery was announced this week by Anson Patterson, chairman of the Whitman County USDA War Board. Under the program, boards are given authority to requisition and sell if the legal owner does not take immediate steps to put equipment to use either through rental or sale in the production of food for the war effort.

50 years ago

The Colfax Gazette, June 13, 1968

Some of the more carefree members of the Colfax canine society will be facing a crackdown at the hands of the city council, according to plans now underway. A census of Colfax dog owners had been included in the plans which would be part of a “warning notice” system to get the dogs under control.

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A youth leader and teacher from Thailand will be visiting in Whitman County at the Neil Myott home in Palouse as this year's international Farm Youth Exchange student.

25 years ago

Whitman County Gazette, June 17, 1993

After a brush with death following his collision with an Navy A-6E jet, the only thing that surpassed Keith Graham's spirit is his gratitude. Graham gave a special thanks to Steve Watts and Alex McGregor for pulling him from the plane, and for their help rallying local support for him, as well as all the Palouse area businesses and individuals who helped him and his family.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette, June 12, 2008

Farmington citizens were all smiles after the town council approved First Step Internet to set up antennas on the water tower and bring wireless service to the town.