Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
COLFAX — A long-lived legend remains along the shores of the Palouse River. The legend lives after 132 years in an article published in the Adams County Newspaper dated July 7, 1892.According to the article, E. K. Loyd, a local resident, made a grim discovery along the Palouse River.
He was walking by the riverbank, one mile west of town, when something peculiar caught his eye.
There, partially submerged in the mud, lay a pile of clothing, hinting at a dark and sinister story.
Loyd’s curiosity led him to inspect the garments.
The first item he picked up was a white shirt, stained and soiled by the elements.
Further investigation found another white shirt and an undershirt.
The shirts were wrapped around a pocketbook and a diary. Inside the pocketbook were two drafts from the Banco de Occident of Mexico, addressed to a man named John Schiess.
Each draft was for $600 and dated May 2, 1892.
$600 in 1892 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $20,707.85 today, an increase of $20,107.85 over 132 years.
Written in Spanish, these drafts were accompanied by a tattered copy of a deed or contract from Guatemala, and a certificate from the clerk of the court of Multnomah County, Oregon, verifying a declaration of intention to become a U.S. citizen.
This certificate, signed by W. H. Harris, was dated September 14, 1892.
However, according to the story, the shirts told an even more gruesome tale. One was soaked in blood, riddled with five knife holes, as if torn during a violent struggle.
Bloodstains marked the collar and encircled each cut, suggesting a brutal attack.
The state of the clothes indicated they had been abandoned for some time, possibly washed downstream by the river.
Dirt filled the garments, and the pocketbook was thoroughly soaked. Its contents were barely legible except for the certificate.
The documents, written mainly in Spanish, added to the mystery.
The bank drafts, neatly executed on fine paper, had been in the water for a long time, with worn corners.
Deputy Sheriff Matlock was notified and went to Loyd’s house at the fairgrounds to examine the papers and garments, hanging the latter in a stall near the racetrack to dry.
It was presumed that John Schiess owned the property and was likely the victim of a foul crime.
It is unclear whether Schiess was ever found.
Olivia Harnack is a Journalist at the Whitman County Gazette. Olivia is enrolled at University of Idaho and is majoring in digital film studies. She serves in the United States Army National Guard and is proud to serve Whitman County.
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