Fatal Shooting in Lewis County
A long-standing quarrel over farm boundaries and livestock ends in tragedy near Boisfort.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Samuel Weaver shot and killed J. W. McPherson not far from the latter's house, near Boisfort, on the evening of June 7th. Weaver's wife was the only witness, and they maintain the killing was in self-defense. Weaver, who is of German descent and has lived in the valley since 1873, had been involved in a dispute with McPherson for several months regarding a harrow. The tension culminated on Tuesday when McPherson allegedly began shooting at Weaver's cattle. Weaver armed himself with a Winchester rifle and confronted McPherson. According to Weaver, McPherson threatened to kill them both and moved toward him, prompting Weaver to fire. McPherson was struck by three bullets and died shortly after. Weaver, described by neighbors as an industrious and peaceable citizen, surrendered to a justice of the peace immediately following the incident.
“Weaver is of German descent, settled on the place where he now lives in 1873, is industrious, well off and always been regarded as a peaceable citizen.”
This incident highlights the volatility of frontier property disputes and the reliance on neighborhood character assessments during legal proceedings. While modern rural Washington has transitioned away from these types of homestead-era feuds, questions of property boundary rights and the role of 'neighborliness' remain contentious.
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