The Hidden Grave at Chatteroy
After months of detective work, three family members were jailed for a murder involving a long-buried body in the woods.
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.
Three sensational arrests were made near Chatteroy, Spokane County, today. Charles Wilson, his son Benton, and his daughter, Nellie Johnson, who have been indicted by the grand jury for the murder of J. W. Johnson, the girl's husband, were taken in custody by deputy sheriffs and brought to Spokane. The arrests are the result of months of detective work. Last October, the body of an unknown man was found in the woods near Chatteroy, having been in a shallow grave about a year. Examination showed that the skull was crushed with a blunt instrument. A loaded revolver, a key ring, Odd Fellow's buttons, and other articles were found in the pockets. Deputy Sheriff Pugh secured evidence that the body was that of J. W. Johnson, who had visited Chatteroy a year prior. When last seen, he was in the company of his father-in-law. The evidence suggests his wife had left him and he followed her, attempting to continue their marriage. The prisoners are prominent people of their section and declare their innocence.
“The skull was crushed with some blunt instrument. A loaded revolver, a key ring, Odd Fellow's buttons and other articles were found in the pockets.”
Cold case investigations rely heavily on the same persistent detective work today as they did in the 1890s. The discovery of hidden graves remains a haunting feature of rural Washington history, often resurfacing decades later as forgotten tragedies.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.