The Final Stand of a Wanted Outlaw
A manhunt across Eastern Washington ends in a fatal shootout at a Spokane cabin.
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.
John Gingle, a highwayman and horsethief wanted by the authorities at North Yakima for a number of crimes, was killed by Spokane officers in a fight yesterday. Gingle had been traced to a cabin in the eastern part of the city. The cabin was surrounded by officers. Deputy Sheriffs Doak and Pugh broke in the door and commanded Gingle to surrender. The latter, who was lying in his bunk, opened fire but missed. The officers fired three bullets into Gingle, who died without speaking. North Yakima officers who had chased the horsethief to Spokane were outside the cabin when the shooting occurred, barring all avenues of escape. Gingle, who was in bed, had a revolver strapped to him, while at the side of the bed was a Winchester rifle.
“The officers fired three bullets into Gingle, who died without speaking.”
This violent confrontation highlights the transient nature of frontier justice, where suspects fleeing across counties were often met with lethal force rather than trial. Modern policing in Washington emphasizes de-escalation, a stark shift from the 'kill-or-be-killed' atmosphere of early 1900s law enforcement.
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