The Fatal Price of a Land Lease
A rancher shoots a woman as she shields her brother during a violent dispute over a property lease in the Grand Coulee.
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.
Wilbur, Wash, July 29.—While trying to save the life of her brother, Len Dillman, Mrs. Catherine Northrup was shot and killed by I. L. Sanford. Sanford had drawn his revolver to shoot Dillman, when Mrs. Northrup threw herself between the men, receiving the shot intended for her brother and dying instantly. The murderer has surrendered himself to the sheriff and is in jail at Coulee City. The Northrup ranch, the scene of the tragedy, is situated about a mile east of Steamboat Rock, in the Grand Coulee, and is owned by the Rev. Northrup of Almira, who had leased it to his step-mother, Mrs. Northrup, for five years. She in turn had sublet for one year to Liberty Sanford, an old settler, whose home place is just south of Lincoln. Dispute arose regarding the lease terms, and Mrs. Northrup wished to regain possession. A few days ago, Sanford left to prepare for harvest; taking advantage of his absence, Mrs. Northrup and her brother entered the house to hold it. Sanford, after consulting with an attorney and purchasing a revolver, returned to find them inside. Words were exchanged, Sanford pulled the gun, and Mrs. Northrup was killed as she stepped in the way.
“She in turn had sublet for one year to Liberty Sanford, an old settler... Mrs. Northrup wished to regain possession.”
This 1903 tragedy underscores the high stakes of land disputes and housing security on the frontier. Even today, battles over leases and property rights remain a flashpoint in Washington, though the methods of resolution have (fortunately) moved from the revolver to the courtroom.
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