Stabbing Over a Woman in Ellensburg
A violent confrontation between former lawman Felix Shaser and William Lee leaves the victim near death, adding to a string of criminal cases in Kittitas County.
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.
Ellensburg has been unfortunate in criminal matters, her courts having been deluged with serious cases to a greater extent than the population of the county warranted. The last case has just been reported by the Wenatchie mail carrier, who states that Felix Shaser, a nephew of ex-Sheriff Samuel Packwood, of Kittitas, and formerly a deputy sheriff of that county, got into a quarrel with one Wm. Lee over some woman, which resulted in Shaser stabbing Lee several times in the breast. Death is expected to result from the wounds. A deputy has been despatched from Ellensburg to take Shaser into custody. Shaser was at one time under trial for selling liquor to Indians and narrowly escaped going over the road.
“Ellensburg has been unfortunate in criminal matters, her courts having been deluged with serious cases.”
Violent disputes over personal matters were frequently reported in territorial papers, often framing the location—in this case Ellensburg—as being prone to lawlessness. The mention of Shaser’s past legal troubles provides a glimpse into the complicated social and legal landscape of early Kittitas County.
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