The Tragedy at the Cabin
A pioneer settler is found dead in his home after a brutal struggle, sparking a local manhunt near Colfax.
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.
Jos. Spencer, one of the oldest residents of this county, was brutally murdered and robbed at his cabin near town today. He was last seen alive yesterday evening at 8 o'clock. On his way home at three o'clock this afternoon, one of his neighbors found him lying dead in front of his door, which was standing open. From appearances, he had just entered when struck on the head with a blunt weapon. His coat and vest were torn almost to tatters, showing that he struggled for his life. The back part of his head was completely mashed, and on his face ten cuts were discovered. In the search for plunder, the murderer removed the deceased's boots, seeming to know he was in the habit of carrying his money in them. Near the body was found a broken axe handle, covered with the blood and hair of the deceased. Three tramps were found at an Indian camp nearby and were arrested on suspicion.
“His coat and vest were torn almost to tatters, showing that he struggled for his life.”
This 1882 report captures the raw, often lawless atmosphere of Washington's frontier expansion, where 'tramps' were frequently scapegoated in the wake of violent crimes. Today, the Colfax area remains a center for the Palouse wheat industry, a far cry from the frontier instability that defined its early settlement days.
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