Miscellaneous newspaper articles about Adams County Washington
June 29, 1895
Centralia Enterprise and Tribune, Centralia Wisconsin
Overpowered a Detective.
A Washington Cattle Thief Proves Too Much for His Captor.
Ritzville, Wash. June 26-L.A. Condlee, a constable and
detective for the Cattleman's association, was found dead in the road five miles
from his place with three bullet wounds in his body. Condlee arrested Alfred
Simes on Monday and started for Ritzville with him on horseback. Simes is
supposed to have overpowered Condlee and taken his pistol. Simes is a member of
a gang of cattle thieves whose rendezvous was recently found near Rock Lake,
Whitman county, where large quantities of stolen goods and many head of cattle
were found.
February 21, 1905
The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham Washington
SALOON SAFE ROBBED
Blown Open at Ritzville, Washington, and $1300 Stolen.
Spokane, Wash., Feb. 21-Robbers blew open the safe in Angel
Bros. saloon at Ritzville yesterday, securing about $1,300 in cash, notes and
jewelry. No arrests have yet been made.
April 4, 1905
Morning Olympian, Olympia Washington
Fred Gregory, the poular pitcher of the Senators, left yesterday for a two weeks' visit with his sister, who resides in Ritzville, Washington.
February 16, 1915
Edwardsville Intelligencer, Edwardsville Illinois
Louisville-As a result of charges of stealing of $35 cowboy saddle from D.A. Scott, state representative of Ritzville, Wash, Pearl Sparling is on a 3,000-mile journey back to the state of Washington in the care of the sheriff of Adams county, of that state. The saddle, it is said, was taken from a ranch owned by Scott, on which Sparling has been employed. Last week Sparling returned here and was arrested by the local sheriff on orders from the sheriff of Adams county, Washington.
July 28, 1918
Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Miss Alta Holter and her brother Russell Holter will leave tomorrow for Ritzville, Washington, to join their parents, Mr. and Mrs. P.J. Holter who moved there last March, from Grand Forks. During the time that her parents have been gone, Miss Holter has made her home with her sister, Mrs. R.G. Davies, Walnut street.
November 6, 1920
Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana Pennsylvania
BREAKS HIS ENGAGEMENT, BUT TAKES LICENSE TO WED SISTER OF HIS EX-FIANCEE
When His Sweetheart Tells Him She is Not Yet Ready to Take Up Married Life, John
Burfind Transfers His Affections to Her Sister, Cancels His First Marriage
License and Takes Out Another.
Written for the International News Service
By Margory Rex
New York, Nov. 5-Ritzville is certainly a stylish sounding name for the rural
community in the State of Washington, but it holds no allure for Miss Katherine
Rupy, of No. 226 Cooper avenue, Glendale, Long Island who declines to become the
bride of the young farmer, John Burfind, who claims the high-sounding village as
home.
Though Miss Katherine is very pleasant to look at, John is
one of those who say "what care I how fair she be if she be not fair to me."
John may be a farmer, but he does not lack the speed
and resourcefulness that are supposed to belong to the city dweller exclusively.
John up and got engaged to Katherine's sister, Anna, older than her by a year
and not scornful of farm life.
The first license-to marry Miss Katherine Rupy-was taken out
on October 13, and fifteen days sufficed for the second courtship which resulted
in another license for Anna being drawn up recently.
"You see," exclaimed John, a tall, rugged-looking young
fellow in corduroy trousers and a khaki shirt, "Katherine is not quite ready to
marry yet. She doesn't know her mind, and I think every girl has a right to be
real sure before she turns over her whole life, you might say to a fellow.
DENIES HE'S FICKLE
"Katherine has a good position getting along fine. She feels
she wants to stay here in the East with her mother a while.
"No one could say I jumped from one girl to the other.
"When I got in the army and was stationed near here I met up
with the two Rupy girls-Katherine first-and used to take them both out to
places. I like them both, too. Well, finally Katherine and I got engaged and she
thought it over and decided against marrying me. She wasn't sure, and then I
turned naturally to Anna. I have always, since the beginning, been the best of
friends with the whole family, and everybody seems satisfied, no hard feelings,
so why should people think it's strange?"
For some time Burfind has been visiting the Rupy home. Beside
him, as motherly as though her daughter's fiance was her own son, stood Mrs.
Rupy, who hopes people don't think it queer changing around engagements like
that.
MOTHER PHILOSOPHICAL
"If Katherine thinks she's too young to marry yet and wants
to be free a while longer, I say that's her affair Isn't it? And if Anna is
happy with John and wants to go way out to Washington with him that's her
business, too, and why should anyone object? All I got to say is I feel sorry
for her going out to a strange country (a true Easterner's viewpoint), but if
she's willing I wouldn't stop her," the mother of the girls declared.
I could not help wondering what feelings exist between the
two sisters, who have shared the affections of the same man. Would Katherine
ever regret refusing the fine upstanding young farmer who has won her sister?
Does Anna feel resentment at her sister for not recognizing the merits which
characterize Burfind? Does she feel she is second choice or a more mature
choice? And what is Anna's secret opinion of her sister, who refused the man
with whom Anna is brave enough to cast her lot in far off Washington? How unique
the position of the mother to watch the lives of her two children bound by
interest in the same man, since we assume Katherine must have liked John
somewhat to get herself engaged to him.
Some of these questions were put to Burfind and to the
mother. They answered with smiles.
WAS 13 HER JINX?
After a minute- "Kathrine is doing what she wants to do,"
said John, and I believe everyone has that right. She is happy, and so are Anna
and I. Mother here wants us all to arrange tings as we see best. There are no
misunderstandings anywhere. I know what you want me to say, the kind of things
about love and so on, but I must disappoint you. That can't be talked about,"
concluded the young farmer from the State of Washington.
Anna and Katherine were away at work when the writer called
but "Come back this evening and see for yourself how satisfied we all are if you
think we're a problem or anything like that" laughed the fiance in khaki putting
his brawny arm about the plump smiling mother in law to be.
The unusual courtship of Burfind and the Rupy girls came to
light recently when after taking out a license on October 13 to marry Miss
Katherine Rupy, Burfind returned to the Marriage License Bureau and requested
another license made out to marry Miss Anna, saying that a misunderstanding had
broken off the first engagement.
Burfind is well-to-do and served two years in the navy during
the war. The wedding will take place in St. Adelbert's Church on November 14th.
"I am going to marry a young woman I love and will make the
kind of wife I want," says Burfind.
Could thirteen have been "unlucky" for Katherine?
July 8, 1928
Helena Independent, Helena Montana
PORTER CONFESSES ATTACK ON A GIRL
Spokane, July 7-Ellis Williams, negro Pullman porter, was
lodged safely today in the Adams county jail at Ritzville, Wash, to await an
investigation of charges that he attempted to attack a woman passenger on a
Northern Pacific train.
Reports that a mob of 500 men was attempting to storm the
Adams county jail reached Spokane early this morning, but these were denied by
Sheriff Shafer in a statement to The Associated Press.
Shafer with a posse, arrested Williams late last night at
Hillcrest, 15 miles east of Ritzville, where he had been hiding in a boxcar
after leaping from the train at Lind, Wash, shortly after the alleged assault.
The 19 year old girl upon whom the alleged attack was made
was brought to a hospital here, where it was said her only injuries were
scratches and bruises. She stated to officers the porter awakened her early
yesterday morning before the train reached Lind, telling her that the train was
nearing Spokane.
She went to the washroom, she said, and the negro came in and
threw a blanket over her head. She declared that she fought him off and called
train officials. The man jumped off the train as it came to Lind.
Sheriff Shafer telephoned late last night that when Williams
was arrested he made a complete confession.
July 29, 1933
Mansfield News, Mansfield Ohio
Ritzville, Wash.-A half broken horse made Ewan Roloff a good candidate for a nudist colony. Ewan roped the horse which dragged him across a field and through three wire fences. When it finally gave in, Roloff was attired only in a pair of shoes.
December 18, 1938
Lima News, Lima Ohio
A.M. FINCKH, of 418 Elmwood pl, secretary and treasurer of The National Cornice Co., will leave Sunday for the west coast for an extended visit with relatives and friends. He has two brothers, Joe and Albert, residing in Ritzville, Wash.
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