The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-18
SUICIDE AT SPOKANE.
william Armstrong. . Jeweier, Taxes
Poison and Dies In Agony.

SPOKANE. March 17.-iSpebial.l- "A sensa-
tional suicide occurred here tonight. Will
lam Armstrong, a well-known young jew
eier, was sitting in music store next door
to his place Of business, listen to "Lohen-
grim" which w. II. Brown was playing
on a piano. Suddenly he got up and
asked Brown if he would go for doctor
Brown asked him if he was sick, and he
said he was. Brown started out to find a
doctor, when Armstrong called out to
him: "Tell the doctor have taken
stryohnine."
By the time the physician arrived Arm
strong had gone into spasms, and died IN
five minutes, with cut assigning any cause
for the act He was highly respected. and
leaves wife and two children.
An Oregon Editor Sentenced to Prison.
ASTORIA, Or, March 17.-Oscar w. Dun
bar, editor of Town Talk, a local newspaper,
was today sentenced to one year in the
county Jail and all the costs Of the trial for
publishing libelous articles concerning e1-
Mayor Samuel Elmore.
The case is notable one from the fact
that it is the first conviction of newspa-
per for libel in this state. Dunbar pub
lished articles defaming the character of
Samuel Eimore, an ex-mayor and we'll
known salmon Gamer. A motion for
new trial was argued and overruled- The
prisoner, before sentence, said to the Judge:
All have to say in the matter is that great
many of my witnesses failed me. Some came
here and swore to the opposite OF what they had
agreed TO, and there some men
who begged of from coming here, and
should have liked to have had
a new trial 10 force them to come here. That
was my idea of new trial. Soma of the men
who came swore falsely. If 1 was guilty Of that
charge there were others also guilty. / have
nothing more TO say.
In sentencing him the judge said:
The circumstances and evidence in this case
are of such a character as TO leave no question
in my mind as to the motives of this
party. The article charges a number Of
things very defamatory to this mans
Enthusiastically charges Mr.. Elmore
with being thief and swIndler; that he is
frehug, and that if he got contract 10 run his
boat between Astoria and coast ports people
would not be safe in trusting a cargo TO him
lest ne sink or burn his boat. The evidence
seemed TO me that instead OF showing improper
conduct on the part of Elmore it showed his
conduct had been that of a man who had de-
sire TO help the writer OF that article He had
done for him what few men would do, advanced
him along without getting any security.
You have taken the word and state
nents Of the people in regard
TO the matters, and were willing to traduce
mans character simply on the statements OF in
diyiduals II those individuals went back On
those propositions and refused TO testify
10 them it is your misfortune. 1t
will teach you that before you
attempt TO b!acken a mans character you must
know that you are telling the truth. news
paper is powerful engine, either for good or
evil, as it may be used, and by an improper and
shrewd use OF a newspaper the character OF
any man may be blackened where he is not
known. 1t is very dangerous when used in an
improper manner There are oteers morally as
guilty as you. They are where the law cannot
reach them. 1t is the judgment of this court
ihat you be imprisoned in the jail of this county
for one year, and that you pay the costs OF the
action.
dunbar, who 10 man of questionable char
acter, was formerly publisher of a paper in Sc
attic, which succumbed in a fight with the
typographical Union. Later he went to Vic
toria, thence to Portland, finally coming to
grief at Astoria.1