The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-03-03
Charles Wilson and His Two Chill
dren Charged With Murder.
ONE PRISONER A WOMAN
The Alleged Victim Is the Old Mans
sOn-in-Law, j. w. johnson. Muir
dered at Cbattaroy.

SPOKANE, Feb. 22.-Deruty Sheriffs
Felix Pugh and Charles Cole made
trip to Chattaroy, Wash, in sleighs,
and late last night returned to Spokane
with human skeleton, the flesh from
the bones of which had long since
rotted away, besides bringing a rancher,
whose age is fast approaching the
biblical period allotted to man, and his
daughter, an attractive young woman,
two years a wife, and a young man,
son of the former and brother of the
latter. The skeleton was taken to the
morgue of the Washington Undertaking
company, and the rancher and his two
children to the county Jail, where they
are held under indictments for murder
in the first degree, returned by the
grand jury yesterday morning.
The alleged murdered man is j. w.
johnson. The prisoners are Charles
Wilson, aged Sc years, his son Benton,
aged 81, and his daughter, Mrs. Nellie
Johnson, widow of the alleged victim,
aged "a.
On October 90, 1898, two boys living
east of ChattaToy, were travelling
across little draw to reach the road
beyond. BY the side of the draw one
of the boys stopped with an exclama-
tion of surprise. Protruding from the
ground, where coyotes had recently
been at work, was the head of man
and upon one of the long, tieshless
fingers gold ring glistened. 1t was a
queer place for a grave. There were
no houses near that would indicate a
settlers death, and no stone or stick to
mark the spot. TO the eyes of
the boys it indicated something
mysterious. They looked closer and
saw the toes of pair of boots peeplng
through the earth. The grave was not
of recent make, that was apparent. 1t
had been dug nnder a tree and the
bushes removed in the process had been
replaced over the grave after it was
filled in again. but the bushes had died
and stood there withered in the dust
of the grave.
The boys rushed back to Chattaroy
and notified Justice Hoodley. Word
was sent at once to Coroner Newman
at Spokane, and the next day the cor
oner offcially visited the place. Dep
uty Sheriff Cole happened to be in the
neighborhood at the time and the
officials of Spokane, accompanied by
Justice Hoodley and several citizens OF
Chattaroy, visited the lonely grave in
the woods, piloted by the two boys.
The body was exhumed. 1t was lying
on it's back with the hands placed over
the chest. IL had been in the grave a
year, at least as the flesh was gone,
and the skeleton was covered only with
the clothes the man had worn, which
we're in fair state of preservation.
1t was November 4. 1888, nearly four
months ago, that Felix Pugh took hold
of the case, and since then link by link
the chain of evidence has been forged
until nov the story is complete. A
week ago this evidence was placed De-
fore the grand jury, and yesterday
morning that body returned an indict-
ment charging Charles Wilson with
murder, and his daughter, Nellie, with
being an accessory. Bench warrants
were issued and Felix Pugh drove &c
Chattaroy, and the body was eKhumed
and brought TO Spokane. where an in
quest will be held to identify the re-
mains as those of the husband of the &C.
cused woman, Mrs. Nellie Johnson.