The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-06-15
White Man and Colored Wife
Roughly Handled.
WERE TAKEN FROM THEIR BED
The Couple Had Been Living Together
Openly in a Most Disreputaple
Quarter OF the City.

Walla Walla, Wash. June 9.-Tar and
feathers are the words in the mauths
Of every person in the city today.
At an early hour at least so masked
men with a carriage at hand. were
drawn down the alley between Main and
Rose streets armed and equipped for
further orders. Halt was called at col
ored dive where Joe Fossatti and Ruby
Allen, his wife, were found in bed. They
were dragged to the cab and hurried
away to the lower END of the city near
the old depot. Both Fossatti and wife
had on their night clothes and when
the designated point was reached the
victims were disrobed of their scant
clothing and from head to foot were
coated with cold tar and decorated with
feathers. Not word was spoken only
by the captain, who said to Fossatti
and wife: eff you are in the city limits
at "a hours hence you will be hung"
The two were then left to use their best
judgment in marching home. They
were seen to crawl under the old depot
and from that point no trace is said to
have been kept of their whereabouts.
1t would take a long story to tell the
career and escapades of Fossatu.
The feathering was carried out by an
indignant people. The parents of the
young man are highly esteemed by the
entire community. They spent money
educating him and he has held several
positions of trust in the city. A few
months ago he met Ruby Allen a col
ored woman of bad character, and In a
short time she seemed to have hypno-
tized him. He was told by the officers
that he must stop his attentions or he
would be arrested for vagrancy. He
was finally ordered out of town, but
came back and was "vagged" and SEN
fenced. His father got him out and
bought him clothes and a ticket for San
Francisco, accompanying him to Pen
dleton on the trip. Young Fossatti
turned his course and went to Dayton
where he met Ruby Allen and with a
license said to have been procured by
Billy Allen Of this city, was married.
He returned here yesterday and with
his colored wife was conspicuous among
the respectable people at the cavalry
band concert. This was more than
some could stand.
| Not word was spoken by the mob
and Ruby thought she was to die. She
cried: Spare me, will leave the city,
for Gods sake spare me-" She then
offered a pitlful prayer. but the crowd
sneered at her request.
HEARTBROKEN PARENTS.
Dominic Fossatti, father of the young
man, was seen at his residence. His
wife had been crying and his CONVEX
sation was ended abruptly by bursting
into tears. Jos was a good boy" he
said, until he got in with this woman.
1 have talked to him and did not feel
80 bad when he was arrested for vag-
rancy, for thought he would get bet
ter after this. have not seen him to-
day. Last night some woman knocked
at my door about o'clock and said she
! wanted to see me on business. ] told
her that was nc time for business. This
morning was told what they had done
with Joe and the woman. I don't want
him to come back here, but hope he will
be better"
Marshal Hadley said: ruby Allen has
given me more trouble than any other
woman Of the kind in the city. I have
had her arrested three or four times
and in each case she was fined but was
able to pay. She seemed to exert g
wonderful influence over young Fossatti
1 have tried in every possible way &c
break off this alliance, but my effort:
were of no avail. No amount of talk
ing to Fossatti or punishment to hel
seemed to have any effect"