The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-12
A SERIES OF SEVEN.
SUCCESSION OF MURDERS ON THE
uMTLhANEEN.
sb~offne ef Couffs Only the Last OF
MANY Dse 90 Land Dfspute.-sos-
groves shortage to Be Made Up
Bera smuxrier at whntcom.

Special Dispatch 20 he Poss-TnteIllgsncer.
LOOMS. Sep1. 1.-THE murder % Peter
CoUrts on August 2 On his ranch or ne
sgrnlIzauaeen river II only one more added
60 & long series of such crimes cacseo oy
Disputes regarding land in this section OF
CkSnosan county. Tbs homestead : on
sss east bank OF the river. three niles
north q the Wyandotte nine. extending
from the foot OF the mountain. through
bottom Land densely overgrown with
brush. 70 tne river bank. and the forty
acres in dispute IS Only tract OF marsh
ROT worth quarrellng about
coutts had had many auarreis with his
uelghb0rs Ia regard 20 the boundary, ana
had frequently ordered them OF the DIS
puted ground II the early spring OF 1885
ae had dispute with George str1Dgnam.
ard tore down a fence which the latter had
built, and Ia the following winter be was
bound over 20 keep the peace StriDgh2ln
proceeded 70 build cabin and began 10
bald a nsN fence. One day IN March, 1870.
Ceutts started 20 tear down The Tense.
slriugham Is alleged 70 have shot al him.
Contts sent BIS boy for his Winchester.
and with IL deliberately shot Stringham
dead across his own doorstep Coutts was
tried and acquitted on the ground Of self
defense. He has einos been very unpopu-
lar among his ueighbors being obstinate
and resdy to use desperate means 70 main
tain his position.
A fsx days before Coutts was killed be
found Oscar Anderson and A. 3. Dinsmore
making hay on the debatable ground and
ordered them of OF 1t. telling Them ne mad
d house on Il and claimed IL
About $50 on the morning ~ August q
Coutts left his house on horseback TO go
10 Joseph Lintons across the mountains.
two or three miles distant. His wife and
son Ralph, were still in bed, as he rode
away. quarter OF mile south OF his
house, the road passes the cabin which
George Stringham had built on the dis
puted ground, and In the doorway or
which Coutts killed him. From the win
dow. about thirteen inches square, facing
towards the road. a Winchester bullet Was
fired at Coutts, and struck him In the
right breast passing through his body and
out al the left shoulder. he screamed five
times and his wife and son, half dressed.
ran up TO find him dead. Footprints in
the dust Of the cabin which had long been
unoccupled, and an empty $40 Winches-
ter cartridge, proved that the shot had
been fired from here. The murderer must
have fled down the hill to the thick brush
below.
The coroners jury found that death was
caused by a gunshOt wound inflicted by a
gun ia the hands of person unknown.
Sheriff Reed and Prosecuting Attorney Nc
Pherson made q trip to Fairvlcw. b. c.. in
quest OF the murderer. and on their re-
turn arrested Oscar Anderson and A. b.
Dln=mare, one OF the coroner's jury, but
after a preliminary examination they
were discharged The sheriff said that
there was sufficient evidence TO hold the
men. bat scarcely enough to convict
The murder and six others. which have
preceded II In the same section. are indi-
rectiy due 70 the delay in the approval Of
surveys for the last seven years. An In
spector is now going over the work on
three townships, which ara among the
most populous IN Okanogan county. and
II is hoped that they viii soon be open for
fling.