Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-03-01
STATE NEWS.

James Urquhart, pioneer of this
State, died Saturday at Napavine, at
the age Of so years.
Benjamin Dutton, the u-year-
son OF James button, who lives near
Waterville, accidentally shot and
killed himself Sunday.
Mrs. Sarah Matthews, of Portland,
was found dead in bed at Tacoma, Sun
day morning, at the home of her
daughter, Mrs. Anna NJ. Lizenby. She
retired in good health, and her death
was apparently painless.
Herman Elfrig, a matchmaker, shot
and killed himself Sunday, in the rear
OF saloon at Tacoma. Whiskey and
gambling were the cause. He leave.
widow and four children.
Mrs. Louise Dryfoos, wife of l..
Dryfoos, well-known wholesale
liquor dealer of Seattle, committed
suicide at that place Sunday afternoon
by shooting herself with a 45.caliber
revolver. She lived for three hours
after the shooting. Her husband left
Ter after dinner to transact some
business at his store down town, and,
during his absence, she called up sew
eral friends over the telephone. She
then locked herself in her room and
| shot herself. Before she died she said
that she had committed suicide be-
cause her husband did not love her.
From the home of luxury to the
life OF sailor drove w. w. Wilmot
to suicide Sunday, at Port Townsend,
ON board the American ship Keenebee,
which was just ready to sail for Aus.
tralia, with a cargo of lumber. Will
mot's folks are prominent and wealthy
and live at Tasmania Wilmot ar
rived at Port Townsend few days ago,
and after spree, shipped before the
mast, but before the vessel sailed,
begged Captain Gamman to release
him. The captain refused, aud Sun
day as the tug was ready to take hold
OF the ship, Wilmot took cyanide of
potassium and dropped dead in few
seconds. He was a jeweler by trade.
Fred Byers, who has a bad reputa-
ton in Wbatcom county, and who has
been on trial for robbery twice, com.
mitted the most daring ofIense OF his
life at New Whatcom, the other night.
At 9:l5, while drinking, he went to
one of the lower c street Japanese
houses and attacked inmates with q
knife. A fight ensued, and Byers at.
tempted to get outside. The women of
the house grabbed him. Two Japan
csc men interfered, and attempted to
close the door, but Byers cut his way
through. One woman was stabbed in
the back and the side, and another in
the left side just under the heart, and
may die. One of the Japanese fol-
lowed Byers out on the porch and
struck him with a piece of wood,
knocking him down. Byers calmly
walked across the street after the
fracas and washed his hands. He was
arrested and is now in jail>
Mrs. Rosa Wurzer, a widow, in a
fit of insanity, drowned her six
children, aged from to IL years, at
Unioniown, near Colfax, Sunday. Two
were boys and four girls. She threw
them into we'll 80 feet deep, contain.
ing two feet OF water, then jumped in
herself and held the heads O! the
children beneath the surface until all
were drowned. Mrs. Wurzer was
found alive in the we'll with her six
murdered children by neighbors, who
pulled her out with a rope She is
violently insane. The woman's hus-
band died year ago, ana she has
since been supported by the county
and charity of neighbors. The bodies
of the children were hauled up one by
one and carried into the sitting.room
of the house, placed in row crosswise
OF bed and q sheet thrown over
them. In the pocket of one boy was
found an apple, indicating that the
family had finished the evening meal
before the tragedy occurred. The
dead children are: Anna, aged z;
Rosa, aged IL; Louisa, aged 10;
George, aged 4, and Joseph and Mary,
twins, aged 6.