The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1903-06-27
CONFESS 70 HORRIBLE CRIME.
MRS. DE LARTIaUE TELLS OF
KILLING HER HUSBAND.
The Pomeroy Crime is at Last Brought
to Lisht-evidenoe During Her Trt
al Mas too Conclusive and She Told
Why the Deed Was Committed
He Was Trying to XIII Her.

meshed ia web OF circumstanJial evil
dence from which there vas no posi-
bic avenue OF escape, Amanda J. De
l.artigue went upon the witness stand
Saturday and confessed 10 the killing
OF her husband Henry De L.artigue, on
the night OF september % last that
she killed him, not with gun. but wtth
an axe, and that she did the deed to
save her own life II Vas her last
card and she played lt against great
odds. A human life, her own. vas the
stake Whether she has won or lost
is prublematical
That this course was Inevitable FOR
the defense vas obvious when Judge
Chadwick denled their request 10 take
from the Jury the consideration u the
question o. the guilt OF the defendant
10 the FIRST degree
The Judge had scarcely finished the
last sentence % his rulius. uhrn the
jury was listening % the words OF Al
Jurney Gosg
Gentlemen % the Jury. our t-trnsr
is this That un the night u the 331
.ot September. 1909 la Garfield c0uhEy
state ~ Washington the defendant
killed Henry lie LartIgur. that ahr
ana not s..l HIN With a gun that she
qua aot kll Aim In The bedroom or In
the house and that She did not mur,
der him
20 .-,...,t..gts t.sg.. tbs At tte.
hush that had fallen upon the court
room vas penetrated by the faitering
tremuous tones OF the defendant her
self as she told her story u the dars
ana mysterious crime 10 the Jury. upor
whose merclea she had thguWn herself
while the vast crowd u spectators. 81
ting. standing. perched In windows. ~
NAMED like statues. with necks crane,
and ears spread 10 drink Ia every wUr,
u the bloody story that had RENAME,
50 long locked Ia the womAna breast
After a few preliminarirs as 10 h~i
birth and childhood. in which Il dc
ycIoped that she vas s. years Il ak-
she said
Il was married 10 iIeury De- Tar
tisue la 1893 and removed from tbs
/ G,ande Ronda 10 the od Eatea ranch
on the b"aaman. Waa living there on
the 21rd % september 1902. and vas
there On the night ot the 2srA u Sep.
tembcr"
What time dta you Eu to bed ,ha;
night" between : aud , O'Clock
Was Henry there at the tim. you
went to bed2' He waA not. hal
been asleep some time when { was
awakened by something. There stood
Henry In his night clothes. with a ian.
tern Ia his hand He said / am 20.
| Ing 20 sleep with you replied You
are not He said. Z Will sleep With
you or will kin you. and With that 10
struck me. said. 10 you ever strike
me again I will expose you about the
mare you stole on the Graude Hona~
I Jumped out NJ tho bod and he al
ter me ran out Of the kitchen door
across the porch and down the side
walk He shot A. me once I ana not
look back Tor knew hs vas after mo
When I got further down the walk
heard something fall looked around
He was down on one knno gettlax
ready to shoot, and he said You --4
=- ---- --. I will KIN you with
that he fred again he was four or
I'VE feet from ms. The lash vent into
my face.
u had stopped at n poplar tree. the
root of which W had used IA chop-
ping block There was an n There
| reached and got It and wont back and
struck him"
DID you XIII HIM" Yes. air. dld p
Did you use any gum" NO"
Did you use anything IN killing him
except this AK" no dld not
What did you do with the body -.
Il dragged It, or carried u. I DOM
know how to potato hole ana buried
1t. When went to got a shovel IN
throw in the dirt saw hls saddle and
blanket. threw them In. too"
Was It dark" Not very dark
starlight"
Did You see any noon" Il didn't
notice any"
DO you know what time oi nigh, fl,
yas?" mo"
The defendant then told how sbo
went back to bed and arose {, ~.
morning and washed tho blood ,r,r,
the AK and returned the rife IN ~.
house. She also admitted all tho sob
terfuges she had made use ~ srh.o
quent to the killing to conceal tho dcod
including the letter to her slstor 10
sephine. the burning Of the ravbldo
rope. the removal Of the pistol tn bor
own room and various and copalc,lnr
explanations to nelghbors and d.,oc.
yves. All this she did for conraaIr,or,
and said the reason she did not dis.
close the facts sooner was tina, shs -.
AFRAID to. az she feared an unfair trial
ana had no one TO advise her.
The woman went into n rec,,o, p,
DE Lartigue's alleged cruelty IN bcr
she disclaimed any malice agains, no.,
husband. but said she could no, br,nr
herself to give herself up to the an'
thorities, although she felt justlfod f.
the act, and she had pursued nj, ~
methods she had Of dlvertlng susplcIon
70 conceal a crime Of which she ,ol,
justified In committing.