The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1903-03-06
A MURDER WILL OUT
Body OF Henry Lartigue Found
Near POmerOy.
Man Said to Have Gone RI Homo.
luiu Last September Was
Murdered by His Wife.

The body OF Henry Lartigue, who dis
dppedred from his ranch home near
fomeroy last September, was found
ouIieu uhuer locust tree in his own
Goor-yard last Friday by posse of
ueputy sherlfls, and his wife il now under
arrest at charged with the crime OF murder.
Ihe nhulhg OF this body Unearths one
OF the most horrible crimes which has
oeen committed in southeastern Wash
ihSton IL appears that it is the cuI-
~ IIihatihg INK IN the evidence to prove
the guilty parties to other crimes.
sixteen years ago Newton Estes. an
ola settler and well-rodo catteman, died
at nls oregon ranch few minutes after
eating dinner under circumstances point.
ing TO foul play. Before six months had
elapsed Estes widow married Henry
Lartlgue, ranch foreman Of her late
husband, 20 years her junior. Both re.
moved to the old Estes ranch near
PomerOy. few years later .Jasper
Mills, nelghbOr, was killed in a quarrel
with Charley Estes, grown son of the
Cnen Mrs. Lartigue, over an irrigation
dltch on the border Of the Estes farm.
BOTH Charley Estes and LarUigue were
Implicated IN the murder, but Estes alone
was tried Tor the crime and acquitted on
plea OF self defense. The boy soon left
the country. Lartigue and wife did not
lve happily together, and after many
violent quarrels Lartigue announced his
intention OF separating from his wife,
and OF leaving the country for good.
LartIgue was last seen alive last SEN
tember at little pOstOfice near their
farm, where he made an appointment
with Dee Young, a rancher, to go stock
hunting the next day. That night he
went back to the Estes ranch to stay all
night. The next day Young looked in
VAIN for Lartigue. DAYS passed and
still he did not come to keep his appoint
ment. When questioned as to where
Lartlgue was, his wife said that he had
lett as he intended to. But no one saw
Henry Lartigue depart by any Of the
usually Travelled routes. His favOrite
horse, which he had newly shOd the day
before, fretted in his stall for the return
OF his master, who never came
NeighbOTs finally grew so inuuisitiye
that Mrs. Lartigue volunteered the in
formation that Lartigue had gone To
Honolulu, where a sister lived. but a let
ter written by the officers to the sister
elected the information that Lartigue
had In fact never arrived. A detective
was placed on the case in the guise of a
land hunter, who shadOWed all move
meDts at the homestead. One dav Mrs.
Lartigue was lured to Pomerov and the
house searched in her absence, disclosing
the presence of L.artigue's underclothes.
revolver, rife and other belongings. which
he would have naturally taken with him.
Inch by inch the coil Of circumstantiaI
evidence frightened around the suspected
woman. So strong was the case con-
sldered that the officers went to the
ranch and accused Mrs Lartigue openly
OF the crime and brought her to Pome-
roy under arrest. An officer was left on
the ranch to investigate further and
within three hours had discovered the
body of Henry Lartigue buried under a
tree about 40 feet from the door of the
house, hidden under his saddle, which he
had intended to ride away. The cOrO-
ner's jury has decreed that Lartigue
came to his death by the wounds Of an
unknown instrument in the hands of an
unknown assassin. The head and face
were horribly mutlated, the entire side
being rushed in. The theory is that
Lartigue was killed while in bed. The
accused woman maintains a sphinx like
silence, and will not talk regarding the
matter at all. A theory as to the cause
Of the crime is that Lertigue and wife
and Charley Estes are all connected with
the sudden and suspicious death of New
ton Estes and the murder Of Jasper Mills
IN such an intimate relation that it
would be extremely perilOus to allow
Lartigue to get beyond their control
where these dark secrets might be
divulged