davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-11
NORMAN WILLIAMS ARRESTED
FOR CRIME COMMITTED OVER
FOUR YEARS AGO.
in 1eoo-Diseovery Made by
interior Department.
a special to the Oresonian from The

\ special to the Oresonian from The
DalleS says:
The arrest of Norman Williams at
Bellingham, Wash, upon a charge of
having murdered Mrs. l.. J. Nesbitt
and her daughter, Alma, near Hood
River. in the spring of 1900 was the
elimination of searching investigation
Of officials of the interior department
and the relatives of the murdered WO-
men covering Il period of almost four
years. The arrest was in pursuance
of a warrant issued last night in the
justice court in this city upon Informal
ton filed by George w Nesbtt, of
kirkham. Iowa. a son and brother of
Williams supposed victims. Officers
at Bellingham We're Immediately no.
tilted to hold Williams, and Sheriff
Sexton was Informed of the arrest this
afternoon. He will leave in the morn
ing for Bellingham. and will bring Will
liams back to The Dalles for trial.
Sufficient evidence of such an in
eliminating character as to confirm the
already strong suspicious here and
in the Hood River community that a
foul murder was committed there three
years since has been unearthed by
George W. Nesbitt, who arrived in
Oregon on last Saturday, seeking the
aid of the land officials and the dis
for the whereab bouts of his mother and
sister. That they had been foully dealt
with was his strong conviction. since
nothing but death. he believed wOulu
have prevented his mother commune
eating with her children during the
past three years. When this terrible
suspicion became well-founded, Mr..
Nesbitt started on such a systematic
search of the history and previous life
of Norman Williams, the man who
induced Alma Eesbitt to take up ner
homestead claim in the Hood River
valley. and in whose company she and
her mother We're last seen alive, that
he unearthed Il record of crime that
has seldom been euualled by any Grim
inal in the northwest After confer
ring with the land officials III this city.
where the record of his sisters home
stead and Williams alleged forgery of
her REIMBURSEMENT could be seen. MI.
EeShitt proceeded to Hood River.
where With II party Of men familiar
with the locality. he proceeded to the
Nesbitt homestead, now occupied by
persons to whom Williams sold the
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-11
Discovery of the Graves.


\ searching investigation WAS made
Of the premises. resulting in the dis
covery that he ground under an old
chicken house had been broken. Dig
cling, the searches found the Well-de-
fined walls of a grave two feet vide
oy six feet long disturbed within a
few months. At the depth of seven
seet several gunny sacks were discoV-
ared clotted and stiff With blood, and
two large punches of human hair. also
blood stained, one bunch gray and the
other black. answering the description
of the missing women's hair. A bro
Ken dish with hair clingin% to the
edges was also in the grave. Nothing
further was found
With these evidences of the crime
ne feared. Mr.. Nesbtt returned to
Hood Rive and sWore out the COM
plant before District Attorney Meme
fee 1t = his theory that Williams, be-
coming alarmed about the suspicious
expressed concerning the Nesbitts
whereabouts and fearing that his
premises might be searched. moved
he bodies within a year to another.
hiding place.
Williams Criminal Record.
In Williams criminal history Mr.
Nesbitt declares he has unearthed the
fact of his being sentenced to eight
years in the Nebraska penitentiary for
rape, serving only three years of that
time on account of being skilled
broom maker and for good behavior
while in prison. Evidence is found Of
his having had six wives, two of whom
have died suddenly of poison under
suspicious circumstances. $4,000 being
realized on the insurance of one.
Williams was acquainted with Alma
Nesbitt in Omaha, and wanted to mar
ry her. Under persuasion from him
that she could secure land for home
in Oregon she came west in May. 1899,
and in June of the same year filed on
her Hood River homestead. adjoining
Williams own claim. After estab-
fishing her residence thereon she came
to The Dalles and secured work as
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-11

He--Let's form a society for mutual
admiration. l, for instance, admire
your beautiful eyes. And what do you
admire in me? She-Iour good taste.
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-11

TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAv
Take Laxative Bromo Qufnfne Tablets.
All druggists refund the money il II
fails to cure. E. W. Groves sigma.
ture is on each box. Csc.
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-11
For Over ~ Years

THE WEEKLY STATESMAN has been a vel
come visitor at the fi1e>ide of the best homes
in the Wala Wala valley. Every week more
than three thousand people peruse its columns
The WEEKLY STATESMAN today is the most
widely read weekly published in WallA Waia.
As such its medium that brings results to
the advertiser THE WEEKLY STATESMAN
is bright 8 page paper, teenllng with current
local events and telegraph news from all over
the world and circulates in over a thousand
homes in Southeastern Washington, Mer-
chants desiring to reach an exclusive field
covered only by THE STATESMAN use its
columns freely and with excellent results
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-11

domestic in the family of Hon. A. s.
Bennett. where she remained until
fall. In September Mrs. Nesbitt came
west to join her daughter and TO be
with her where she lived. on her home
stead The two Went to Portland
where they stopped at the Winters
hotel, on the east side. Miss Nesbitt
securing work in a hotel. On March
s, 1900. Mrs. Nesbitt wrote home to
her children in Omaha that they We're
about to start up to the homestead
again and would be back about April
l. These letters We're the last mes
sages ever received from them.
Drove Away With Williams.
Shortly after the date of this let
ter Williams and the two women APP
peared at Hood River. and Williams
hired a team. explaining at the local
livery stable that he was taking these
two women to their homestead and
would be back next day. They were
observed driving away at dusk that
last that has ever been seen of them.
Early next morning Williams returned
with the tagged team. saying that he
had been hurrying away and had left
the women at the station. Williams
stayed about Hood River all that
Summer, working at teamine. and in
work in a livery stable. During the /,
summer, remarks about the disappear |
ance of the women seen in his COM !
pany reached Williams ears. causing |
him to defend himself vigorously and !
finally to insert the following adver-
tisement in the local paper. saying he |
Fifty dollars reward. The under
signed will give $50 reward to anyone
furnishing me the address or present
wherea bouts of Miss Alma Nesbitt and
Mrs. Mary l.. ]. Nesbtt. Notify me
or the Glacier.
ID. n WILLIAMS. Hood River, or"
Forgery Is Discovered.
Nothing further was heard of the
occurrence until letters from the Mes
bitt family in Nebraska came to the
Mount Hood and Hood River postmas-
ters. to the chief of police at Portland.
and land offices here asking for in
formation about the two NeSbitt's.
saying they had gone to North Yaki-
ma. These inquiries caused the land Of
ticers to investigate a REIMBURSEMENT !
which was recorded having been fill
ed by Alma Nesbitt on June %. 1900 |
and the same day that Williams filed
an application to amend his home
tract. Securing the original EeSbitt
application from the department at
the REIMBURSEMENT was
found to be Il forgery. upon which Will
liams was arrested last fall and in
dicted by the grand jury. Until his
arrest today Williams was under bonds
10 appear before the federal court at |
the April term, his bonds being fur !
nished by the lodge of odd Fellows.
At the time of his arrest Williams
stOutIy declared that he could pro-
luce the women ut any time. AS Yet
he has been unable to do 50.
Arrested at Belingham. 3
BELLINGH AM.-Norman Williams
vas arrested here on a Geographic re-
1ueSt from the sheriff at The Dalles
Jre.. stating that he was wanted there $
IN a charge OF numbering two women. I
When seen in jail he refused absolute Y
Y to make any statement. Ii
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-11
MAY PUT ADS ON THE FLAG.
New York Court Holds That Old
Glory Is Not Thus Desecrated.

NEW YORK. Feb. 1.-THE state
law forbiddins the dissertation of the
national flag is unconstitutional The
supreme court held that the use of the
trade labels is not degrading.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24
IS OUR RAINFALL
DIMINISHING /?
TOTAL AND AVERAGE PRECIPI-
TATION FOR Ia YEARS
Decrease Perhaps Due to Fires ana
Increase of Cultivated Land-Lit-
tie or No Change In Temperature.
Climate Remarkably Equable.

The record carefully kept by
Weather Observer Willis at the Olga
volunteer station for fourteen years
indicates that for some years the
rainfall has been diminishing and that
the annual average is less by over
one inch than it has generally been
understood to be. Mr.. Willis reports
that the total rainfall from Jan. l,
1890, to and including Dec. 81, 1896,
was 222.14 inches and that during
the next seven-year period, from Jan.
l, 1897, to and including Dec. 81,
1903, it was 2O9.72 inches-a de-
crease of 1912 inches. The average
for the first seven years since 1890
was therefore Bit inches and for
the second seven years Ito Jan. l,
1904 it was 1896 inches, the average
for fourteen years being 3O.84 inches.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24
ORCAS ISLAND
SANITARIUM
MAY BE ESTABLISHED AT THE
SULPHUR SPRINGS
Dr. Harrison Now Working On the
Matter-Natural Attractions Very
Favorable for a Popular Health
and Pleasure Resort.

During his recent trip east DR..
Harrison visited quite number of
pleasure resorts and sanitariums to
get pointers" that may be Of serv-
ice to him in establishing his proposed
sanitarium at the sulphur springs
near Cascade lake, Orcas island.
Such resort would do much to at
tract tourist travel to the islands and
popularize them not only with people
in search of restful quiet and pictur-
esque and healthful surroundings, but
with thousands of well-to-do city peo-
pie who like to spend the summer in
the country. The analysis of the
water of the mineral springs on the
doctors property is said to show that
they possess about the same medic
inal properties as the famous White
Sulphur Springs in Virginia. They
are much more strongly impregnated
with sulphur than are the waters of
the Green River Hot Springs, on the
line of the Northern Pacific, sixty
three miles from Seattle, where
large and elegantly appointed hotel
is kept open all the year round.
There is nothing else for many miles
in either direction to interest the
pleasure seeker In respect to ma
tural attractions we'll appointed
hotel in the vicinity of Cascade lake
would have very great advantage
over the one at Green River and if
the medicinal properties of the Har-
rison springs prove to be as great as
analyses Indicate, it will probably be
only question of little time when
they must become the nucleus of one
of the most picturesque and popular
health and pleasure resorts in the
northwest.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

The total precipitation in 1902 was
28. 80 inches and in 1903 it was 31.86.
This year the rainfall up to Dec. l
was 2435 inches. Last year the De-
cember rainfall was only 2.52, while
in 1902 it was $3.50, or nearly one
fourth the total of the year.
Mr.. Willis attributes the decrease
shown by these figures to the burn
ing out of underbrush by forest fires
and to the increase of cultivated land,
causing a greater evaporation. For
the past two or three years the
ground has seemed to be getting
drier. Winter running creeks have
started later and drains have started
later and dried earlier.
In the matter of temperature the
change has been hardly perceptible.
During the first 7-year period consid-
cred in obtaining the precipitation
averages above given the mean an
nual temperature was AT degrees,
while during the next seven years it
was 47.6. The highest average tenn
perature of any summer month in
this county since 1890 was 81 deg.
and during the same period the low
est average of any winter month was
33 deg. In the matter of equability
of climate and freedom from ex-
tremes of heat or cold, San Juan
county challenges comparison with
any other locality in the world.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Mrs. Hansen, wife of Captain Han
sen, formerly of the steamer Lydia
Thompson, came down from Seattle
Wednesday to spend the holidays
with her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. J. O.
Bergman, at Argyle. She returned
recently from visit with friends in
San Francisco while Captain Hansen
was absent on trip to Mazatlan,
Mexico, in the steam-schooner Arrow,
which he left at the Mexican port
where she is to be employed by a
mining company,
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Will Sweeney returned on the 18th.
from an extended eastern and south
ern trip, during which he visited the
St. Louis exposition, ST. Paul, Mimi
eapolis and Chicago. He returned
home via New Orleans, Los Angeles,
San Francisco and Portland.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Misses Alta and Myra Nordyke
are visiting Mrs Chas. Dillon and
other friends at North Yakima.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Three of the men advertised to
wrestle with Fred Gunderson Dec
ember 10 failed to ''show up. Van
Sargent and Joe Lawson took the
places of two of them and Johnny
Sweeney wrestled twice. Arthur
Mckay and Lawson were each thrown
in 80 seconds. Chas. Sutton Jr.
went down in Ii minutes. Sargent
held out 4 minutes and Johnny
Sweeney q minutes each time.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

F. D. Cunningham, late purser of
the steamer Islander, has moved his
family from Bellingham to Pert Stan
ley, having been engaged as manager
of the cooperative store at that
place.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Mr.. and Mrs. j.. p. Paine moved
over from Lopez Monday. They
will be quite an acquisition to local
social circles, especially in the Meth
o1ist church, in which Mrs Paine is
an active and jealous worker. They
are occupying Mrs. Dennison's cot
tage on Argyle avenue.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Miss Clausen has gone to Candy,
Oregon, to spend the holiday vacation
with her parents.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Miss Carrie Peterson has engaged
to teach term of school at Granite
Falls, SnohomisE county.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

E. l.. Won Gohren, of East Sound,
county surveyor-elect, was in town
on business Wednesday and Thurs
dav
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

There will be Christmas tree and
literary and musical program by the
Sunday school children at the Pres
bvterian church this evening.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Mr.. and Mrs. j. M. Morgan came
down from Seattle Wednesday to
spend Christmas with her mother,
Mrs. TAYLOR, and family
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24
WheI, Christmas
Comes on Sunday
By LOUIS E. THAYER

copyright, 1904, by Louis E. Thayer.l
TO us little fellers Sundays mighty diEgen
From all the other days that's in the week
Cause you've kind O. got to creep around o,
tiptoe
And you've sort o. got to whisper when 20,
speak;
If you don't, your pa or ma is sure to scold yos
And call you bad and sacrilegious boys,
For Sunday days were made for thought srd
worship,
But they wasn't made for romping and {,
noise.
\ ND to think that Christmas days to com.
on Sunday!
Why, somehow, seems it hadn't orter be,
Cause where's the good when you can't laugh
and holler?
Say, it's pretty hard on little chaps like me.
And if feller jes' forgets the quiet,
And bubbles out
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

O. J. and E. j. Bruins were in town
on business Wednesday, the former
from Richardson and the latter from
Lopez.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

o. J. Bruins, of Richardson, was
badly hurt yesterday morning by be-
ing kicked in the head by horse
DR.. Capron was sent for to attend
him.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24
San Juan
Hrea S, So. Miles

Jas. Fry has bought from Geo. l.,
Rhodes 40 acres near East Sound or
$475.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Mrs. w. HI. McCrary returned
Wednesday from visit with her
daughter, Mrs. Debolt, at Port Town
send
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24
personal Mention

Miss Sharp left yesterday to spend
the holidays at her home in Kent.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Isaac Sandwith now has a hot
water heating system in his house
the first of the kind in use in the
county.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Mrs. A. G.. Middleton returned
Wednesday from Port Townsend
where she had been visiting her
daughter, Mrs. Herman Dightman.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24
leland
pop. 1850

E. B. Downing, G.. H. Garland and
G.. B. Fisher came down from Seattle
Wednesday for a quail hunt. All of
the gentlemen are enthusiastic
sportsmen and staunch advocates of
reasonable game laws and their
strict enforcement. Mr.. Downing is
one of the stockholders in the Orcas
Island Fruit Company, which owns
the largest fruit farm in the county
and one of the largest in the state,
near East Sound, where the "Bob
White" quail were first introduced
in the county by Mr.. Downing and
Mr.. Peters about twelve years ago.
Mrs. O. H. Culver and little son
Carroll returned Wednesday from a
two months visit with her parents
and sister in Vermont. They came
via Montreal, Sault Saint Marie and
st. Paul and thence to Seattle over
the Northern Pacific. Mrs. Culver
says that the cold weather in Yer
mont began rather earlier this fall
than usual, though there has not yet
been much snow. The mercury was
down to sixteen below zero day or
two before she left New England but
it was not very cold in ST. Paul and
there was little snow to be seen on
the plains or mountains. The North
ern Pacific trains are SO finely equip
ped that midwihter overland jour
ney can be made as comfortably as
in midsummer.
The fact that there were no East
Sound notes in the ISLANDER last
week was not due to any neglect on
the part of the papers excelle 1T cor
respondent there but to the failure
of the mail steamer Lydia Thompson
to land there on the day that the
correspondence was mailed. The
ISLANDER is informed that the
steamer failed to land there four
times in one week. The missing of a
mail port on any trip is excused by
the postoffice department, if report
ed, only if a steamer is disabled or if
the weather is so rough as to make a
landif g unsafe. East Sound is one of
the most important points on the
Thompson's route and naturally the
people there are much disappointed
when the steamer fails to call.
The ISLANDER understands that a
project is under consideration to
place fast and elegant little passen-
ger boat on a route between here
and Bellingham, leaving here every
morning except Sunday and connect
ing at Anacortes with the morning
steamer from Bellingham for Seattle.
The long delay in establishing the
promised through daily service by
the steamer Islander to and from
Bellingham has occasioned consider
able comment and perhaps may be
responible for the talk of the new
project. It is proposed to return
from Bellingham via Orcas island
points.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

The little steamer Alice, of Sidney,
B. c., took a load of turkeys from
here Tuesday to the Victoria mar
ket.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

w. Mouttel, from Alberta, Canada,
is here visiting his sister, Mrs. Geo.
Mullis, and family. If he can find
farming property to suit him, he may
locate here.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Through tickets to Seattle, via
Anacortes, can now be purchased
from the purser of the steamer
Islander.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

The people of the Beaverton school
district (No. 25) are planning to have
Christmas tree at the school house
Monday evening.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Judge and Mrs. Lichtenberg were
over from Lopez Wednesday to do q
little Christmas shopping. The Judge
has been quite i'll and was confined
to his house for two weeks.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Lieut.. and Mrs. Cutter went to
Port Townsend Thursday to spend
Christmas with Mrs. Cutters mother,
Mrs. Downs. The Guard is being
painted during their absence.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

Nov, if little feller don't remember
~ And laughs out loud and hollers jes' bit
And If his feet get running rs they oughtn't,
Say, who should scold and threaten him for its
Jes' make believe that you are young and little
Say, have you got the heart for words of blame9
It's pretty hard when Christmas comes on
Sunday,
For know the day win never seem thesame.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-03-19
COOKS WANTED
BY UNCLE SAM

WASHINGTON, . D. c., March l9.-The
American housewife is not the only one
who has difficulty in obtaining a good cook.
Uncle Sam is worried over the same prob
lem. A number of cooks are needed in
the Indian service and the government
is offering inducements to secure competent
knights of the gridiron. The civil service
commission will hold an examination to-
morrow, and as an inducement to ap-
plicants it says:
I'm view of the difficulties which the
commission has experienced in securing
eligibles for the position of cook, it is
desired that all persons who are qualified
will apply for this position No educa-
tional test will be given and it will not
be necessary for applicants to appear at
any place for examination"
There are nineteen Indian schools where
dyspepsan is said to run riot because of
lack of competent cooks. At Navajo,
n. NJ, and Carlisle, Pa, salaries of 5000
a year are offered. Three of the schools
offer $50; six offer $500; five offer 1880 and
three offer $780,
The requirements are that applicants
must be 20 years of age or more and able
to properly broil beetsteak and turn out
variety of hash that will stand investiga.
ton.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-03-19

Ethel Howe is just now show girl
with "The Runaways," touring the South,
but there are managers in New York
keeping a sharp eye on the young woman's
work. Last spring when the Shubert
brothers were rehearsing "The Run
Always" a tall but ungroomed blond
walked into their Office and asked hear
ing. The managers. were about to tell
her there was no vacancy when she hap
pened to mention that she came from
Syracuse their home town, whereupon she
was given a chance.
The stage manager rebelled saying he
wanted no amateurs in the company, but
the managerial edict went forth, and the
tall, awkward young woman from 'up
state" was placed in the extreme rear row
of the chorus, In the allotment of cos
tunes there fell to her frock of white
net and silk, with great picture hat of
pale blue, The stage manager groaned,