Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-03-14
AFTER EVIDENCE
IN PEPOON CASE
Prosecuting Attorney of Stevens
County, Washington Visits City

ing II. @. Kirkpatrick. prosecuting at
torney Of Stevens county, Washing
ton. was in the city to ascertain what
evidence the local officers possessed
regarding Roy Wilcox, who Ia badly
wanted In connection with the death
OF Mrs. Edith PepoOn, whose husband
Is now detained In Colvlile and for
whom Mr.. Kirkpatrick stated he
would lodge a complaint today charg-
Ing him with the crime OF murder
In the first degree. The Stevens
county prosecutor admitted that he
had refused to prosecute even though
the body OF Mrs. Pepoon were ex-
humed and poison sufficient to kill
was found In this stomach, on account
Of the impoasIoility OF fixing the
responsibility i0r the crime on the
guilty one of the six present at the
death OF Mrs. Pepoon on August IS,
1908. He admits that Wilcox, the
parOled convict. gave MFs. Pepoon a
glass containing a dark fluid between
one and two o'clock on the day OF
her death. and that approximately
the following conversation and cir
cumstances took place: The convict
offered Mrs. Pepoon the fluid In q
glass, saying. Here, Edith, take
this. It won't hurt you" Pepoon
and Wilcox, the convict. had Just
returned from the kitchen. CDR. Roy
Wells OF Northport had prescribed
morphine. laudanum and llcorice for
Mrs. Pepoon). Mrs. Pepoon hesitat-
ed. Pepoon, her husband, stepped
forward, stirred the potion, saying
Yes, Edith. drink st." MIR. Kirk
patrick says: Mrs. Pepoon wa,
given this potion about half past one
o'clock In the presence Of Crosson
Mrs. Downs. May Jones. Maud KEEL,
Ter, Wilcox and Pepoon. and she died
about O'Clock that afternoon, with
the symptoms of strychnine poison,
ing. Now you can't get any respect
able physician TO say that strychnIns
given at 1910 o'clock would not xii
before o'clock"
The surprise OF the local officer,
knew no bounds when, instead Of act
Ing upon the evidence volunteered e
the Stevens county authorities ant
Immediately apprehendIng q yaluabl,
witness suggested. an article ap
peared In Spokane paper stating
that II was generally believed there
that the Occur d'Aiene officers were
holding Wilcox in the hope OF getting
a big reward.
Mr.. Kirkpatrick seemed to be yer,
much in doubt whether the ofiiceri
here ever had Wilcox but finally ad
mitted that the letters found on hii
person created a possibility that Il
might have been he.
Public sentiment forces me t.
prosecute the case. said the prosecu
tor, and you may say that I'll nov
prosecute the case with all the flores
at my command. but shall assOeiat,
with no attorney general in THU
case"
When suggested that motive NIGH
play an important part In fixing tn,
guilt. Mr.. Kirkpatrick had nothing
TO say. Nor had be anything to sal
about the highly original and peeul
lar manner in which the NoE4hporl
authorities rewarded the local ON
GERS for recently volunteering valu
able information concerning Wilcox
the convict who was arrested hers
on suspicion September (, but re
leased
Those present al Mrs. PeDoon'i
death were Wilcox. 1he convict. Pep
Don. her husband. and a divinity stu
dent, May Jones. q is-year-oId domes
tic, Maud Keller. who vas livinl
with an old man on a nearby home
stead. other than her husband. sh'
got a divorce from her husband. Eoel
Ter. with Pepoon as a witness: Mrs
Downs. a visiting nelghbor. and Cross
on. in whose mountain home the Pep
OOns were living ak miles west o
Northport.
Mr.. Kirkpatrick was given in writ
ing all the evidence In detail possess
ed By the local officers. and was cour
teously rendered not only their ser
vices as witnesses for the prosecu
ton. but their efforts as oficers II
furthering the interests OF justice II
this case.