The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-05-09
G O N TIN u E D
r o
P a G F. 0 n E
AWFUL STORY TOLD

lowing morning. That night the
said Rose Elliott was delivered of
the said child, which was born
dead, with a hole through its head.
Present when the baby was born
was Mrs. Pearce. Another woman
who lives in the house with her,
named Mrs. Gladys Britton, saw the
baby after it was born. 1t was
wrapped in a piece of cloth and set
to one side. The following morning
the woman who had performed the
operation came and with the con-
sent of Mrs. Pearce. placed the
body of the child in the cook stove
and burned it up while breakfast
was being prepared.
Afterward the woman returned to
the rooms of Mrs. Pearce and in my
presence asked Mrs. Pearce If Gill
der had paid any on the debt. Mrs.
Pearce said that the - has not
paid me a cent"
This information, as have above
set forth, was given to me in a con-
fidential manner by Mrs. Pearce,
when I was employed in her house
as chambermaid. She seemed to
have no fears in telling me at the
time, but after the Elliott case got
into the newspapers she seemed to
view the matter differently. I have
since been watched closely by Mrs.
Pearce, Glider and Mrs. Britton, for
fear that I might tell what l know.
Only last Saturday night an en-
ploye of the place made an effort to
kill me. and I called the police. l
think this was the result of plot
to take my life, for the reason that
they wanted to get me out of the
way. At the Pearce rooms, when l
called last Saturday night, were
Officer Glider, Mrs. Pearce and
Mrs. Britton. They were engaged
in a very close and apparently con-
fidential conversation, and l heard
Glider remark. after l entered,
"There she comes now" meaning
me. Later I saw Mrs. Pearce call
out an emplOye of her house and
give some orders in whisper. In
about half an hour later he locked
me in the kitchen and threatened
to kill me with a knife If | did not
give him what money I had. l ran
toward the door, unlocked it and
lust as I was about to emerge into
the hallway he was almost upon me
with a cleaver. I escaped and then
called the police over the nearest
telephone. They responded, but
they failed to take any action after
the case. | did not
give the police the motive for the
assault on me and said nothing
about the Elliott case.
| have talked with Gladys Brit
ton about this case as well, and
have heard her make the remark,
II told Nellie it was a pretty seri-
GUS matter to get mixed up in this
case, as I knew a girl back east
that got tangled up in something
like this and it proved to be a
pretty serious matter" I have
talked with Mrs. Pearce and Mrs.
Britton a number Of times about the
case
This case has preyed heavily on
my mind for the last few days, and
| am now glad that | have told what
| know. I first went to the news
paper that has published the ar
ticles about the Elliott case, but
they refused to accept my state
ment. | next took it up with old
Mr.. Elliott, the father of the girl,
and at his request, this affidavit is
made. | have no other purpose or
motive in giving this information
than that justice be done, and that
my mind be relieved of any partici-
patton in an effort to shield the
guilty ones. -
MRS. PATE RIGGS.
Subscribed and sworn to before
me this Sd day OF May, 1910.
(SeaD CHRIS A. SPREITER,
Notary Public in and for the County
of Spokane, Washington.