Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1922-09-22
Destruction of Artesian
Hotel Recalls Incidents of
Early Day Lynching

8 80 'iiS OuIluIhB ana that he,
with the others in the house. had
submitted to being searched lust af-
ter he had committed the murder
Not only had the murderer
killed Mr.. Cooper, but he had robbed
tour or five other rooms before he
committed his final crime. At each
room he secured watches and other
booty. In room no. S. John X
Eacho, OF Colfax, deputy sheriff of
Whitman county, was sleeping. and
his watch and about IS in cash was
taken from his clothes without wax
Ing him, as was the case in all the
rooms except Mr.. Coopers.
At $3.50 Tuesday morning e. l..
Newell noticed a package on the root
OF Mr.. Layman's lodging house. the
second building south OF the hotel.
He secured it and found, wrapped in
an old newspaper $50 in silver,
amongst which was an old Mexican
dollar Mr. Cooper had carried for a
pocket piece.
The position OF the thiugs found.
and the discovery Of a small oil can.
such as burglars use to oil the locks
they wish to pick, in room 4. led the
officers to suspicion George F. Par
ker, who was occupying that room at
the time the crime was perpetrated
He was Immediately placed under ar
rest and brought before the coroncr's
jury and examined, but as no con-
elusive evidence could be brought
forward he was discharged.
80" Only one or two parties
in the house heard the shot fired as
the gun was held so close to Mr..
Cooper.s breast that the report was
smothered. Mr. Morrell proprietor
Of the Office saloon. occupied the
room directly over that of Mr.. Coo
per and. although he heard the strug-
gle and the call for help, he did not
hear the report OF the pistol The
ball enterd the left breast, above and
to the right of the nipple and sew
cred the left oracle OF the heart.
causing instant death The gun used
was .&S calibre
Later-More evidence was found
yesterday against George T. Parker
and at q late hour last night he was
arrested on a charge of murder
Pioneer citizens state that public
feeling against Parker was high. and
with the completion OF the testimony
for the state there was general
feeling that the evidence was not suf-
ficient to convict the defendant Of
first degree murder. Newspaper re-
ports OF the lynching placed the mum
Der composing the mob at between
100 and 200. and rumors were to
the effect that several Whitman
county towns were represented.
It was disclosed during the trial
that Parker was a man of many
aliases with "A long criminal record,
having done time in both the Oregon
anu " d0uiuSlbu ptulltHlldi lt9. VI
lowing his death he was identified
by Spokane officials as James
CoyIe, a hardened criminal well
known to the police OF Spokane and
other cities. Concerning the identi-
fication the Spokane Review of June
3, 1894, said in part:
"* His identity as COyle, the
sneak thief, safe burglar and yagrant
was not discovered until his worth
less life had been taken by the mob
Before the fire Coyle served several
terms for vagrancy, drunkenness
and petty larceny A month before
the fire he accomplished the daring
feat Of stealing a carload Of flour in
broad daylight During the
fire Coyle was one of the most per
sistent sneak thieves that infested the
burned district On one occasion