Jim Kershner’s This day in history

From our archives,

100 years ago

A Spokane murder turned more salacious when it was revealed the gunman, Arthur Ash, was hired to kill James Boone by Boone’s wife, Martha “Mattie” Boone.

According to police, Mattie Boone gave Ash food, $25 and the gun to commit the crime. In his confession, Ash told police Mattie Boone asked him to kill her husband because James Boone had wronged her. Mattie Boone was arrested and, when questioned outside the prosecutor’s office, would only say, “Boone ruined many homes.”

Boone was murdered at his ranch 38 miles southeast of Spokane on April 29, 1910. A ranch worker was shot in the hand.

Ash was a former worker on the Boone ranch.

From the education beat: Gonzaga College announced commencement ceremonies for a “record” size class: “Sixteen young men will be graduated Friday evening,” a headline noted. Of course, the record didn’t last long. This May, Gonzaga University recorded its eighth consecutive record class – 2,092 undergraduate, graduate and law degrees were conferred during the university’s 117th commencement ceremonies.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1994: Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were slashed to death outside her Los Angeles home.