100 years ago in Spokane: ‘Bluebeard’ Huirt charged with bigamy, complaint focused on Spokane women

The legal net was tightening around “Bluebeard” Huirt. A formal complaint was filed against him in Los Angeles, charging him with bigamy.

That complaint was centered around two Spokane women, Kathryn Wombacher and Elizabeth Williamson, who were in Los Angeles assisting with the prosecution.

A more serious charge – murder – was under consideration in Thurston County. That’s where the remains of one of his other wives, Elizabeth “Betty” Prior, was discovered. The coroner ruled that Prior had been murdered and requested that Thurston County extradite Huirt to face that charge.

Some of Prior’s Spokane friends wrote to the Thurston County prosecuting attorney with the same request.

“Betty Prior was an orphan and, since she had no relatives, I believe it is my duty as her friend to endeavor to have the murderer pay the penalty for his crime,” wrote Naomi West. “… I’ll swear on a stack of Bibles Huirt is the man that married Betty Prior and evidence all points to him as her murderer.”

From the health beat: A father and his 15-year-old son both died of ptomaine poisoning after eating tainted meat at a Spokane restaurant.

They both became ill at home shortly afterward, but a 13-year-old daughter did not realize how ill they were until it was too late. A double funeral was planned.