100 years ago in Spokane: A killing suspect was ruled sane, while the presumed victim in another case turned into a suspect

Harry Williams, 84, accused of shooting Spokane fireman Jack Batten, was ruled sane by a jury, which meant he would stand trial for murder within a month.

His lawyers had mounted an insanity defense, but it was undercut by some of Williams’ relatives, who contended he was sane.

Williams had exhibited some paranoid tendencies, and believed some nefarious people were out to get him.

That’s why he rigged up a rifle to discharge when anyone opened his front door. Batten, who had visited Williams many times, was shot when he attempted to deliver some fruit to him.

From the missing persons beat: Police no longer believed that oil stock salesman J.B. Bushnell was the victim of foul play.

Instead, they issued a warrant for the missing man’s arrest, alleging that he had vanished with $3,000 in cash that did not belong to him.

His auto was found in a gully near Downriver Park and his wife feared he had been murdered. Now it seemed he might have absconded with money belonging to Columbia Oil.

From the Halloween prank beat: The previous Halloween, a Sandpoint man reported he was the victim of a youthful prank. His new buggy was missing, spirited away by children.

Four months passed. He finally found the buggy, 2 miles away, in “dilapidated condition” because it had been standing out in the elements all winter.