100 years ago in Spokane: Woman claims controversial ex-mayor of Wallace, Idaho planned to marry her

The love life of Herman J. Rossi, the former mayor of Wallace, Idaho, might be described as “stormy,” to say the least.

After all, this was the same Rossi who shot his former wife’s lover when he returned from a trip and discovered they had engaged in a wild drinking binge in his home. Rossi was acquitted of that murder, and subsequently divorced his wife.

Now, less than a year later, he was having trouble with another woman. Mrs. Jean Fulton of Spokane was threatening a “breach of promise” suit against him for breaking their engagement.

“You understand I am not after money,” said Mrs. Fulton. “I have nothing of that sort in mind. All I want to do is let the people know, so that others will not be in the same position I am.”

Mrs. Fulton’s ire was raised by an item in the paper a day earlier in which Rossi denied a report announcing the engagement.

“There is not a vestige of truth to the report, and I cannot imagine how it originated,” Rossi said. “I am barely acquainted with Mrs. Fulton.”

She replied, “When I read his statement in the paper – that he hardly knew me – I couldn’t believe he had said it. He certainly has not been acting as though he hardly knew me.”

She said she had been divorced about a year and a half ago and met Rossi shortly afterward. She was convinced he was planning to marry her. She showed a reporter a letter from him, signed, “Devotedly, Herman.”

“Does that look as though he barely knew me?” she said.

When asked if she was going to sue him, she said, “What would you do if you were in my position?”

She also said that if Rossi would meet with her and “come to a mutual agreement to break our engagement, I’ll consider that the proper thing to do.”