100 years ago in Spokane: ‘Huns’ pushed back across the front, but tragedy for Spokane parents

The Germans and Austrians were in retreat across the war front, but U.S. casualty reports were still pouring in.

The parents of Spokane soldier Lewis G. Maskery learned the terrible news by telegram. Their son had died from wounds received in battle.

Maskery had attended Northwestern Business College in Spokane and had been employed by Massi Candy Co. In April, he joined the Army and was sent to Camp Lewis in Western Washington. From there, he was sent to Liverpool, England.

In his most recent letter home, he said he was not yet at the front.

Soon after, his machine gun battalion was apparently sent into battle.

Another Spokane soldier died from an increasingly common reason. William McMurray died of pneumonia (probably brought on by the Spanish flu) in a San Diego military hospital.

From the flu beat: The city health officer said the flu situation in Spokane “looks better than it has at any other time since the epidemic started.”

He based this on the fact that the number of new cases had dropped for three straight days. Only 65 new cases were reported on the most recent day.

He declined, however, to say when the ban on public gatherings would be lifted. He said it would not be lifted until “we are practically rid of the disease.”