100 years ago in Deer Park: Two very different defenses mounted after a man was found shot to death in his home

Mystery surrounded the gunshot death of Jack Richter, 50, at his home north of Deer Park.

His wife first told police that her husband got in an argument over religion while drinking with a neighbor, Matt Grubich.

She claimed that she was in another room, heard loud words and two gunshots, and rushed into the room just in time to see her husband stagger out of the door and collapse in the yard.

Grubich told police a much different story. He said she had shot her husband.

After more questioning, Mrs. Richter changed her story. She said that her husband had often abused her, and he had done so again that day. She ran into the kitchen to get the .32 pistol she kept there. Her husband ran in after her, even though Grubich tried to restrain him from running after her.

She then shot her husband twice, “to prevent him beating her again.”

Deputies were still trying to sort out the conflicting stories and were holding both Mrs. Richter and Grubich on open charges until they could determine who was responsible.

From the dance marathon beat: Dance marathons – in which people danced until they dropped in order to win a prize – were all the rage on the East Coast.

Not in Spokane.

“Why don’t I stage one here?” asked Chuck Whitehead, proprietor of the city’s main dance hall.

“Why, I give everyone here credit for having a little more sense. Those contests bring my work into disrepute.”

He called them “damn fool stunts.” He predicted someone would die before the fad abated.