Murder of William Rice Ross

Date: 20 Mar 1901 [unknown]
Location: Kent, King, Washington, United States
Surnames/tags: Ross Simpson

Contents 1 Overview 2 March 21, 1901 3 April 4, 1901 4 April 6, 1901 5 June 3, 1901 6 June 4, 1901 7 June 5, 1901 8 June 7, 1901 9 June 7, 1901, late 10 June 18, 1901 11 December 13, 1901

Overview

This page contains information and transcripts from The Seattle Daily Times newspaper about the murder of William Rice Ross by his neighbor Alexander Simpson on March 20, 1901 in Kent, Washington. Unless otherwise noted, all transcriptions were completed by S X from electronic or microfilm versions of the original newspaper pages.

March 21, 1901

The Seattle Daily Times

Thursday Evening

March 21, 1901

Page 12 Columns 4-6

Transcription from the original image by S X

Note: Ross's first name is given as WALTER in the article instead of WILLIAM

THE KENT MURDER
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Aftermath of the Tragedy at Simpson Ranch
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Murderer in King County Jail --- No Inquest --- Neighborhood Talk on the Affair
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[Picture] labelled WALTER ROSS

Coroner Hoye returned from Kent last evening the body of Walter Ross, who was killed by Alexander Simpson at Springbrook. Deputy Sheriff Williams was on the same train with Ross's slayer in custody.

Coroner Hoye held an autopsy at Kent and found that death was caused by buckshot entering the aorta. No inquest will be held as Simpson admitted the killing and prosecuting attorney Fulton decided that further proceedings by the coroner were unnecessary.

Beyond the fact that there were no witnesses to the deed, no new facts further than those published In the times yesterday have been found late yesterday afternoon, in the presence of a times reporter, Simpson gave the following story of the affair.

"This morning, after the trouble of the previous night when the fence was turned down, my little boy, David, told me he was afraid to go to school because he had to go down the road by Ross' house. I told him he need not go alone and that I would go with him.

"Sometime after this I was out in the front yard and looking across the bridge on the road in front of my house. I saw Ross coming down the road. I expected trouble and as soon as he reached the bridge I called out to him to come no further. He looked like he was very angry and I told him to stop again or I would shoot. This he did not do, and came on toward me. Then, when he reached the end of the bridge and was near my front gate, I said: 'Please stop, Ross; I don't want to have any trouble with you.' He paid no attention to what I said and raising the gun, I fired. I saw him lurch sideways and lay still.

"I turned away then and did not look at him. Then I went up to Mr. Hamilton's and told him what I had done."

Mrs. Burke, wife of a rancher of the neighborhood, was told by Mrs. Ross, after her husband had been killed, the following story of Ross' Intentions on going up the road. The reporter asked concerning Ross' object[sic] on going up the road because the question had been raised whether Ross was on the way to Simpson's house or just passing by.

Mrs. Burke said: Mrs. Ross told me that her husband heard someone tearing down the fence during Tuesday night, and had gone out to see about it. However, when he got to the fence there was no one around. Of course, Ross knew, or had an idea, who did it, and was quite angry. The next morning Ross told his wife that he was going up to see Simpson about the matter. When his wife, fearing trouble, objected and asked him to get one of the neighbors to accompany him to Simpson's house. This Ross thought was a good idea, and Mrs. Ross thought that was what he would do. From[sic] some reason or another, however, the man started off alone and his wife did not know he was gone until the report came that he had been killed."

As to the respective characters and dispositions of the two men, Ross seemed to be the more popular. One of Simpson's neighbors, in speaking of him, said that he had a very selfish disposition and was inclined to be disagreeable over very small matters.

After returning to the scene of his terrible deed, Simpson came to a full realization of what he had done and told his two neighbors, Clark Hamilton and Charles Hoffmyer that he thought he had better go down to the station at Kent and get away from the place. The men argued with him, however, and he finally consented to give himself up. The only objection made was when Marshal Tucker of Kent tried to put the handcuffs on him. He objected but finally submitted. Ross had neither gun or pocket knife on his person when found.

Simpson was in consultation with his lawyer all the morning. Several residents in and about Kent were at the County Courthouse to see the man, but were not accorded an audience.

One of the ugliest points in the whole case against Simpson appears to be his own testimony to the coroner yesterday. When asked with what shot the shell had been loaded, he replied buckshot, but could not state the number that had been put in the charge. Asked further as to when the shell was loaded, he stated that his son had loaded the shell the night previous to the murder. He would not admit that there was anything more in that fact that pure coincidence.

The Seattle Daily Times

Thursday Evening

March 28, 1901

Page 2 Column 5

Transcription from the original image by S X

SIMPSON CASE IN COURT
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Defendant Desired a Preliminary Hearing
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The Prosecution Cited a New Law Covering the Point---To Be Argued on Saturday.
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ALEXANDER SIMPSON was taken into Judge Griffin's court this morning to plead to a charge of murder in the first degree. This day had been set for the arraignment of the prisoner. He came into court accompanied by his counsel, Attorney Langley, whom he had retained.

At the first move of the defense it became apparent that tactics for the delaying of the trial as long as possible would be adopted. Simpson demanded a preliminary examination in a lower court, declaring that he was entitled to the examination by precedence and law. His counsel commenced a long argument on this point. Prosecuting Attorney Fulton interposed an objection, declaring that the examination was a useless formality and no longer necessary in cases where murder is charged.

The late Legislature passed a law covering this point, making provision that the filing of the information in a case of murder such as the one before the court was sufficient to bind the accused over to the Superior Court. The opposing counsel wished to argue the point at length, but Judge Griffin announced that he would hear arguments next Saturday, as the court was crowded with other business that had precedence.

The arguments next Saturday will probably consume a good part of the session of the court. Should the application for a preliminary examination be granted, the real trial of the case would be postponed for a longer period.

April 4, 1901

The Seattle Daily Times

Thursday Evening

April 4, 1901

Page 4 Column 2

SIMPSON CASE.
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Absence of an Attorney Occasions Delay This Time
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The arraignment of Alexander Simpson has been postponed still another day. The last delay is due to the absence of one of the attorneys for the accused, A. J. McBride. The hearing will take place tomorrow morning. This makes about the fifth time the case has been set over to a later date.

April 6, 1901

The Seattle Daily Times

Saturday Evening

April 6, 1901

Page 8 Column 3

Alexander Simpson entered a plea of not guilty yesterday to the charge of murdering William Ross. His trial was not set by Judge Griffin.

June 3, 1901

The Seattle Daily Times

Monday Evening

June 3, 1901

Page 3 Column 3

Simpson Murder Trial

The trial of Alexander Simpson, who is accused of murdering William Ross, near Kent, early in the spring, will be begun[sic] tomorrow morning before Judge Griffin.

June 4, 1901

The Seattle Daily Times

Tuesday Evening

June 4, 1901

Page 2 Column 6

KING CO. COURTS

Simpson Murder Case

Alexander Simpson, accused of murder in the first degree, appeared before Judge Griffin in the superior court this morning. The prisoner, who has been in the county jail since his arrest the evening of the killing, came into court this morning accompanied by his attorneys, Roberts and Leehey. Prosecuting Attorney Fulton and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Vince H Faben are conducting the case for the state. Most of the morning, in fact, all of it, was spent in securing a jury, as on both sides there was an evident desire to get the best men possible. By noon, each side had about exhausted its challenges, and at 1:30 the court convened to try the case.

Simpson is charged with killing William Ross at a farm near Kent March 20.

June 5, 1901

The Seattle Daily Times

Wednesday Evening

June 05, 1901

Page 7 Column 2

KING CO. COURTS

Simpson Murder Trial

The Simpson Murder Trial was resumed this morning at 9:30 in the superior court. Very little was done except to take expert testimony. Dr. Own Taylor of Kent, who was called ot the scene directly after the killing of Ross, was the first witness. He told of the wounds and their effect and said they had caused the death of Ross. Dr. Taylor had performed an autopsy upon the remains. He described to the jury the course of the shot.

Clark Hamilton and Charles Hoffmier[sic], two residents of the White River valley and acquaintances of the dead man and the prisoner, were called by the state. Their evidence described the nature of the ground in the vicinity of the shooting. Hamilton was one of the first to reach the spot where Ross fell and it was at Hamilton's house that Simpson left the gun with which the deed had been committed. Through these two witnesses the state also tried to show that there was a personal feeling of animosity in Simpson's mind toward Ross, and that after the killing he had made statements showing this to be the case.

J. L. McPherson was the last witness of the morning session. McPherson is a civil engineer, and was sent out to the scene of the shooting for the purpose of taking measurements of the ground. He had with him two large charts of the Simpson and Ross homesteads and the road leading from one house to the other. His testimony was a detailed description of the relative distances from certain points mentioned in the case. Simpson pays close attention to the evidence of each witness. He seems unmoved thus far in the trial.

A large number of ranchers from the White River valley, who knew both Ross and Simpson are in attendance. The trial will probably last all week.

June 7, 1901

The Seattle Daily Times

Friday Evening

June 07, 1901

Page 9 Column 4

KING CO. COURTS

Simpson Murder Trial

The defense of insanity, which was sprung by the attorneys for Alexander Simpson yesterday afternoon, continues to absorb general attention in the Superior Court. Messrs. Leehey and Roberts have made a strong case for the prisoner and have subpoenaed members of witnesses from all parts of the country. Expert testimony was employed in the defense, including several physicians. The daughters of the prisoner also went on the stand and swore to peculiar actions on the part of their father. One of these was that he had an idea that John Considine was about to establish a "White-chapel" near his farm and prohibited his family from going near that part of the place.

Mrs. Simpson went on the stand this morning and testified to various happenings since her marriage with Mr. Simpson. She spoke in detail of his actions toward his family and stated that he was subject to fits of melancholia and was at times cruel. She and the children lived away from him for some time. She said that two years ago she brought action against him for a divorce, but she dropped the case because she judged that his actions were due entirely to his insanity. Mr. Simpson's daughters were again called to the stand and testified that their father was not in his right mind. The defense concluded with a very strong case.

The state then began its rebuttal. P. Harron, Clark Hamilton, Harry Jacobs, M. Wilson, Charles Nelson, Mrs. Green, F. Willis and R. Corson were placed on the state and all of them swore that they had known the defendant for different lengths of time from two to fifteen years but that they always considered that he was perfectly sane. Some of them also testified to the condition of the obstruction built by Ross across the road, which led up to the shooting. They said that it was a swinging gate, although several of the witnesses for the defense had previously said that it was a fence.

At 11:30 owing to the unavoidable absence of Drs. Hoye and Taylor who were called by the state the court was adjourned until 1 o'clock.

June 7, 1901, late

The Seattle Daily Times

Friday Evening - Last Edition

June 07, 1901

Page 4 Column 2

LATE COURT NEWS

The trial of Alexander Simpson closed this afternoon shortly after 1 o'clock. The state called two witnesses. Drs. Hoy and Taylor, in rebuttal, both of whom swore that the defendant was sane. Vince H Faben then opened the arguments for the state. He made a strong plea for the verdict of murder in the first degree and contrasted the previous actions and life of the dead man and the accused murderer. He made a masterly effort in discussing the insanity theory and cited numberless[sic] instances to carry his point. He was followed by Mr. Roberts for the defense. The arguments will probably not be finished this afternoon.

June 18, 1901

The Seattle Daily Times

Tuesday Evening

June 18, 1901

Page 8 Column 4

Leary Damage Case

In the suit of Josie Czarecki against the Seattle & San Francisco Railway and Navigation Company and the Green River Construction Company for damages alleged to have been sustained by the death of her husband in the coal mines at Leary several months ago, a motion was renewed by the plaintiff's attorney that the petition of the defendants for a new trial be stricken out. In this case Alexander Simpson, who is now in the county jail awaiting sentence upon a charge of murder in the second degree, was one of the witnesses. He testified to the condition of the chute in which Czarecki was employed at the time of his death. In the motion it is held that the charges of insanity made against Simpson upon the occasion of his trial in the Superior Court are entirely unfounded and without cause and that his evidence in the damage suit should be considered as having important bearing on the case.

December 13, 1901

The Seattle Daily Times

Friday Evening

December 13, 1901

Page 11 Column 5

Alexander Simpson, murder, second degree, fifteen years