The Republic News-Miner

According to the schedule of asset and liabilities turned over by Mr. Wallace to Chas. Adams, receiver of the two banks, the resources have a par value of $125,000.00 and an estimated value of $65,000.000...

Mr. Takacko has been a resident of Ferry county for twelve years. He was of a quiet, retiring disposition and was well liked by all. There is a mystery overhanging the motive of his murderer.

Last week Mr. Tabacko went to Spokane and filed on the homestead on which he has lived for a number of years. During his absence his residence was unlocked, and it is presumed that during this time someone entered and saturated some of the food in the house with the fatal poison. Returning Tuesday from Spokane Mr. Tobacko stopped at the home of Ed Warren, a neighbor, for supper. He spent the night at his own home, and Wednesday morning prepared his own breakfast. After partially eating his breakfast he walked to the home of Andrew Keys and told that he had been poisoned. A physician was phoned for but before he arrived Mr. Tobacko had died.

He leaves a daughter, Mrs. Della Davidson, of Spokane.

Sheriff Moran and his deputies are following up every clue that might lead to the arrest of the guilty parties, and some sensation disclosures may develop.

The day began cool and clear. The city had been gaily decorated with bunting and flags, and at an early hour the streets were thronged with people form every part of the county awaiting the trumpet signal calling the grand parade into line. With flags and canes and badges and horns the crowd became enthused with the spirit of the day, and thousands of people from Ferry and Okanogan and a dozen alien lands joined together to pay the tribute to the Grand Old Flag. The attendance was larger than was expected in as much as celebrations were held in several neighboring towns.

The parade was formed at the corner of 10th and Keller Streets promptly at 10 o'clock, headed by the Republic brass band, and made up of floats and private vehicles. Following the band was the beautifully decorated float bearing the Goddess of Liberty, represented by Miss Bernadine Moran, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Moran.

The second float, covered with bunting of the stars and stripes , carried fifty little girls from Republic High School, and it was followed by the members of the Republic Miners Union who turned out in a body.

Ex-sheriff J. W. McCool was Marshal of the day.
...

• Mike Moran, r.
• John W. McCool, d.
• Al Burns, s.

MIKE MORAN

• Sheriff's salary ...................1050.00
• Deputy Sheriff's salary .....1050.00
• Filed deputies ............1000.00
• Books, Stationary & Postage..50.00
• Sheriff's expenses.............1000.00
• [Total].............................4150.00

• Moran, R. . . . 709
• McCool, D. . . .231
• Burns, S.

Other than the school faculty, those present were:
Mesdames Kendall, Newton, Ellison, Zerr, Scrafford, Anderson, Hicks, McQuarrie, Sherman, Richard Price, Moody, Summers, Ward, Fisher, Thompson, Thorney, Mulroy, Doyle, Parliament, Hunder, Moran.

This is another example of the outrageous methods of Mathews and Moran. They utterly disregard the plain provisions of the law and unlawfully lock a man up, and refuse to allow any one to see him.

Russia does no worse than Ferry county in doing under the rule of Mathews and Moran. We make no comment on the merits of the case, as that must be determined in court by trial, but this man, and every man is entitled to give bail, except in murder cases, and this is not a case where the man is charged with murder, so Mathews informed one of the attorneys, yet Mr. Hoffman is denied his rights. No attorney is allowed to see him. His wife and son and daughter are not allowed to see him; and no charge has as yet been filed against him to show the cause of his arrest.

He is not permitted to see attorneys to have them arrange for bail, but is held in solitary confinement by Mathew and Moran.

Do the people of Ferry county want to go back to the "dark ages," or do they want the law of the land to apply to all persons?

The father soon left the house saying he was coming to Curlew to make arrangements for the funeral and would be back by night. He failed to return by next morning so Mrs. Stoddard enlisted the help of the neighbors. inquiry made at a nearby town finally developed that Stoddard had taken a train presumably to Spokane. An inquest was held last night by authorities summoned from Republic showed strychnine poisoning.

Stoddards family consisted of his wife and five small children. They were very poor; the father no having been able to obtain sufficient work to supply the family with food and clothing.

Mrs. Stoddard's theory is that the father under mental derangement determined to make away with the entire family rather than see them starve.

The children were almost naked and the last of their food was on the table. The daughter was the first to taste the coffee. She was her father's favorite and her instant death, according to the theory, unnerved him, so that he snatched away the rest of the food before the others of the family ate of it.

The father borrowed $10 from neighbors ostensibly to use for buying a casket for the child but evidently used the money for making his escape.

Mrs. Stoddard believes that her husband's mind is affected because of his financial difficulties. Though very poor Stoddard was well liked by his neighbors and was a good husband and father.

The child was buried in Curlew today.

Sheriff Moran went to Spokane last Saturday in search of Stoddard who is 40 years old, height 5-ft. 11-ins., wt. 155. Two dogs and a chicken were killed by eating the hot cakes thrown into the yard. Dr. F. J. Whittaker of the Union Hospital, Republic, held an inquest over the body of the child and the dogs and chicken, all showing signs of having met their death through the use of strychnine.

Stodard got out of bed about 4 o'clock the morning of the poisoning and cooked his own breakfast. After he had eaten he prepared the coffee and hotcakes. It is presumed the strychnine was obtained from the ranch of P. B. Larkin, about two miles away.

When the mother tasted the coffee she remarked that it was bitter and refused to drink it. She threw the contents of her cup into the slop pail, and refused to allow the three other children to drink the coffee or eat the cakes.

Stoddard started for Ferry, the nearest town, the morning after the poisoning, stating that he was going to purchase groceries. He spent about $2 when the family was really in need of an entire new stock of food, the children being without underclothing and other wearing apparel. Not one meal was in the house when the father left on his purported mission to purchase groceries.

Tom Kelley, Deputy sheriff at Ferry, was notified of the case Thursday and brought word to Republic. Sheriff Moran said:
"Stoddard is not doubt insane. He has been a quiet unassuming man for the last year. He has said but little, and his neighbors have often commented that his demeanor has been indicative of a demented mind."