The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., May 24, 1912, page 1

MURDERER IS DEAD
Slayer of Mother-in-Law and Young Wife Shoots Self

     Goldendale Wash. -- The body of Samuel W. Watson was buried at Pleasant Valley May 20, thus closing one of the most atrocious crimes in the history of Klickitat county. He died from gunshot wounds inflicted with suicidal intent, after he had killed his wife and her mother. The crime was committed a week ago.
     Watson and his wife quarreled and a separation was planned. He purchased a revolver and went to the home of Mrs. Langstaff, his mother-and-law, to try to bring about a reconciliation. The killing followed. Both women died instantly. No story of the shooting was given by Watson, who never regained full consciousness. Journal.

The Independent, Goldendale, WA., May 23, 1912, page 8
"More Locals"

     Samuel William Watson, who killed his mother-in-law and his young wife a few days ago at their home in east of Goldendale, and then put a bullet into his own brain, died at the O-K hotel in this city last Saturday evening. He was buried at Pleasant Valley on Monday afternoon, W.N. Knox, pastor of the Baptist Church here, preaching the funeral sermon. Samuel Watson was born in Kansas on February 25, 1892, and has resided in Klickitat for the past 14 years. He was married last September. We believe that the killing was done in a fit of temporary insanity. The young man has been working all spring for A.E. Hardin, the Rock Creek sheep man, and Mr. Hardin and some of the employees at the ranch, has informed us that Watson acted queer at times for fully six weeks before the killing.

The Independent, Goldendale, WA., May 16, 1912, page 1

A GRUESOME MURDER
Samuel Watson Kills His Young Wife and Mother-In-Law, and The Tries to Commit Sucide

     Monday afternoon our city was thrown into a great state of excitement when word was telephoned to our sheriff that Sam Watson had shot two people and then tried to kill himself.
     Sheriff Warner and Deputy Sheriff Fred A. Smith immediately left for the scene of the murder as fast as an automobile could take them.
     The murder occurred at the home of L.T. Langsstaff, sixteen miles east of Goldendale. It appears that the young couple had been having trouble, and on Friday they decided to separate, Watson giving his wife a horse and a cow (all the property they had). He told some of the neighbors he was done and was going to Goldendale to secure a divorce. Saturday he came to town and bought a 32-calibre automatic revolver.
     Monday morning Mr. Langstaff left by rig, and near the house met Watson, who was riding a horse, and they stopped and talked a little while. Father and son returned about four o'clock, and found the saddle horse tied to the fence. The father said there must be something wrong, and hurried to the house. He found his wife lying dead on the porch with a bullet through the heart, and one through the wrist. The daughter was lying on her face in the house, also dead, with a bullet wound in her breast and one in her shoulder. He discovered a revolver laying on the table covered with blood; and in another room, lying on the bed was the man that had done the deed, with a bullet hole in front of his right ear, the bullet coming out just above the forehead in about the center of the head.
     Watson was alive, so was hurried to town for medical attention. Drs. Bonebrake and Hartley dressed the wound, but give out very little hope for his recovery, as the brain matter is oozing from the wound. He is at the O.K. hotel under guard, and if he recovers will have to answer to the charge of murder in the first degree.
     Watson is only 20 years of age and his wife was 16 years old. Both families have borne good reputations here, and not a word of suspicion was ever bereaved against the two murdered women. Watson has an aged mother at Pleasant Valley, and three brothers, Thomas Watson, whose photo studio burned here a few months ago, George Watson, the Centerville blacksmith, and Charles Watson, of Pleasant Valley.
     In the killing Watson killed three people, for his wife expected to give birth to a child within a month.
     Coroner Merle Chapman and Prosecuting Attorney Ramsey went to the scene Monday night and held an inquest over the remains. The coroner's jury rendered the following verdict:

"Murder was committed by one Samuel William Watson, the said Samuel William Watson shooting each of them with an automatic revolver."

Signed,
A.E. Hardin,
J.H. Coffield,
A.C. Chapman,
S.W. Slusser,
H.D. Roberts,
Ray Wedgewood

     The bodies of the two women were brought to Goldendale on Tuesday, and will be buried here Saturday at 2 o'clock.

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©  Jeffrey L. Elmer