YAKIMA KEATS AND THE SPOKANE SPOOK

AS YAKIMA KEATS WAS TRAVELING TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER FOR SALMON FISHING HE CAME TO THE TOWN OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, WHICH IS LOCATED NEAR A WATERFALL ON THE SPOKANE RIVER.

THE PEOPLE OF SPOKANE TOLD HIM NOT TO GO OUT IN THE STREETS AT MIDNIGHT. HE ASKED WHY AND THEY TOLD HIM ABOUT A GHOST CALLED THE SPOKANE SPOOK. IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CITY A TOWN LEADER HAD FALLEN INTO THE RIVER ABOVE THE FALLS.

AS HE WAS BEING CARRIED BY THE SWIFT CURRENT OF THE RIVER TOWARD THE WATERFALL HE CALLED TO THE PEOPLE ON THE RIVER BANK, "THROW ME A ROPE! THROW ME A ROPE!" NO ONE HAD A ROPE WITH THEM AND HE WAS CARRIED OVER THE FALLS TO HIS DEATH. HIS BODY WAS NEVER FOUND.

EVERY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT THE GHOST OF THE POOR MAN WALKED THE STREETS OF SPOKANE SAYING, "THROW ME A ROPE! THROW ME A ROPE!" THE TOWNS PEOPLE WERE AFRAID OF THE GHOST AND NO ONE WOULD GO INTO THE STREETS AT MIDNIGHT.

YAKIMA WAS NOT AFRAID OF GHOSTS AND HE DECIDED TO SEE THE GHOST FOR HIMSELF. YAKIMA HAD BEEN IN TEXAS WHERE A COWBOY HAD GIVEN HIM A LASSO WHICH HE CARRIED ON HIS EVENING WALKS. HE PRACTICED SPINNING IT ALL THE TIME.

AT MIDNIGHT THE GHOST APPEARED SAYING, "THROW ME A ROPE! THROW ME A ROPE!" YAKIMA DECIDED TO LASSO THE GHOST AND TRIED TO THROW HIS LASSO LOOP OVER THE HEAD OF THE GHOST.

THE GHOST SAID, "I SAID A ROPE DUMMY! NOT A LASSO!" AND DISAPPEARED.