Good Old Days: Dec. 31, 2020

125 years ago

The Commoner

November 15, 1895

(continued from Dec. 17, 2020 issue of The Gazette)

The jailbreak was a well-planned one, showing that the originators were men with a genius for that kind of thing. The jail proper is in the northeast corner of the courthouse, directly beneath the prosecuting attorney’s office. The walls are very heavy, the ceiling is of steel, floor of cement and the windows, which are ten or twelve feet from the ground, are heavily barred. Inside the jail, and surrounded on all sides by an open corridor, is a steel cage, having two tiers of cells, with four cells in each tier.

The south half of the cage is a corridor, in which the prisoners are kept confined during the day time , the cell doors opening to it. At the west end of the cage, on the outside, is a steel box with a combination lock. Inside this box is a lever, which unlocked and pulled toward the jailer, unlocks the cells on each side. Each cell door is also provided with a heavy independent padlock, which works on a staple in the wall of the cell, over which the dell door has been put.

When the outside lever is pushed away from the jailer each cell door on the tire is fastened by two steel rods, which engage the edge of the door. After the cells are fastened in this way it is safe for the jailer to enter the cage corridor and attach the padlock to each cell.

At least it was supposed to be safe until Jailer Newcomer’s experience Sunday night.

The rod from the outside lever runs along above the doors of the cells, and at each cell there is a hole in this rod, in which is fitted a steel rod, running toward the floor, when opposite the center of the cell door this rod is bent abruptly toward the door. This piece is but a few inches in length where it is welded to another rod several feet in length running parallel to the jail door. The ends of the latter rod are bent at a right angle, making the two catches which engage the edge of the door when the lever is shoved away from the jailer.

(to be continued)

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

December 31, 1920

Thieves took advantage of Christmas to rob the depot at Oakesdale while the agent was absent eating his Christmas dinner. R.W. Clark, agent of the Northern Pacific depot, locked up his office Christmas at 1 o’clock and went home to dinner. When he returned at 4 o’clock, he found that the depot had been broken into and the safe forced open. About $50 in currency and silver was missing.

He immediately notified the officers at Spokane of the loss and detectives were placed on the case.

The local county officials were notified and they left for Oakesdale Christmas in the afternoon but no trace of the thieves had been found. The work is thought to be the work of parties who were familiar with the habits of the agent, and who knew he would not return to the station until just before the arrival of the afternoon train.

The officers are working on the case with this idea in view and it is said that the parties who robbed the safe will be found in or near Oakesdale, if they are found at all.

The safe was one of the old-style safes which are found in railroad stations. They afford protection against fire, but offer little resistance against safe breakers.

Up until Thursday noon, no trace of the robbers had been found and it is expected that the Oakesdale robbery will pass along as another of those mysteries which can not be solved and in time will be forgotten.

75 years ago

The Colfax

Gazette-Commoner

December 28, 1945

New Year’s Eve celebrants have two events at which they can do their merrymaking in bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new one in.

Under sponsorship of the junior chamber of commerce, there will be a basketball game at the high school gymnasium at 8 o’clock and a dance at the K. of P.-I.O.O.F. temple from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. with James Lockhart’s six-piece band from Spokane.

The maple court contest will feature the famous Harlem Globetrotters against a team of former college players which will be assembled by Leonard (Pinky) West, who coached the Colfax High School Bulldogs to one district and two county championships in 1944 and 1945. He is expected to play.

50 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

Dec. 31, 1970

Burglars took 60 bottles of liquor valued at $525 in a break-in Monday at the Jaycee club in Oakesdale. Deputy Sheriff Ron Jones said a window in the back of the club building was forced open. Another $45 in cash was taken from a cash drawer, Deputy Jones said.