In an effort to spotlight more outlandish stories of Finnish immigrants on the Harbor, here are a few tales of Finns and their antics from the early part of the last century. Some of the stories, from local papers, are quite sad but they show the many ways that Finns brought color to the local communities.
PARK DESERTER’S LIBERTY WAS BRIEF — Found lying on the sidewalk near Broadway and Market Street Tuesday afternoon after he had taken “French leave” from the city jail work crew at Roosevelt (now Sam Benn) Park, George Maki, more or less regular boarder at the city jail, was given a fine of $25 and 30 days in the city jail yesterday. Tuesday’s escape was Maki’s third from the park squad, according to police.
Maki was missed at about 3:30 o’clock in the afternoon and he was located on the sidewalk two hours later. Police declare he was almost paralyzed from alcohol drunk in the interim. Maki maintained in court that he was merely sick and had left the park for “medicine.”
In addition to working in the park, Maki will be fitted out with a large ball and chain to discourage further sudden departures, the judge ruled. — Aberdeen Daily World, December 24, 1927
SALOON EMPLOYEE DIES SUDDENLY — Kousta Tuomala, aged 60 years, native of Finland, died suddenly this morning in the Klondike Saloon on South G Street, where he had been employed. Tuomala was at work this morning and five minutes before death came, appeared to be in good health. He complained of illness and died before a doctor arrived. Coroner Hunter decided that the cause of death was heart trouble. Tuomala leaves a family in Finland. — Aberdeen Bulletin, June 4, 1913
ENDS LIFE IN JAIL WITH FIVE DAYS TO SERVE — Montesano — Malcolm Martin, age 43, a native of Finland, committed suicide in the county jail, here Tuesday afternoon by hanging himself in the shower bath room with a braided cord tied to a broom handle.
Martin had been sentenced to four months in jail for slashing an opponent in a saloon brawl and was one of the trio that broke jail last spring. When captured he put up a terrific fight, maiming Deputy Sheriff Fitzgerald by biting him on the hand and arm. He has been acting queer the past three months and should have been released today, but was given five days more for breaking jail. When told of his prolonged incarceration, he informed jailmates that unless he was released he would go “straight up.” As a result of his actions he was not allowed to work on the street today.
Although he was hanging but 15 minutes, efforts to resuscitate him were of no avail. — Aberdeen Herald,
July 18, 1913
Alex Jacobson, of Hoquiam, was committed to the insane asylum, by Judge Irwin, Saturday. — Aberdeen Herald, August 15, 1901
Alex Jacobson, a Finnish carpenter, who was committed to the insane asylum in 1901 from Hoquiam, died at that institution Monday. — Aberdeen Herald, December 12, 1907
WOMAN PICKED UP UNCONSCIOUS — Hoquiam — A heavily built woman of Finnish nationality was found in a state of unconsciousness near milepost No. 8, on the beach road, yesterday morning, by D.J. Halferty, the Moclips cannery man, who was motoring to Aberdeen. The woman was lying on her face, which was bleeding from scratches. With considerable difficulty Mr. Halferty got her into the car and brought her to Hoquiam, where she was made at home until she had recovered her strength.
The woman, who declined to give her name to the Finnish interpreter, said she lived on Summit Street in East Aberdeen and that she had been visiting her husband, who is digging clams at Moclips. She took the train at Moclips yesterday morning, but was seen by Frank Smith, a passenger on the train, to get off at Copalis. From that point to milepost No. 8 is about four miles. The woman, who weighs probably over 250 pounds, stated that she sat down by the road to rest and remembered nothing til she came to in the auto. — Aberdeen Herald, March 9, 1915
Finally, a two-part story of love lost, then found, then lost again:
A WOMAN MISSING — When Carl Hanninen returned from his work in a sawmill at noon Friday he found his wife was gone, and he fears she suddenly lost her reason and took the morning train for the Sound.
The Hanninens reside at 1010½ East First Street, and, according to Mr. Hanninen, their domestic life had always been happy since their marriage in Finland seven years ago. When he went to work Friday morning his wife seemed in her usual good spirits, and he is dazed at her disappearance without leaving a word of explanation.
There was several hundred dollars in the house, from which Mrs. Hanninen took but $5, just about enough to take her to the Sound. The husband is greatly distressed over the circumstance and will make a diligent search for his missing wife. — Aberdeen Herald, October 19, 1908
SUES FOR DAMAGES — Andrew Hanninen has brought suit, by attorney Wilson Buttner, against Jack Keranen for $2,500 damages, for the alleged alienation of his wife’s affections and has had a warrant issued for the arrest of Keranen on a statutory charge.
Keranen was a boarder at the Hanninen home, 1010 East First Street, and is said to have eloped with Mrs. Hanninen last November, going to West Superior, Wisconsin. The husband learned the whereabouts of the couple, and followed, persuaded his wife to return home. Keranen came back to Aberdeen later, and it is alleged again became attentive to the woman, who has again left her home. The parties are all prominent in Finnish circles, where the case is attracting much attention. —
Aberdeen Herald, January 25, 1909
Roy Vataja is the son of Finnish immigrants and gets a kick out of reading about the old-timey, drunken antics of his people.
