The history of Grays Harbor – and Aberdeen in particular – is such that it would take decades to cover all of the stories of the criminal element that have disgraced our streets in the nearly 130 years of the city’s existence. Despite the nostalgia that paints the past as a quiet, bucolic time, some of the crimes were so horribly heinous that even today they would be considered monstrous. Fortunately the vast majority of crime was mundane, but still made for good reading. Here are some generally light-hearted tales from the police blotter as presented by the newspapers of the day.
Races with chief and pays $10 fine
That a race on county roads is not always wise, even when one desires to show off a new car is proven by the experience that ManagerLou Ross of the Tacoma Motor Company has while bringing a new car to the Aberdeen Auto Company in this city. Mr. Ross wasspeeding along the road north of Montesano a day or two ago when he caught up with a man and a woman on a motorcycle. His car was feeling fine, so was Mr. Ross, and the latter determined to show the motorcyclist a clean pair of heels. He speeded up and went into Montesano at some speed. Near the city he slowed up and the motorcyclist caught up with Ross as the city hall was reached. Mr.Ross was surprised a minute or two later to find himself under arrest, and had not recovered from the daze a few minutes later whenhe paid a $10 fine for speeding.
It was the Montesano chief of police who was riding the motorcycle.
“Well, anyway, old sport,” said Mr. Ross, as he threw her into the high (gear), and scooted out of town, “if you fine me again you will have to go faster than you did this time,” and he tore down the Montesano street at 30 miles an hour. – Aberdeen Bulletin, September 6,1912
Don’t scare at burglar
A man giving the name of H.T. Smith is in the county jail, and will have a preliminary hearing this afternoon before Judge Phillips on a charge of attempted burglary, at the residence of W.H. Tamblyn, chief of the fire department.
Mrs. Tamblyn was awakened about 2:30 Saturday morning by a noise at a rear window of her home on South F Street. Arising she heard a similar sound on the porch, and by the light of the streetlamp, saw a man trying to pry open the dining room window. Instead of becoming hysterical, she slipped on a kimono over her nightdress and quickly left the house by the front door. Going to the home of her daughter next door, she telephoned for the police. When Officers Church and Williams arrived on the scene, the burglar was still at work on the window. – Aberdeen Herald, January 20, 1914
Ex-policeman is held for theft
J.J. Dutcher, former Aberdeen policeman, was arrested yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock on a state warrant, charging him with theft of a revolver from Chin Toy, Cosmopolis Chinaman, last September.
Dutcher and several federal officers raided the Chinaman’s place in Cosmopolis last September in an unsuccessful search for drugs.Following the raid, a revolver valued at $42 was missing. Dutcher served on the force for only a short time, and until a few weeks ago had been working in a logging camp.
A second-hand dealer reported that the revolver had been pawned to him yesterday. The number and description of the revolver tallied with that of the gun owned by Chin Toy. On the pawnbroker’s information, a warrant was sworn out by the Chinaman, charging Dutcher with theft.
His preliminary hearing has been set for tomorrow afternoon before Justice of the Peace W.M. Baumert. – Aberdeen Bulletin, January26, 1921
Prisoner scorns ball and chain
Slipping away from the work squad at Roosevelt (now Sam Benn) Park yesterday, William Hartz, sentenced to 30 days in the city on a vagrancy charge, made his escape despite a heavy ball and chain fastened to his leg. Police are mystified as to the manner Hartz concealed the heavy ball while making his way through the streets.
Officers were summoned to a rooming house last night, where the shackle that had held the ball and chain was found. The shackle had been completely filed through. Police suspect that he freed himself from the ball before entering the rooming house and that he filed the shackle off at his leisure.
Hartz previously ran away from the work squad at the park, and on his second arrest officers affixed the ball and chain to him during working hours. – Aberdeen Bulletin, February 18, 1928
A DARING ATTEMPT of two city jail prisoners to escape was frustrated Saturday night by the keen ears of police in their office adjoining the city jail. Officers heard the sound of metal scraping on the brick wall and entered the jail, they said, just as Stanley Dombeck and Eugene Holley, both held for grand larceny, were about to crawl through an aperture made through bricks being removed from the wall.
Dombeck was arrested early Saturday morning by Hoquiam police, in connection with an automobile robbery. His partner, Burt Keegan,was lodged in the Hoquiam jail, while Dombeck was placed in the Aberdeen jail. Holley, wanted for larceny of a suit in Hoquiam, was arrested last Saturday.
The prisoners utilized a spoon, stolen at dinner time, and a goose-neck from the drinking fountain, for tools. They had removed one layer of bricks and were about ready to remove a section large enough to crawl through, when officers heard them. They were placed in the steel tanks, pending removal to the county jail. – Aberdeen Bulletin, March 19, 1928
Eats newspaper to win wager made on parade
Holding good to his promise, C. Elliott night desk sergeant at police headquarters today is suffering from acute indigestion as the result of a rather foolish yet earnest bet with Patrolman Schmidt.
Just as Elliott was leaving the station this morning, Schmidt said: “Suppose you will take in the parade this afternoon.”
“What parade?” asked Elliott.
“Why the Memorial Day parade. Don’t you ever read the daily paper?”
“Yes, I read the paper daily, you boob.” relied Elliott with some heat, “and if you can show me where anything has been said in reference to a parade today, I’ll eat the paper”
Securing a copy of last night’s edition of The World, Schmidt had but little difficulty in “showing.”
Fulfilling his promise, Elliott began eating the first page of the paper when kindly friends interposed, and declared on the part of Elliott that the bet would be called off.
“I never had a hankering for any particular paper on Grays Harbor,” observed the loser, “but if you don’t mind, I’ll just finish the job. I like the taste.” – Aberdeen Bulletin, May 30, 1912
PATROLMAN L.L. SHERMAN, suspended for five days because of alleged failure to observe police department regulations, will return to duty on Friday, Chief Harry Allen announced today. The chief suspended Sherman when the latter shot five dogs without orders.
As a result of protests against shooting of dogs by patrolmen, no canines will be shot under any circumstances, the chief said. This order applies to dogs run over by vehicles or even mad dogs. – Aberdeen Bulletin, June 3, 1925
Roy Vataja is the son of Finnish immigrants and supports the local police but draws the line when they shoot unarmed dogs.