IDAHO GOES DOWN EastIdahoNews.com is examining the history of east Idaho by examining what life was like from July 28 to August 3.
1900-1925
The Bingham County News reported on July 31, 1913, that a local private detective from Blackfoot was being held in the Bannock County Jail.
A. Smith was suspected of being the individual who had attempted twice in vain to set fire to the Blackfoot residence of county prosecuting attorney C. Douglas Smith a few nights prior.
On his way home early in the morning, a railroad worker managed to spot the fire. According to the publication, the train man helped save the lawyer’s house and potentially his life by spotting the fire before it got out of control.
Bingham County Sheriff Jones apprehended the detective in Shelley. The man was then taken by rail to Pocatello by Deputy Sheriff George Crane.
According to the newspaper, Smith claims he has no idea why he was arrested and will not discuss the matter. Either he is genuinely ignorant or he is procrastinating. This morning, he denied stealing a Mexican’s clothing to jailor Bob Lewis. Such a case is unknown to the sheriff’s office.
According to the report, the detective was once hired by the county attorney to collect evidence at McCammon for certain criminal cases. The county attorney denied approval of the detective’s excessively high expenditure claim.
According to the newspaper, the investigator used foul language and threatened to exact revenge on the county attorney after seeing him on the street a few days before the attempt to destroy his house.
The day before the lawyer’s house was set on fire, the detective was in town. When the detective’s room in an east side loading house was examined the following morning, a pair of overalls with a kerosene oil odor was discovered. At the lawyer’s house, a gunny sack and a quantity of kerosene-soaked cotton waste had been discovered.
Following the fire incident, the detective moved to a different room. After leaving early in the morning, he was taken into custody.
1926-1950
GRACE On July 28, 1932, the Caribou County Sun reported that a local man accused of marital desertion had been discovered in California.
In 1923, William A. Williamson moved to California from Grace. Williamson was charged with leaving his wife and four kids behind. Authorities didn’t know where he was until 1932, when they found him in Long Beach.
According to the article, he is accused of bigamy in California, which is a more serious accusation, because he married a California lady after leaving Idaho.
Sheriff Woodward was on his way to Long Beach after departing Idaho in order to return Williamson to Idaho’s authority.
1951-1975
BurleyOn July 30, 1959, The Burley Herald reported that four persons miraculously survived a rare collision involving a two-ton vehicle.
Kenneth Schoen of Rupert was backing his pickup along Lake Cleveland Road to make room for an oncoming vehicle, according to Cassia County Sheriff LePage Layton. His wife was beside him, while Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Barney of Rupert were in the open truck bed.
According to Layton, Schoen attempted to back the truck off the steep road that went to the lake area, but the car’s motor quit. The truck totally flipped onto its top after colliding with rocks.
After receiving little medical attention at Rupert Hospital, the Schoens were allowed to go. There were no injuries to the Barneys.
The truck was assessed to have $200 worth of damage.
1976-2000
POCATELLOA On July 31, 1977, the Idaho State Journal reported that a 23-year-old male had been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and evading arrest.
Around 10:30 p.m., according to the police, Craig E.C. Palmer hit a car twice in the Smith’s Food King parking lot at Arthur and Custer. He then attempted to leave the area by car, but was apprehended by a city detective who was not on duty.
Palmer complained of a hurting shoulder, according to the police, and was eventually brought to the Bannock Memorial Hospital. Then he ran out the emergency exit to get out of the hospital.
Around two in the morning, Palmer was arrested once more and accused of escaping. He was arrested pending arraignment and released on a $600 bond.
