Jim Kershner’s This day in history » On the Web: spokesman.com/topics/local-history

From our archives, 100 years ago

A lanky man wearing a mailman’s uniform, a tin star and cap labeled “U.S.” walked up to a man at Spokane’s Interstate Fair and blurted, “You’re under arrest.”

“What would you arrest me for?” asked the man, understandably startled. After all, he was the one wearing the genuine uniform. He was Officer Barton, of the Spokane Police Department.

“Never mind what you’re arrested for,” said the man in the mailman’s uniform. “I’ll tell you later … I guess you won’t run away.”

Then the man in the mailman uniform receded back into the fair crowd. Officer Barton sputtered.

Barton talked to some other officers and discovered the same thing had just happened to them, too.

“Consternation reigned,” said the Chronicle.

The mystery was cleared up when a doctor strolled up to Barton and informed him that a Medical Lake “asylum” patient named “Marry” had a habit of arresting everybody he sees, especially police officers.

“I guess he has arrested the whole force,” said the doctor. “Marry” was one of 100 Medical Lake patients who had been on a fair excursion.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1970: Rock singer Janis Joplin, 27, was found dead in her Hollywood hotel room.