Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

For three straight evenings, someone had crept into the walk-in icebox of a Japanese restaurant at 201 W. Main Ave. and stolen some meat.

So the proprietor, T. Suma, and his employees set a trap.

They appointed a waitress to watch the icebox, which opened off a hallway near the kitchen. Sure enough, she saw a man sneak in. She gave the alarm.

Suma rushed out and slammed the door shut, locking the man inside the icebox.

“The victim tried to break out of the cool quarters, but the bolted door held firm,” the newspaper said. 

Police were called. They opened the door, releasing a laborer named Gus Johnson “from the zero weather within.”

He was arrested on larceny charges.

From the intoxication beat: A cop walking a beat heard an odd sound: snoring from the chapel of a funeral home.

So he went in and found Olaf Clawson drunk and sound asleep on one of the pews.

When the officer rousted him out, Clawson declared, “I’m not afraid of the dead ones and it’s nice and warm in here.”

But then he “crossed himself devoutly and raised his eyes.”