Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Police finally tracked down and arrested George M. Martin, the prime suspect in the daring robbery of the Spokane State Bank more than a month earlier.

Martin had led authorities on a thrilling chase into Idaho, where he hired an unsuspecting taxi driver to help him flee. He later jumped on a train to Montana. At one point, a constable stopped him, but Martin was released because a warrant had not yet been issued. He then disappeared.

However, he finally turned up in Portland, where police arrested him. He was awaiting extradition back to Spokane on bank robbery charges.

Martin was accused of locking the Spokane State Bank’s bookkeeper into the vault and making off with $1,000 in cash. He had threatened to blow up the bank with nitroglycerin if the bookkeeper didn’t cooperate.

Detectives said they found incriminating evidence in Martin’s room in Spokane, and that he was the only person wanted in connection with the robbery.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1922: Rebecca L. Felton, D-Ga., became the first woman to be appointed to the U.S. Senate. (She ended up serving only a day.)

1932: Iraq became independent of British administration.

1981: Irish nationalists at the Maze Prison near Belfast, Northern Ireland, ended seven months of hunger strikes that had claimed 10 lives.