Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

A moderate earthquake shook windows and rattled dishes north of Spokane.

No damage was reported, but the seismograph at Gonzaga University recorded tremors over the course of eight minutes. It was felt in Colville and Grand Forks, B.C., although it was not certain where the quake was centered. 

The Colville correspondent noted that in Echo Valley, 10 miles north of Colville, it was strong enough to be felt by pedestrians. The correspondent also noted that similar shocks had been reported in 1873 and 1888.

From the scandal file: The investigation into a series of cash shortfalls in the city treasurer’s office revealed exactly how the money disappeared. 

On four particular days, spread over more than a year, duplicate receipts for local improvement project payments had been submitted, “for exactly the same amount as the shortage of cash.” This meant that money was received by the cashier and “not turned over to the city nor placed to its credit, or to any of the particular funds to which it was entitled.”

This raised the possibility that whoever was the cashier at the time, or someone else in the office, might have pocketed the money. Two cashiers were already under suspension while the investigation was taking place.