100 years ago in Spokane: Log cabin raid nabs draft evaders

Four more “slackers” (draft evaders) were sentenced to jail for failing to register for the draft.

Two of the men were arrested when federal deputies raided a log cabin near Colville. William Goerkes and William Saunders attempted to crawl out of a back window. Meanwhile, Goerkes’ father told deputies the men weren’t there.

When officers caught the two men, the elder Goerkes went on a tirade against the U.S. government, claiming that “the kaiser is worth a whole roomful of (Woodrow) Wilsons.” He also allegedly spat at the deputies and attempted to reach some rifles in the corner. The elder Goerkes was also arrested.

Goerkes and Saunders were sentenced to nine months in jail.

One of the other convicted men was a Finn from Peaceful Valley, who told the court that he believed the U.S. Constitution did not require him to register. He was sentenced to six months.

The fourth convicted man was an Italian shoemaker who said he went to the registration site twice, but it was too crowded both times. He was sentenced to only 24 hours in prison.

From the dance craze beat: A movie called “The Clodhopper,” playing at the Liberty Theater, spawned the “dance sensation of the year,” according to an ad.

Movie star Charles Ray “devised and demonstrated” the Clodhopper Glide in the film, which was said to provide “pang after pang of joy.”

A photo of Ray had the caption, “Jumping’ Bullfrogs, How He Can Hop!”