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

From our archives, 100 years ago

A tragic story unfolded near Cannon Hill Park.

A boy, 12, returned to his South Hill home early in the morning after a spring vacation train trip to see relatives in St. Paul. He went up to his front door and rang the bell. His parents didn’t respond. He went to the neighbors, who helped him through a window.

The boy found both of his parents dead in the bathroom.

They had apparently been overcome by fumes from an improperly vented heater while preparing for bed the night before. The heater was still spewing fumes when the bodies were found.

His 5-year-old sister was found asleep, but unharmed, in the bedroom next door.

From the baseball beat: The sportswriter attending the opening game of the Spokane Indians’ season appended this interesting note to his story: “Nine Japanese fans sat in the front row of the grandstand yesterday and pulled mightily for the Indians. Spokane Japanese are becoming quite expert, not only as players, but as followers of the game.”

Also on this date

From the Associated Press

1993: The 51-day siege at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ended as fire destroyed the structure after federal agents began smashing their way in; dozens of people, including sect leader David Koresh, were killed.