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

From our archives, 100 years ago

Two women of the night ambushed a newly arrived German immigrant after they had learned that he routinely carried $600 in cash.

They accosted him in the street, near Pine Street and Pacific Avenue, but a police officer turned the corner right then. They dropped his wallet and tried to flee. The German grabbed one woman and held her, while the other woman ran into a nearby shack, hotly pursued by the officer.

A bitter fight ensued, in which even the wood stove was overturned. But the officer emerged with the woman under arrest.

The German, however, was now covered with scratch marks and puncture wounds – and alone. He had tried to detain the other woman, but she took out a hat pin and gave him a “lively time.” Then she ran off.

While the German was attempting to explain this – without benefit of English – the officer turned around and noticed the shack was on fire. The overturned stove had ignited the place.

They managed to extinguish the blaze and then escort the woman to jail. They also recovered the wallet – which contained only $10, as it turned out.

The other woman was long gone, leaving behind only a prodigious amount of white powder – her face makeup.