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

From our archives, 100 years ago

A toddler named Frank Sommers, 3, somehow toddled right onto a passenger train at the Mullan, Idaho, depot.

No one saw the little tyke board the train. His parents in Mullan didn’t miss him, either – not until they got a call from a railroad station agent in Montana.

The conductor had discovered little Frank, apparently occupying himself happily, just about the time the train was pulling into Saltese, Mont. He asked Frank where his parents were, but Frank apparently was not particularly informative on that subject.

The conductor, finally convinced that Frank was all alone, left him with the agent at the Saltese depot, who managed to locate his parents. The agent put Frank right back on a westbound train, which was met in Mullan by his relieved mother.

From the cops and robbers beat: Two men wearing bandanas over their faces held up the proprietor of the Altamont Pharmacy as he was heading home for the day.

Police spotted them on Eighth Avenue, near Division, and opened fire. The robbers returned fire – 21 shots were fired in all. One of the robbers was hit, but managed to crawl away. Police were still searching for them late that night.

Also on this date

From the Associated Press

1969: Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon