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

From our archives, 100 years ago

A sad family drama was playing out on the Humphrey O’Sullivan farm near Deep Creek. The family patriarch had his own son arrested for trespassing on the homestead.

And the strange thing was: The son was on the land legally, but the father was not.

The aged Mrs. O’Sullivan said that the courts had ordered her irascible husband to stay away from the 445-acre farm. The court had also granted Mrs. O’Sullivan permission to run the farm. One of her five sons was on the farm helping her bring in the crops. The father, who had apparently sneaked onto the land illegally, called a deputy. The deputy apparently didn’t know about the court order and arrested the son.

Mrs. O’Sullivan said that the family’s troubles stemmed from her husband’s refusal to associate with any of his own seven children. She said her husband had “brought disgrace” on the family and that she had “stood it as long as I am going to.”

She bailed out her son and planned to straighten out the mess in court.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1519: Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set out from Spain on five ships to find a western passage to the Spice Islands. (Magellan was killed en route, but one of his ships eventually circled the world.)