Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Spokane police were combing the city for Arthur J. Beck, alias A.J. Murray, who had just escaped from the North Dakota State Penitentiary.

Beck was notorious in Spokane, partly because he was the man who stole a half-boxcar load of butter from the Northern Pacific Railroad in Fargo the previous autumn. He was arrested in Spokane after a desperate standoff near Lidgerwood Park.

But he was mainly notorious for what came out at his trial: He was married to three different women.

All three showed up at his trial in Fargo, and all three claimed rights to his property.

North Dakota authorities believed he was headed back to Washington where he was thought to have friends – or possibly wives? – who would aid in concealing him. 

From the boxing beat: Kid Scaler, Spokane’s up-and-coming lightweight boxer, announced that he had lined up a match with Battling Nelson in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Kid had already defeated some of the best lightweights in the country, the Chronicle said.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1962: The first public TV transmissions over Telstar 1 took place during a special program featuring live shots beamed from the United States to Europe, and vice versa. 1982: Actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed when a helicopter crashed on top of them during filming for “Twilight Zone: The Movie.”