Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Henry H. Hollinsworth made a jailhouse confession to being the “yegg” who attempted to blow the safe in the Washington Water Power offices in Long Lake.

He said desperation drove him to the deed, because his health would no longer allow him to pursue his vocation as a teacher and he was too scrawny – 105 pounds – for manual labor.

When he learned the Long Lake office safe had up to $10,000 in cash, he and a pal, Nathan Holland, decided to sneak in and blow it with nitroglycerin. However, Holland tipped off police, who hid themselves in the office. One of the officers tried to shoot Hollinsworth, but his shotgun misfired. Holllinsworth launched himself out the window and fled into the woods.

“I could have killed the man who followed me,” Hollinsworth said. “He came within easy range while I was in the woods. But I did not offer to shoot. I have no desire to kill. I don’t want to be a criminal and I don’t intend to be.”

From the hygiene beat: The pastor of Westminster Congregational Church told 300 men at an all-men’s meeting on the subject of “The Social Evil” that they needed to be “as pure as you believe your mother, your wife or your sister to be.”

“Many girls die of a single kiss, and in one short hour pass over the fatal line between life and death, health and corruption,” said the reverend.