100 years ago in Spokane: Man convicted of murdering Spokane police officer

From our archives, 100 years ago

Earl A. Jones, aka Robert Howland, was convicted of murder in what the paper described as “the shortest murder trial in the history of the county courts.”

Jury selection was at 10 a.m. and the trial was over by 5:30 p.m. All of the jurors “voted on the first ballot to convict the negro,” said the newspaper.

Testimony showed that Jones had opened fire in a colored club and killed porter Charles Jackson. When police arrived, Jones had barricaded himself in the club and opened fire on the officers, killing officer Michael Tynan,

Jones did not take the stand and “appeared little concerned” with the verdict. Police said he was an escaped convict from Ohio.

From the missing persons file: Spokane police were pursuing a lead in the disappearance of Pearl Heffley, 15, and Mildred Little, 12.

A woman who lives north of Deer Park told police that two girls and two boys came to her door and asked for something to eat. They left after the woman said she had nothing for them. She then called police, but they were gone when police arrived on the scene.

Earlier police had found the stolen car they were believed to have taken. It was abandoned in Spokane with an empty gas tank. One of the girls told the woman that they “had an auto once, but did not have it now.”

This seemed to confirm the detectives’ theory that the girls had run off with two boys in the stolen car.