100 years ago in Spokane: Draft dodger nabbed by deputy marshal

Spokane’s first “slacker” – draft evader – was nabbed by a U.S. deputy marshal.

William Crane, a Lattin’s Cafe kitchen worker, made the mistake of boasting to his friends that “no one could make him register for military service.”

He was wrong about that. Registration was mandatory for all men between 21 and 30.

The deputy marshal said he found incriminating evidence at Crane’s home, including a book titled “War: What For?” The deputy said it contained the line,“If the rulers want blood, let them cut their own throats.”

Crane refused to make a statement when he was taken to the police station. He would be given a hearing the next day.

Meanwhile, the search for other “slackers” continued. Marshals acted on a rumor that a young man in Garden Springs had failed to register. When they found the man, they learned that he had simply arrived at his registration site before it opened, and subsequently registered at another site.

Spokane police also were assisting in a sweep of Spokane’s billiard rooms. They failed to find any “slackers,” but they did arrest some young men for smoking cigarettes under the age of 21.

Spokane’s registration totals were much lower than predicted, but this was turning out to be the same throughout the state. The total registration for the state was about half of what was expected.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

2016: Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump claimed their parties’ presidential nominations.