100 years ago in Spokane: ‘Ain’t no more trouble coming,’ relative of slain fruit merchant promised

Leaders of Spokane’s “Italian colony” said there would be no trouble or “revenge of any kind” following the death of Joe Guarascio at the hands of another Italian fruit merchant, Louie Adamo, at a Spokane fruit warehouse.

“Trouble? No chance!” said Joseph Plastino, a spokesman for the Italian community. “I’ll guarantee no trouble. I’ll look after it myself. I feel pretty badly about it. There are about 3,000 Italians in Spokane and they all feel it – they didn’t like it. Nearly all of there were friends of Guarascio.”

The two sons of the victim vowed to let the courts handle any retribution.

“There ain’t no more trouble coming,” Alfred Guarascio said. “Victor, my brother, and I won’t make any trouble. Adamo had a brother who made trouble, and maybe would make more trouble, but he’s gone away.”

From the statehood beat: A new state of Lincoln, consisting of Eastern Washington and North Idaho, was not going to happen.

Backers admitted to a “waning enthusiasm” following the death of the most ardent supporter, State Sen. R.A. Hutchinson.

Those opposed to the idea had “received it as something of a joke.”

From the Ku Klux Klan beat: An organizer claimed hundreds of people were lining up to join the Ku Klux Klan in Spokane, but a “ritualistic initiation” in a secluded spot just north of the city attracted only 17.

On this day

(From Associated Press)

1962: South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested on charges of leaving the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike; it was the beginning of 27 years of imprisonment.