100 years ago in Spokane: The jitney fare battle continued as the defense cast doubt on Mrs. Corbin in the mansion arson trial

The city of Spokane again offered to cancel its planned jitney transit system (actually a private motor bus system) if the city’s two streetcar companies would accept a 7-cent fare compromise.

The city’s commuters had been in an uproar since the streetcar companies raised their fares from 6 to 8 cents.

So far, the streetcar companies had been reluctant to accept a 7-cent compromise, claiming it did not cover their costs. The city’s new offer also stipulated universal transfers, good for passengers on either streetcar system. The city gave the streetcar companies a deadline of less than 24 hours to accept the compromise, or it would implement the allotment of jitney routes to private operators.

The head of The Washington Water Power Co., one of the two streetcar companies, said it would accept no further concessions, including the universal transfers. The likelihood appeared low that either company would accept the compromise.

From the arson beat: Louis Lilge’s defense team attempted to show that Anna Corbin had been speculating in oil stocks long before she met Lilge.

She had earlier testified that Lilge pressured her into buying oil stocks and pocketed the commissions.

This did not have a direct connection to the first-degree arson charges against Lilge, the Corbin home’s caretaker. But it was intended to refute the idea that Corbin was somehow under the complete psychological control of Lilge.

On this day

(From Associated Press)

1940: France signed an armistice with Italy during World War II.