This day in history: Airmen lost hunting licenses after killing trumpeter swans. Comedian planned ‘4-minute laugh-provoking talking act’ on Spokane radio

From 1976: Several hunters were facing charges of shooting seven swans – including two rare trumpeter swans.

“In each case, hunters claimed they mistook the long-necked swans for game birds,” said the Spokane Chronicle.

One of the trumpeters was shot near Colville and the other near the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge. At the time, only about 1,000 trumpeters remained in the U.S. (although their population has since rebounded).

Three of the arrested hunters were Fairchild Air Force Base airmen. They were fined $125 each and had their hunting licenses revoked.

Four juvenile boys were cited for shooting three whistler swans near Harrison, Idaho.

From 1926: Frank Finney, “Spokane’s nationally known comedian,” was lending his talents to the Coyotes of Spokane, a group of Spokane radio comics.

Finney was back in Spokane “to recuperate from an extended tour over the Keith vaudeville circuit.” He attended one of the Coyotes shows’ and was won over by this “broadcasting band of merry men.”

“It is one of the funniest stunts I’ve ever witnessed and is, besides, a real fine community advertising medium,” Finney said. “It is pretty hard to get much of a laugh out of a man who has spent a lifetime in show business, but the Coyotes had me doubled up about half the time.”

Finney planned to perform “one of his famous 4-minute laugh-provoking talking acts” at the upcoming Coyote show.

Finney had become well-known for – among other things – his impersonation of President Theodore Roosevelt.