This day in history: 70 Kaiser Aluminum employees would return to work as plant reopens Mead location. Woman convicted for marrying while still wed to first husband just wanted to keep the second out of prison

From 1976: Spokane received some welcome economic news when the Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp. announced that it planned to restart one of its two idle potlines at the Mead plant.

This meant that about 70 laid-off employees would be back at work.

The company said that demand for aluminum was “steadily improving” after a long economic slump. Sales were also running ahead of forecast for products at the company’s Trentwood rolling mill.

From 1926: Mrs. Magdalen Cook was convicted of bigamy in a Spokane courtroom, but said she was just trying to keep husband No. 2 out of prison.

“I didn’t mean to do it like I did,” she told the court. “I knew that it was wrong when we were married. It was to keep Lester from going back to Walla Walla. We had been living here together and I loved him.”

“Lester” was Lester Cook, on parole from Walla Walla, to whom she was married in January. The problem was, she was still married to Emanuel Hernandez in North Dakota.

As it turned out, marrying Cook did not accomplish her goal of saving Lester. He was charged with stealing the car they used when they eloped. He was already back in Walla Walla to finish out a previous conviction for car theft.

At least they would now be back together, in a way. She was sentenced to six months to 15 years at the state penitentiary.

Also on this day

(From onthsiday.com)

1968: General Motors produces its 100 millionth automobile, an Oldsmobile Toronado.