By Dean Jowers and Halee Turner
Note: This article contains references to violent crimes and sexual assault. It may not be appropriate for all audiences. Please read at your own discretion.
Throughout human history, we have told stories to entertain, to preserve knowledge, and to find connections. For just as long, people have been fascinated by tales of accidents, ill fortune, and criminal activities. Some might recognize this in the popularity of the "true crime" genre.
Here's an example of a fascination with crime from our collections! These scrapbooks were donated to the Society on behalf of Harvey Crouse, a former member of the Redmond Volunteer Fire Department. They were made by Harvey’s grandmother, and contain over a thousand newspaper clippings about crime from1923–1924, and 1939–1940. One of the books has been carefully indexed with names and page numbers.
The clipping on the right details the robbery of Bill Brown's garage in 1923.
Unfamiliar with the word "yeggman"? It's suggested that the word “yegg” is derived from John Yegg, the alias of a bank robber in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It eventually came to mean a burglar or a safecracker, though it's no longer commonly used.
As far back as the Renaissance, tragic tales were shared verbally, often as poems and songs. When literacy became more common, authors and publishers began to produce short publications detailing the lives of criminals, their crimes and motivations. “Penny dreadfuls” later rose to popularity in the 1800s. These serialized stories focused on detectives, criminals, and stories of the supernatural. Earlier publications told often sensationalized, but true tales. However, later works invented villainous, fictional characters.
Some argue that the stories teach a lesson or moral; others believe they can help us understand why these terrible things happen.
What do you think? As you read this collection of events in Redmond, consider these questions:
How accurately were these events reported? Would knowing what publication published the story change your opinion?
What can we learn from these events? Do they tell us something about life at the time?
Feb. 16, 1883: Arthur Day drowned in the Samish Slough at Melrose. He was riding in a boat with his mother, to see the boy's father at a logging camp. The boat overturned, and his passing was determined to be an accident.
Aug. 1, 1893: R. W. Barta disappeared from his ranch near Redmond. He had borrowed $50 from his roommate and was thought to be going to Seattle, he had recently told a friend that he was worried about his health and money matters, as he had a $200 debt about to come due.
Feb. 6, 1895: James Mattson had a claim of $155 against W. M. Hulbert. Chris Hansen was going to file a writ of garnishment, allowing him to seize $70 of that claim. Mattson decided to sell the claim to Andrew Johnson for $5 to avoid the garnishment, with the secret understanding that Johnson would pay Mattson $150 when he collected $155 from Hulbert. Johnson collected the $155 and returned to his home in Redmond. When Mattson demanded the funds, Johnson refused to deliver, and spent one night in jail before the court dismissed the case.
Mar. 10, 1895: Fourteen-year-old Edwin Keller, a school boy from Redmond, had gotten into trouble with his teacher. His father, local rancher Maurice Keller, sided with the school teacher on the matter, and Edwin ran away. He was picked up by Seattle police and held until he could be returned to his father’s ranch.
May 23, 1895: Edwin Keller ran away a second time. He left about noon, with his revolver and a small amount of savings. About two miles from home, he stumbled and fell, causing the revolver to discharge and sending a bullet through his arm. He started to return home but collapsed, exhausted from loss of blood. His parents were notified and a doctor was summoned.
Aug. 22, 1895: Joseph Cicero and M. L. McCann argued with each other, and McCann's sons later confronted Cicero about what was said to their father. A fistfight broke out, but they were soon separated by witnesses. Cicero went home and retrieved his rifle, and the McCann boys waited behind some logs with a pistol for his return. When Cicero appeared, shots were exchanged. One of the McCann brothers was wounded, and Cicero again began fighting with him. At this time, the other McCann brother fatally shot Cicero. The two brothers were arrested and tried for murder; Judge White of Redmond was one of the defense counsels. Trials and appeals went on for the next two years. The boys were eventually found guilty and sentenced to death, but were released following a State Supreme Court decision.
Mar. 21, 1896: Conrad Carlson, a 22-year-old man from Redmond, turned himself in at the county jail in Seattle. He had a document, signed by a Justice of the Peace, that said Carlson was guilty of assault and battery on Phineas Thayer. He had been fined $10 and incurred additional costs of $7.50, but had defaulted on the payment, resulting in a sentence of ten days in the county jail. The jailer noticed that the paper was not dated, did not name any state or county, and was not directed to a sheriff or constable. He could not accept Carlson into jail on such a document. Carlson said he knew he could not pay the fine, and had decided to go to jail himself by falsifying this document. He was turned away, but was eventually sentenced to five days in jail in lieu of the fees.
July 12, 1896: Hermann Genn, an employee of the Seattle & International Railway, was injured in Redmond. Genn was leaning against a rail car when the construction train began to move, and he fell under the wheels. He was taken by passenger train to Seattle, where doctors determined it was necessary to amputate his left leg and hand. He died the next morning from shock and loss of blood.
Aug. 30, 1896: A new Redmond schoolhouse, built to replace one burned by arson a year prior, was again a victim of arson. A note discovered after the previous fire said that unless the next building was located elsewhere, it would also be destroyed. The insurance claim for the furniture was $200, and $600 for the building itself.
Mar. 12, 1900: The residents of Redmond woke up to find that a saloon had come to town overnight, with barrels of whisky and beer on hand. When the proprietors were questioned about their right to operate in town, a license was produced, signed by the county commissioners. W. P. Perrigo wrote a letter to the commissioner asking what right they had to issue a license without warning to the community. Soon, Justice W. H. White presented the commissioners with a petition, signed by many property owners, demanding the license be revoked. The commissioners replied, “We have already granted the license. On what ground shall we revoke it?”
May 11, 1900: Charles Morrow informed Seattle Police that he had been robbed. Investigation revealed that Morrow was intoxicated, and was in possession of a large bottle of whisky as well as a return ticket to Redmond.
July 25, 1901: Martha Story was committed to the Steilacoom Asylum for the Insane. She was described as a "weak-minded, homeless and friendless young woman," after her mother and brother had moved away, leaving her on her own. For two years Martha had been cared for by interested parties in Redmond, but was reportedly in very poor health. The 1910 Census, of Steilacoom, shows her having a son and working as an artist.
June 6, 1902: John Pierre, a rancher in the Avondale area of Redmond, was found dead in the woods near his home. He had gone to hunt rabbits, and not returned. The cause of death was determined to be a bullet wound to the head, but it was believed to be an accident, as he had no apparent reason for suicide.
Aug. 29, 1902: Two Avondale School District directors got into a fistfight at the Avondale School during a board meeting. Thomas Provan was badly beaten about the face, after a disagreement about when the school year should start, and Provan's criticism of the school furniture.
Aug. 19, 1903: Hope and Eunice Faulds, daughters of Redmond Postmaster Faulds, drowned in the Sammamish Slough at Redmond. The two girls, 16 and 14, were wading, with a cousin when Eunice slipped into a deep hole. Hope and the cousin went to her aid, but the two sisters sank into the deep water. A very large funeral was held in the Redmond School, and they were buried in the family plot at Tolt Cemetery.
July 6, 1904: Suspected arson was discovered at the Redmond Sawmill. The first fire was quickly put out, even though the fire hose was found to have been cut in several places. However, the second fire was not discovered right away.
Nov. 30, 1904: Deputy sheriffs arrested a man, 50, at his Redmond home, charging him with sexually assaulting his 15-year-old daughter. She had been keeping house for the family as her mother was in an asylum. Her two brothers were afraid of their father and a younger sister was living with friends. The arrest was made after the last ferry for Seattle had left Kirkland. The deputies locked him in his room for the night, intending to take the ferry in the morning. During the night, he cut his own throat with a razor and died.
June 12, 1905: A lumberjack in Redmond, claimed there was too much electricity in the world and not enough religion. The insanity commission noted he would likely be sent to the asylum in Steilacoom.
Oct. 14, 1905: A large touring car stopped outside the Hotel Normandy (formerly the Valley Hotel), in Redmond, at 8 o’clock in the evening. The men from the car went into the bar for refreshments. Men outside the hotel who noticed something rolled up in the back of the car that resembled a woman’s corpse. The men from the bar hurriedly ran out, jumped into the car and drove off, but not before the license number of the car had been noted. The incident was reported to the police, and it was determined that the object in the back of the car was a rolled-up tent, as the men were going hunting.
Oct. 31, 1905: Four men stole some whisky from a saloon in Bothell. They took it to Redmond, and disposed of some of it. They returned to Bothell and were captured, by the sheriff and deputies, in a cabin with unknown women and the remainder of the whiskey.
Nov. 21, 1905: At closing time, four men left McKay’s Saloon on the west side of Leary Way, just north of Cleveland Street. Early the next morning, the body of George Butchard was found on the sidewalk. The other three men were arrested. One claimed to have been robbed; another talked a lot about possible scenarios of what might have happened, but claimed innocence. The third said nothing. All three were eventually released due to lack of evidence. The case is unsolved.
June 7, 1906: The sheriff organized a posse and came to Redmond to search for a man suspected of murdering Elsie Millhuff of Renton. The same man suspected of maiming several horses belonging to Judge White and Mr. Jones, both of Redmond. The general location of the suspect was known, and it was expected that he would be soon caught.
Jan. 11, 1907: O. A. Wiley was arrested for beating a horse, and was released on $25 bail.
June 15, 1907: A fire burned down the livery stable of A. L. Park and the adjoining hotel of E. Adams. The estimated loss was $4,000, with only $1,200 in insurance coverage. The cause of the fire was thought to be from a lighted cigarette thrown into the hay in the stable.
June 15, 1907: Emmett Pence, the 14-year-old son of Charles Pence, fell into the Sammamish River, at Redmond, and drowned. He was playing on the logs and slipped.
June 21, 1907: Five people drowned in Lake Sammamish, two miles north of Monohan. A 13-year-old boy swam out beyond his depth and cried for help. His mother, two sisters, and an aunt went to his aid, but all five perished.
Aug. 15, 1907: A 25-year-old wife of the Northern Pacific station agent at Redmond committed suicide. After finishing the morning meal in their Redmond home, she went to her bedroom and shot herself through the heart. She had been despondent since the recent death of her baby.
Nov. 29, 1909: O. A. Wiley was arrested for selling liquor to youths at a masquerade ball in Redmond. Reportedly deputies saw Wiley sell liquor to anyone that asked, regardless of age. Reportedly "girls of tender years bought as readily as grown men."
Dec. 30, 1909: The county commissioners cut off the salary of Deputy Sheriff Frank Sidell, who was stationed at Redmond. It was feared that gambling, liquor sales, and other vices would grow if the town was left without police protection.
Jan. 18, 1910: O. A. Wiley was arrested, at the courthouse, while applying for a renewal of the license for his saloon at Redmond. He was charged with having a slot machine in his possession.
Mar. 14, 1910: The Hotel Walther fire threatened to burn much of the downtown area of Redmond. It was fought with buckets, as well as Kirkland’s chemical and hose apparatus. However, dynamite was ultimately used to stop the spread of the flames. The damages were estimated at about $10,000.
Jan. 31, 1912: J. W. Ward, a logger, was killed when a log slipped and he was crushed between it and a tree. The accident took place at Campton, near Redmond.
June 19, 1912: O. A. Wiley had his liquor license, for a saloon at Redmond, revoked following a conviction for selling liquor on Sunday.
Oct. 3, 1914: Following a robbery at Youngerman’s Store, in Redmond, Marshal Cobb and Deputy Keener tried to arrest two men, in North Bend, who were suspected of being the robbers. A gunfight broke out and the two men escaped.
Mar. 23, 1915: Thieves broke into the general merchandise store of Theodore Youngerman at Redmond. They took $150 worth of jewelry and other valuables.
June 6, 1915: A race car driver was killed and two men injured when their Ford automobile skidded on a curve and turned over in a ditch. The accident occurred one-half mile east of Redmond on the Yellowstone Road. They were on the last leg of the race from Chicago to Seattle.
Dec. 20, 1915: A plot to rob the Bothell State Bank and the Redmond State Bank was discovered. A "vigilance committee" of Kirkland farmers held the men at rifle point until Deputy Wadell arrived.
Jan. 12, 1916: Robbers asked Marve Perrigo to take them from Redmond to Kirkland. Once there, they relieved him of his money and automobile.
Mar. 25, 1916: A Redmond father and his son were arrested for cattle rustling and put in the county jail.
Sept. 4, 1916: Bert Conway and O. A. Wiley were arrested for bootlegging. It was learned that they were going to supply liquor to a dance being held in Redmond. Deputies caught Conway taking liquor from Wiley’s house to Wiley’s old saloon. About six and a half gallons of whisky were found and seized. Both men were sent to the county jail, and were not able to furnish the $1,000 bail.
Nov. 20, 1916: A woman entered the kitchen and shot her sister in the back as she was doing the dishes, then shot her sister twice more as she turned to face her. The woman took poison and died almost immediately, but her sister survived her wounds. Both had been suffering from ill health.
Dec. 12, 1916: Thieves tried to rob the Redmond Post Office safe using explosives. Three blasts were heard at about 3:00 a.m. When awakened, residents arrived at the site and saw two men run out the back door into a waiting car. The inner doors of the safe were undamaged, and the burglars were unsuccessful.
Mar. 28, 1917: An unknown individual dynamited the Redmond Post Office safe, stealing $25.
April 16, 1917: O. A. Wiley was caught selling whisky at his soft drink parlor at Redmond.
April 21, 1917: Two men were arrested for trying to rob the Redmond Post Office. Having been robbed several times in recent months, Postmaster H. S. Reed had left a sign on the safe that it was not locked, and to just turn the handle to open it. Reed and Mayor Reil were sleeping in the next room and heard the activity. They chased the robbers with their revolvers and caught one of them. The other was captured later that day.
February 18, 1918: Mayor Reil and several Redmond businessmen were arrested while playing a card game in a local soft drink establishment, and charged with gambling.
June 18, 1918: A 14-year-old girl was reported missing by her father, after leaving Redmond for Seattle on the stage.
June 30, 1918: Alvin Adams, an army deserter from Fort Casey, hired Milton Raymer, a Seattle car-for-hire driver, to take him to Redmond. Once there, Raymer asked for $7.50 to pay the fare. Adams did not have the money, so he forced Raymer to drive out of town at gunpoint. Near Avondale, Adams shot Raymer, put his body in the brush next to the road, robbed him, and took his car. The body was soon found, and Adams was caught in Portland trying to sell the car. He was brought to Seattle for trial, where he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison at Walla Walla State Prison.
July 5, 1920: A forest fire broke out near Avondale. It continued to grow for three days in spite of the efforts of 150 volunteer firefighters. It spread towards Redmond and was finally stopped at the crest of the hill behind town. The loss of timber was estimated at $160,000, not including the loss of two homes.
Nov. 30, 1920: Federal prohibition agents caught O. A. Wiley, of Redmond, with possession of liquor. He was fined $250.
May 14, 1922: A fire at Kennedy’s pool hall badly damaged the building. The Grand Central Hotel, which adjoined the pool hall, was saved from any damage.
July 3, 1922: A 4-year-old Redmond girl was critically injured by a stage on the Redmond-Kirkland road.
Nov.7, 1923: A logging engine exploded by Campbell’s Mill. It was blown up by either nitroglycerin or dynamite as part of an ongoing sabotage campaign by workers during labor negotiations.
You might notice this timeline doesn't include references to the Redmond Police Department or Fire Department...
Theo Sundblad became Redmond's first Marshal in 1925. He reprised the role intermittently until 1949, but he reportedly stepped down when the town council purchased a police patrol wagon, because he had not learned to drive.
In 1946, Redmond's first volunteer fire department formed with 15 charter members, and operated a two-stall garage located at 164th Ave NE and Cleveland Street.
Charter volunteer fire department member Clarence Barker succeeded Theo Sundblad as Marshal, and had previously served as a King County Sherriff's deputy for the Redmond area.
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