Looking back: Murder near Arco, Pocatellans claim to see flying saucer and waitress chases thief - East Idaho News
Looking Back

Looking back: Murder near Arco, Pocatellans claim to see flying saucer and waitress chases thief

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IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of March 7 to March 13 in east Idaho history.

1900-1925

ARCO — A man was murdered near Arco following a fight, the Blackfoot Idaho Republican said on March 10, 1905.

Martin Nelson and Frank Williams were on Nelson’s ranch — about 18 miles west of Arco — when they “had a quarrel.” Williams got stabbed in the jugular vein and died in a few minutes.

“Nelson mounted a horse and disappeared in the darkness,” the local newspaper said. “He was stabbed, too, and was tracked some distance by the blood from his wounds.”

Nelson retreated into the lava beds, but “gave himself up” at Arco a day or two later, the paper said. He had a hearing on March 9, 1905, but no further information was provided about the hearing in the article.

1926-1950

POCATELLO — Twelve Pocatellans claimed they saw a flying saucer on March 12, 1950, the Idaho State Journal reported.

Six members of the Archie Robinson family spotted a disk about the size and color of “two new moons” while returning to Pocatello from American Falls after dark.

A carload of six more people also saw similar objects around the same time while driving in the Pocatello residential area.

“Mrs. Robinson said the disc she saw was going faster than any plane could possibly travel,” the Idaho State Journal wrote. “She described it as ‘bullet shaped’ and of a yellowish-gold color with a bright red circle around it.”

The disk resembled a “whirling circle” and disappeared leaving a vapor trail, according to Mrs. Robinson.

1951-1975

PRESTON — Sheriff Lee Hansen and Deputy Ray Fackrell conducted “their own raid” after receiving evidence that Preston school boys were making weapons.

The Preston Citizen said on March 13, 1952, officers were investigating at Jefferson School. They confiscated several of the “ingenious weapons” found on the school boys.

“The boys had taken bicycle spokes which they would fill with gunpowder. A bb would be inserted in one end and a match touched to the other,” officers explained. “The bb would be fired with astounding force.”

Hansen said the weapons were “very dangerous.” He issued a warning that all boys who still had them in their possession should dispose of the makeshift firearms immediately.

1976-2000

POCATELLO — A waitress chased down a man who stole money from a cafe’s till, the Idaho State Journal’s March 10, 1976, newspaper said.

On March 9, 1976, around 5:30 p.m., a man who had eaten earlier at the Chop Stick Café, grabbed $140 from the till while the waitresses were attending tables. Police said waitress Shirley Myers yelled at the suspect and pursued him on foot as he fled out the front door.

“The suspect ran to the east side of the Union Pacific Depot where Ms. Myers caught up with him and grabbed his coat sleeve,” the article states. “The suspect struggled with Ms. Myers but managed to escape.”

Police said Myers only suffered scratches to her arms.

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