Looking back: Wife accidentally shoots herself, underweight students fed and car thief victim recovers own car

IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of Feb. 28 to March 6 in east Idaho history.

1900-1925

ST. ANTHONY — The wife of a “prominent attorney” accidentally shot herself at home, The Teton Peak wrote on March 5, 1903.

The paper explained that “some time ago,” Mrs. Frank J. Smith’s home was broken into by burglars, so her husband bought her a pistol because he was not always home due to his job.

“The accident happened while Mrs. Smith was attempting to get a handkerchief from a grip,” The Teton Peak said. “In some manner, the handkerchief caught on the trigger of the pistol and exploded the weapon.”

The bullet entered her chest and lodged near her spine. Unless blood-poisoning should develop, the paper said it was believed Mrs. Smith would recover.

1926-1950

SALMON — Underweight school children were being fed every morning at school and their weight was tracked, according to The Salmon Recorder Herald’s March 4, 1936, newspaper.

Milk and crackers were given every morning to 80 underweight children at the Lincoln School, under a project sponsored by the Child Welfare Committee of the American Legion Auxiliary. The children were weighed at the beginning of the plan and again at the end of the first month.

“The weights of 45 children were checked with two weighings, and showed a gross gain of 68.5 pounds, the average gain being approximately 1.8 pounds,” the article states. “Only six of the children showed no appreciable gain, and one child lost weight.”

The teachers reported the children receiving the milk showed a “marked improvement in their work, doing it better and more easily.”

1951-1975

PRESTON — A large gas tank exploded in Preston and caused considerable damage to surrounding buildings, the local newspaper reported on March 3, 1960.

A trucker and an 18-year-old man were unloading gasoline from a truck to the upright storage tank. The tank was being filled by a hose and a small gasoline pump when it overflowed.

“The fumes were ignited by a spark from the motor of the gas pump at the base of the large tank as they were attempting to shut it off,” The Preston Citizen explained.

One of the men immediately ran to the truck to disconnect the inlet hose and drove it to a service station nearby. Firefighters were called to the scene but 30 minutes after their arrival, the tank exploded. It blew the top from the tank 20 feet into the air.

One building nearby was partly burned. An office and oil accessory buildings were burned completely. No one was injured in the accident.

“Flames from the burning tank were seen by people for miles around,” the paper said.

1976-2000

BLACKFOOT — A local man on his way to report a theft to police managed to actually catch the thief, according to the Idaho State Journal on Feb. 29, 1976.

William R. Sparks, 41, reported the theft of his car to police earlier in the day. On his way to the police station to sign a complaint, he spotted his missing car at an intersection stopped for a traffic light.

“Sparks and a friend approached the car and removed the keys from the ignition before the youth could move the car,” the article states.

A 16-year-old Blackfoot male was taken to Bannock County Jail pending arraignment.