Looking back: Ririe has ‘epidemic of dog poisoning’ and police chief’s vehicle backs into another car
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IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of Jan. 6 to Jan. 12 in east Idaho history.
1900-1925
BLACKFOOT — A Blackfoot man became the youngest lieutenant colonel in the state of Idaho, The Blackfoot Optimist reported on Jan. 12, 1911.
W. Orr Chapman was 20 years old when he was appointed to be on the staff of Gov. Hawley, carrying the title of lieutenant colonel.
“He is a capable young man, one who has made himself valuable to the Democratic Party of Idaho, and with the rapid strides he is now making in things political, is destined to fill a place of prominence in the state before he passes his 40 year,” the paper stated.
The article mentioned Hawley was to be congratulated for having a man like Chapman on his staff.
1926-1950
IDAHO FALLS — A man was found guilty on an included offense of attempting to start a real estate and brokerage business without a license from the state department of law enforcement, the Idaho Falls Post Register reported on Jan. 8, 1933.
W.O. Johnson, of Idaho Falls, was the man involved in the case. The verdict was handed to Judge Robert M. Terrell, of Pocatello, and he announced sentencing would take place Monday morning.
Johnson’s trial attracted “considerable attention.” He had a hearing for the license charge, as well as one for issuing a bad check. The court room was reportedly “well-filled” during the two hearings.
He was found guilty in the license case but with the second case, the court gave the state 15 days to file an amended complaint.
1951-1975
RIRIE — Ririe was having an “epidemic of dog poisoning,” The Rigby Star reported on Jan. 11, 1951.
Over the span of about a week, several “valuable animals” and pets had been killed. The article didn’t state a specific number of deaths.
Many of the dogs that died were killed after poison had been thrown on their owner’s properties. One dog was even poisoned while the animal was inside its owner’s barn.
The sheriff’s office was investigating the situation.
1976-2000
POCATELLO — The Pocatello police chief’s vehicle backed into another car while the police chief was inside signing papers, the Idaho State Journal reported on Jan. 8, 1976.
Police chief John Perkins parked a police car at the back of the police station and left the car running while he ran inside the building.
While he was in the station, the car’s transmission reportedly slipped into reverse and backed across the parking lot. It hit a parked vehicle belonging to a Pocatello resident.
The police car didn’t have any damage done to it but the parked car received over $100 worth of damage.
Police blamed the accident on mechanical failure and noted there’d been other instances where several police cars had “jumped into gear” after being parked.