Looking back: Lightning strikes family’s home, and 20-year-old woman’s death called ‘mysterious’
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IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of Aug. 11 to Aug. 17 in east Idaho history.
1900-1925
RIGBY — Lightning struck a local family’s home during an afternoon storm, The Rigby Star reported on Aug. 11, 1921.
The lightning hit the I.G. Woods’ home, south of Rigby. The bolt hit the roof, and severed the heads of nails in the tin, ran through the electric wires, smashed the front screen door and gave a “bright display of fireworks” on the cement sidewalk in front of the home.
Mr. and Mrs. Woods were inside when the incident happened. They were reported to be “somewhat dazed” by the lightning but were not injured.
1926-1950
BURLEY — A 20-year-old girl’s death was being called “mysterious” after she suddenly became sick and died, The Burley Herald reported on Aug. 13, 1936.
Merlin Abbott, wife of George Abbott, became sick on the night of Aug. 8, 1936. The paper said she died after 19 hours of agony.
An autopsy was performed by local doctors, including Dr. C.A. Terhune, Dr. G.G. Espe and Dr. H.E. Dean, and her organs were sent to Boise by Coroner D.E. Johnson. A report regarding the contents of Abbott’s vital organs was to come from Boise but had not yet been received by the time the article was published.
The Abbotts had been married about 16 months. Two months before the woman’s death, they came to Burley from Twin Falls.
Abbott was born July 9, 1916. She was survived by her husband and parents, Elmer Craner of Burley and Mrs. Maude Bertsch of Twin Falls. She left behind two brothers and two sisters as well.
Her funeral was held Aug. 13, 1936 at the Christian church. Following the services, interment was to be held in the Twin Falls cemetery.
1951-1975
IDAHO FALLS — A potential attempt to break out of a local jail was put to a stop, the Idaho Falls Post Register reported on Aug. 12, 1951.
Bonneville County Sheriff Dean F. Wilkie found a 10-inch saw blade and piece of metal hidden in a jail mattress. The sheriff said that 10 other blades had been discovered several weeks before, which influenced officers to hold periodical “shake downs” in the jail. The goal was to find and confiscate hidden tools that might be used to break out of jail.
Wilkie said there had been extensive reinforcement to the jail a year earlier, making it nearly impossible for an inmate to escape. For example, roller bars were encased within the jail bars on windows. Although hack saws could cut through part of the bars, the rollers inside would prevent further cutting.
In addition, heavy steel panels and screens were placed over windows, tops of cell tanks and other possible escape routes.
A heavy steel compound was also installed at the main door, which allowed officers and others to serve meals and talk with prisoners and still keep a locked door between them.
The Post Register said at that time, there were eight prisoners in jail.
1976-2000
POCATELLO — A 25-year-old man was arrested on charges of drunk driving, assault and resisting arrest, the Idaho State Journal reported on Aug. 14, 1977.
Randy S. Nalder was accused of kicking and hitting an officer, scuffling with an officer following a foot chase and then grabbing a gun from an officer’s holster.
Police claim Nalder originally was stopped on suspicion of drunk driving after the car he was driving skidded through an intersection around 2:20 a.m. and then accelerated.
He was placed in jail on a $2,500 bond.
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