100 years ago in Eastern Washington: Prizefighter breaks sign in front of police commissioner, faces immediate arrest

Victor Gracio, Spokane prizefighter, chose to demonstrate his strength to some friends by breaking off the top of a traffic sign at Wall Street and Main Avenue.

He failed, however, to notice that Maurice Smith was hastening toward him at the time. Maurice Smith wasn’t any old bystander – he was the city’s Commissioner of Public Safety, i.e., the police commissioner.

Smith hauled Gracio in to police headquarters, where he was heard to proclaim that he broke the sign by “accident.”

This argument did not prevail, and he was booked on a charge of disorderly conduct.

From the fire beat: Three men burned to death in a terrible fire at an apartment house in Republic.

Robert and Rudolph Nugent, farmers from Inchelium, were in the Julia White Apartment House when a fire broke out at 3:30 a.m.

Helmar Holmes attempted to rescue them, but he was burned so badly that he died the next day.

There was no immediate word about the cause of the fire or any other details. The entire three story apartment house was destroyed.

From the school beat: Marguerite Harris set a record when she enrolled as a freshman at Lewis and Clark High School.

That’s because she was only 11. Marguerite was the youngest freshman ever enrolled in the high school, and her teachers at the Irving Grade School said she earned it. She had a high scholastic record, has studied violin for two years, and studied French for three years.

She said she already had plans to enter Washington State College in Pullman when she finishes high school.