50 years ago in Expo history: Thousands got bargains on leftover souvenirs and merchandise

Expo ’74 souvenir collectors had only one more day to pick up bargains.

it was the last day of the sale at the souvenir warehouse, just outside the Expo site.

Thousands of people had already thronged the warehouse, coming away with bargains on everything “from backscratchers to die-cut gold and silver commemorative coins.”

Most of the merchandise consisted of left-over items from the fair’s many souvenir stands.

From 100 years ago: Louie Luke was found not guilty of all charges in his murder trial.

He had been accused of pushing his wife out of a hotel window to her death. A woman who was in the room at the time of incident had originally signed a statement saying that Luke had hit his wife, causing her to fall out of the window. On the stand, the witness recanted her testimony, saying that her statement had been coerced by police and prosecutors. She said that Luke’s wife accidentally fell out of the window.

Both sides agreed that the death had been the result of a drunken party (“a drunken orgy,” in the words of The Spokesman-Review) and that people were drinking “moonshine, alcohol rub and canned heat.”

Upon hearing the not-guilty verdict, Luke said, “I am glad to go free, but I still grieve for my wife. It will be a lesson to me. I am going back to my family and drink no more.”

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1800: Congress holds its 1st session in Washington, D.C. in an incomplete Capitol Building.