Past Pages for April 20-23, 2019

Saturday

150 years ago

Presbyterian Church. — Preaching at 11 and 7:30 a temperance meeting will be held. Different ministers will deliver addresses, and all are respectfully invited to attend.

130 years ago

At Colfax Tuesday night a Washoe Indian, a fish peddler, was fatally shot by deputy constable, Emil Manuel who was trying to arrest him for assault on a little girl. The constable commanded him to throw up his hands, which he did not do, but instead threw a stone at the official. The officer then shot him dead.

100 years ago

John Forster of Carson City arrived in Placerville Thursday morning after a hazardous trip over the summit of the Sierras on skis. He found the snow eight feet deep in depth in places and frozen quite solid, there being places between Phillips and Strawberry where six feet drifts still remain. He leaves his skis in Placerville where he will bring them back into use for his return.

70 years ago

David Blackwell, 19-year-old slayer of two Reno policemen, will died Friday at 5:17 a.m. in the lethal gas chamber of the Nevada state prison.

50 years ago

An Assembly committee voted today to kill a proposed law which would have placed price controls on Nevada’s competitive liquor industry.

30 years ago

Great Basin National Park in Nevada is one of 10 parks featured in a new series of collector’s stamps by the U.S. Postal Service.

SUNDAY

150 years ago

Velocipedestrianism is all the rage among some of our ambitious young men. They may be seen at all hours of the day whizzing along, reminding one of those coach wheels that Joe Goodman described in his admirable “Stage Driver’s Story” — the wheels that spun down the draw on their own hook after the sage had come to grief. Velocipeding looks like good exercise for the legs, and as if it might be rather trying on one’s wind.

130 years ago

There is much complaining against sidewalk bicycle riding.

100 years ago

Tonopah has adopted the semi-monthly payday and the miners will receive their checks on the 10th and 25th of the month. The 10th of the month has been set as the time when all monthly accounts will be paid by the mining companies to merchants and this will probably make the 10th “steamer day” for the mining region.

70 years ago

Final preparations were completed today for the execution at dawn tomorrow of 19-year-old David Blackwell for the slaying of two Reno policemen. Blackwell, the second youngest to meet his death by lethal gas in this state, will be the 18th person to be executed in the prison yard. Warden Richard Sheehy said this afternoon that the youth was very calm. His only request thus far has been for a chocolate milk shake.

50 years ago

Sparks casino owner John Ascuaga has purchased the 3,000-acre Jacks Valley ranch owned by Charles Grant for an undisclosed amount. The ranch contains a one-story residence, several quarters for hired help, a machine shop, garage, two large barns and storage buildings.

30 years ago

Creation of an airport authority in Carson City won the support of the Board of Supervisors despite the fact that some officials estimate the authority would need to generate an additional $204,000 to survive.

TUESDAY

150 years ago

Discharged. Charles Lent, convicted in Ormsby county one year ago for grand larceny, was discharged fro the Penitentiary on yesterday — his term having expired. He goes forth into the world again with a good suit of clothes and $5 in his pocket, as an inducement to become a good man.

130 years ago

Ex-Congressman Woodburn was in this city yesterday, mingling with his constituents. He is in fine health.

100 years ago

According to a bill passed by the recent legislature authorizing practically the building of a new state prison and appropriating a large sum of money therefor, it becomes optional with the Board of Prison commissioners, to order its erection on the old site or at the prison farm.

70 years ago

(April 22) Lethal gas fumes in the tiny execution chamber of the Nevada state prison this morning snuffed out the life of David L. Blackwell, 19, who shot and killed two Reno policemen late in 1947. Freshly shaven, and his hair neatly parted, Blackwell wore a thin smile until five seconds after the first fumes reached his face. Then he was rendered unconscious by the deadly gas which took nine minutes to still his heart. Forty official witnesses from the area saw the execution. Over a dozen were peace officers. Two were clergymen. “He had a greater effect on this institution than any boy who went through it,” Rev. George said after the execution was over.

50 years ago

Members of two local historical groups fired off letters and exchanged bitter remarks Monday over the fate of the Thurman Roberts house. When the smoke cleared, amazingly enough, the 107-year-old Gothic structure was still standing.

30 years ago

Bolstered by a national furor over unethical acts of public officials, lawmakers introduced bills to clean up “dirty tricks” in campaigning and to make politicians more accountable for gifts and donations.

Trent Dolan is the son of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.