From the Archives of Western Newspapers

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

May 31, 1893 – Calgary Weekly Herald

The new bridge across the Bow River at Morley was opened today and cost $2,700. It crosses the river above the old ford and will be an immense convenience for the inhabitants of this locality.

The brigade arrived quickly to a fire that started between the walls of two businesses on Stephen Avenue. How the fire started is anyone’s guess as the opening between the two walls is insignificant. The brigade had a task getting at the fire but managed to get it out with only minimal damage to either business.

As Anthony Comstock reached Bridgeport yesterday, the greatest seizure of green goods (counterfeit money) was made. The investigation unravelled a gang who have been operating this scheme for the past 16 years. The scam involves 80,000 individuals across the USA and Canada. Since April 1, the gang has secured 110 victims, who have been fleeced out of $40,185. The gang could clear half a million dollars a year with this scam, where the victim receives a bag of sawdust rather than the promised counterfeit money.

June 7, 1913 – Bella Coola Courier (BC)

The funeral for Constable James Archibald was held on June 5 in Vancouver. Archibald was killed in the line of duty after being shot three times at point blank range by two men in the early morning hours of May 28. The funeral procession was unlike any seen in the city before. Fully 60,000 people lined the streets with 700 persons from various civic departments taking part in the procession. The chief and deputy-chief led the procession while his widow and children followed on the arms of brother policemen. Archibald was 27 years old and had been on the force 13 months.

In Budapest, Premier Laszlo Lukacs and his cabinet resigned yesterday amid scenes of disorder and violence on the part of the opposition. In anticipation of trouble, authorities closed all approaches to the parliament building using strong bodies of infantry and cavalry who were supported by machine guns and detachments of police.

In Chicago, Federal Judge Carpenter convicted pugilist Jack Johnson for violating the Mann White Slave Law, the illegal transport of women or girls across state lines, primarily for the purposes of forced prostitution. Johnson was fined $1,000 and sentenced to one year and a day at the penitentiary at Joliet. Johnson succeeded in obtaining two weeks to prepare a writ of error and his bond of $30,000 was allowed to stand. It is expected he will make a hard fight for liberty.

June 3, 1919 – Winnipeg Telegram

In Minneapolis, William H. Schaefer was sentenced today to a state prison. The State Superintendent of Banks closed a string of 14 state banks shortly before Schaefer’s arrest, who pleaded guilty to the charge of grand larceny. He was the owner of a mortgage security company through which he engineered the manipulations that resulted in the insolvency of the banks.

In Washington, agents and police are hunting a band of anarchists who launched an attack on government officials and other prominent men with explosives. Explosions took place in Washington, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Newtonville, Boston, Philadelphia, Patterson, Boston, and New York. None of the men for whom the bombs were intended were hurt, although one of the plotters was blown to bits in New York.

The striking returned soldiers, who paraded in company with a vast number of other strikers, called off their threatened parade today and held a meeting in Victoria Park instead. They declared they will attend the mass meeting tonight and overthrow the current executive and elect a new one. Those who they plan to oust are aware of the situation and are calling on all sensible returned soldiers to also attend the meeting. This element has planned for a monster parade of returned soldiers to city hall and the parliament buildings, which is to take place tomorrow.