Editor's note: The West Seattle Herald has been covering news here for nearly a century. Robinson Newspapers (which publishes the West Seattle Herald) have a massive news archive of Herald coverage dating back to 1928. What follows are crime reports and public safety issues from 1930. Although reporters’ names were not included with stories at that time, their original words remain intact. As more historical crime reports are compiled there will be more installments of West Seattle All Time Crimes.

Feb. 13, 1930
West Seattle Still Worked by Robbers

Some thief, who must be intending to set up an office supply store, broke into the office of the Puget Sound Fuel Co., 2350 W. Spokane Street, the night of January 29 and took all their pencils, three pair of shears, fountain pens, a typewriter, a jack knife, and about $8 in cash, reports Paul Thomas. The same night the State Fuel Co. was also ransacked and a restaurant on Spokane Street broken into.

This is a continuation of an epidemic of robberies in West Seattle that commenced nearly a month ago when C.H. Wells’ safe was blown and the West Seattle Herald broken into. Vann Bros., the West Seattle Dairy, and Dr. Andresen have also been visited.

Feb. 20, 1930
Rescue By Phone Shows Co. Alert
Woman’s groans are heard by W.S. operator

A little red light on the switchboard at the West Seattle exchange brought rescue last Thursday afternoon to Mrs. Dell S. Westerfelt of 4511 36th S.W.

The little red “trouble” was noted by Mrs. Edith Webb, the telephone operator, who promptly turned it over to the intercepting operator whose duty it is to track down the trouble. Some place a phone was down with non call going through.

The “trouble man” soon checked the difficulty down to a two-party line and as he listened in, he heard groans. Plainly, somebody was in distress. The police were promptly given two addresses of the subscribers on the line and Patrolman Greathouse and Barcuf hastened out in the prowler car.

At 4511 36th S.W. the patrolmen found Mrs. Westerfelt lying on the floor where she had fallen when she suffered a stroke. She had kicked the phone down, but was unable to speak over it. The rescue was performed at 1:30. Mrs. Westerfelt’s husband was not due to arrive home until 7, so the alert telephone employee probably saved the suffering woman over five hours of helpless agony. She was hurried to a doctor at the Junction and after being treated, was returned to her home.

Jan. 16, 1930
Alki Boy Injured While Coasting

Editor's note from Patrick Robinson: Back in the day...shortly after the advent of the wheel, boys too young to get behind the wheel of a car would build, often with their father's help, "coasters" or go karts without motors that would head down hills (notably Charlestown Street or in this example the Alaska Street Hill). Really any hill a block or more long sufficiently steep to achieve high rates of speed and scare the bejeezus out of your mom would work. When skateboards came along the idea of sitting down while traveling on asphalt at breakneck speed became kind of quaint. It wasn't enough to crash into a neighbors fence and break your leg. It became fashionable to fall off after hitting a curb and literally fly head first through plate glass windows as your board became embedded in the side of your neighbors car.

Ralph Mclued, living at 3214 Beach Drive, met with an accident while coasting on the W. Alaska Street hill on Friday evening of last week. He suffered a compound fracture of the right leg above the knee. He was taken to his home by an ambulance and the following day to Providence Hospital for treatment, where he will be confined for several weeks.

June 5, 1930
Floods, Tornado Beset Traveler
Edward Lindberg, W.S. Shoe Man, has adventures

Editor's note: This one doesn't deal with public safety in West Seattle, but is rather the story of a West Seattle man traveling across the country preaching and enduring dangerous weather. You may find it an entertaining read!

Edward Lindberg, pioneer shoe merchant at 2628 California Ave., has traveled some 2550 miles from home in the past few weeks and writes a very interesting letter to the editor of the Herald. Here it is:

“I promised before I left home I would send you a few lines as to my whereabouts and about the trip. Well, after going through storms and floods, I came here about a week ago, the mileage shows 3550 miles.

“I encountered heavy rains and road from slides on the coast route to San Francisco. Stayed there a day and later staed two days with my brother who lives in Hollywood.

“Had heavy rains at Salten Sea and a cloudburst in the hills that made a roaring river in the dry desert until we could hardly cross the road. One car was sent desertward by the river and several things happened for a while. Some detours were so bad close to El Centro after the rain that some cars had to be pulled out by tractors.

“Stayed with a friend in Phoenix for a day then passed through the Apache reservation, giving out tracts and Bibles among them, took pictures; then passed over the Coolidge dam. Next we came to El Paso, and started that long, weary trip across Texas. Had strong wind, signs blew down along the road and to finish up Texas, had that terrible tornado not far from Dallas just a few days before I came through. Arrived in Texarkana, Arkansas, all well, but starting towards Little Rock I got into a heavy thunderstorm, and got stalled in the flood in the woods. A farmer happened along with his team and pulled me out when the water was up over the running board and going higher fast. The water went up to the windows on one car so the owner tied his car to a tree to keep it from going with the stream. One person was drowned in another car.

“Well, I finally came to Little Rock, passing through the famous Hot Springs. Have been here a week unable to go far out for floods and a tornado besides.

“Have preached two or three times a day in seven institutions
in and around Little Rock. Yesterday at the penitentiary, and was admitted to the death cells where seven men are waiting to pay the extreme penalty. I also saw the death char, and the man with me sat down in it and showed me how they were trapped fast. It was a sad visit and I have felt badly ever since.

“Tomorrow if the roads are safe, I expect to start for a weeks trip among the “hillbillies” of the Ozark mountains. They down to Louisiana and into Mississippi, thence north to Tennessee. Then last, I expect to put in some time in the mountains of Kentucky.

“Well, next time you better come along. There are lots of things to contend with and also dangers, but the Lord will have to protect me, and as long as my body and the car stand up, I don’t mind the rest. It will be something to think of when you sit in the armchair in your old age, but best of all I hope I am doing somebody some good.

“I wrote this letter yesterday; now, today, the sun shines and with promise of good weather, I’ll be off in a short while for the mountains.

Your Friend,
Edward Lindberg