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 1932. 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.

1932 was characterized by a nation moving away from prohibition of alcohol (the 18th Amendment was repealed on Dec. 5, 1933) while plummeting into the heart of the Great Depression (national unemployment reached 23.6 percent that year). This installment is dedicated to those issues.

February 11, 1932
Prohibition is Speaker’s Topic
Gives facts which many people have forgotten

Attempting to stem the tide of propaganda against the Prohibition Act with a few facts which many persons have forgotten, R.C. Erskine, prominent Seattle businessman, appeared before the Commercial Club Monday noon as a representative of the Allied Prohibition Forces.

“You can get all kinds of statements as to the effect of liquor on the human system,” said Mr. Erskine, “but you can’t fool the insurance companies who look at it without passion or prejudice and purely in a business way. They give the abstainer a 20 percent increase in life over the drinker.

“You hear much talk about a small amount of alcohol such as contained in light wine or beer being a stimulant without harmful effect. Actual tests made after drinking one glass of wine per day showed a decrease in physical efficiency of 10 percent according to government tests,” said the speaker.

“People tell you there is as much drinking as there ever was,” said Mr. Erskine. “However, large factories report that absences due to liquor, very numerous under the old liquor system, have decreased 50 percent under prohibition. If there is just as much drinking, why this amazing change in workers’ regularity? College presidents report similar change in the number of dismissals due to liquor. The entire efficiency of the country has increased 10 percent since prohibition, according to reports, again showing that complete change has happened in workers’ habits since prohibition.

“Another false idea that has been spread by the propagandist,” said Mr. Erskine, “is the idea that prohibition was forced on the country. As a matter of fact, 95 percent of the area of this country and 68.3 percent of the population was already under prohibition when the 18th Amendment was passed. Incidentally, this amendment was passed by a bigger majority than any other amendment, showing the overwhelming sentiment in favor of the measure. Since that time, persistent propaganda every day, every month and every year has been attempting to blind the people to the facts so that selfish commercial interests may regain the profits they know are offered in the liquor business.”

Mr. Erskine opened his talk by citing numerous instances of accidents and deaths in the old days when liquor accompanied almost every phase of a business man’s life and when disgusting sights were constantly forced upon respectable women and men. It was as protest to this filth and misery, said Mr. Erskine, that an overwhelming public opinion forced prohibition.

R.C. Erskine is a leading Seattle realtor and he is well-known in this district where Erskine Way is named after him. (Erskine Way s.w. today)

February 12, 1932
Editor’s note: While the “false statements” in this article are not specifically spelled out, they likely surrounded Great Depression fears of banks failing.
Are Determined to Bring Guilty Parties to Justice
Severe penalty awaits persons proven guilty of starting or circulating false statements

Having paid in cash all demands for money, caused by the spreading of false rumors and statements the West Seattle State Bank is now turning its attention to obtaining evidence which will lead to the conviction of persons guilty of starting the false and malicious rumors.

While it is pretty well known that the whispering campaign started with disgruntled parties, the bank seeks direct evidence which can be laid before the prosecuting attorney and which will lead to the conviction of the guilty persons. To this end, a cash reward of $100 is offered by the institution for evidence which will effect justice.

This campaign of vicious falsehoods has disrupted the business of the entire community. Merchants find their business at a low ebb, orders for automobiles have been cancelled and real estate transactions have fallen through. Every merchant has been effected by this propaganda campaign.

In order to return retail business to normal as quickly as possible and protect the merchants and residents of this district who have suffered from the vituperative flood, the bank has decided to thrash the matter out immediately and force true statement of matters to be recognized.

Up to date, the bank has suffered all attacks in silence, not even publishing the fact that they are members of the National Credit Corporation of the Twelfth Federal Reserve District, a distinction which immediately marks the local institution as a sound bank, approved by government experts.

With the $500,000,000.00 funds of this governmental bulwark behind them, the officers are able to meet all emergencies and they hope to rapidly gain much of the business which has been lost. However, they are determined not to rest there, but to secure the punishment of the persons who so callously damaged the business structure of the entire community for the sake of personal spite.

Every merchant and responsible resident of this community has suffered at least temporary damage through these insidious rumors and they are asked to help prevent a recurrence of them by forwarding any evidence they have about the guilty parties to officers of the West Seattle State Bank.

West Seattle All Time Crimes - 1932 (part two) coming next week!