The Great Escape to Blaine
Defying a government warrant, two newspaper publishers staged a daring cross-border escape into Washington to avoid political prosecution in British Columbia.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
New Westminster, B.C., April 12—The city is boiling with excitement tonight over the Kennedy affair. Superintendent of Provincial Police Hussey and his special force had the Columbian office surrounded all night, and all roads leading from the city were guarded to prevent the Kennedys from escaping. The officers, however, had their pains for nothing, as both gentlemen were safely out of the city and, after spending several hours in the woods, went to a ranch and spent the night there. The roads leading to the boundary at Blaine were guarded by officers, and the greatest caution had to be observed to get safely into Uncle Sam’s territory. At 10 o'clock this morning they were across the boundary and are now luxuriating in the best hotel in Blaine. At the present writing the government firmly believes that the much-wanted publishers are safely corralled in New Westminster and may be pounced upon and captured tomorrow when the warrant arrives. The people are standing right by the paper, and a defense fund is being made up to fight the action of the House to the bitter end. This portion of the province is just about ready to kick over the traces and the Siberian methods of the present government are rapidly driving the people to desperation.
“The officers, however, had their pains for nothing, as both the gentlemen were safely out of the city.”
The porous nature of the Pacific Northwest border has long served as a pressure valve for political dissent. Much like the Kennedys seeking sanctuary in Blaine, the region has a deep, paradoxical history of relying on the 'international' line to bypass local crackdowns, a theme that resonates through current debates over cross-border jurisdictional autonomy.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.