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The Unlucky Runner of Kennewick

A mysterious stranger who attempted a high-speed escape from local law enforcement is put to work on the city streets.

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.

The stranger who made a record sprint in front of Policeman Hayden's bullets last Thursday morning is doubtless still running. As a reward for his burst of speed, the fellow was taken into Judge Staser’s court and given $25 and costs. Friday morning he was introduced to work on the city streets by Street Commissioner Walter Lodge. He ran. He likewise failed to furnish the city authorities with any forwarding address.

“As a reward for his burst of speed, the fellow was taken into Judge Staser’s court and given $25 and costs.”

— Printed in The Kennewick Courier-Reporter (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915
Then · 1915111 years apartNow · 2026

Public shaming and forced labor for minor offenses were standard practices in 1915, contrasting sharply with current discussions around the criminalization of poverty and the ethics of penal work crews.

The original page

The Kennewick Courier-Reporter (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-08-26. Library of Congress, Chronicling America.

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About this story

From
The Kennewick Courier-Reporter (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, AUG 26, 1915, Page 1
Rights
Public domain
Place
46.20261, -119.11697 · placed automatically
The paper in the Library of Congress catalog ↗