Smelter Copper Thieves Sentenced
Two men face up to 14 years for the theft of $150 in copper from the Tacoma Smelter.
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.
George Alice and Alfred O'Brien, copper thieves, were arraigned before Judge Easterday yesterday afternoon, pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to indeterminate terms in the state penitentiary of from 1 to 14 years. The men were recently indicted by the grand jury. When arraigned they admitted having stolen $150 worth of copper from the Tacoma Smelter, and stated that they had no excuse to offer.
“When arraigned they admitted having stolen $150 worth of copper from the Tacoma Smelter, and stated that they had no excuse to offer.”
The Tacoma Smelter, once a cornerstone of the city’s industrial life, has long since closed, leaving behind a complex legacy of environmental remediation at the Ruston site. Criminalizing the theft of scrap metal remains a recurring, if evolving, issue in city politics today.
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