The Barber Bandit of Old Town
A former Newport barber is linked to a string of violent crimes, including a suspected murder in Spokane.
Duffy, the barber who formerly worked for Joe Graccio, is held in Spokane on a charge of attempting to hold up one of the county officials last Saturday. The prisoner is also suspected of having killed Policeman Waterbury in Spokane last November. A woman in the case is supposed to be one of the women of Old Town. Duffy worked here for some time when the town first started, and later returned and worked for Graccio. He was suspected of having been mixed up in several shady deals, but escaped being convicted.
“He was suspected of having been mixed up in several shady deals, but escaped being convicted.”
This account captures the gritty, transient nature of early 20th-century frontier towns, where individuals could easily disappear into the shadows of 'Old Town' districts. It serves as a reminder of the era's lawlessness and the often-lurid reporting style of the time.
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