The Burglar Who Ran: A Tacoma Woman’s Scream Saves the Day
When a thief tried to break into a South Tacoma home early yesterday morning, one resident’s quick thinking and loud voice turned the tables on the intruder.
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.
WOMAN'S SCREAM PUT BURGLARS TO FLIGHT
Early yesterday morning a burglar was scared away from the home of W. A. Power, 2512 South Twelfth street, after an unsuccessful attempt to break into the house.
The thief was at a side window when Mrs. Spike, who lives in the house, was aroused. She screamed for help and the would-be house burglar made his escape by running.
Chris H. Binding, a native of Denmark, was arrested this morning by City Detective Moran on a charge of being drunk and disorderly.
This brief report captures the intimate vulnerability of early 20th-century urban life, where home security relied on individual vigilance rather than alarm systems. It also highlights the era's tendency to conflate criminal intent with public order offenses; Binding was arrested for 'drunk and disorderly' conduct rather than burglary, suggesting that while the crime was noted, the legal response focused on his visible state of intoxication in public space.
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