On Wednesdays, we present in this newsletter a week's worth of randomly selected stories ripped from the digital archives of The Kingston Whig-Standard, The Whig-Standard or The Daily British Whig, which reach back as far as 1834. This instalment of the History: As We Saw It newsletter covers the period of May 7-13.
We have so many stories in our archives ... you're definitely going to want to see what we have in store for you next week, too! |
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“War over in Europe”
May 7, 1945, Pg. 1, 2
How the story read: Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Western Allies and Russia at 2:41 a.m. French time today.
(This was at 8:41 p.m., EDT Sunday.)
The surrender took place at a school house which is the headquarters of Gen. Eisenhower.
The surrender which brought the war in Europe to a formal end after five years, eight months and six days of bloodshed and destruction was signed for Germany by Col.-Gen. Gustav-Jodl. Jodl is the new chief of staff of the German army.
It was signed for the Allied Supreme Command by Lt.-Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, chief of staff for Gen. Eisenhower.
It was also signed by Gen. Ivan Susloparoff for Russia and by Gen. Francois Sevez for France.
The formal announcement from Eisenhower came after German broadcasts had told the German people that Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz had ordered the capitulation of all fighting forces.
The German admiral, who stepped into Hitler’s shoes for the last act of the world drama, called off any possibility that U-boats might try to continue a guerrilla war at sea as had been feared. Doenitz ordered Nazi U-boat crews to cease fighting. Earlier yesterday he had ordered German naval and merchant ship crews not to scuttle or damage their vessels. ... |
“Brockville’s trust loot rated world’s biggest”
May 8, 1958, Pg. 1, 2
How the story read: Last weekend’s Brockville Trust and Savings Company robbery has become unofficially rated as the biggest in world history and the target of an international investigation as the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation joined the roster of police forces engaged on the case. The loot yesterday was reported as $10 million, just 200 times greater than the first grudging comment last Sunday that it might ”reach as high as $50,000.”
The official source, which was not identified, that set the loot at $10 million, broke it down as follows: $7 million in registered securities and stocks, $2.25 million in bearer bonds, and $20,000 in cash, as well as an undetermined amount of jewelry.
Only one person has thus far been charged with the Brockville robbery. He is Rene Martin, 23, of Montreal, who was arrested Monday morning after an automobile chase in Montreal. He appeared in magistrate’s court in Brockville yesterday and was remanded one week on a charge of breaking, entering and theft.
However, in Montreal three other suspects, two men and a woman, were taken into custody for questioning. They were not identified. In addition to these, police are rounded up all known safe crackers. Police added that there was “no immediate possibility” of charges being laid. …
Editor’s note: Only Rene Martin was ever arrested for the heist. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, of which he served eight years. He never named his handful of accomplices, and they were never arrested. |
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“May operate ferry to Cape Vincent”
May 9, 1935, Pg. 2
How the story read: D.V. Malloy, manager of the Dominion Transportation Company of Owen Sound, and Ivor Wagner, vice-president of the company, were in the city on Thursday in conference with local navigation officials regarding operating a ferry between Kingston and Cape Vincent.
The conference was arranged by J.M. Hughes, manager of the Chamber of Commerce, and was held at the Chamber of Commerce office. No details of the conference could be learned, but it is expected that the ferry will be on the route in a short time. Definite announcement is to be made later.
There has been no ferry service between Cape Vincent and Kingston for several years since the Waubic began to operate between Clayton and Kingston. |
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We also offer you, our readers, an opportunity to select a story from the past that you would like to see highlighted. Just email us at tim.gordanier@gmail.com and we will try to accommodate your request once that particular date rolls around. |
“Blugh signs multi-year deal”
May 10, 1989, Pg. 13
How the story read: Leroy Blugh, a three-time all-Canadian university linebacker, has signed a multi-year Canadian Football League contract with the Edmonton Eskimos and officially joined the squad yesterday.
Blugh was the second of the Eskimos’ first-round picks in the Canadian college draft.
“What we have here is probably the best prospect coming out of the Canadian colleges this year,” said head coach Joe Faragelli, of the university star.
“He’s going to be an impact player; he’s got all the tools that you need to play in this league,” said Faragelli. “He’s a great size and he has excellent speed.
At six-foot-two, 230 pounds, Blugh can still clock 4.65 seconds in the 40-yard sprints, he bench presses almost double his weight, and his college statistics are just as outstanding.
Starting in 41 games for Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, Que., the 23-year-old Napanee native posted 85 unassisted tackles, 96 assists, 29 sacks, four interceptions — including a 62-yard touchdown — and blocked four punts. ... |
“Oppose bread wrapping”
May 11, 1920, Pg. 7
How the story read: The city council did not see eye to eye with the bylaw submitted to it by the Board of Health with regard to requiring goods to be exposed for sale in a cleanly way and bread wrapped at the oven after baking, and after a few minutes deliberation in committee of the whole on the measure Monday night, with Ald. Kent in the chair, on motion of Ald. Couper and Stroud, it arose and reported progress.
Ald. Couper led off against the bylaw requiring so many things in these days of high costs. “The bylaw is just a lot of bumcomb,” he declared. “The people will not stand for bread being wrapped and having to pay a cent or a cent and a half more a loaf. Paper is four times as dear as it used to be, and here today we were called upon to pay 80 cents a hundred more for flour. Let us throw the bylaw out and be done with it. It’s the biggest piece of rot I have ever heard.” …
Editor’s note: Ald. (Daniel) Couper and his “bumcomb” comment sent us scurrying to the dictionary for some clarity, and a definition. First, we found that the original word printed in this Daily British Whig story may have contained a typo, considering that today the word would correctly appear as “buncombe” or “bunkum” (per the Canadian Oxford Dictionary). As for the definition, the noun means “nonsense; humbug."
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“Complete protection in atomic said impossible”
May 12, 1951, Pg. 3
How the story read: Canadians were told yesterday that it will not be possible to provide complete protection in the event of an atomic war.
Health Minister Martin said in the commons that it will be impossible, even using all Canada’s manpower and resources, to provide “anything like complete protection for the civilian population through civil defence.” Moreover, what can be done must fall short of what people might like to see, he said.
Mr. Martin, who recently assumed responsibility for civil defence, made his statements during the fourth day of a debate on the government’s $1.879-billion defence program for 1951-52. Civil defence expenditures will account for $4.2 million of the total.
Federal planning, said Mr. Martin, is well advanced. Some hundreds of key instructors have been trained. He stressed the importance of local planning and said arrangements have been worked out with the provinces and the United States for spheres of responsibility.
Dr. W.G. Blair (PC–Lanark) charged that Canada’s preparations exist on paper and said the country should be much further advanced in view of authoritative statements that war would bring a rain of atomic bombs on this continent. ...
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“Impola scores 205.9 average to win men’s 10-pin tourney”
May 13, 1965, Pg. 19
How the story read: Arnold Impola was expected to win The Whig-Standard Strikes ’n’ Spares Men’s 10-Pin Tournament.
He did, but no one could have predicted by how much.
The hook-balling left-hander averaged 205.9 for the 10 games and finished 139 points ahead of Bill London’s second-place total of 1,920. Paul Gow was third with 1,917.
Impola posted a 1,004 total for the first five games last week and hung up a 1,055 series at Cloverleaf Lanes last night.
Only twice did he drop below 200, rolling a 169 in his second game last week and a 187 in his final game last night. His high games were 225, 224 and 217.
Arnie put together a string of six strikes to open last night’s competition, but in the seventh frame he left a seven-pin on a solid hit. He missed the spare, struck in the eighth, took a wide open 6-7-10 split in the ninth and struck in the 10th for a 225 total.
High singles in the tournament were rolled by Pat Macera, 234, and Fred Thompson, 226. ... |
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