Officers resort to guns in raid at Plamer home

This story was published by The Ypsilanti Daily Press on Tuesday, October 1, 1929.

Frank Palmer, 45, and his wife, Vina Palmer, 44, were held in county jail today awaiting trial in circuit court on a charge of violating the prohibition law. They were taken into custody late Monday evening in a raid on their place at 616 Jefferson Ave., conducted by Deputy Sheriff Lynn Squires, Chief of Police Ralph L. Southard and other officers.

A small quantity of alleged moonshine liquor was confiscated in the place by the raiding officers, who found it necessary to chase Palmer across several fields in back of his place before he was arrested. When the officers entered, Palmer jumped through a window and attempted to flee in his bare feet with officers in pursuit. Several shots were fired into the air in an attempt to halt the man before he finally stumbled and fell to the ground cutting himself about the head and face.

Palmer again attempted to fight his way free after the officers pounced upon him. He was handcuffed and his head was bound in an impromptu bandage before he was taken to county jail. A pair of brass knuckles and a pistol were taken from his person and a loaded shot gun—also taken from the house.

Returning later to the house, officers found seven pocketbooks in different places, containing a total of about $40 which they believed might have been taken from unwary visitors to the place.

Palmer was expected to be given a stif jail sentence by Judge George W. Sample when he appears in circuit court. He was already on probation from a similar charge which resulted when local police raided his place recently.

An evening blaze

This story was published by The Ypsilanti Daily Press on Friday, October 1, 1909.

Fire Thursday evening destroyed two houses at Lowell. (Lowell was a village to the north and west of Ypsilanti, where the Edison station is now.)

The blaze was first seen in this city about eight o’clock and the reflection from the fire led people to think that the power house situated there was burning to the ground.

Many people gathered in the streets watching the reflection of the blaze. The local fire department started for the scene of the conflagration but returned to their house after going only as far as the Peninsula Mills.

Chief Babcock decided that he would not be justified in leaving Ypsilanti with insufficient protection.

The blaze is thought to have been started by tramps. A large boarding house and a house directly across the street were burned to the ground. Neither was inhabited.