Friday, October 11, 1923. Cantlin found not guilty.

We have no image of the Casper Daily Tribune today, but if we did, you would have seen an article about the Cantlin trial.

Moreover, if you could have read the Casper Herald, a different newspaper, you would have seen the following.

CANTLIN FREED BY JURY WYOMING'S SHAME

Erroll J. Cantlin has been granted legal permission by a jury of Douglas citizens, (God save the Word) to shoot and kill women autoists who fail to put on their dimmers while he is driving on the same road. The acquittal of this self confessed slayer marks a victory for the Invisible Empire in Wyoming. The slimy hand of the Ku Klux Klan, stained  with the blood of hundreds of innocent men and women, showered its hold in the right place.

Twelve good men and true! have set aside the laws of the civilized world in order to free a man whose hands are red with the blood of a defenseless victim. With such support and encouragement Cantlin should wind up with an enviable record as a gunman. No longer will he have to accept the wages of an undersheriff. The way is open for him to go on the stage and clean up thousands. A man that can hit an automobile twice at point blank range with bullets fired from a pistol aimed in another direction is indeed an object of curiosity. His name should live forever in the Hall of Fame. There should be a great demand for his memoirs. We suggest that he write a book and call it "The Wonders of Moonshine, or Women I Have Killed." With the riches that will pour in from the receipts at the vaudeville houses and the sale of the book we hope Cantlin will not forget the men who helped place the stamp of authenticity on his weird tale. They should at least be entitled to one-half of what he earns. But then again maybe they won't need it. The Ku Klux Klan it is said, pays those who serve them with a generous hand. And transposing some of Attorney Hemmingway's words, spoken yesterday, 'we don't see how any attorney could be so vile as to protect such a client.' Again we repeat, 'twelve good men and true.' True to the principles of that doctored brand of Americanism taught by the Ku Klux Klan. They served their Kleagle well. And they undoubtedly will be handsomely rewarded. An innocent woman lies dead in her grave. Slain for no cause at all. And a jury of 12 Douglas citizens declare it was Cantlin's duty to kill her. If you drive a car, be careful. The 'crime' of failing to turn on your dimmers is punishable by DEATH. Warn your wife and sisters. Human life is something to be taken at will by an undersheriff. 'Twelve good men and true' have so declared at Douglas. Here are their names, men. Look them over. These are the men who said after hearing the evidence that Cantlin was justified in killing Mrs. Nellie B. Newcomb who now rests unavenged in her grave.

The article would end up in charges of criminal liable, a crime that no longer exists, being filed against the newspaper in Converse County.  It would result in a conviction.

As for Cantlin, I can't find anything much about him, but he did return to Casper apparently, as he is buried in Casper's cemetery with a tombstone that indicates that he died in 1947 at age 61.

The Giants took the third game of the series in a 1 to 0 game.

Tuesday, February 23, 1943. Tragedy in County Cavan and Converse County, Retreat in North Africa, Steel Pennies, Red Army General deaths.

 A B-17 crashed between Glenrock and Douglas on this day in 1943.  More specifically, B-17F 42-5102 crashed, with the loss of the entire crew of ten, 28 miles east of Casper.

A marker is planned for this site.

Air disasters during training happened at what would now be regarded as a horrific rate.

The Afrika Korps, overextended, began to withdraw back through the Kasserine Pass.  Rommel's decision to commence withdrawing was objected to by his senior officers at first.

Rommel addressing German troops riding in a captured American M3 halftrack.  By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1990-071-31 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5419522

His decision was correct, but telling. The attack had been largely successful up to the day prior, but now with a change of command and facing growing Allied firepower and superior logistics, the advance was effectively ended and now the battle's gain were about to turn into losses. This could be said of the entire North African effort, and for that matter, the entire German war effort at this point.

Steel pennies were first stamped, and then put in circulation on February 27.  The act was to save copper and was not popular.

Ukrainian born Lt. Gen. Grigory Kravchenko, age 30, fighter ace and twice Hero of the Soviet Union, was shot down and subsequently died from his injuries when his parachute failed to open.  He'd grown up in Kazakhstan after being born in Ukraine.

Soviet Major General M.M. Shaimuratov, died following his brutal torture by Cossacks serving under German command.  He was a Tartar cavalryman who had first joined the Red Army in 1919.

A terrible fire at the St. Joseph's Orphanage in County Cavan, Ireland, resulted in the death of 35 girls and one adult. The fire which occurred in the very early morning hours was not detected until it was advanced.

The girls who perished ranged from 7 to 15 years of age.

Holscher's Hub: The County Line

Holscher's Hub: The County Line

The County Line

The Community Hall

The sign reads "Community Hall, Restored 1976, Gillette FFA".

Between Wright and Edgerton.

There are a fair number of these.

Little halls for isolated rural communities.  Communities that were really too far from town to go to town's regularly.  Even as late as the 1970s, when this one was restored, I can recall one in northern rural Carbon County that received a fair amount of use.

Now, I'd guess none of them do

Railhead: The Coal Train

Railhead: The Coal Train

 

Something we'll be seeing less of in the future? 

The Lonely Bull

Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: The best-laid schemes o' mice an...

Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: The best-laid schemes o' mice an...:   Small rig, in mine, 1972.  A type that's change a lot. Lex Anteinternet: The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men: Lex An...

The past couple of years the campgrounds at the Wyoming State Fairgrounds have been really packed, in part because the decision was wisely made to allow those campgrounds to be partially used year around by oilfield workers.  It made a lot of sense, the facilities were there, but most of the year weren't used that much. Why not relieve the housing shortage in Converse County and maximize the return on the facility?

Last week the Tribune ran an article that now a lot of those campers have cleared out and others are contemplating doing so.  Oilfield workers hauling off their trailers and going home.  Another, very real, sign of the decline.

Today the Tribune reported that the Legislature proposes to take a $200M payment to the "rainy day fund" and apply it to the budget, to make up for a projected revenue shortfall.  Also a sign of the decline in drilling.

And yet, we're still at the denial stage in some quarters, although that's gone from "it's not happening" to "it'll be short".  I don't think the industry is saying that however.