Editor's note: The West Seattle Herald has been covering news here for nearly a century. Robinson Newspapers (which publishes the West Seattle Herald) have a massive news archive of Herald coverage dating back to 1928. What follows are crime reports and public safety issues from 1929. Although reporters’ names were not included with stories at that time, their original words remain intact. As more historical crime reports are compiled there will be more installments of West Seattle All Time Crimes.

June 13, 1929
W.S. Folks Escape Burning In Plane
Are saved from death by calmness of pilot
A scenic trip above the city on Sunday almost ended disastrously for three West Seattle residents, who were passengers in a monoplane which caught on fire.

The plane, which was driven by Charles A. Rector, a pilot of seven years experience, took off from Boeing Field with the three who were: Peggie and J.R. Hawley, 3052 46th Avenue S.W., and Volmer Jensen, 1106 W. Spokane Street, and circled south over the city. While 2,200 feet above the Jefferson golf course, the gas line broke, and the flame leapt back toward the cabin.

The pilot pumped the fire extinguisher, keeping the flames from reaching into the cabin, where the passengers were. By steering the plane from one long slip into another, he succeeded in making a successful landing, with the only injury to anyone being his own burnt hand.

July 3, 1929
Citizens Organize Protection Club
Due to the depredations being committed all too frequently by gangs of boys from nearby neighborhoods, home owners in the Fauntleroy-Lincoln Park district have organized a Protective Club the object of which will be to catch the boys on their marauding expeditions and take whatever measures seem best to put an end to their expeditions of lawlessness.

Small boys led by older boys have been caught stealing chickens, articles of clothing from clotheslines, breaking street lights and otherwise destroying or making off with property.

The members of the club are aware that in most instances the parents are entirely unaware of the acts being committed by their youngsters, and by gathering evidence and otherwise assisting the police it is hoped to shortly put an end to the present lamentable condition.

July 18, 1929
Fist Fight Ends Ballard Contest
West Seattle Boys Keep Heads and Win Forfeit
The West Seattle Athletic Club baseball nine started the game against Ballard last Sunday, but the umpires finished it when the Shingleweavers started a mob scene after objecting to a decision.

The West Seattle squad, as usual, acted like gentleman and retired to the sidelines while the Ballard squad sought to put a few fistic suggestions over on the umps. The police finally stopped the burlesque and the Indians were left winners, 4 to 0 in a forfeit.
Following is the account of the game written by Willard Bergh of the Post-Intelligencer:

All went well for two and a half innings in the Community League’s big game between West Seattle and Ballard Sunday at the Civic Stadium, but the contest wound up at the end of the third with a battle between twelve aggressive Ballard players and two defending umpires, Gene Walby and “Suds” Sunderland, the game being awarded by forfeit to West Seattle when the umpires ruled most of the Ballard players out of the game.

Despite the fact that there were twelve men picking on the two arbiters, the umps held their own pretty well and both returned for the second game, Sutherland getting a big hand from a good-sized crowd which had witnessed the blow-up, which included several fist-swinging episodes led by Burns, Cinto Zandra and Bud Greimes.

Here’s the list of events leading to the tragedy:
With one away Burns singled and took second on a passed ball after Lukanovic had rolled out to third. Donnelly singled to center and Burns rounded third and crossed the plate.

The ball was tossed back to second and then to third and Umpire Sutherland ruled Burns out for failing to touch the bag.
The entire Ballard team stormed around Sutherland and then Zadra started a slugging match with Walby. Cinto landed one hard right and Walby countered with a flying tackle. Then they were pulled apart.
Meanwhile several Ballard players started after Sutherland and were stopped by policemen.

Following the umpires actions in awarding the game to West Seattle, Brick Lobaugh, Ballard manager, announced that if league officials backed up the umps’ decision he and his mates would very likely quit the league and play independent ball.

West Seattle was leading 4 to 0, up until the blow-up. Bruce Johnson had laced a homer in the second and West Seattle had garnered three more in the third on Allen’s triple and Warner’s and Johnson’s infield taps.

July 25, 1929
Sue For Damages on Fall in Hole
Echo of W.S. Street Light Job is Heard
More grief over West Seattle’s new street lighting system on California Avenue is promised in three personal injury damage suits for a total of $131,308 which were field Monday against the city of Seattle and Herbert C. Moss, lighting contractor, for hurts sustained when a mother and her seventeen-month-old baby daughter fell down an open manhole at California Avenue and West Myrtle Street last March 11.

The suits are brought by George J. Chapman and his wife, Mereda. On March 11, the complaints allege, Mrs. Chapman was wheeling her seventeen-month-old daughter Bonnie Sue across the street intersection, and in endeavoring to lift the baby carriage onto the curb, stepped backward into the manhole, left open by workmen employed by Moss, who had the contract for installation of the new electric street lighting system.

Mrs. Chapman fell nine feet to the cement bottom of the manhole, while Bonnie Sue, tumbling out of the buggy, came hurtling down on top of her. The child’s injuries are described as serious and possibly permanent, while those of the mother are said to consist of shock, broken bones and derangement of internal organs. A first suit on behalf of the child demands medical expenses to date of $4,506 and a second personal injury damages of $75,000. The third suit, brought on behalf of the mother, asks a total of $51,802 for injuries and medical expenses.

Sept. 5, 1929
Vandals Destroy Beautiful Trees
Shade trees are being killed on 40th Avenue S.W. between Hinds and Spokane Streets, by ruthless boys, who accomplish their feat by peeling the bark off. These trees are grown over a period of many years and are expensive to replace, and at the same time cause a loss of property value.

Unless such vandalism is stopped at once, steps will be taken to prosecute, and the police will be called in to handle the boys, says one of the property owners in the vicinity.