A Pawn Ticket

The Statue of Liberty during a power failure in 1942.

1943-44, this is Camp Commandant AmonGoeth - made infamous in the movie Schindler's List - standing on his balcony overlooking Plaszowlabor camp in Poland.

In 1933. Hitler has ambitious plans to connect all major German cities with highways. This ceremony kicked off construction at Frankfurt-am-Maine - Darmstadt/Mannheim highway.

In 1937, Amelia Earhart receives what turned out to be her last haircut.

The clue that broke the murder case of William Salsbury was initially unrelated to the original crime.

Someone reported to the police the theft of clothing from a tenant at a downtown rooming house and when the police arrested a suspect, a pawn ticket was found in his pocket.

Since their homicide investigation was at a standstill, Detectives Shearer and Grant were handed the pawn ticket and asked to complete the case. At the pawnbrokers, they located the stolen clothing and looked it over.

The detectives noticed a small piece of material seemed to have been torn from the leg of one of the pairs of trousers. The two men hurried back to the office to retrieve the piece of cloth found near the murder scene and compare it to the hole in the trousers. It was a perfect match.

The detectives then interviewed the man in custody who initially denied knowledge of the ticket, claiming he found it on the street. However, when told of the possible link with the murder of Salsbury, he changed his story. 

The RMS Olympic, the Titanic's sister, in wartime camouflage in 1915.

Mugshot of the legendary Tokyo Rose in 1946

Yale 1966. George W. Bush plays rugby.

1923. Harry Houdini exposes "spirit trickery".

The man in custody told the police he hadn't stolen the clothing but received it from a man named "Frenchie" Paulson. He knew the items were stolen some weeks before and Frenchie wore some of the clothes for some time.

The detectives persisted and the prisoner admitted Paulson told him that he and another man shot Salsbury and he tore his pants while running away. The man then named the others who were present when Paulson told him this.

The word then went out for the 'others' to be picked up and brought in for questioning. They confirmed hearing Paulson brag about the murder and gave the name of the second suspect. This man went under the names of Allan Robinson, Joe Bedoveski or Joe Williamson. 

This is the Washington-Hoover airport, demolished in 1941. The Pentagon is here now.

There are German POWs in 1945. They are weeping and sitting in disgust as they watch footage shot at a German concentration camp.

The Golden Gate Bridge around 1935.

Arnold Schwarzenegger showing off for some ladies in the 1970s.

Alexander 'Frenchie' Paulson was arrested on June 5 and he quickly confessed when confronted with the evidence. Paulson stated Salsbury had been picked at random and was ordered, at gun point, to turn over his wallet. Salsbury resisted, attacking them with his umbrella. According to Paulson, Robinson had then shot the man before the two would-be thieves ran off empty handed.

The search for Allan Robinson intensified and he was found. Right where he should be, in Oakalla Prison where he was serving a four-month sentence for Vagrancy. Robinson was brought to Vancouver and charged along with Paulson, with the murder of William Salsbury.

Paulson and Robinson were found guilty on October 27, 1921, and Mr. Justice Gregory of the Assize Court sentenced the two men to be hanged in January of the following year.

There was a technicality though and a new trial was ordered. The death penalty was confirmed and the execution was set for July 28, 1922. According to the press, as they walked to the scaffold, Robinson was 'jaunty' and Paulson 'dour and sullen'. The sentences were carried out after Robinson made a brief speech where he advised the witnesses that 'crime didn't pay'.

In 1864, Union prisoners receive rations at Fort Sumter.

Construction of the Hoover Dam in 1934.

Dr. WerhnervonBraun and Walt Disney in 1954

This is a permanent stable cavity caused by the detonation of an underground nuclear test in 1961.

So the Salsbury murder case was solved and the culprits punished. Detectives Shearer and Grant were promoted to Sergeants in the Criminal Investigation Department for their work in solving the case. These men realized that they were lucky and fortunately, they had recognized their luck and acted on it.

Isn't that the way sometimes though? We saw it in the murder of the night watchman where an officer found discarded clothing miles away from the crime scene that led to the criminals. And look at the cases where someone is stopped for a traffic violation and the police end up arresting a serial killer!

Thanks goes to my mother and her friend Wes for the old photos and to Joe Swan and his book POLICEBEAT  for the information.

Are you on Facebook? Then get ready to partay! I am having a release party for my book On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success on March 5 from 4 to 6 pm PST. Here's the link and I hope to see you there.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

1969 photo of Vladimir Putin and his childhood friends. 

Future presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush with Governor George Wallace at a BBQ in 1983.

Survivors of the Titanic being taken aboard the Caparthia in 1912.

And this is my favourite. Anastasia shares a smoke with her father Tsar Nicholas II. This photo was taken in 1916, two years before their execution.

Karen Magill, Vancouver, CPR, History, William Salsbury,Georgia Street, Vancouver Rowing Club, pioneer, rain, umbrella, police

Pressure Mounts

To my readers who are under mounds of snow, I just wanted to remind you that spring does come. I took these photos yesterday here in Vancouver.

It was a long night for police on April 12, 1921. They stopped and questioned all the young men they could find in the Downtown and West End of the city. Twelve men seemed suspicious and were taken to police headquarters for further questioning but were later released.

Dr. G.F. Curtis performed the autopsy on William Salsbury and recovered a .32 calibre bullet from the body. The bullet had entered the left side of the chest, penetrated the lungs and heart before lodging in the spinal column. It was Dr. Curtis's opinion that Salsbury died practically instantaneously.  At the inquest held the following afternoon, the jury ruled the death "Murder by a person or persons unknown".

The local newspapers gave prominent coverage to this killing. The general public were shocked and horrified by the cold-blooded killing of such a well-known and respected member of the community. People were busy speculating as to the reason for the murder. Many surmised the victim did not know his assailants - Salsbury was not known to have any enemies - and that the murder was the result of a robbery attempt. William was not the type to meekly hand over his wallet.

The police shared this theory. They considered the 'knickerbocker' description faulty and this crime was the work of local criminals, not two young boys. The police contacted informants and followed leads.

On Thursday, April 14, William Salsbury was put to rest. Vancouver's elite attended and the pall bears included members of the Howe, Boultbee and Woodward families.

The investigation continued but weeks passed with no progress. All the leads provided by informants had been investigated but the information led to nothing.

22 men were brought to the station for questioning then released. Some were brought in from outlying areas such as Port Coquitlam. The press began to criticize the police department for its failure to solve the case. The Salsbury family, disappointed and critical of the police efforts, hired a private detective. However, he wasn't successful either.

Weeks went by and it appeared that the murder would remain unsolved. Detectives Robert Shearer and W.G. Grant, who were in charge of the investigation, never gave hope though. They were confident that someday a break would come. Finally, their hopes were fulfilled.

Intrigued? You will have to wait until Monday to find out what break the detectives received. Thanks go to Joe Swan and his book POLICEBEAT for the information on this crime.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, Vancouver, CPR, History, William Salsbury,Georgia Street, Vancouver Rowing Club, pioneer, rain, umbrella, police

William Ferriman Salsbury

In 1887 the first trans-continental train pulled into Vancouver. Aboard that train was an official of the CPR, William Ferriman Salsbury. (I read another report that said Salsbury arrived in Port Moody on July 4, 1886. I don't know which one is right - I wasn't there)

Salsbury was born on February 16, 1847 in Surrey England and came to Canada in 1870. He worked with the railway from 1861 and was a manager of Grand Trunk Railway of Canada.

In 1881 Salsbury left his position with the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada and took a position in the financial department of Canadian Pacific Railway. He worked with the CPR Pacfic Division from 1886 until he retired in 1921.

Salsbury was also active in his new city. He served as an alderman for Ward 1 from 1893 to 1894 and was an advocate and charter member of the Vancouver General Hospital in 1901.

Salsbury was also one of the first CPR officials to build in the newly-developed Shaughnessy district.

He hired architect A.A. Cox to design this house in 1912.

This Mission Revival style home features stucco cladding, moulded stucco trim and a curvilinear gable end.

The tall trees and thick hedges, and in some cases massive fences, were not there when these homes were originally built. Can you imagine how imposing these mansions would have been when they were first constructed? It would almost be like the residents of these homes were royalty.

William Ferriman Salsbury passed away on January 1, 1938 in Victoria, Canada. There is a street near where I live that was named after him.

And remember I will be interviewed on an online radio show - Reader's Rockin' Radio today at 3:30pm Pacific time. So listen in if you can and call if you want to ask me anything.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, Willim Ferriman Salsbury, Vancouver, Reader's Rockin' Radio, A.A.Cox, CPR, treasurer, British Columbia