70 Years Ago
August 4, 1948
-Ulysses Lauzon, a 26-year-old convict who escaped from the Kingston Penitentiary after stealing $400,000 from the Royal Bank in Bath was killed in Mississippi. His body was found in a ditch and police believed he was killed by gangsters.
Lauzon had escaped with two other convicts. One remained at large, while the other one was caught in Oakland, CA and awaiting extradition back to Canada for further sentencing.
– Nearly 10,000 people attended the annual Lumberman’s Picnic and Fair in Cloyne. The event was considered the only one of its kind in North America that allowed lumbermen an opportunity to show their skill using modern machinery. In addition to the lumber events, a varied program included a baby show, a softball game, horse pulls, and performances by live bands.
-For several days the channel of the Napanee River was blocked after a large clump of cattail bog broke loose from the marsh and lodged west of the old Light dock in a part of the river that was only about 100 feet wide. The blockage was opened by the tug Salvage Prince, which later pulled the barge Hilda down the river. Even smaller boats were unable to pass the blockade before then.
40 Years Ago
August 2, 1978
– Tourist operators in Lennox and Addington County were hopeful a weak Canadian dollar and the elimination of sales tax on lodging would bring more American visitors to the area. Reactions were mixed about whether the region was seeing a boost in visitors from the U.S.
Land O Lakes Tourist Association president Jack Weese, a Hay Bay resort owner, said between 1971 and 1977, American guests had dipped from 50 per cent of his clientele to about 10 per cent. He was hoping to see that interest rebound.
– The region finally received rain, but farmers said the one inch of precipitation came too late to save grain crops that were already ripening. Agricultural representative Garnet Mills said it may help late hay crops and revive pastures and added more rain was needed. Vegetable farmers said their crops could benefit from the moisture.
– Thieves broke into Sam Markle’s hardware store on Hwy 2 over the weekend and used tools from his store to drill and saw their way into his safe, which was encased in concrete and hardwood. The thieves drilled 88 holes into the side of the safe, then used a sabre saw, axe, and sledge hammer to break in. Markle estimated his losses at about $4,000, including $750 in cash removed from the safe and $100 worth of tools damaged during the break-in.