Past Pages for Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015

150 years ago

(Surprise Valley Indian attack; continued from Tuesday). The Indians charged into camp and ran off all but 20 horses. A fight then ensued, which resulted in the recovery of the animals. The Indians were only kept at bay by means of Hobart’s Howitzers, of which he had two. The lieutenant estimated the number of Indians at not less than 1,500.

130 years ago

(Harvester explosion; continued from Tuesday). The force of the explosion threw pieces of iron 200 yards away, the stubble was blackened with explosion for 100 yards. Several men had been on the harvester when it exploded, all brushed off like flies and horses knocked end over end. A safety valve, set to 110 pounds, was to blame.

100 years ago

The claim that Shakespeare was a brewer seems to be effectively disposed of by the fact that he left little or no estate to his relatives. — Seattle Post-Intelligencer

70 years ago

Men who have earned the right to exceptional consideration may form a large proportion of Nevada’s prison population in the near future unless county officials exercise great care, says Warden Richard H. Sheehy of the Nevada State Prison. The warden’s fear is based on the inability of the average layman to understand and grasp the real meaning of battle fatigue, or shell shock.

50 years ago

Jack Rainsberger’s date to meet death in the Nevada gas chamber later this month is five years after the last first-degree murder convict was executed in the silver state, which pioneered the method. Rainsberger said voices told him to go to Las Vegas and told him to fatally knife a young Las Vegas divorcee.

Trent Dolan is the son of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.