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About The Coquille Valley sentinel. (Coquille, Coos County, Or.) 1921-2003 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 10, 2002)
Page 8 ~ Sentinel’s 120th anniversary issue,- September 2002 Coquille excitement: smallpox, bank robbery Coquille had its share of excitement in the early days. Much of it was the kind that most peo ple would prefer to avoid, however. One of those cases came along in 1892, when David McKeon brought smallpox to Coquille City. In a few days, he died of the dreaded disease, and the community (and the rest of the county) became greatly concerned at having this disease in the area. Quarantine regulations were imposed. Dr. Tower and Dr. Evans of Marshfield were appoint ed as a board of health. Myrtle Point placed guards at the main roads into town, forbidding anyone to enter. The U.S. Mails were stopped. In spite of the precautions, five or six people came down with the disease but none died, thanks to the diligent care given to them. And then there was the bank robbery... Things were going along in a normal fashion at the Coquille branch of the First National Bank one morning in the spring of 1929 (some accounts say December of 1928). Bess Mauiy had just gone out the back door with checks to be cleared at the Farmers and Merchants bank. Bank President A. J. Sherwood First National Bank, at the corner of Central and First, was the target of an attempted and cashiers Eliott Hazard and E.D. Webb were bank robbery in 1928. going about their regular duties when a shout from Vice President O.C. Sanford rooted them in their tracks. “Holdup!” He yelled. “There’s a robber at the past the courthouse, where the sheriff’s deputies Miss Maury said when she got back to the side door. Webb, get the gun.” had heard of the robbery attempt. A number of bank she was shaken by her near miss. “Other Sanford had gone to the side door when he deputies gave chase. banks kept calling to see how much money we lost saw someone standing outside. The man, an A posse was quickly formed, headed by Bert and before it was over I was pretty nervous.” escaped convict from San Quentin, aimed a pistol Gould. They grabbed rifles and ammunition from Em Pierce, Bess’s sister, was employed at the at Sanford, who held his hands over his face and the Oerding Brothers’ hardware store and set out office of Jess Barton, next door to the bank and retreated into a comer of the lobby, shouting to in pursuit of the fleeing pair. remembered the holdup vividly. “When the guns alert the rest of the force. The convicts were unfamiliar with the town started going off it sounded like the whole army Webb grabbed the rifle and took a shot at the and headed up the hill toward Shelley Road. When was shooting in the street,” she said. “Mr. Barton bandit. The robber returned fire, breaking the front the street reached a dead end, they abandoned the ran into the back room for his rifle, yelling that plate glass window and spraying slivers of glass car and ran into the thick woods, where the posse there was a bank holdup. But when he came out over Stanford’s hands and body. The would-be found them. again, he forgot to turn the gun around and got robber leapt into a car driven by a confederate, Crouched behind trees, they pointed their stuck in the door. Before he got out on the street, also a San Quentin escapee, and they raced away guns at the posse, which turned out to be a mis the holdup men were gone.” up Second Street in a hail of bullets fired by Russ take. Gould was reputed one of the best shots in A Ford parked along the street was riddled Morgan, who was walking up the street. A partner the state and proved the point by letting off one with bullets. The owner threatened to sue the in the law firm of Beg and Morgan, he habitually shot, which struck and killed one of the men. The county or someone, but he could not find proof of was armed with a pistol. His intent was better than other came out of the trees with his hands in the who shot his car. his aim, though, and the bandits escaped air, thoroughly intimidated. Miss Helen Samson, a county nurse, saw the unharmed. For some time the city sweated through tense bandits go by as she pulled out of a service sta The car soon swung back into view after backwash caused by relatives of the dead man, an tion. She trailed them and was on hand to give spinning around the block while the robbers Indian. They came to town and were reported first-aid to the slightly wounded bandit who sur looked for an escape route. They fled up a street ready to lift a few scalps in retribution. rendered. Marinos________________ BOOTS i SADDLES 191 E. Main Street in Coquille, 396-5915 Bill Marino started working leather in Bandon in 1970. Five years later, he enrolled in Leathercraft Technology at Portland C.C., first learning shoe repair and later saddlemaking. During his studies, Bill met his wife, Kay, who was also in the Shoe Repair course. They moved here in 1977, opening Coquille Valley Shoe Repair & Saddle Shop at 70 E. 2nd St. Their daughter, Amy, was bom the next year. Many remember her ^^^p/ay7/^OTher45 square foot playpen. She graduated from C - ' ! *----- '■—"T-’ the U. of O. in Architecture this spring. In 1981 their son Jesse | WESTERN BOOTS / \ CUSTOM WORK: was bom, joining Amy 1 WORK BOOTS I ) SADDLE MAKING at the shop, he has SMOKE JUMPERS ft ' CHAPS, KNIFE SHEATHS graduated from CAULKS K S TACK, SADDLE BAGS Chemeketa C.C. in Fire SHOE ACCESSORIES S N AND MORE..; Science and is finishing SADDLES X REBUILDING & REPAIR: his Paramedic degree. 1 TACK, RODEO GEAR J SADDLES, TACK & SHOES | At first saddles were Z BIRKENSTOCK RESOLING | BELTS, WATCH BANDS 1 WALLETS worked on at home. FULL SOLES OH WESTERN MOTS CAULKED BOOT SOLES PURSES, BACKPACKS The shop was expand L-AND MORE... . AND MORL.. ed so saddlemaking was brought downtown and boot retail was begun. In 1990, a moved their shop and residence to the real change was made when they Sanford House at the comer of Baxter [MERCHANDISE I I 1 I I JSERVICES and Main, behind Safeway. The business name was shortened to Marino’s Boots & Saddles. Marino’s expanded its retail lines of boots, sad dles and tack to many manufacturers. Bill continues his high standard of craft with all types of repair and cus tom work. Resoling, from shoes to caulked boots; custom work, from sheaths to saddles; or rebuilding sad dles and tack, Bill has the equipment and the knowledge to do your job. Bill and Kay would like to thank the people of Coos County and beyond for their business over the past 25 years. We look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones! y
