120 years ago in 1902

Taken in part from the Youngstown Vindicator:

“Pulled gun on a street car conductor armed with a switch iron.

“A crossing man named Nick Sands, employed by the Erie Railroad at North Avenue, a street car conductor named H. Granger, working for the Mahoning Valley Company, a revolver and a switch iron, formed a combination on Thursday night about 9 o’clock, which furnished considerable excitement at the crossing referred to.

“It appears from the story as told at the police station that the conductor took exceptions to the crossing man holding the crossing against his car. Hot words ensued and an incipient fight followed the first argument.

“Sands says that the conductor again attacked him. The second onslaught was made with a switch iron. The crossing man believed that his safety lay in retreat, and he accordingly backed away from the infuriated street car conductor. The latter, according to the story related by the railroad employee, kept coming after him and then the crossing man pulled a revolver and told Granger to stop.

“The revolver was a potent factor and Granger halted. The contest was then called off for the time being. Granger came to the mayor’s office and had a warrant issued for the arrest of Sands, and Sands retaliated by having a warrant issued for Granger.

“Both men were in court on Friday morning and put up $10 for their appearance at trial later.”

50 years ago in 1972

Two years had passed since the horrific tragedy at Kent State.

“About 1,000 silent marchers joined a candlelight walk across the rolling Kent State University campus Wednesday night in memory of four students killed two years ago during a confrontation with Ohio National Guardsmen.

“Michele Klein, a senior from Norwalk, tolled the university’s victory bell on the Kent Commons four times. She led the march as it snaked soundlessly across campus to Taylor Hall.

“There, students began a nightlong vigil while volunteers stood silently on the four spots where the students fell May 4, 1970, when guardsmen opened fire during an anti-war demonstration. Klein said volunteers would take turns standing at the spots until noon today when a memorial program was scheduled on the commons.

“The university’s student government arranged for Dr. George Wald, a Harvard University professor and a Nobel Prize winner, to give the main address. He was joined by Emil Mazey, international secretary-treasurer of the United Auto Workers, and Sister Elizabeth McAlister, a co-defendant in the ‘Harrisburg Seven’ case, in a panel discussion at 8 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium.”

Additionally, several local residents traveled to Washington, D.C., for a vigil, but a major event caused its cancellation.

“A 24-hour vigil in the memory of students killed by National Guardsmen at Kent State University has been canceled because of the funeral today of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. About 15 students from the university and parents of the dead students, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Krause of Pittsburgh and Mr. and Mrs. Martin Scheuer of Youngstown, had planned to lay wreaths at the White House and Justice Department.”

• Compiled from the archives of The Vindicator by Traci Manning, Mahoning Valley Historical Society curator of education.