She’d been trying to get a policeman to come see her about the theft since early that afternoon, without success. She’d tried to reach District Attorney George Chamberlain several times earlier in the day, but his line had been busy. The police, after the usual assurances of prompt action, had never shown up. Now it was late at night, and she no doubt suspected the thieves would be gone by morning. So she’d called up Chamberlain — a former attorney-general of the state of Oregon, and a future governor and U.S. Senator — at his home, at 10:15 p.m., to demand instant action.

And she got it.

It goes without saying that Mrs. Whitlock was the wrong sort of person to steal stuff from. (Portland, Multnomah County; 1901) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1804c.dalton-wade-murderers-ratted-out-by-snoopy-landlady-491.html)