Way back when: Today in history
BY GENE CURTIS
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
9/04/12 at 2:31 AM
1929 - Bandits hunted
Plainclothes police officers armed with sawed-off shotguns were assigned by Chief George Blaine to patrol the city to curb a wave of banditry by underworld characters. "The officers might stop a few who are on legitimate business, but they will be treated with courtesy," Blaine said, explaining that the officers are aiming their activities at young bandits. The chief said he had ordered new shotguns similar to those used in larger cities and that two officers would be assigned to each squad car. He said the teams would patrol certain high-crime areas every half hour and would check in with the detective bureau every hour during the night.
2002 - Texas singer wins
Singer Kelly Clarkson, 20, a cocktail waitress from Burleson, Texas, was voted the first "American Idol" on the Fox TV series. After more than 15 million telephone votes, Clarkson defeated Justin Guarini, a crooner from outside Philadelphia. Clarkson was the survivor among 10,000 entrants in the series that became the television hit of the summer among teenagers and young adults. Clarkson, whose signature song was Aretha Franklin's "Respect," received a recording contract. Carrie Underwood of Checotah was named American Idol in 2005.
2008 - Detroit mayor ousted
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, known as a "hip-hop mayor" when he took office in 2002, was forced to leave office, was sentenced to four months in jail and was fined $1 million after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice involving a sexual affair with his chief of staff, Christine Beaty. His aide was sentenced to 120 days in jail when she pleaded guilty to the obstruction charge. Kilpatrick, 38, also lost his license to practice law and was prohibited from running for any elective office for five years. The charges grew out of lying in court in a whistle-blower lawsuit filed by two former police officers who accused Kilpatrick of retaliating against them for trying to investigate misconduct by the mayor and his security detail. Kilpatrick and Bailey had denied their affair.
2010 - Quake hits New Zealand
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck the South Island of New Zealand shook thousands of residents awake at 4:35 a.m. and caused widespread damage and two serious injuries. Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said the "sharp, vicious earthquake caused significant damage in parts of the city with some walls that have fallen into the streets." Suburban dweller Mark O'Connell said his house was full of smashed glass and TVs and computers tipped over. "She was a beauty; we were thrown from wall to wall as we tried to escape down the stairs to get to safety," he said.
Associated Images:
Clarkson
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