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Monday, October 31, 2011

History Burglar Shot Dead at Re-bar!

Posted by David Schmader on Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 9:23 AM

Sure, it was 73 years ago, when the place was called the Night Hawk Tavern, but still, fascinating! From the August 22, 1938 edition of The Seattle Daily Times.

Thank you, Slog Tipper Ryan. (You may read about the ghosts of Re-bar and other Seattle bars here.)

Comments (10) RSS

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It's funny how much newspapers from the 30s gloated over the deaths of criminals. Here, they've got the bartender posing with his shotgun. In Denver, I saw some old Posts which included the story of a youth gang (not too young - they were aged 17-21 IIRC) who were all facing the death penalty, and the photo caption included the comment that "not one of them deserved less than the full penalty of law." I think they killed someone in a robbery.

Posted by Matt from Denver on October 31, 2011 at 9:34 AM

Today, the bartender would be in jail and the bar would be paying the burglar (or his family) restitution.

Posted by Banna

on October 31, 2011 at 9:44 AM

This immediately made me think it would be hilarious to see Slog posts and Stranger-tone articles covering historical Seattle events.

Posted by Joe Szilagyi

on October 31, 2011 at 9:51 AM

Dick move by the bartender, but it's nice to think of a time when there was an alternative to dealing with a corrupt, militarized, civil-rights violating, and all around lawless police department.

Posted by Westlake, son! on October 31, 2011 at 10:01 AM

1938, the "Great Depression" was still going full bore. People in cities were desperate to eat.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on October 31, 2011 at 10:01 AM

@2 - Page 2 included this lovely first-person description: "I shot for his stomach and his automatic flew from his hand when the pellets struck. I pumped the gun and gave the other guy a blast. Then I pumped again and gave the first man another shot. Then I pumped again, but the darn shotgun jammed." dude was a stone-cold gangster.

@3- you mean like a snarky Paul Dorpat?

Posted by ryanayr on October 31, 2011 at 10:04 AM

@5 These guys weren't looking for something to eat. The survivor confessed after being taken to the hospital to over 145 robberies of taverns, cafes and drug stores over the course of one year.

Posted by ryanayr on October 31, 2011 at 10:08 AM

Wow, I had no idea Rebar has been a bar for that long.

Posted by seandr on October 31, 2011 at 10:18 AM

May she live a very long life, but I do hope Dina Martina's ghost haunts ReBar when she eventually passes on.

Posted by Bub on October 31, 2011 at 10:30 AM

Those two guys weren't crooks...they were just looking to do a "takeover" and transform "Night Hawk" into a 40s style rave -- Benny Goodman with HiBalls. I mean, check out their faces and the Stonewall cap the one guy is wearing.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe