Other Times
100 Years Ago – 1920: Relatives of James O’Donnell, former circus clown and at onetime inspector in the employ of the Philadelphia and Suburban Gas and Electric Co., whose decomposed body was discovered over a week ago at Woodlyn, will be asked today to identify a new raincoat, which, it has been learned, was picked up on the morning of Tuesday, May 18, at Ninth street and Edgmont Avenue, Chester. According to report, O’Donnell took a new raincoat from his sister’s home a few nights before he disappeared from his rooming place at 525 Penn St.
75 Years Ago – 1945: Differing sharply with the recent action taken by the Delaware County Board of Commissioners, the June Grand Jury, in its report recommended the immediate erection of a warden’s house on the Broadmeadows Prison Farm. The commissioners had turned down the Prison Board’s proposal citing no money in this year’s budget. The warden’s present home in Media will soon be converted into a Juvenile Detention Home.
50 Years Ago – 1970: The “no return” soft drink bottle may soon be a thing of the past in Upland. Borough council tentatively approved an ordinance which prohibits retail sales of soft drinks in the no-return bottles. The proposed ordinance is the outcome of a suggestion in April by Mayor Raymond Ruditys. He said broken glass on the streets and sidewalks is a menace to motorists and pedestrians.
25 Years Ago – 1995: A fleeing bank robber was quickly caught yesterday when a dye pack exploded and set his pants on fire, Upper Darby police said. The 29-year-old stuffed the bank’s dye pack down his pants with the cash and was caught redhanded, so to speak, in the back yards of the first block of Glencoe Road. The dye-pack, similar to a burning red smoke flare, takes only takes eight to 10 seconds to explode.
10 Years Ago – 2010: Billy, the spray-painted goat found wandering the Boeing plant in May, has been adopted, the Delaware County SPCA said Tuesday. The goat was found by Boeing security May 20 inside the Ridley Township helicopter facility’s main gate. The black goat’s horns were spray painted gold and he was draped with a black cloth spray painted to read “Go Army” on one side and “A Strike Zone” on the other.