3 Bandits in Bullet-Flying Chase Found Guilty (in 1945)

The front page of the weekly El Cerrito Journal for today, July 26, in 1945 reflects a 28-year-old city contending with homefront concerns and impacts of war as the nation begins to hope that World War II might soon be over. Here are some of the actual headlines from the paper's front page, followed by our brief summaries of the articles:

Trio Nabbed in
Wild Chase Found
Guilty of Burglary

It took a Superior Court jury in Martinez only 10 minutes to find three San Francisco men guilty of second-degree burglary in theft of a safe holding $11,000 from a Richmond market in May. The crime featured a wild gun-firing chase through El Cerrito, eventually ending in Oakland where the trio – Johnnie Ned Duckert, Ray P. Garcia and Leroy T. West – were cornered and arrested. They had been surprised in the act of taking the safe and leapt into their car, beginning the chase that was joined by police from multiple agencies who fired more than 60 shots at the fleeing bandits, none of whom was hit.

Private Womack of
El Cerrito Killed
In Pacific Theater

Among the list of Pacific Theater casualities released by the Army this week was an El Cerrito soldier killed in action. The Army identified the man as Private Harl L. Womack, husband of Mrs. Wonda J. Womack of 306 San Pablo Ave.

El Cerrito Man
Struck by Bus

A Key System bus struck a 64-year-old El Cerrito man, Charles M. Steward of 2121 San Mateo Ave., this week, sending him to Richmond hospital with head lacerations. He was given first aid and allowed to go home. According to police, Steward had been running for the bus at the corner of Waldo and San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito when he tripped and fell, causing the bus, driven by George Brown, to hit him.  

4 County Taverns
Are Out of Bounds

Four Contra Costa County taverns have been placed off limits to Army and Navy personnel after allowing servicemen in uniform to play slot machines, according to notices posted on the businesses by the Army-Navy Disciplinary Control Board. The out-of-bounds establishments are the Casa Orinda at the Orinda crossroads, Tiny's at 716 Main St. in Walnut Creek, the Brick House on Highway 24 near Walnut Creek and Frank's Place at Clayton. 

Click  for other vignettes we've published about El Cerrito history. Click the Keep the Keep me posted button below for alerts to future articles in this series. You can find some back issues of the El Cerrito Journal at the Shadi Historical Room at City Hall, open to the public on the third Thursday of each month, 4:30-6 p.m.