Years Ago

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 7, the 280th day of 2009. There are 85 days left in the year. On this date in 1929, former Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall, one of the main figures of the Teapot Dome scandal, goes on trial in Washington, D.C., charged with accepting a bribe from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny. (Fall is convicted and sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100,000; he ends up serving nine months. Ironically, Doheny is acquitted at trial of offering the bribe that Fall was convicted of accepting.)

In 1777, the second Battle of Saratoga begins during the American Revolution. (British forces under Gen. John Burgoyne surrender 10 days later.) In 1858, the fifth debate between Illinois senatorial candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas takes place in Galesburg. In 1949, the Republic of East Germany is formed. In 1959, singer-actor Mario Lanza dies in Rome at age 38.

October 7, 1984: Republican Congressman Lyle Williams and Democratic challenger James A. Traficant Jr. appear headed for a photo finish in the race for the 17th District congressional seat.

Radio personality Dan Ryan will be the parade marshal of the annual Great American Halloween Parade being organized for the third year by A.E. Vea.

October 7, 1969: The Youngs-town Board of Education meets in a closed session with Negro residents who expressed concern about how black students are treated by teachers. The news media was barred from the session.

Youngstown Sheet & Tube Corp. is phasing out its aging rod and wire facility in Struthers. Most of the 260 employees will be shifted to other departments; some older workers will retire.

October 7, 1959: Thousands of Mahoning County school children will delve into the question of the development of water resources in the Mahoning Valley in an educational program promoted by the Citizens Committee for the West Branch Reservoir bond issue.

Nineteen ministers pray for settlement of the nationwide steel strike during a National Day of Prayer service at Trinity Methodist Church in Youngstown.

A new Careers in Retailing Committee is organized under the Downtown Board of Trade to make available to Youngstown area students information about opportunities in the retail field.

October 7, 1934: Jackie Welch, 6, of South Avenue, loses four fingers when he strikes a shotgun shell given to him by a neighborhood girl with a hammer the children had been using to crack walnuts.

Alice Matilda Jordan, 86, of Austintown dies of injuries after being struck by motorcycle. She was a daughter of Scott and Lydia Calhoun Jordan, early settlers of Austintown Township.