Looking Back to 1952: Paso Robles sees 81% voter turnout, housewife aids bandit capture
Excerpts from Thursday, November 6, 1952 Paso Robles Journal:
– Paso Robles voters beat the national average yesterday with a record 2328 ballots cast at the local polls, eighty-one percent of the 2870 registered in the eight city precincts.
Almost the same percentage prevailed throughout this part of San Luis Obispo County with voters waiting to exercise the franchise when the doors opened in the morning and still standing inline at the seven o'clock deadline.
Dwight Eisenhower was top choice in this area with Stevenson far behind.
In the congressional race, the battle was closer. With twenty-two precincts reported north of the Cuesta Grade, incumbent Ernest Bramblett led with 2389 to 2223 for Will Hayes.
Bramblett carried all but one Paso Robles precinct to wind up the city with 1177 to 1049 for Hayes. Hayes won in three Atascadero voting units and also won 152 to 96 in Santa Margarita as well as taking one San Miguel precinct.
Complete results for most areas follow:
Paso Robles Prct. 1, Group 1: Stevenson, 59, Eisenhower, 141; Hamblen,4; Knowland, 156; Borough, 13; Andre 1; Bramblett 111; Hayes 90.
Paso Robles Prct 1, Group 2: Steveson, 57; Eisenhower, 153; Hallinan, 1; MacArthur, 1; Knowland,186; Borough, 18' Bramblett, 117; Hayes 88.
{p/p}Housewife aids capture of bandits
Foils robbery of Spring St. store
A quick-thinking Paso Robles housewife last night thwarted the attempted getaway of three robbery suspects.
Mrs. John P. Miller, who saw "a large blonde woman steal $46 in cash and an automatic pistol" from the checking stand of Donohue Sons grocery at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, sounded the alarm that caused the woman and her two male companions to be picked up by city police several minutes later, at Ninth and Spring.
Mrs. Miller also fond the gun which the "large blonde" allegedly stole, several feet from the spot where the police had halted the fleeing trio.
"I was walking toward the checking counter in Donohue's," Mrs. Miller related, "when I noticed a blonde woman dressed in black—she was quite large—walk behind the counter and pick up a newspaper. Then she reached into an enamel tray beneath the counter and grabbed some bills, folded the newspaper over them, and, as she walked away, grabbed the gun that was lying on the opposite shelf. The gun was loaded.
"As she walked out of the door I called to John—that's my husband—to get the license number of her car. The woman got in the car with the two men and drove south on Spring. We phoned the police and they were arrested several minutes later."
Police spotted the car as it crossed Thirteenth Street, traveling south on Spring with the woman suspect, later identified as Patricia Kelsey, 27, of Seattle, driving. She and her companions, Robert Donald Knight 40, of San Francisco, and Elmer Thomas Kelsey, 42, of Seattle were stopped at Ninth Street by a city police officer who summoned aid when the woman attempted to escape.
Mrs. Miller, who followed the police car, located the grocer-victim's missing gun in the weeds near the spot where the suspect's car was halted.
According to police, Mrs. Kelsey was carrying $332 in bills—$132 in her purse and $200 concealed in her underclothing.
Last night's robbery was the third for the Donohue market since 1939. Two years ago a pair of Mexicans held proprietor William "Pop" Donohue at gunpoint while they emptied the till.
A year before two men attempted to loot the register, but were halted temporarily when "Pop" intervened.
"Then three others stopped to help the first two thieves," Donohue bristled, "and I could see that the odds weren't going right. I call the police. Didn't lose a thing that time."
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Paso Robles Pioneer Museum – Come take a real look back into local Paso Robles history. Open Thursday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 2010 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles, CA 93446, www.pasoroblespioneermuseum.org (805) 239-4556.
Estrella Warbird Museum is an aviation museum dedicated to the restoration and preservation of military aircraft, vehicles, and memorabilia. Woodland Auto Display is also open. Hours: Thursday through Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. 4251 Dry Creek Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446, ewarbirds.org , (805) 227-0440.
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