This Week in Winchester History: A Killer For Hire

This is a regular column with items drawn from past editions of the Winchester Star.

1911

Fires

First, the Wincehster Fire Department had to deal with a fire on Thompson Street. Plumbers were working in the cellar of the home, when their lantern flared up and caught the cellar on fire.

The department extinguished the fire, but not before the cellar was destroyed.

There was also a fire on Cross Street. Rubbish was being burned at the corner of Washington Street and it caught the grass on fire. There was no damage.

Car hit boy

An Arlington Street boy was struck by a car as he crossed Main Street. The 12-year-old boy had just left the dentist office when he ran out into the street. The car was going slow enough that the boy only had some cuts and bruises, not broken bones.

1961

Organized Gambling

Winchester Representative, Harrison Chadwick, went on television to say that organized gambling "maintained contacts with Massachusetts legislators." Chadwick refused to have a closed hearing with the House Speaker where he would provie more information on his allegations.

1986

Christmas?

Parents were upset at how the school district celebrated the holidays saying that the Task Force on Cultural, Racial and Ethnic Awareness has too vague a description for holiday guidelines.

"I'd live to have my daughter learn about Hanukah as well as Christmas. I just don't think what you're doing is the American way," one parent told the committee.

There are no more Christmas parties at the high school and elementary schools have "holiday programs." And Santa Claus is only asked to go to a few elementary schools.

According to the committee, they only asked the schools "suggestions and told staff to use common sense and sensitivity" when dealing with the holidays.

Contract killer

A Waltham bank robber told the Middlesex District Attorny that two men who are battling a Winchester lawyer over an estate for $150,000, asked him to kill the Winchester man. The robber told the DA that he was paid $1,000 up front to "do the job."

The DA is looking into the man's allegations.

All the information for this story came from the Winchester Star.