The Bonner County (Idaho) Historical Society has just published its first book! HUNTED is a true-crime chronicle penned by the late Dale Selle. Selle became intrigued by a crime that had occurred in the sleepy North Idaho town of Hope way back in 1923, when a grocery store owner was tragically shot dead during a robbery. When Selle started looking into the old story, his research unearthed a widespread crime wave perpetrated upon the Inland Northwest by an escaped convict and his sidekicks. HUNTED is the story of the men, the crimes, and the determined effort by law enforcement to track them down and bring them to justice.
Selle was a meticulous researcher and chronicler who valued impeccable historical accuracy over penning a page-turner. As a result, at times this book reads more like a police procedural or journalistic account than a suspenseful nail-biter of a crime story. Still, I found the details of rural detective work fascinating, especially back in the day when state-of-the-art technology meant a telegraph and possibly--if one was really on the cutting edge--a telephone.
HUNTED is available for purchase at the Bonner County History Museum (611 S. Ella, Sandpoint, 208-263-2344) and at some retailers including Vanderford's and the Corner Bookstore (both in Sandpoint). If you're interested in crime, law enforcement, and the history of the Inland Northwest, it's worth hunting down a copy of HUNTED.
2 comments:
Just wanted to point out that, folk wisdom to the contrary, curiosity can lead to much better things than the sorry demise of cats! Dale Selle found himself intrigued by an old tale, followed up, and wound up with a book. What are YOU curious about? What little tidbit sparks an "I wonder..." train of thought? Follow the trail and see where it leads!
I love any history but especially history about where I live or have lived. Thanks for alerting us to this new book.
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