TROOPER SWANSON: You may recall a recent column about a
Pennsylvania State policeman from Mount Jewett who was the first
trooper in the state killed in the line of duty.[neWLine]

More today on Patrolman Russell T. Swanson,[neWLine]

Our information comes from Ken and Sally Bernhard of Corry who
pass along details from the Pennsylvania State Police
website:[neWLine]

Russell Swanson was born Sept. 12, 1905, at Mount Jewett, and
enlisted with the State Highway Patrol on Sept. 3, 1927. He was 22
years old and 5’10 1/2″” tall.[neWLine]

At 3:30 p.m. on April 19, 1929, Patrolman Swanson and Patrolman
Peter Carlson were testing brakes on vehicles on Route 20, just
east of North East, Erie County.[neWLine]

They stopped a Lincoln sedan occupied by three men, Fred
Elverson, Joe Invie and Samuel Bard, who had stolen the vehicle in
Minneapolis, Minn. When they failed to properly identify themselves
as the owners of the vehicle, they were taken to a squire’s office
in North East for questioning.[neWLine]

Bard shot Patrolman Swanson who died instantly. Elverson was
captured, and tried to commit suicide. Bard and Invie drove away,
but were later apprehended.[neWLine]

Bard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to
10 to 20 years. Invie pleaded guilty to the same charge and was
sentenced to 5 1/2 to 12 years. Elverson was charged with
involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 4 to 10
years.[neWLine]

Swanson, who is buried at Mount Nebo Cemetery, Mount Jewett, was
survived by his mother, Amelia Swanson of Mount
Jewett.[neWLine]

The Bernhards tell us the FOP Lodge for Troop E in Erie is “”the
Russell T. Swanson Memorial Lodge.””[neWLine]

[neWLine]

NEW VIEW: Gus Gocella of Bradford has a suggestion: “”I read a
lot of newspapers online when I am away. One of the most
interesting and the leader in global news is the Aljazeera web
site. If you want the leading U.S. stories on the evening news and
tomorrow’s big news stories, read this web site.””[neWLine]

“”It is very interesting to view their cartoons. To think the
world rioted with a cartoon from the Netherlands – what will they
do with the Aljazeera cartoons that have been mocking the world
leaders and problems for many months now? Those cartoons don’t make
our U.S. newspapers or evening news.””[neWLine]

He adds: “”Read it and let me know what you
think.””[neWLine]

We did check it out. Very interesting.