A fitting photo published November 2010 — my cousin Sgt. Law.

So many fans asking for the old police blotters — that simple daily log, not solving cases, answering the phone and in many cases responding immediately, but many times just taking care of barking dogs and drunks.

10:20 p.m. 7-10-42 — Call from Mrs. Hubbard, 28 South Hope Street. Said there was a drunk prowling around in her driveway. Said she was alone and very scared and upset. Investigated and found Herb Manard of Lake Clear Jct., asleep in the grass but partly in the driveway drunk as hell. Brought him down to the station and locked him up him up for P.I. — Higgins & Tyler

9:30 p.m. — 7-14-42 — While patrolling at Berkeley Square I heard an explosion. Sounded like a cannon. Very soon I received calls from Kerr, Dr. Trembly, Mr. Whitteman and others. Started out with Bill Wallace to try and locate the explosion. Checked water reservoir, gas works and sewage disposal plant. Learned later in the night that an extra heavy charge had been set off at the Lake Clear Airport which shook all the windows in Saranac Lake. [It would have been nice for us if the officer said what created the blast and the reason for the charge.]

3:30 a.m. 7-19-42 — Fred Garrow [Lillian Burman’s dad], Brundage Taxi driver reported to police that he just left a fellow off at 38 East Pine Street, was quite drunk. Waited for him, thought he was coming back as he owed 50 cents for taxi fare. [Local cab rides were still 50 cents when I drove cab in 1948.] Fred said he saw a light come on in the house and then heard a woman scream. This fellow ran out of the house and into the woods. The woman came out carrying a baby in her arms. Told Fred she did not know who the man was, thought he was trying to kidnap her baby. Garrow didn’t know the man. Said he was young, dressed in a light tan jacket. Mrs. Emily Allen lives there. Claims this same fellow came back after the taxi driver left and walked across the front porch and that she scared him away when she screamed just before the police arrived. Searched the grounds and the woods around there for about a half hour but could not find anyone. Told her that the police would continue to check there until daylight. — Higgins & Brown

Now, as the entries usually word it … all hell was breaking loose on my birthday, July 20, 1942, when I was 12. Wait ’til you get a load of this one …

12:05 a.m. 7-20-42 — Call from Mrs. Hudson, Franklin Avenue. A dog on South Street keeping the patients awake for about an hour. Investigated and found that Mrs. Ralph Cheeseman had been lost while at a picnic yesterday and had come home late in the night and was barking to be let in. [Just bad sentence structure on the part of the officer because we know Mrs. Cheeseman wasn’t barking.] She let him in. — Officer Jones

2:15 a.m. 7-20-42 — Call from Mr. Creedon on the top floor at 42 Bloomingdale Avenue. Very much noise in Apartment 2 directly under him. Investigated by Jones and Higgins [Sharon Bishop’s dad — his name was Norbert, no wonder he went by “Pete.”] Found Mrs. Martinez, hair dresser, husband, Dr. Martinez, dentist of Massena in the apartment. Had a quarrel with one William Hoover, who had been living with her. Hoover had gone out and down the street. We saw him later on the street and he had been drinking. Went back with him to get his clothes. He started to get disorderly, tearing up some clothes belonging to her children. We then brought him to the police station and locked him up. When we first went to the place we saw lights at different places in the building and people talking. The whole place seemed to be in an uproar. — Higgins