One may think of home invasions as a relatively recent kind of crime. It's really just a newer name for something that has been happening since people have had homes and others have wanted their stuff.
From the Arizona Daily Star, Saturday, July 1, 1916:
WOMAN BOUND AND HER HOME SEARCHED
Three Mexicans Perpetrators of Act; May Be Bootleg Plot
Why Mrs. G. H. Lerg, of East Sixth street, was tied hand and foot in her own home by three Mexicans Thursday evening, while her house was ransacked, still appears to be an insoluble mystery, although county officers worked on the case Thursday evening and all day yesterday. The most tenable theory is that Mrs. Lerg had information about some bootleggers who attempted to scare her away.
Sheriff Forbes refused to give out any information about the case yesterday, but it is known that county officers worked all day trying to discover the identity of the three Mexicans who are alleged to have visited the place Thursday evening, and also the identity of a man who has claimed that he had a prior lease on the place rented by the Lergs.
Leg himself is in Phoenix, it is said. Thursday afternoon the authorities were informed that Mrs. Lerg was being annoyed and a deputy was sent to the place to investigate. It appeared that some man had been coming to the place and annoying Mrs. Lerg, claiming that he held a lease on the house which had not expired.
Mrs. Lerg wanted the place protected, and when deputies went there Thursday evening for that purpose they were surprised to find Mrs. Lerg tied by the hands and feet. She said three Mexicans had come to the house and tied her up, but had not offered her violence in any other way. They ransacked the house but did not appear to have taken anything. Although officers refuse to discuss the affair, it is said that they theory that they are working on is that there was a party of bootleggers nearby whom Mrs. Lerg had information about and that they wanted to scare her away. To accomplish this they resorted to the expedient of tying her up. Whether the Mexicans who did this were the bootleggers themselves or whether they were hired by the bootleggers is unknown.
Mrs. Lerg is in a highly nervous state and is at the Tucsonia.
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In other news, the Star's fund for better foods for National Guardsmen from Tucson was rapidly becoming a rousing success.
STAR’S APPEAL FOR GUARDSMEN STRIKES HOME
Tucsonans Respond Generously to Raise Mess Fund for Soldiers at the Front; First Contributions Already Sent
A most generous response to the Star’s mess fund appeal for the Tucson national guard companies now at the front, was received yesterday, and up to 5 o’clock Friday evening a total of $77.50 had been received by the Star.
Without waiting for the fund to reach $100, and realizing that the soldier boys from Tucson at both Nogales and Douglas were in need of comforts and delicacies immediately the business manager of The Star mailed checks for $50 each to Captain Masher of Company K at Nogales, and to Captain Soto of Company E at Douglas, with instructions that a part should be devoted to the use of the detachment of the hospital corps in each place. The hospital corps was organized in Tucson and has been divided in two equal parts, one of which is still stationed at Douglas and the other at Nogales.
From the hearty response yesterday it is evident that the donations have only started, and The Star will continue to receive donations and acknowledge them daily. Contributions can also be left with the chamber of commerce and will be acknowledged by the same.
This was followed by a list of names of those who had donated.
