Did Deputy J.B. Smith arrest an alien while thinking it was a practical joke by teenagers?
This Spaceman was taken into custody near New Waterford by Sheriff’s Deputy James Smith who snapped this photo for department files.
Encounters Not Close, Afterall – Deputy Breaks Spaceman Case
Lisbon — How would you react if a creature from outer space waved a ray gun at you as you passed him on a lonely Columbiana County highway while driving home late one night?
Imagine the case of several motorists travelling Route 14 near New Waterford on several nights last month. They reported seeing along the road a creature with distorted human features and pointed ears. They told county Sheriff’s deputies‘the thing wore a space suit with 'a wide silver collar and carried what appeared to be a blue ray gun.
There is no need to be alarmed, however, because the Sheriff’s office has cracked the case of the county’s first recorded invasion by inter— galactic hitchhikers from outer space.
After the first sightings of thecreature were reported along Route 14 last month, Sheriff’s deputies investigated and, at first, they could find no evidence of an invasion or the invader.
But in a hastily called news conference late Monday afternoon, Deputy James Smith announced that he had spotted the invaders Saturday between 10: 30 and 11 p. m. just north of New Waterford on a private road between Metz Road and Route 14. They were leaving their spacecraft to make another raid on the unsuspecting motorists travelling Route 14. He took them into custody.
“They were just looking for something to do,” Smith explained Monday. The invasion, it turns out was the product of a little imagination and a few too many scence fiction movies, and the invaders were four county youths.
When Smith spotted the Juveniles suiting up for another excursion along Route 147 Saturday night, he took them to the Columbiana Police Department to talk about the dangers of scaring the wits out of drivers and to take their pictures, just to prove the story was true.
So, if you saw a creature along Route 14 in recent weeks Deputy Smith can assure you that your eyesight is not going bad.
The youngsters created their spaceman outfit with a mask from a costume shop, a coverall type uniform with a collar made of silver tape, cardboard battery-operated noisemakers and a light which was strapped to fake the spaceman’s chest. The ray gun was a lighted plastic-tube with a blue lens. But they didn’t stop with the uniform. They hooked up a microphone and loudspeaker to create feedback that sounded like the landing of a fleet of flying saucers. Three of the youths took care of props and sound while the fourth played the part of the spaceman.
Smith said the teenagers researched the outfit to make it realistic as possible and he added, it worked. “They’d go out on Route 14 and scare people to death,” he said.
The county’s brush with outer space lasted about a month Smith estimates. Considering no harm was caused, Smith had to admit the youths “did a good job.” with their little charade. “They were very proud of this and they have a right to be,” he said.
Asked if he ever had any doubts that the reported spacemen might not have been explained in earthly terms, Smith said he hoped they could be because he didn’t think the county would send him to Mars to solve the case.
But the case was wrapped up when Smith confiscated their space gear and sent the youths home to their parents.
So, if you ever spot a creature with pointed ears along Route 14 you ll know that the young pranksters are at it again, or, if you have a vivid imagination, you might suspect that the case of the' invading spaceman wasn’t as simple as it seemed after all. ‘
Spacemen Return Home – Deputy Solves Alien Visitation Mystery
LISBON—How would you react if a creature from outer space waved a ray gun at you as you passed him on a lonely Columbiana County highway while driving home late one night?
Imagine the case of several motorists travelling Route 14 near New Waterford on several nights last month. They reported seeing alongside the road a creature with distorted human features and pointed ears. They told county Sheriff’s deputies the thing wore a space suit with a wide silver collar and carried what appeared to be a blue colored ray gun. There is no need tabe alarmed however. because the Sheriff's office has cracked the case of the county’s first recorded invasion by intergalactic hitchhikers from outerspace.
After the first sightings of the creature were reported along Route 14 last month, Sheriff’s deputies investigated and, at first, could find no evidence of the invasion or the invaders.
But in a hastily called news conference late Monday afternoon, Deputy James Smith announced that he had spotted the invaders Saturday night between 10:30 and 11 p.m. just north of New Waterford. He reported that their intentions were peaceful and said he talked them into returning home.
Deputy Smith said he spotted the four would-be spacemen on a private road between Metz Rd. and Route 14 as they were leaving their spacecraft to make another raid on the un- suspecting motorists traveling Route 14.
Speculation was that the creatures were on their way home from a party in a neighboring galaxy when they took a wrong turn at Jupiter and mistook the lights of New Waterford for those of an intergalactic rest stop.
But Deputy Smith offers a much simpler explanation.“They were just looking for something to do,” he said.
The invasion, it turm out, was the product of a little imagination and a few too many science fiction movies, and the invaders were four county youths.
When Deputy Smith spotted the juveniles suiting up for another excursion along Route 14 Saturday night, he took them to the Columbiana Police Department to talk about the dangers of scaring the wits out of drivers and to take their pictures, just to prove the story was true.
The youngsters created their spaceman outï¬t, with a mask from a costume shop, a coverall type uniform with a collar made of silver tape and cardboard, battery-operated noisemakers and a light which was strapped to the fake spaceman’s chest. The ray gun was a lighted plastic tube with a blue lens.
But they didn’t stop with the uniform. They hooked up a microphone and loudspeaker to create feedback that sounded like the landing of a fleet of flying saucers. Three of the youths took care of props and sound while the fourth played the part of the spaceman
The county’s brush with outer space lasted about a month, Smith estimates. Considering no harm was caused, Smith had to admit the youths “did a good job” with their little charade. “They were very proud of this and they have a right to be,” he said.
But the case was wrapped up when Smith confiscated their space gear and sent the youths home to their parents
So, if you ever spot a creature with painted ears along Route 14 you’ll know that the young pranksters are at it again, or if you have a vivid imagination, you might suspect that the case of the invading spaceman wasn't as simple as it seemed after all.
They only came out at night
COLUMBIANA—The strange case of the Columbiana County spacemen is finally over.
Reports of silver outfitted spacemen with large heads, pointed ears and ray guns had been filtering into the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Department over the past month although no“hard” evidence turned up.
People driving in the Metz road, SR-714 area had reported spacemen walking along the roadway pointing rayguns at their cars as if meaning to shoot the motorists.
The “case” was finally “solved” last Friday when one Of the “spacemen” was apprehended at work.
According to Deputy Jim Smith, the “arresting” officer, he was on a routine patrol in the Metz road, SR. 714 area near Columbiana Village when he spotted a car pulled off the side of the road. When Smith investigated further he found one of the spacemen in full space uniform about to proceed with a night’s work.
Smith took the spaceman to the station, snapped a polaroid picture of the “alien” and then found that the spaceman was nothing more than an earth-type youngster. Further discussion with the ersatz alien revealed that he and two other juveniles had been pulling the prank for the past month for nothing more than a lark and because “It was better than smoking dope.”
Since the boys didn’t hurt anybody and since no laws had really been broken they were released.
Now, if we can only convince the people who saw the “spacemen” that they really don’t see aliens from space.
Space man case solved
A number of East Palestine area drivers who have seen what appeared to be space men along SR-14 are relieved to learn that the mystery has been solved.
Deputy James Smith of the Columbiana County Sheriff’s office cleared up the mystery with a statement Monday afternoon that four youths had been taken into custody following their apprehension Saturday night north of New Waterford between Metz. Road and SR-14.
“They were just looking for something to do ”’ Smith said, adding that a few too many science fiction movies may have been a factor in the case.
Several weeks ago an East Palestine driver reported he had seen the space men walking along SR-14 near the Firestone Farms.
He said he would rather not talk about it, lest his friends would accuse him of “seeing things.” Several others also have reported seeing the strangely dressed space men along both SR-14
and Metz Road.
Some reported the space men were displaying a ray type gun.
The four youths were released by the sheriff’s office, explaining that no laws had been broken and no one had been hurt.
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