Out of the past 1/27/07

25 years ago: Jan. 27, 1982

Homicide is suspected in the death of a 57-year-old Margie L. Call, whose body is discovered in the bedroom of her home in the 1800 block of Brink Street in Cape Girardeau.

The Cape Girardeau Gynecological Center may be open for business, but members of the pro-life group Life-Boat Crusaders for Life say it will never be accepted by those who oppose abortion; the group is organizing picketers to march periodically in front of the clinic.

50 years ago: Jan. 27, 1957

Rex W. Garner has been called to serve as pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, 430 Koch Ave., in Cape Girardeau, a mission of First Baptist Church; he is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Garner of East Prairie, Mo.

A drizzle of rain overnight hampers traffic in the morning in Cape Girardeau, as it covers the streets with a thin sheet of ice; coming on Sunday, however, it doesn't cause too much inconvenience.

75 years ago: Jan. 27, 1932

Two Mississippi River fleets are in winter quarters in Cape Girardeau; one is the federal government's fleet at its regular quarters north of the cement plant every winter, and the other is the McGeorge Construction Co. fleet, which is just south of the traffic bridge.

The largest crowd of the season -- 1,334 -- packed Houck Field House last night to watch the Cape Girardeau Central High Tigers and the Jackson High Indians compete; the Indians, after a long and tiresome battle, nosed out the Tigers, 24-20.

100 years ago: Jan. 27, 1907

The large building housing the Frisco car repair shops, west of the main track and at the foot of College Street in Cape Girardeau, was destroyed by fire last night, a lack of water pressure in the mains being blamed; every employee in the yards rushed to the scene and were formed into bucket brigades, and in that manner saved adjacent buildings; the city fire chief, Arthur Leher, the only member of the department who didn't resign Jan. 1, was early on the scene with a bunch of volunteers.

The Rev. M. Helmbacher of Oran, Mo., was in Cape Girardeau last week and made arrangements with local contractors for the construction of an 11-room house for himself at Oran.

-- Sharon K. Sanders