Out of the past 5/20/08

25 years ago: May 20, 1983

The Southeast Missouri State University board of regents had approved the bylaws of a new fundraising arm of the school, the Southeast Missouri State University Foundation; the foundation solicits private donations to the school.

Four armed bank robbers stormed into Boatmen's Bank with guns blazing shortly after closing yesterday, robbed the bank of an undetermined amount of money and made a clean getaway — all in a simulated exercise staged by the Cape Girardeau police.

50 years ago: May 20, 1958

With a big splash, a new Cape Girardeau-built towboat hits the Mississippi River in the afternoon after it sped down the marine ways at the Missouri Barge Lines Co.; the new craft has been under construction for a year.

By a majority of 3 to 1, Cape Girardeau voters at a special election approve a $700,000 bond issue for the public schools; the money will be used to build a new elementary school near Scivally Park, to make repairs to existing buildings, to set up a fund for the purchase of school sites in the future, and to meet sewer and street paving charges.

75 years ago: May 20, 1933

Cape Girardeau stands a good chance of securing at least $150,000 for public improvement projects under provisions of President Roosevelt's public works program, which is expected to be sanctioned soon by Congress; the projects would give employment to 300 to 500 men.

Mrs. Cora Gaston, gold star mother who is to visit her son's grave in France this summer, has been notified to be in New York City on June 23; her son, Isaac Scott, died in 1918 and is buried in a cemetery at Beaume, Cote d'Or, France.

100 years ago: May 20, 1908

W.C. Mullin of Kansas City has been awarded the contract to build the sewer system for the first district of Cape Girardeau.

Cape Girardeau County Court Judge Jacob Eggimann got into a mud hole with his surrey north of Dutchtown recently and broke a single-tree trying to get out; he says they were talking about automobiles at the last meeting of county road officials, but it will be some time before those machines can navigate the county's roads.

— Sharon K. Sanders