25 years ago: May 3, 1980

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- An antique hearse carrying the casket of legendary Diamond Jim Razor Jr. parades through Chaffee to the accompaniment of three drummers; the hearse is just one of many entries in a parade which officially kicks off the town's summerlong 75th anniversary celebration.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A man described as a "Chinese footboxer" scales an 11-foot fence, leaps to the top of another fence eight feet away and on to the roof of a garage to escape from the exercise yard of Perry County jail; his freedom lasts about two and a half hours, until a mob of about 40 Perryville residents, some armed with shotguns, rifles and axes, chase him down on the west side of town.

50 years ago: May 3, 1955

While here for a time yesterday, Col. George E. White Jr., district engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers at St. Louis, Mo., said his organization is ready to proceed with flood-control work at Cape Girardeau as soon as Congress authorizes the appropriation; the first work, according to White, will be the installation of sewer systems and auxiliary lines designed to carry away the surface water after the levee from Sloan's Creek to the traffic bridge is built.

Cape Choraliers elected officers at their meeting last night; elected were: president, Mrs. Joe Blackwell; vice president, Mrs. Leo Boren; secretary, Mrs. C.A. Bohnsack, and treasurer, Art Fischer.

75 years ago: May 3, 1930

The Hotel Idan-Ha, owned by Col. Walter D. Black, is sold at public sale to P.T. Bolz of St. Louis, Mo., on a nominal bid of $5,000; Bolz is said to hold a $28,000 second mortgage under which the property was sold.

Two of three townships in Cape Girardeau County showed decreases in population during the past 10 years, but sufficient gains were made in another to offset the loss, 1930 census figures show; Apple Creek and Shawnee townships showed slight losses, while Welch Township, including Delta and Randles, showed a gain which made up the losses in the other two townships.

100 years ago: May 3, 1905

A street fair is being held in Jackson this week for the benefit of the Cemetery Improvement Association; quite a few visitors are in town for the entertainment.

A granitoid pavement will be put down in front of the stores on the levee, from Dempsey's to the Albert corner, which will be a great improvement.

-- Sharon K. Sanders