Out of the past: March 4

1998

President Clinton should tell the American people the truth about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, former White House adviser George Stephanopoulos said yesterday; "If he made a mistake, he should own up to it," Clinton's former political strategist said; Stephanopoulos commented on the White House scandal during a visit to Southeast Missouri State University; he met with reporters and later delivered a speech to a packed room of 500 people at the University Center.

One veteran lawmaker is leaving the Missouri Legislature and a second hopes to take his place; State Rep. Gene Copeland, D-New Madrid, said Tuesday he won't seek re-election to the seat he has held in Missouri's 161st District since 1960; Betty Hearnes of Charleston, a former state representative from the old 160th District, filed the same day as a Democrat for Copeland's post; Copeland, the longtime dean of the General Assembly, has endorsed Hearnes' candidacy.

1973

A sizable parcel of land at the southeast corner of Morgan Oak and Middle streets has been purchased by Rufus Hart of Jackson from Erwin A. and Mildred Vogelsang; the area includes the Dairy Bell restaurant and other structures, including one occupied by the Meyer Wheel Alignment Co.; the area, measuring 150 feet on Morgan Oak and a depth of 250 feet along Middle, formerly was the site of the old Koeck Brewery; later on, Henry Vogelsang operated the Ideal Brewery there, then established the Riverside Ice and Fuel Co.

A young woman who wants to be a priest is the guest preacher at services at Christ Episcopal Church; Judy Upham of St. Louis, a teacher and social worker, is spokesman for a growing group of Episcopalians who believe women should be admitted to the priesthood; she is the only female candidate for ordination in the Diocese of Missouri.

1948

Cape Pictures, Inc., operator of the Esquire Theater in Cape Girardeau, filed suit in Federal Court late yesterday against five motion picture distributing companies, three other amusement corporations and three individuals asking damages of $33,000; the suit charges monopoly and conspiracy under the Sherman Act by the defendants in preventing the plaintiff company from obtaining first-run pictures to show in the theater in Cape Girardeau.

Special appraisers -- Harris D. Rodgers of Benton, Missouri; A.F. Deneke of Cape Girardeau and Charles H. Jones of Piedmont, Missouri -- put a value of $35,000 on the tract in Courthouse Park taken by the federal government as the site for a new post office; their report, filed in court late yesterday, will be formally submitted to Federal Court at the next term, which starts April 12.

1923

Indications are there will be a large attendance at the annual convention of the Cape Girardeau County Sunday School Association tomorrow and Tuesday at Oak Ridge; all session will be held in the Methodist church there; pastors and superintendents of the various churches and Sunday schools in the county have been invited to attend, along with the regular delegates; the Rev. C.H. Swift, pastor of the First Christian Church in Cape Girardeau, is president of the association.

The Black Women's Christian Temperance Union met Wednesday at St. James AME Church to elect officers: Mrs. R.H. Arthur, president; Cora Conway, vice president; Susie Pett, secretary, and Leona Williams, treasurer; the organization is composed of 12 pledge members.

-- Sharon K. Sanders