Out of the Past: Aug. 15

1999

Greater Dimension Church of God in Christ dedicates its new building at 725 Hackberry St.; the congregation hopes the opening of a new facility will bring more improvements to the surrounding South Cape Girardeau neighborhood and to the city, says its pastor, the Rev. Dr. William Bird; the new building is only part of the plans for the church; it also hopes to expand its Child Development Center, which will move to 1215 S. Sprigg St., for its growing enrollment; also, a community development corporation has been established to help people with job training, placement and some GED study classes.

The Rev. David Coon, a native of Charleston, has been appointed pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Scott City, succeeding the Rev. Patrick Wissman; in addition, Bishop John J. Leibrecht of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese appoints the Rev. Daniel Schultz as an associate pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau.

1974

A police chief in Connecticut and a veteran officer from Texas are being considered as Cape Girardeau’s new police chief, with the final selection expected in about 10 days; city manager W.G. Lawley declines to name the two top contenders from more than 100 applicants; the city advertised in the June edition of National Police Chief Magazine for a new chief to replace Irvin E. Beard, who has held the position the last three years through the City Council granting him extensions past the retirement age of 65.

A rift developing in the Perryville Police Department for six month suddenly widens when Police Chief Ray Tourney suspends indefinitely three officers, including the assistant police chief, during a City Council meeting; the three officers are at the meeting to discuss a list of grievances they had prepared, including many charges against the chief.

1949

Mystery in the “bow and arrow” case deepens with the disclosure by Cape Girardeau police that Bill Watkins, amateur archer, who fired a shaft at a prowler at his home early Friday morning, received an unsigned scurrilous card, ostensibly written by the individual who had been wounded; the note, postmarked in Cape Girardeau, reads: “Cut out your crowing, you moth-eaten, would-be Robin Hood. You missed me with your little bow and arrow. Sorry sucker. Print that in your paper if you got the guts.”

There is hope today that the Southeast Missouri wave of infantile paralysis might have passed its peak, after Saint Francis Hospital reported only a single admission over the weekend; that one case — 3-year-old Orpal Schaefer of Caruthersville — entered the hospital Saturday, and four dismissals were made the same day; there are currently 45 polio patients receiving treatment at Saint Francis.

1924

With letting yesterday of a contract for paving West End Boulevard, plans are being formulated to make it one of the handsomest thoroughfares in the city; the plans call for the laying of an 18-foot concrete surface on both sides of the streetcar tracks between Normal Avenue and Broadway to Independence and Bloomfield streets; from Broadway to Independence, due to the narrowness of the street and curbing having been previously constructed, paving will extend between the car tracks; the parkways between the car tracks are to be planted in grass and will be kept looking as attractive as possible.

Cape Girardeau’s “Great White Way” is growing brighter, not by the addition of more street lights, but by the shining up of those already there; the iron electric light and power polls on both sides of Broadway, Main Street and Good Hope Street are getting fresh coats of black enamel; too, all the globes on the standards are being treated to a nice soapy bath; broken lamps are being replaced.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at www.semissourian.com/history.