Out of the past 10/31/05

25 years ago: Oct. 31, 1980

Cape Girardeau police are unable to account for almost 100 American and foreign coins that were part of a collection that was turned over to the police department three years ago by a youth who found them in the vicinity of Jefferson School; only 40 of the coins have been returned to him; many of the coins were old and of interest to collectors.

U.S. Rep. Bill Burlison, 49, who was injured in a three-vehicle accident on Interstate 55 near Ste. Genevieve, Mo., last night, is expected back on the campaign trail today.

50 years ago: Oct. 31, 1955

Autumn weather still prevails, with temperatures hovering around the freezing point early today; however, the weekend brought a touch of snow, a number of people reporting they saw flakes falling early yesterday.

The Auxiliary Police of Missouri wound up its two-day convention in Cape Girardeau yesterday with a 50-car convoy sweep west on Broadway and back into the city on Independence; a motorcycle escort of seven men and two women halted oncoming and cross traffic to allow the mock evacuation of the area near the post office.

75 years ago: Oct. 31, 1930

Marjorie Gockel, 18, sophomore at the Teachers College and daughter of Mrs. Freda Gockel, city clerk at Jackson, dies at a local hospital from burns she received yesterday afternoon, when naphtha she was using to wash clothes in the bathroom of Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Stehr exploded.

The new 600-horsepower, five-cylinder, oil-burner engine for Jackson's municipal power plant has arrived, and it and its accessories are being unloaded at the plant; installation will begin soon; after completion, this plant will have four engines, all using oil for fuel, and capable of developing 1,140 horsepower.

100 years ago: Oct. 31, 1905

Newt Upton, who has held a half-interest in the Main Street saloon formerly run by Fields and Davis, has sold out to his partner, S.R. Stafford, and Ed McLain.

Mrs. Edward Sadring arrives on the steamer Cape Girardeau to join her husband, who has been here two weeks arranging for a permanent residence; he came here from St. Louis to take charge of The Daily Republican's press rooms; the newspaper now employs four union printers, one union pressman, two apprentices, a bookkeeper, a solicitor, nine carrier boys and others to the number of 20.

-- Sharon K. Sanders