Out of the past: April 13

1995

Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones couldn't imagine why people kept calling him yesterday morning hinting Kathy Swan and Pat Ruopp would resign from the Cape Girardeau School Board; under a rarely used state law, the Cape Girardeau County Commission will appoint three members to the school board; John Campbell resigned April 7, and Ruopp and Swan resigned Wednesday.

IRVING, Texas -- The Rams will play in St. Louis this year after all; a month after barring their move from Southern California, owners voted 23-6 Wednesday to relocate the Rams to St. Louis.

1970

The Roman Catholic community in the Cape Girardeau area welcomed the new bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese during his first visit to Cape Girardeau yesterday; Bishop William W. Baum celebrated an afternoon Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, followed by a public reception at Notre Dame High School.

Gen. Seth J. McKee, North American and continental defense commander with headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, spoke Sunday night before Cape Girardeau's newest service club, the Breakfast Exchange Club, at its charter ceremony.

1945

Cape Girardeau, like all other American communities, received the tragic news late yesterday of President Franklin Roosevelt's death with shock; today, Mayor R.E. Beckman takes the lead to assure appropriate city-wide memorial services will be held for the fallen leader; a community memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at State College auditorium.

The ambitious Victory Gardeners, who cultivate the garden plots on railroad right of way leased by the Frisco, are making plans to replant their gardens, which washed away by the recent river flood; there are approximately 50 of these garden plots from Cape Rock to the Diversion Channel, and the railroad is anxious to see all the territory cultivated as part of a campaign to help raise the nation's vegetable crop during war time.

1920

After spending a frantic night of worry, believing their sons drowned in the Mississippi River, parents of four Cape Girardeau boys are happy and relieved in their safe return this morning; the adventurers are Alonzo Foreman, 16; Albert Foreman, 12; Leonard Forsyth, 15; and Rosco Knight, 13; their skiff was driven to the Illinois shore across from Cape Girardeau by a storm, and they were marooned there, without fire and with a makeshift shelter, until they were able to launch their skiff this morning and return home.

Having disobeyed quarantine regulations, W.J. Kirby and members of his family, living in the Red Star Addition, are to be arrested, warrants having been sworn out accusing them of going about town while suffering with smallpox.

-- Sharon K. Sanders