Out of the past: April 17

1995

ADVANCE, Mo. -- An alderman in this small town is blaming a weekend vandalism spree on the city's recent decision to fire all three members of the police force; vandals knocked over more than a dozen road signs and littered the town with beer bottles and other trash Saturday night.

Children have turned Oakley Street into their private playground, creating havoc for motorists and neighbors alike, two women who reside in the neighborhood tell the City Council; appealing to the city to address the problem are Cecelia Sonderman and Dorothy Cockrell; several councilmen note it isn't illegal to play in city streets, making it difficult to stem the problem.

1970

While the anxious world watches, Apollo 13's astronauts blaze safely to their planet in a thrilling climax to America's most perilous space journey; James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise and John L. Swigert ride their command ship Odyssey to a bull's-eye landing at 12:08 p.m. (Cape Girardeau time), just 4 miles from the recovery carrier, USS Iwo Jima.

Gov. Warren E. Hearnes yesterday addressed students at State College as guest lecturer of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity; he uses the opportunity to reiterate his opinions, voiced last February at a different Missouri college, on the Vietnam War: "Call this policy by any name of your choosing. Call it Vietnamization, orderly withdrawal or anything you like, but the fact is that for the first time in our history, the United States has lost a war."

1945

To become effective April 15, pay increases were granted by the Cape Girardeau City Council yesterday for more than half of the city employees; the changes will add about $5,000 annually to the municipal payroll.

The Cape Girardeau City Council yesterday agreed upon the text of a letter to be sent to Frank Stranahan, president of the Ozark Trails Bridge Co., owner of the traffic bridge, reminding him of a proposed $1,000 payment by the company to the city as a donation; the two had previously agreed to the payment in lieu of a license tax.

1920

The mortal remains of David Statler are buried near Daisy; after 40 years absence, a fugitive from justice, Statler was brought home from Oklahoma for his long rest in the burial ground of his fathers.

A reception honoring the Rev. C.H. Swift, pastor of First Christian Church, and family is given in the evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Woodson, 921 College Hill, by members of the church; the pastor has been in Cape Girardeau about a month, having come here from service in the Army; he formerly was a minister in Carthage, Missouri.

-- Sharon K. Sanders