Out of the past: Aug. 6

1999

The world’s oldest profession isn’t practiced much in Cape Girardeau, say police here after making three arrests for prostitution Tuesday; the arrests, made by an undercover officer through the Operation Safe Streets program, brings the total number for the decade to 15; they were made between 9 and 10 p.m. near the intersections of Morgan Oak and Middle, Good Hope and Lorimier and Good Hope and Frederick, police say.

A sellout crowd at Busch Stadium last night witnessed the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark McGwire hit his 500th and 501st career home runs; the solo shots were McGwire’s 43rd and 44th of the season; he became the 16th player in major league history to hit 500 home runs in a career; to commemorate the occasion, the Southeast Missourian includes a full-page color poster of McGwire in today’s edition.

1974

Most Cape Girardeau residents are shocked by President Richard Nixon’s admission that he withheld Watergate scandal evidence from his own lawyers, from Congress and from the American people; a poll conducted by The Missourian indicates many Girardeans prefer to see Nixon resign his office rather than be impeached.

Tenth District Rep. Bill D. Burlison, D-Cape Girardeau, will be challenged by Republican Truman Farrow of Jackson in the November general election; Burlison easily captures the Democratic nomination for a fourth term in Congress by gaining a total of 45,904 votes in Southeast Missouri primary elections; Farrow, a businessman, receives a total of 4,111 votes compared to 3,064 for Virginia E. Hendricks of Dexter.

1949

With three weeks still remaining before entries are closed, Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois horse owners have already started flooding the horse show committee of SEMO District Fair with entries; show superintendent Joe A. Grant says during the past few days 20 horses have been entered for the society show, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, Sept. 15, 16 and 17; entries will close Aug. 26; more than $4,600 is offered in cash premiums.

Undergoing their baptism of fire in state competition, Missouri’s Golden Troopers, local American Legion drum and bugle corps, ranked fourth yesterday in the Department of Missouri contest held at Public School Stadium in St. Louis; taking first place honors was St. Charles Post 312; an observer reports the Troopers, marching second in the contest, got an extremely warm reception from the 7,000 spectators; Cape Girardeau’s 48-man corps was the largest on the field by about 16 men.

1924

Kurreville, a small rural precinct in the western part of Cape Girardeau County with only 27 votes, late in the afternoon decides the Republican nomination for sheriff; it scatters its votes among four candidates, allowing J.W. Miller of Jackson to retain his lead and win the nomination in the closest contest in Tuesday’s primary election.

Victor J. Miller of St. Louis carried Cape Girardeau County in his fight for the Republican nomination for governor, beating Sam A. Baker, a former Southeast Missourian, by an approximate 200-vote majority; however, Baker came out ahead statewide to win the GOP nomination; on the Democratic side, Dr. Arthur W. Nelson of Bunceton carried both the county and the state voting for that office.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a weekend column called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper.