Out of the past: Dec. 6

1996

A burglary Wednesday at the home of a 70-year-old Cape Girardeau woman brings to 16 the number of burglaries at the homes of elderly city residents since May; the most recent burglary was in the 300 block of Mill Street, the farthest north of any of the break-ins; the woman, who was unharmed, reported two men broke into her home at 8:16 p.m. by kicking in a deadbolt lock on the back door; they stole about $55, two jewelry boxes and her purse.

The city prohibited Peppy's Sports Bar and Dance Club, 823 S. Kingshighway, from holding a strip show last night; interim police chief Steve Strong says he refused to approve the necessary licenses for the club under a section of an ordinance that prohibits an adult-entertainment business from operating within 1,000 feet of another such business; Peppy's is about 550 feet from Regina's House of Dolls, a strip tease bar.

1971

The impasse over the freeing of the Chester, Illinois, traffic bridge across the Mississippi River from long-imposed tolls moves a step toward resolution; Missouri Gov. Warren E. Hearnes says he has received a reply from Illinois Gov. Richard G. Ogilvie to his letter of early November; Ogilvie said he is naming Richard H. Golderman, chief highway engineer, and members of his staff to meet with counterparts from Missouri.

The city will likely oppose the one-way movement of traffic over two blocks of Sprigg and Frederick streets as proposed in the State Highway Department's plans for continuation and improvement of Route K (William Street) through Cape Girardeau to the Mississippi River bridge, says Mayor Howard C. Tooke; under the highway plan, William Street would be widened to four lanes, and traffic would move south on Sprigg and north on Frederick in the two blocks between William and Morgan Oak.

1946

Harris Field, circa 1944.G.D. Fronabarger (Southeast Missourian archive)

In a sudden move, the federal government clears the way for the near future acquisition by the City of Cape Girardeau of Harris Field, the big war-time air base, to be used exclusively as a huge municipal airport; the move comes in an order by the War Assets Administration to its regional office in St. Louis to proceed with final disposal of the airport.

Two more weeks of survey work will be necessary to complete preliminary plans for the new Highway 61 between Ancell and the point west of Cape Girardeau where it will connect with newly located Highway 74; with both the Highway 61 and Highway 74 projects on the current approved construction list, an effort will be made to get them under contract in 1947, says M.S. Gwinn, division highway engineer.

1921

The Southeast Missourian is organizing an Alias Santa Claus Club and is looking for men to volunteer to play Santa on Christmas Day, when they will present donated toys to less fortunate children in Cape Girardeau.

Dr. G.B. Schulz of Cape Girardeau, county coroner, is the first witness put on the stand by the state in the case of Herbert Little, charged with complicity in the murder of night patrolman Willis Martin in Cape Girardeau on Feb. 27; he tells of the inquest and the finding of two bullets in Martin's body; next to testify is chief of police W.J. Segraves of Cape Girardeau; he describes seeing Martin around midnight on the night of the murder, as well as the crime scene at Segal Shoe Store, 629 Good Hope St.

-- Sharon K. Sanders