Out of the past: Jan. 14

1995

Reflecting on a time when "the awful price of freedom" was a more costly venture, Dr. Ronald L. Bobo delivered an impassioned speech at First Baptist Church last night as part of the fifth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration; also marking the occasion was a candlelight march dampened but not diminished by a downpour of rain.

The roll of the dice, luck of the draw and spin of the reel slot machines have proven a revenue boon for Illinois; riverboat gambling began in September 1991 with one boat plying the Mississippi River from a dock in Alton; that count is now up to 10 floating casinos; the Illinois boats earned $15,015,603 in tax money for the state in December and $6.2 million for local governments.

1970

Three of four panelists discussing student unrest in the morning at State College indicate students must be seriously listened to by teachers if the problem is to be curbed; the fourth panel member, a lawyer, tells educators attending the winter conference of the Southeast Missouri Secondary School Principals' Association they must now take student rights into consideration when deciding disciplinary action for students involved in incidents.

As a precautionary measure for the time when the ice gorge on the Mississippi River above Cape Girardeau breaks loose, the riverboat restaurant, the Rebel Queen, was moved yesterday from its location at the foot of Broadway to a safer spot downstream.

1945

The temperance drama, "Death Takes the Wheel," sponsored by the Anti-Saloon League of Missouri, is presented in the evening at New McKendree Methodist Church at Jackson.

Yesterday's waste paper collection in Cape Girardeau was the most successful of any made during a single day for the war effort, a total of 61,240 pounds being picked up by 110 Boy Scouts and trucks covering the city.

1920

C.A. Vandivort has been appointed to the Federal Highway Council, a national good roads organization, as a representative of the Cape Girardeau Commercial Club; the council has around 800 members from all over the United States.

Police Chief W.S. Segraves and C.C. McSpadden go to Illmo in the morning in pursuit of men who allegedly stole $1,000 worth of clothing from McSpadden's men's store here last night; when McSpadden reached his business this morning, he found the back door of the outer room broken down and an inner door removed from its hinges; six of his best suits were missing, along with three big hand grips to carry them in and various other articles, such as shirts, handkerchiefs, hats, socks and ties.

-- Sharon K. Sanders