Out of the past: June 12

1999

An altercation between a motorist and a Cape Girardeau police officer early yesterday led to a melee in the 300 block of Good Hope Street as customers were leaving the Taste Restaurant and Lounge; angry spectators threw rocks, bricks and cinder blocks at officers that converged on the scene; five officers and a Southeast Missouri State University officer were injured; eight persons were arrested in connection with the incident, including two Cape Girardeau brothers who fought with police.

Riverfest ’99 kicked off yesterday afternoon, despite earlier concerns that lack of funds might cancel the annual event; festival organizers have tried to emphasize family activities and to implement the suggestions people provided after last year’s rained-out event.

1974

Hardware Wholesalers, Inc., of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has disclosed tentative plans to double the size of its Cape Girardeau facility, if the City Council and voters approve a proposed municipal industrial revenue bond issue of $2,500,000; the present HWI building on Nash Road was financed by a revenue bond issue of $2,345,000 approved by a 14-to-1 majority by voters in 1970.

Production is back nearly to full swing as workers return to their jobs at Thorngate, Ltd., plants in Cape Girardeau and Chaffee after members of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union in the two towns unanimously ratified a contract Tuesday, ending a nine-day strike; the contract includes a wage increase of $1 per hour across the board over a three-year period, increased pension benefits, an additional paid holiday, three days funeral leave with pay and increased health service program benefits.

1949

Joining other churches of Cape Girardeau, First Christian Church observes “Gideon Day” in the morning service; a representative of the Gideons is guest speaker; Robert Renfrow sings a solo.

Robin A. Cruce, director of the orchestra and band at Cape Girardeau Central High School last year, has received word from the Georgia State Teachers College for Women at Milledgeville, Georgia, that he has been selected as band, orchestra and theory instructor at the college; he will go to Milledgeville the first week of September; at present, Cruce is conducting the summer band program at Central High, which is an eight-week instruction series.

1924

There are 3,815 children of school age in the Cape Girardeau School District, an increase of 275 over last year; it is the largest percentage increase in the history of the city; plans to take care of the larger attendance have been made with the announcement that pupils in the seventh grade and above will attend school only a half-day, but the first six grades under the plan will be able to attend full days.

“Tipped off” that officers were in the vicinity, moonshiners, who according to reports have been operating a large still on College Island in the Mississippi River, a short distance south of Cape Girardeau, abandoned their holdings; when federal prohibition officers from Illinois arrived late Tuesday, the men were gone; a 200-gallon still, along with 1,500 gallons of mash and a small amount of liquor, were confiscated.

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.