Out of the past: May 31

1998

Carrying banners and singing hymns proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord, more than 225 area Christians marched through the streets of Cape Girardeau yesterday morning; the March for Jesus is an international event designed to bring churches and Christians together in one spirit, without the barriers of denominational differences; the group gathered at May Greene Elementary School and ended the one-mile march at Common Pleas Courthouse; about 20 different churches were represented.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1820 Perryville Road, celebrates Pentecost Sunday with a special morning worship service, which is followed by a picnic; the New Beginning quartet and the Men of Winchester sing.

1973

JEFFERSON CITY -- Whether Cape Girardeau will gain a fourth bank will be known in about two weeks; the State Banking Board, which ended three days of hearings here yesterday, has until June 15 to rule on an appeal of a charter issued by the State Division of Finance in April to Mark Twain Cape Girardeau Bank.

Flash floods that struck Cape Girardeau County early Sunday morning affected approximately 20,000 acres of farmland, which was not already under water from Mississippi River flooding, says Phillip G. Stryker, area agronomy specialist with the University of Missouri Extension Service; he says of the crops which have been planted -- mostly only corn in Cape County -- most were probably washed out by the flash floods, which also caused heavy siltation and erosion.

1948

Formal service, conducted jointly by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the George Washington Auxiliary of the Sons of Union Veterans in the morning at the riverfront highlights the Memorial Day program for Cape Girardeau; the riverfront ceremony, consisting of the scattering of flowers on the water and placing flags over the seawall, is preceded by a memorial Mass celebrated by the Rev. T.J. Murphy at St. Vincent's Catholic Church.

On a charge of picking a cluster of roses for his mother from a bush in the Ten Mile Garden between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, a resident of St. Louis is assessed a fine of $17.50 in Magistrate Court; having no cash on him, the accused asks to remain in jail, but the fine and costs are paid by his mother; Trooper Percy R. Little, who was advised of the "crime" by a passing motorist, says it is the first time he arrested someone for picking flowers in the garden.

1923

Milburn Metje, 11-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Metje of Cape Girardeau, barely escaped drowning yesterday morning in a deep swimming place called "Curve Hole" in Sloan's Creek; Milburn, who can't swim, was standing on a fence across the creek watching eight school mates splashing about, when his foot slipped, and he fell; Robert Erlbacher, 12, was the first to see him struggling in the water and went to assist him; but Milburn dragged him under, too, and they both had to be rescued by Milburn's older brother, Eldon Metje.

Joe "Dep" Barenkamp announces he will open the baseball season in Cape Girardeau on Sunday, sending his Capahas against an independent team from Cairo, Illinois, at Fairground Park; the game will start at 3 p.m., and an admission charge of 25 and 50 cents will be made.

-- Sharon K. Sanders