Mississippi judge lambastes Kennett investigators

Crime and justice featured heavily in today’s reports. A Mississippi judge chastized Missouri investigators and denied the extradition of a murder suspect in 1975. In 1925, bloodhounds located an alleged arsonist.

In lighter news, a senior couple praised electrical advances in Butler County. The Daily American Republic published a tally of their 50 electric appliances.

100 years ago

Jan. 9, 1924

• Two bloodhounds sniffed out an arson suspect in southern Butler County today: John Tracy, a neighbor of the fire victims.

Tracy is accused of burning down the Tolliver family’s barn around midnight yesterday, causing over $1,500 of damage. The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department sent bloodhounds and a handler to aid investigators. The dogs followed a trail to Tracy’s house, then confirmed their results by choosing the same path a second time.

The Tollivers suspected Tracy before the hounds reached their conclusion. Tracy was arrested and denies the charges.

75 years ago

Jan. 9, 1950

• “Frequently we hear people say ‘I don’t know what I’d do without electricity.’ This is especially true of farm folks who have only recently received electric service,” the Daily American Republic wrote. Earl and Lila Cochran are no exception — the senior couple just built a new home with the latest electric innovations.

Earl Cochran said the 1936 Rural Electrification Act, which funded electrical distribution in areas like Southeast Missouri, was “the most wonderful thing that ever hit the country.” He recently surveyed his appliances and electric installations and concluded turning them all on at once would use 27,940 watts, the equivalent of 465 house lamps. The Cochrans’ 50 appliances include a refrigerator, water heater, space heater, pumps, radios, lights, power tools and a waffle iron.

The Cochrans’ two-story, six-room home was built on Highway 67 north of Poplar Bluff.

50 years ago

Jan. 9, 1950

• A Mississippi judge denied extradition of a Missouri murder suspect, ruling the evidence against him was questionable.

Dr. Norman A. Garrison is Missouri’s prime suspect in the murder of his ex-wife, Lee Ann Wilsen Garrison, at her Kennett home. Several witnesses for the defense stated Garrison was on a houseboat with friends near Corinth, Mississippi on the night of the murder, Sept. 8, 1974.

A doctor stated Garrison couldn’t have made a footprint found at the scene. The prosecution’s remaining physical evidence was a bloody, partial fingerprint found in the house, which wasn’t submitted to a crime lab for five days after the investigation began. Judge W.W. Brown accused police of targeting Garrison and substituting the fingerprint to support their case.

“[I am] amazed that a warrant was issued against this man at the stage it was issued,” he said.

Garrison remains in custody in Mississippi. An attorney said Brown’s decision would be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court.