In 1924, Poplar Bluff joined the nation in mourning the death of President Woodrow Wilson. Fifty years later, Southeast Missourian truckers join a nationwide strike, and despite leaders’ commitment to nonviolence, incidences of violence flare up this weekend.
Saturday
Feb. 3, 1924, and 1974 — No editions available.
75 years ago
Feb. 3, 1949
• A local weather statistician confirms January was dreary, with only five sunny days.
Sunday
100 years ago
Feb. 4, 1924
• Poplar Bluff is in mourning for President Woodrow Wilson, who died at 11:15 a.m. yesterday (Feb. 3). The Interstate American quickly put out three extras — even though it was a Sunday — and sold 2,653 papers across Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas. Flags now fly at half-mast and Mayor G.N. Davis has announced plans for a public memorial service. Businesses are asked to close during that time.
75 years ago
Feb. 4, 1949
• The average cost of living in Poplar Bluff has dropped 8.5% since this time in 1948. Most of the reduction is in staple food items, but appliances and clothing have also become cheaper.
The Daily American Republic followed the lead of the Associated Press’ nationwide survey and conducted local research. The AP surveyed 16 cities with populations of 10,00-25,000 and found their average cost of living had decreased by 9.7%.
“It isn’t as large as in the big cities but it’s enough to mean something when you have to eat every day,” the article said.
• A 13-year-old boy from Pemiscot County confessed to murdering his 14-year-old uncle. Rowland Scott of Holland allegedly shot Henry Jackson Jr. over a month-old quarrel while the two were rabbit hunting on Feb. 1. Jackson’s body was found a day later. Scott has been charged with first-degree murder.
50 years ago
Feb. 4, 1974
• Despite resolutions of peaceful protest from organizers, violence flared during a strike by Southeast Missouri’s independent truckers. Several incidents were reported over the weekend (Feb. 2-3) of company rigs being sabotaged, shot at and unsuccessfully bombed for running during the strike.
Drivers in Stoddard, Scott, New Madrid and Madison counties were uninjured when their trucks were struck by gunfire while driving on the highway. Two truckers in Cape Girardeau County reported “fire bombs” were thrown at their rigs from a ditch, but did not ignite.
One man was arrested for tampering with a motor vehicle after allegedly deflating the tires on a tractor-trailer parked at YTG Truck Stop on Highway 60 in Butler County.
Five local companies, including Kroger Food and Yellow Freight Systems, Inc., obtained restraining orders against interference with their units. Most orders only named “John Doe” as the defendant, but a couple specified strike leaders Paul Duckett, Kenneth Carter, Lendle Ward and E.A. Anthony, despite their insistence on nonviolence. The Southeast Missouri Independent Truckers Association was also named.
Many strikers are sticking to their principles of nonviolence, however. At the Motor Harbor truck stop on Highway 67, East Texas Motor Freight driver Pete Sutton told reporters he and other drivers were ordered to pull off the road but were kept on duty at their rigs for another 54 hours, “without being able to rest or take a bath or go to church.” The picketers there treated all of them kindly, Sutton said, offering transportation home, food, lodging and cash.
Sutton and his coworkers were finally permitted to leave their rigs parked today and provided with bus rides home, some as far as Chicago.
To the west, authorities in Cabool and Joplin reported protests remained peaceful.
Independent truckers nationwide are striking for lower gas prices and better freight rates after diesel prices spiked. Fifteen other states have reported violence related to the protests. Strikers are primarily flagging trucks down and asking them to park their rigs in solidarity. Many company drivers are sympathetic to their cause but fear losing their livelihoods.
Monday
100 years ago
Feb. 5, 1924
• Mayor G.N. Davis of Poplar Bluff issues a proclamation declaring Sunday, Feb. 10, a holiday to observe the death of former President Woodrow Wilson. A service with music, a eulogy and speakers will be held at First Christian Church that afternoon. The public is encouraged to attend.
Wilson’s funeral will be held tomorrow in Washington, D.C.
75 years ago
Feb. 5, 1949
• The Ripley County and Butler County boards of education held a joint session last night to reorganize rural school districts.
The Spell, Burnham and Naylor Consolidated school districts have territory in both counties. Naylor and Burnham schools will join Ripley County, where most of their territory lies, and the Spell District is reorganizing into Butler County.
• The Butler County sheriff’s car is upgrading to a three-way Motorola police radio. Its current radio receives broadcasts from the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s local station, KHPE. The new radio will also enable Sheriff Bill Brent to receive city police broadcasts, and communicate with the police station and vehicles.
The radio order was placed yesterday and will arrive within a month.
50 years ago
Feb. 5, 1974
• Scattered incidents against truckers have continued, but Troop E Patrol Capt. Wayne Brooks stated his officers knew of “no serious violence in Butler County and don’t anticipate any.”
So far Butler County has seen four arrests; three strikers on charges of obstructing traffic or tampering with a motor vehicle, and one Texan truck driver for circling a truck stop while firing a gun. No one was injured.
A few were arrested in neighboring counties for firing on rigs. In another incident, a driver had a rock dropped into his windshield from an overpass en route to St. Louis, but was uninjured. A driver near Marston reported two armed men forced his rig off the road.
Brooks stated local independent drivers had been cooperating with the highway patrol and lines of communication between the groups remain open. Only small groups of picketers remain at YTG Truck Stop and the Motor Harbor, both in Butler County.
Despite this, anxieties continue. Bill Hartle, a Cape Girardeau trucker, returned from Texas with his rig covered in red flags and signs reading “Empty” and “Going Home.” He also called his wife to escort his truck with the family car. In Butler County, state troopers escorted a convoy of nearly 20 rigs up Highway 67 this morning to prevent harassment.
The Butler County Circuit Court granted three more companies restraining orders against the Southeast Missouri Independent Truckers Association and its leaders.
An Associated Press article in this edition said the Nixon administration was on the verge of taking action to appease strikers.
• A virus has put 1,061 students out of Poplar Bluff schools today. The illness began last week with 904 ill on Thursday, Jan. 31.