In 1924, a local eatery declares bankruptcy after years of food poisoning lawsuits. Other headlines from this date include tragic highway accidents and renewed striking among truckers.
100 years ago
May 16, 1924
• A local restaurant has filed for bankruptcy after two years of food poisoning lawsuits.
The Plaza Cafe’s liabilities are $23,000 and its resources less than $9,000, according to a Cape Girardeau court. The restaurant has been losing money for two years, especially due to lawsuits filed by customers alleging of food poisoning, with judgements ranging from $1,000-$2,500 each and an another hefty $7,500 suit awaiting trial. The restaurant also has an $8,000 mortgage.
• The Poplar Bluff High School Class of 1924 crossed the stage last night to receive 42 high school diplomas, passed out by John H. Wolpers, board president. The stage was decorated in the class colors of black and gold.
75 years ago
May 16, 1949
• Tragedy struck the region yesterday in the form of two fatal highway accidents.
Curtis Gibson, 26, of Neelyville died at Poplar Bluff Hospital last night after he was struck by a teenaged driver. Gibson and a brother had stopped on the side of Highway 67 to help a friend repair his headlights, and witnesses said he accidentally jumped into the path of an oncoming vehicle driven by Norman Wright, 15, of Arkansas. Wright had seen the men on the shoulder and tried to avoid them, but told state troopers his brakes were poor and he was “not a very good driver.” The county coroner is investigating.
The second fatality was Leon Lewis, 20, of Cape Girardeau. His car blew a tire on Route 34 and flipped, sending him through the windshield. Three passengers in the car were injured. They were returning home from a fishing trip.
50 years ago
May 16, 1974
• Missouri truckers are once again on strike. Scattered vehicle vandalism was reported in Southeast Missouri, most involving punctured tires and thrown rocks, but the presence of Missouri State Highway Patrol has kept trouble low.
Members of the Mid-West Independent Truckers picketed outside the Butler County Courthouse and the Federal Building in Cape Girardeau today to gain publicity for their shutdown. The group is headquartered in Poplar Bluff and formed after the national strike ended. Protests in Missouri have been joined by truckers in Ohio and Minnesota.
Striking truckers seek to hold the government to promises it made during the national strike earlier this year, when independent drivers left the roads en masse due to high fuel prices and insufficient frieght rates.