Sheriff’s deputies apprehended an armed criminal in 1924 and blazed marijuana patches in 1974. In other news, tensions heat up in the Butler County Fire Protection District, ignited by a petition to oust two board members.
100 years ago
July 10, 1924
• The prime suspect in several robbery and forgery cases was apprehended today. His capture wraps an investigation from June involving a brazen stick-up and forgery.
John Williams, described as “a most desperate character,” was spotted at Stockyard Hill by a Butler County resident. According to The Daily Republican, armed deputies and railroad special agents surrounded him and ordered his to surrender. Williams was also armed and reportedly told authorities he contemplated a shootout.
“I came pretty near not holding up my hands,” he was quoted.
The posse arrested Williams in connection with a train car robbery, but he also confessed to stealing clothes and a gun from two local men. Authorities are endeavoring to connect him with recent safe burglaries as well. Most notably, local factory worker George Roark identified Williams as the man who held him at gunpoint, tied him to a tree and stole his two paychecks on June 23, all while posing as a police officer. Both checks were cashed at area businesses before Roark managed to free himself, adding forgery to Williams’ rap sheet.
Williams has already served at least one term in state prison for other crimes. He is housed in the Butler County jail awaiting trial.
75 years ago
July 10, 1949 — No issues available
50 years ago
July 10, 1974
• The Butler County Fire Protection District board met last night amid calls for two of its three members to resign.
A petition filed in circuit court requested the removal of Louis Kalkbrenner and Harry Templemire, claiming the levy they set at the May 14 meeting was “grossly inadequate and will not supply the financial needs of the district and that the two have refused to set a reasonable levy.” The Daily American Republic reported Kalkbrenner and Templemire voted to halve the levy down to 12 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation. The third member, Larry Hendrickson, opposed.
Kalkbrenner was appointed by the circuit judge to fill a vacancy on the board, and Templemire was elected in April. Hendrickson has served on the board for two years.
Interestingly, one of the people listed on the petition for the mens’ removal informed the DAR today that he never signed the document.
In the regular action of last night’s meeting, the board temporarily tabled another petition seeking the removal of fire chief Bill Verble.
• Yesterday, the Butler County Sheriff’s Department began a program “to eradicate pot that has been planted within an outside of the city.” Thirty members of the sheriff’s auxiliary destroyed marijuana patches north and south of Poplar Bluff containing over 170 plants. They stated “many more patches will be uprooted and burned in the near future.”