A murder case from July 1974 continued today, as the prime suspects in a Steele man’s murder were arraigned in Oregon County after a cross-country manhunt. A piece of memorabilia from different outlaws made its way to the Butler County centennial in 1949 — a gun owned by Jesse and Frank James. According to legend, their gang stopped for lunch in Poplar Bluff after successful a train robbery.
__Aug. 22,1924__
• The Daily Republican published a review of Butler County’s 106 rural schools today. It found 8,178 children enrolled in classes last year, mostly elementary through junior high. Students numbers by grade fluctuated between 60 and 1,000 until high school, where attendance dropped steeply: in 1923 there were 77 ninth graders, six 10th graders and one 11th grader. Forty-eight students graduated high school.
Rural schools collectively cost almost $207,000 to operate. The average monthly teacher salary was $90.17 — equivalent to $1,668.36 cents today according to government inflation data. Most teachers had a high school education.
Eighty-five school districts had libraries and cumulatively held over 15,000 books.
The average school term 137.5 days. The shortest school term was four months and the longest over eight months.
__Aug. 22, 1949__
• Two new historic items were added to the Butler County Centennial display — a gun owned by famous outlaws, and the cannon that hit the former county courthouse.
Clara Boyt, chairman of the historical exhibit committee, said the gun belonged to Jesse and Frank James. The James gang reportedly ate lunch in Poplar Bluff after pulling off a train robbery at Gads Hill in 1874. After dining in a small store owned by Mr. Lacks they reportedly told him, “If officers come by asking for the James gang, tell them we had lunch here.” Lacks closed up shop and went home immediately.
The gun was donated by its owner in St. Louis. Boyt said the committee was reluctant to display the gun but ultimately decided it was part of local history.
Also on display is a small Civil War cannon, which fired a cannonball into the old courthouse in 1865.
__Aug. 22, 1974__
• After being chased across the country, the suspects in a Steele man’s murder were arraigned today in Oregon County.
Mark Curtis Combs, alias Pogey Schmidt, and his wife Valerie Sue Schmidt are charged with the murder of businessman Riley Hastings.
The story was closely followed by the Daily American Republic (and by extension, Dash to the Past). To recap, Hastings went missing while camping in Mark Twain National Forest in July and was found shot to death. Combs and Schmidt were the prime suspects since their campsite was next to his and they were seen leaving the area in his truck. An international manhunt ensued as Combs and Schmidt they fled towards Canada. They were apprehended by a multi-agency task force in Washington state.
Now extradited to Missouri, Combs has confessed to the murder and cleared up lingering uncertainty about where the case should be tried. Hastings’ body was found just over the Oregon County line, but his campsite was in Ripley County. Combs revealed the killing occurred in Oregon County.
Combs also told authorities the killing was self-defense. In a statement, he claimed Hastings approached him with cash and a sexual proposition for Schmidt, and when Combs refused, Hastings held a shotgun to his head and threatened to kill him. Combs said he took the gun and shot Hastings once as he ran away, and again when he turned around to attack Combs with a broken bottle.
Contradicting this story, an autopsy found Hastings was shot twice in the back.
After taking Hastings’ cash and truck, Combs said he told Schmidt they were gifts from his brother. He insisted she knew nothing about the murder.
Both are being held without bond.