Nebraska Newspapers

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O
Calkins Murder Picture Story on Pages 3, 4, 15
16 PAGES —2 SECTIONS ’ | |
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North-Nebraskas Fastest-Growing Newspaper
VOLUME 71.—NUMBER 45._O'NEILL. NEBRASKA. THURSDAY. MARCH 13. 1952. PRICE: 7 CENTS
STATE HIST WOC -w
PILOT THORlf
A WAR PRISONER
Helicopter Flyer’s Radio
Contact with Ship
Silenced
CHAMBERS — Chief Aviation
Pilot Duane Thorin, 32, a highly
decorated veteran of World War
U and the Korean war, officially
has been reported missing in ac
tion in the Far East.
He disappeared on February 8,
while on a rescue mission. He
radioed his ship, from which his
squadron was Hying, telling that
he had landed unhurt behind
the enemy lines and that he was
taking cover. Three weeks later
he again established radio con
tact. Some supplies were dropped
to him and a companion. Then
began another long silence.
The navy announced last
Thursday that Chief Thorin
was officially listed as missing
in action in the Korean theater.
News of Chief Thorin and his
’copter having been knocked
—Tlit.- Ktoutlet i'hoU) & KnKiavlng
CAP Duane Thorin . . . his
mother died without knowing
his fate.
down by eneirty fire was not im
mediately made public by mem
bers of the iamny at Neligh,
Chambers and O’Neill. This was
because of the critical illness ol
the airman’s mother, Mrs. Clara
Thorin, wno died late Saturday.
The 68-year-old woman died
without knowing the fate of her
illustrious son.
Chief Thorin has been deco
rated several times for his heli
copter duty in the Korean war.
One da*y lie pulled more than a
hundred Siamese seamen to safe
ty after their ship had run
aground in dangerous waters. The
rescue was carried out under en
emy fire.
Chief Thorin’s wife and chil
dren reside in San Diego, Calif.
This week they received his per
sonal effects and the word that
the navy now believes the vet
eran navy airman is now a pris
oner of war.
Senator Kerr
Coming Friday
O’Neill will be included in the
Nebraska-wide speaking sched
ule of U.S. Sen. Robert S. Kerr,
fiery Southern democratic can
didate for presidential nomina
tion.
Senator Kerr and his retinue
will arrive here early Friday for
a 9 o’clock breakfast at the Town
House. The Holt county Kerr
for - President club, headed by
John R. Gallagher, of O’Neill,
has invited the public to attend
the get-acquainted meeting.
“We’d like to have a fine turn
out,” Mr. Gallagher said. “We’re
inviting everyone, regardless of
party affiliation.”
Senator Kerr and party will
spend the preceding night at
Norfolk and will move from O’
Neill to Grand Island for a noon
engagement, then to North
Platte for the evening.
Kerr’s Nebraska chairman is
Bernard J. Boyle, prominent
Omaha attorney and former O’
Neillite.
Chairman Bovle said. “Nebras
kans have a treat in store for
them when they hear and meet
Mr. Kerr. He is probably the
most colorful orator here since
the davs of William Jennings
Bryan.”
—
Petitions Out for
City Candidates
Petitions were in circulation
Monday and Tuesday in behalf
of seven candidate for municioal
posts.
Signers were sought in behalf
of:
J. E. Davis (incumbent), for
mayor.
Joe Stutz, for city council.
Second ward.
L. M. Merriman (incumbent by
appointment), for city council.
First ward.
Emmet Crabb, for city coun
cil, Second ward.
O. D. French (incumbent), for
city clerk.
John C. Watson, for city trea
surer.
John Kersenbrock. for mayor.
Municipal and school election
will be held in connection with
the primary election on April 1.
Mrs. I «vle McKim received a
letter from her son, Lyle, that he
has landed in Korea. The ship
on which he sailed had 600 men
and 30 women aboard
Mrs. Dorothy Socha began
working in the office of county
clerk Ruth Hoffman on Saturday,
March 1, taking the place of Mrs.
Opal Bosn.
SIDELIGHTS
ON THE
Calkins Slaying
The impact of the tragic news
brought grief and sorrow to
thousands of friends of the vet
eran peace officer. And it pro
duced anger and bitterness a
gainst the killer.
Holt Sheriff Leo S. Tomjack
frankly admitted that he doubt
ed if the proved killer would be
safe in the Holt jail on the third
floor of the courthouse.
On every street corner, be
hind every desk, in school
corridors, at each store counter
and in every home the Calkins
murder was the chief — and
virtually only—topic of con
versation during the week.
Tom Allan, Omaha World
Herald reporter who headquar
tered at The Frontier during his
four-day stay, said:
"The immediate impression a
stranger gets is that Chet Calk
ins was a well-liked, beloved
peace officer; that he was one in
a thousand; that he had no ene
mies and shared none of the
contempt and ill-feeling that ac
companies ‘coppers’ in the ci
ties."
* * *
Hundreds View Body—
The body of Chief of Police
Calkins lay in state at the Biglin
Brothers funeral home from 4
p.m. Saturday until the funeral
hour on Tuesday.
By 6 p.m. Saturday several
hundred persons had visited the
bier and had paid their respects,
including scores of school chil
dren. Chet Calkins had been
(Continued on page 4)
Dale Bell, Retired
Farmer, Expires
CHAMBERS—Funeral services
were held at 2 p.m., Monday.
March 10, at the Methodist
church in Chambers for Dale
Bell, 66, who died at 2 p.m..
Thursday, March 6, in the O’
Neill hospital. He had been in
failing health several years.
Dale Bell was born at Clarin
da, la., September 7. 1885. His
parents were Mr. and Mrs. Willis
R. Bell, who were born in Ohio.
He came to Chambers with his
parents in 1887 and resided on
their farm until a few years
ago. At that time, due to ill
health, he retired and moved in
to Chambers.
He was a member of the Kellar
Presbyterian church since child
hood, and a member of the IOOF
lodge since June 15. 1909.
The late Mr. Bell had suf
fered for a number of years
from a lingering illness caused
by Parkinson's disease.
On November 16. 1951. he en
tered OlNeiil hospital, where he
remained until his deatn. The
body was taxen to Bighn Broth
ers mortuary.
Rev. L. K. Hansberry officiated
in the funeral rite and burial
was in the Chambers cemetery.
The music was furnished by a
mixed quartette composed of
Mrs. Kenneth Adams. Mrs. Art
Miller, Ernest Farrier and Ray
Hoffman. Lela Corcoran was the
pianist.
Glen Adams served as usher
and Mrs. Glee Grimes and Mrs.
Clyde Kiltz had charge of the
flowers.
The pallbearers were Kenneth
Adams, Charlie Grimes. Louis
Taggart, Walt Richards, Alfred
Walters, Edgar DeHart, Bill
Turner and Earl Medcalf.
Relatives and friends who
came from a distance were: Mrs.
Haezl B. Miller, of Chicago, 111.:
Mrs. Hattie Richardson and sons
and Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Goff,
of Ord; Mrs. Hubert Rice, of
Loup City.
Survivors include: Sister—Mrs.
Hazel B. Miller, of Chicago. 111.:
nephew — Melvin J. Bell and
wife and daughter, of Chambers:
sister-in-law—Mrs. Reed Bell, of
Chambers.
Mrs. Thomas Curran
Dies at Neligh
Mrs. Thomas Curran. 75, died
at 9 o’clock Monday evening.
March 10. at her home in Neligh.
where she had been ill about a
year.
Funeral services will be con
ducted today (Thursday) at St.
Patrick’s Catholic church here,
starting at 9 a.m. Very Rev. Tim
othy O’Sullivan, church pastor,
will officiate and burial will be
in Calvary cemetery.
A rosary was offered Wednes
day evening at Biglin Brothers.
The late Mrs. Curran was a
daughter of Patrick and Marv
McCormick McDonald. She was
born in Illinois. Rose McDonald
married Thomas Curran in 1901.
Mr. Curran died December 19.
1949.
Survivors include Sisters—Mrs.
H. L. Davis, of Plattsmouth. and
Mrs. Agnes Bandt. of Phillips
burg, Kans.: brother —■ Thomas
McDonald, of Salem, Ore.
Rev. Wright, Former
Pastor, Succumbs
Rev. Virgil C. Wright, a for
mer pastor of the Methodist
church in O’Neill between 1938
and 1942, died at his home in
Fayette, Ala., o n Thursday.
March 6.
News of the death was receiv
ed by Rev. V. R. Bell, present
pastor.
The late Reverend Wright re
sided at 715 Winston st.. Fay
ette, Ala.
Police Chief Calkins Murdered;
Search for Slayer Unavailing
_ ' <?> ——
O'Neill's Chief of Police Chef Calkins, 51 . . . — The Frontier Bnirravinn
for more than a generation a symbol of honesty, fine citizenship, law and order.
★ ★ ★ 1 __
Quotes About Chet
Judge D. R. Mounts, Fifteenth
judicial district: “Chief Calkins
was a very good, very capable
officer. He was an underpaid
officer. Chief Calkins was dip
lomatic and loved. One ex-con
vict whom Chet had helped ap
prehend has been in my office
since the murder and he spoke a
glowing tribute. The man with
the record said that Calkins had
pointed out where he (the ex
convict) had been doing wrong,
set him straight and he had been
going straight ever since. I
think that’s a wonderful tribute
to Police Chief Calkins.”
• • •
Very Rev. Timothy O’Sullivan,
pastor, St. Patricks Catholic
church: “Since coming to O’Neill
I’ve heard him spoken of in
very high terms. Only last week
he met me at a train at an odd
hour and delivered me safely to
my home in snow and cold. In
----- MH.'-V t
speaking to me about Mr. Calk
ins many folks have wept. He
had a great many good quali
ties.”
• • •
State Sen. John Adams, Oma
ha Negro: “I am so sorry to hear
the news. I met Mr. Calkins dur
ing a stopover at ONeill. I was
never better treated or more
courteously treated than during
the few most pleasant moments
it took Mr. Calkins to drive me
to the rail station.”
* * •
J. E. Davis .mayor of city of
O’Neill: “Chief Calkins was a
friendly, courteous, courageous
officer. The officials of the city
of O’Neill will do everything
within their power to bring to
justice the guilty murderer.”
* * •
Julius D. Cronin, veteran O’
Neill attorney and former coun
(Continued on page 5)
-- n uMMifiMn-.• 4.v
—The Frontier Photo & KyKravlng
Mrs. Mary Fleming ... an
O'Neill tavern waitress . . .
her curiosity aroused.
e—."isnwaBr
Auto '"A" simulates the 1951 Kaiser sedan
and the patrol car is parked in the position
where, witnesses say. Chief Calkins had parked
to inspect the Kaiser's trunk. The body of the
slain officer was discovered in darkened cruiser
car about 2 a.m.—Omaha World-Herald Photo.
Investigators Up Against Stonewall in
Search for Street Assassin
Authorities are baffled in the search for the mys
terious slayer of O’Neill’s Police Chief Chet Calkins, 51,
whose bullet-ridden body was discovered about 2 a.m.
Friday at the wheel of his cruiser car.
The body was found by Walt Calkins, a brother of
the chief, within an hour after the slaying had taken
place, initially, Walt, a plain clothes night policeman,
thought his brother had suffered a heart attack. He
summoned Dr. L. A. Carter from a nearby office-apart
ment. In the dimly-lighted front seat of the cruiser car,
the doctor felt the pulse of the chief and pronounced him
dead.
It wasn’t until 30 or 40 minutes later at Biglin
Brothers mortuary that it was discovered Chet Calkins,
a beloved police officer, had been shot to death at point
blank range.
O’NEILL BURIES
ITS POLICE CHIEF
Church Unable to
Accommodate
Throng
“Greater love hath no man
than to lay down nis life for a
friend.”
That was the main thought in
the scripture read by Mrs. B. J.
Hoile, of Norfolk, during funer
al rites held Tuesday afternoon.
March 11. at the O’Neill Metho
dist church. Mrs. B. J. Hoile.
reader from the First Church of
Christ, Scientist, Norfolk, was as
sisted by Rev. J. LaVerne Jay,
O’Neill district Methodist super
intendent.
The eulogy was spoken by
Reverend Jay, substituting for
the regular Methodist church
pastor. Rev. V. R. Bell, who had
suffered a heart sttack.
“He was Indispensable to
the community, and his kind
cannot easily be replaced," the
Reverend Jay continued.
“Chet Calkins was a good man.
a fearless man. He knew no fear.
He was more than a police offi
cer. He was a confidant to manv
young men who might otherwise
have been traveling the wayward
path.” Reverend Jay said. “Chet
Calkins was a symbol of honesty,
fine character, good citizenship
and law and order. His deeds
will live forever in the minds of
the people he served.”
Reverend Jay said, “The con
gressional medal of honor is a
warded to our military heroes
on the field of battle for per
forming deeds far beyond the
call of duty. Certainly this good
Udovod man,” he continued, “is
deserving of a comparable hon
or, because he gave his life for
those whom lie loved and served.
“Mr. Calkins was an impartial
friend of soldiers traveling to and
from the wars, of wayfarers, and
of school girls who learned to
depend upon his protective cour
tesies and deeds. He delivered
many of them to their doorsteps.
"Many lirst-offenders miqht
have been jailed. But Chief
Calkins counseled them, lec
tured them, and qave them
qood advice.
“He was a soft-spoken man.
even when dealing with harden
ed criminals.”
Borrowing from the scriptures.
Reverend Jay said: “He that
loseth his life shall find it . . .”
“The criminal death of Chief
Calkins is a symptom of our
time in the aftermath of war.
This is a time.” he said, “when
we should search our hearts and
turn away from selfishness and
live the unselfish life exempli
fied by Chet Calkins.”
Reverend Jay closed his eulo
gy by quoting from the poem by
Sam Walter Foss. “Let Me Live
in the House by the Side of the
Road and Be a Friend to Man.”
The Methodist church sanctu
ary could not begin to accom
modate the hundreds of persons
W'ho came to pay their last re
spects. The crowd of more than
a thousand persons overflowed
into the basement and into the
annex building where loudspeak
ers carried the funeral message.
(Continued on page 4)
Immediately notified were Holt
County Sheriff Leo S. Tomjack.
Holt Attorney William W. Grif
fin and State Patrolman Frank
Dineen.
The chief’s immediate family
was advised death had been
caused by a heart attack.
Word of the murder was
flashed on the state police ra
dio in the early winter morn
ing hours and an extensive
manhunt for the killer or kill
ers was begun.
The slayer emptied six bullets
from a revolver into the veteran
police officer’s heavily-clothed
body. At least five of the shots
pierced the general area of the
upper right chest but one enter
ed the heart. There were gun
powder burns on Calkins’ gloved
left hand where one bullet had
ripped the thumb and had pierc
ed the web between the thumb
and index finger. There were
also left arm powder bums. This
suggested to authorities the kill
er was either seated beside
Calkins in the cruiser car or was
entering the car. In any event
the shots were fired point-blank
on a slight downward angle.
No one residing in the area
reported hearing the quick, suc
cessive cracks of the pistol, fur
ther establishing close - range
sadistic triggering. The sound
may have been muffled by the
interior of the car and the closed
doors and windows.
When Walt Calkins found the
body the chief was slumped over
the steering wheel. His right
hand clutched a lighted flash
light. The ignition, spotlight
and headlight switches on the
car were turned off. Later in
vestigation revealed a splotch of
blood on the steering wheel.
The chief of police, w&o had
held the job for 17 years, made
his customary rounds of the city
earlier in the evening and the
only unusual feature was the
record-breaking crowd of per
sons at the class B d. strict bas
ketball tournament.
He watched his son. Donald.
18, play with the O’Neill high
Eagles against the Neligh War
riors in the semifinal competi
tion. Hundreds of out-of-towners
were in the city, principally
from Plainview, Neligh and Bro
ken Bow—enthusiasts from these
towns following their respective
basketball teams.
Calkins mingled with many at
the game. He customarily put in
a brief appearance at most pub
lic events.
By midnight the town was a
bout erriptied of visitors. He took
some mail from several hotels to
the North Western railroad sta
tion to be placed aboard the
eastbound train due shortly af
ter midnight. Calkins did not
wait for the train, running a
little late, and left the station at
11:55 p.m.
About 12:30 a.m. he met
Walt and they investigated a
small cluster of persons drink
ing in the rear of a business
establishment. After that the
two officers visited briefly and
separated. Chet gave no indi
cation he was eyeing suspi
cious characters or that there
was anything but orderliness.
Between 1 and 1:15 a.m. at
least five persons said they saw
Calkins talking with a man and
inspecting what was presumed
to be about a 1951 model Kaiser
sedan, blue or green. Stories of
(Continued on page 8)