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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1953)
I I Biggest News Story in ’52 Easily the biggest news story of the year just ended—1952— was the Chet Calkins murder mystery. The 51-year-old O’Neill chief 0f police was slain early on the morning of March 7 while in his cruiser car on Everett street, midway between Third and Fourth. The unknown assassin escaped with the aid of three lucky Sneaks. (1) No one residing in the vicinity heard or saw the shoot xg; (2) snowfall covered auto tread and footprint marks; (3) an hour or more elapsed between the moment the chiefs body was found dead and when it was discovered his body had been riddled with ibullets. The Calkins mystery and the unsuccessful search for the nawiilnnl held the attention of midwestemers for weeks on end. Developments were watched very closely by thousands of interest ed persons—many of whom had recounted friendly relationships with O'Neill's chief. Kearns of newspaper and radio copy were published on the "Calkins story. But the murderer is still at large, and authorities still pressing the search have a grim determination to find the slayer. All other violent deaths made big news during the year. Marine tM. Donald D. Miner of O’Neill became Holt’s first fatality in the ‘"Snrean. war. There was the auto-truck tragedy near Central City tn which Mr. and Mrs. Lyndon McKamy and Mrs. McKamy’s moth «er, Mrs. Christine Muff, died from injuries. Charles Edward Barnes, 31 navy youth home on leave to attend his father’s funeral, died in an. auto accident on a country road near Atkinson. Mrs. H. H. Miles 0f Dorsey was fatally injured in a highway accident near Wisner. Mrs. Emmet Slaight was accidentally killed by gunshot. Little Bar .bara Ann Bauer of Deloit was fatally injured when a cabling rack ran over her body. And there were others. St. Anthony’s hospital completion, its dedication and formal • opening — September 25 — created big news on the brighter side throughout the year. Other ranking stories were: The outbreak of vesicular exan thema, which restricted hog selling for more than a month; the Mis souri river flood, while some 40 miles distant at its nearest point, exerted an effect on the area; the dispute pertaining to the future routing of U.S. highway 261 from the Niobrara river north to the South Dakota line; the Niobrara river basin development plans, nnd. of course, the passing from the scene of the pioneers, whose numbers now have dwindled to a handful. The editor presents a thumbnail chronology of the just-ended year in the paragraphs that follow: January 3—The stork was buzzing snow-blanketed Holt county but /ailed to alight with 1952’s first Laby. . . The numerical prefix “36' was restored to auto license plates. . . Ramon Bright and son, Ardell, became owners of the •Schulz store. . . Four sons of Mr. and. Mrs. Frank Hammon of Lynch are in the armed forces. . . Nineteen registrants got draft or ders. . . Deaths: Mrs. Agatha Heeb of Emmet; Earl Makemson «<jf Royal; Maynard Pelster of El gin, killed in truck accident. 10—Laurence Haynes succeeds .James W. Rooney as secretary of •the Qxamber of Commerce. . . Linda Lee Tolbert becames win ner of the Holt baby derby. . . Elgin Ray succeeds his father, Hugh Ray, as manager of the Spelts-Ray Lbr. Co. . . A. M. Xtatenhorst of Stuart is new ■chairman of the Holt board of .supervisors. . . Marine Cpl. Al 3er. 1L Zempel of Page has been wounded in Korean fighting. . . Don F. Engel succeeds Walter G. Sire as Boyd county agent. . . Deaths: George M. Rost of Page; i&sank Hytrek of Stuart; David Dearer of Gehring, la., formerly -of Page; Mrs. Henrietta Lieswald of Chambers; Mrs. Clarence Farr ’ *c»f ®mraet; Mrs. Jake Pfund of Galt, Calif., formerly of O’Neill; John Rihanek of Lynch. 4T—Burglars had an abortive try at the Bristow bank. . . An O’Neill-Winner bus hearing was 'conducted here by the railway 'CommuBton. . . Snowdrifts near the Savage and Pofahl places near Deloit are reminiscent of the L049 blizzard. . . Deaths: Al fonso Beelaert of Ewing. 34—Gerald Lounsbury will go to St. John, Kans., to manage a J. M. McDonald Co. store. . . The region was battered by a 30-hour blizzard, obliging 30 persons to overstay their visit at the Alex Frick el farm near Celia. . . Mr. aad Mr*. Michael P. Stenger of Lynch observed their 50th wed ding anniversary date. . . Year lings will be valued at $75 for tax .assessment purposes. . . A saddle 'club is being organized here. . . :Start of the 16th annual county cajje tournament was delayed 24 boors due to the storm. . . Con tributions for the march of dimes campaign are lagging. . . Spirited Adding marked early auction of stale school land leases. . Deaths: Augie Wood of O’Neill; Mrs. May Belle Lines of Inman Mrs. John Sobotka of Inman William Backhaus of Atkinson Sirs. Hannah Stevens of Page Arthur G. Rouse of O’Neill; A. E Sammons of Amelia. 31—Rev. Samuel D. Lee is nev rpaster ©f the First Presbyteriar church. His last assignment wai a mission at Barrow, Alaska. . Etoth democratic and republicar • —..II .. - county conventions lashed school land lease sale policies. . . Mr. and Mrs. Frank Vlcan of Lynch have been married a half-cen tury. . . The O’Neill high Eagles i won the 1952 county basketball championship. . . Mrs. Joe Alli son and two children have re turned to Celia from Africa. . . Eight deer have been sighted near Redbird. . . George Janou sek has opened the Fourth St. Market. . . Deaths: Mrs. Winifred Lee of Lynch. February 7—Top Angus bull at an auc tion here brought $2,000 con signed by Ray Siders and pur chased by Alfred Martens; top Hereford brought $1,710, son signed by Whitaker & Whitaker and purchased by Max A. Baird of Brunswick. . . Charles W. Jones was knocked unconscious in a mysterious accident. . . Keen bidding continues in school land leases. . . Richie Ashburn, Philly baseball star, will appear in a basketball exhibition game. . . Deaths: Rev. John Caldwell of Sioux City, formerly of Stuart; Chris U. Yantzie of Milford, for merly of O’Neill; Thomas Henry Walsh of Stuart.’ 14—Mr. and Mrs. Joe Mlinar, sr., of Atkinson have been married 54 years. . . A “Hi Jinks” concert was presented by the Municipal band. . . The Ernest Green fam ily of Atkinson is now settled in the interior of Africa. The par ents are missionaries. . . Joellyn Backhaus of O’Neill and Gary Holcomb of Chambers won a 4-H speech contest. . . Mrs. Belle Summers is 92. . . Rev. L. R. Hansberry of Chambers was feted on his 70th birthday anni versary. . . Deaths: Mrs. M. E. Hiatt of Boulder Colo., formerly of O’Neill; “Ben” Martin of O’ Neill; William Tooner of Kersey, I Colo., formerly of Lynch. 21—Mr. and Mrs. D. N. Loy have been married 50 years. . . A steer from John Babl’s truck cut capers in Sioux City and led police a futile chase. . . Dwight Griswold files for the U.S. senate on republican ticket . . Mrs. George Pierson, the former Lo vina Kloppenborg of Emmet, was hurt when struck by a car at Santa Ana, Calif. . . Deaths: Mrs. Wilse Dimmit of St. Edward, for merly of O’Neill; Ellis L. Scholz of Inman; Miss Mary McLaugh lin of Sioux City, former O’Neill librarian; Mrs. Tony Murray of O’Neill; Frank Henderson of At kinson. 28—Axel Borg has resigned as . a Holt supervisor. . , L. C. Wall ing will retire at year’s end after r 45 years in public utility work l . . . Charley W. Petersen’s blan ! ket tax suit against J. Ed Han . cock, Holt county treasurer, will i go to the state supreme court. . . The Scranton, Pa., colony near here quietly observed its 75th anniversary of the emigration ... A new telephone switch board has been installed at Am elia. . . Deaths: R. W. Planck of Atkinson; Mrs. Adaline Kelly of Page; Harold Stewart of Lynch. March 6.—Holt will furnish 10 draf tees this month. . . Pvt. Edward H. Albrecht of Atkinson was wounded in the neck during Ko rean fighting. . . Kenneth War ing of Middlebranch has been ap pointed to the board of super visors, succeeding Borg. . . Mel vin Marcellus and Harry R. Smith have become affiliate members of the Holt soil conservation dis trict. They are implement deal ers. . . Holt county X-ray survey revealed four tuberculosis suf fers and 21 suspects. . . The St. Mary’s Cardinals captured the district class C basketball crown at Atkinson. . . Deaths: Mrs. Ger trude Grace Sherman of Los An geles, Calif., formerly of O’Neill; Miss Frances Schoula, formerly of Atkinson; Todd Tomlinson of Lynch; Sam McCartney of Stuart. 13.—Police Chief Chet Calkins, 51, was slain by a mysterious murderer during the early mom hours March 7. His body was found about 2 a.m., in his cruiser car by his brother, Walt Calkins. It was originally thought death was caused by a heart attack. It wasn’t until the body was taken to the mortuary that it was found to be bullet ridden. .. CAP Duane Thorin, a navy helicopter pilot, was downed behind the Red lines in Korea and is believed to be a prisoner-of-war. Francie Kelly, 8, rolled in the snow and put out a fire burning her clothes. . .Capt. Thelma Kiltz of Chambers re turned from Korea front lines du | ty. . . Deaths: Dale Bell of Cham bers; Mrs. Thomas Curran of Ne ligh, formerly of O’Neill; Rev. Virgil C. Wright of Fayette, Ala., formerly of O’Neill; Mrs Clara Thorin of Neligh. 20.—Mr. and Mrs. Ray Kurtz have been married 50 years. . . The hunt for the unknown Cal kins assassin continues. Socalled “hot tips’’ are consistently fizz ling out. . . U. S. Senator Robert Kerr v-. Oklahoma had break fast here, met democratic leaders, asks support for nomination for president . . Cream was stolen frcm C&NW depot . . Deaths: Mrs. L. L. Cosner of Stuart; Ron aid Doty, 2V£. of O’Nell; Mrs. Jo sef a Sedivy of Lynch; Mrs. Eliza beth Cranford of Lynch, who leaves 153 descendants 27.—Nebraska Highway 181 as sociation went on record favor ing one-cent per gallon gas tax increase. . . Communications were snarled by a spring snowstorm . . . Calkins murder leads con tinue to fizzle for investigating officers. A reward fund totals about $1,500. . . “Spring is sprung,” says George Hammond on his “Voice of The Frontier” radio program, inspiring some wierd prose to be contributed. . . Deaths: G. V. Mott of Page; Mrs. Emmett Slaight of O’Neill; Mrs. Sarah Norton of Stuart; Mrs. Emogene Baker Bowers of Cham bers and her brother, Harry Hub bard, of Rushville; C. B. Shade of Grand Island, formerly of Stuart. April 3.—The search for the slayer of Police Chief Calkins is still un availing. . . O’Neill public school teachers get a five percent pay boost for next term. . . Taft and Butler swept the Nebraska GOP primary. Tennessee’s Estes Ke fauver won blessing of Nebraska democrats in presidential primary. Voting was light. The city elec tion was very quiet. . . Mrs. Helen Kreymborg is the new Holt home agent. . . The Chambers high gals’ volleyball team amassed an impressive season’s record. . . Deaths: Ed Clausen of Stuart; J. H. Butler of Indepen dence, Mo., formerly of Inman; Mrs. Arnie Mace of Chambers; Chauncey V. Wood of Chambers. 10.—Holt will furnish 20 men to the draft in the next 60 days . . . Burglars got $400 in loot at the Galyen Motor Co., Atkinson . . . Still no new developments in the Calkins slaying. . . ONeill’s new half-million dollar hospital is virtually completed. The con tractors have interior decorating and refitting of windows yet to finish. . . Mr. and Mrs. Fred Stole of Atkinson are celebrating their golden wedding. . . Deaths: Fred Hitchcock of Atkinson; George Burke of Thermopolis, Wyo., for mer Stuart banker; John J. Zin ky of Atkinson; George L. Smith o; Chambers; Roy Waring of Page; Jesse H. Enders of Lynch. 17.—One hundred thousand persons were left homeless in the wake of the nation’s worst domestic disaster. The wild Mis s uri. river went out of its banks in a record flood that roared down the valley. One-third of Niobrara was inundated. A Fron tier reporter with camera and “Voice of The Frontier” special events unit visited South Sioux City, Decatur and Blair. . . The Red Cross fund drive in the coun ty exceeded a $2,100 quota . . . Robert Carroll and Helen Harty are boys’ and girls’ state repre sentatives, respectively, from O’ Neill. . . The Inman high school seniors sneaked to the Ozark mountains for the weekend. . . Deaths: Mrs. Nettie Clevish of Parker, Kans., formerly of O’ i Neill. 24.—Nine Holt men volunteered for dike duty at Omaha in the fight against the savage Missouri river. . . A drive-in theater is be ing constructed. . . O’Neill voters okayed a 12-thousand-dollar bond issue for improvment of the I municipal water system. . . Ill ness of Mrs. William Wells has forced postponement of the gol den wedding celebration for Mrs. Wells and her husband. . . O’Neill schools grabbed 22 “superiors” in the district music festival. . . Deaths: Mrs. Thomas Thompson of Amelia; {Mrs. Cora Pease of O’Neill; Riley Canaday of Ewing; Jesse H. Enders of Paddock. May ■ 1.—O’Neill has a new 15-thou sand-dollar fire truck. . . Dr. F. J. Fisher announced he will move to Norfolk. . . Several school land lease bids, although highest received at the auction, were re-3> je-cted and leases on parcels were again offered. . . A statewide Ca tholic Daughters of America par ley was held here. A national director was a guest. . . The new St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran church at Orchard has been dedi cated. . . Deaths: G. A. Fox of Columbus, formerly of O’Neill; Dr. Milton E. Pettibone of Sid ney, formerly of O’Neill; Mrs. Luther Buxton of Ewing; Mrs. Ella Karr of O’Neill; Russell C. Everett of Atkinson. 8.—Miss Donna Fuhrer, wide ly-known O’Neill crippled girl, received an O’Neill high school diploma. She had never been in side , a classroom. The city’s schools graduated 77 seniors. . . Vic Halva recounted the Titanic disaster. He was a survivor of the famous April, 1912, sinking of *he luxury liner. . . Illness has forced Rev. V. R. Bell, Methodist pastor, to retire. . . A friendly doe deer visited the Inez rural school . . . Fish have been caught in ruts of roads near Chambers where water stands everywhere. . . George M. McCarthy has been elected state deputy grand knight of the Knights of Columbus. . . Deaths: Thomas Leroy Slattery, :r., of O’Neill; Phillip Keating of Atkinson; Arlen Haney of Atkin son; Walter Horiskey of O’Neill; Chris Sorensen of Page; Mrs. T. W. Olney of Greybull, Wyo., for merly of Chambers. 15.—The Calkins reward fund — $1,550 — is now considered closed. . . Holt county eighth grade promotion exercises were held in the O’Neill high school auditorium. . . Mrs. Charlotte Honeywell celebrated her 85th birthday anniversary. . . An oil heater in the Mode O’Day store caused extensive damage to mer chandise when a minor explo sion filled the store with soot and smoke. . . Deaths: P. B. Harty of O’Neill; Ralph Cobb of Stuart; Joseph Zaborowski of O’Neil; P. J. Keating of Atkinson. 22.—The annual St. Mary’s academy alumni banquet was at tended by over 250. . . The an nual Holt extension club picnic will be held in Ford’s park. . . Thirty students enrolled in the summer band school which be gan May 19. . . Patrolman Rob ert Gude of Nebraska City has been assigned to the O’Neill re gion for the Nebraska safety pa trol. . . Officers started from scratch again in their investiga tion of the murder March 7 of O’Neill Police Chief Calkins. . . Deaths: Mrs. Albert Frost of At kinson; Edwin L. Jardee of O’ Neill. 29.—Miss Mary Lou Wilson was chosen as queen of the Lions club. ... Judge Lyle E. Jackson of Neligh was to give the me morial address in the Legion au ditorium. . . Harry Jolly has been appointed to the O’Neill police force. . . Miss Bernadette Hynes was chosen ‘IMiss Task Force” at Ft. Leavenworth, Kans. . Deaths: P. T. Welsh of Hyde Park, Mass., formerly of O’Neill; Dell John son of Atkinson; Mrs. Edward E. Angel of Spencer; Joseph G. r1" Boyle of Omaha; Mrs. William Snider of Ewing; Charles Homol ka of Amelia. June 5.—Holt county authorities are searching for a 24-year-old es capee from a Minnesota mental hospital who abandoned a stolen airplane three miles northeast of Ewing. . . The construction of the new rural Bethany Presbyterian church began six miles northeast of Chambers. The estimated cost is $20,000. . . Mr. and Mrs. M. L Harkins of Inman celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary . . . The new basement of the Christ Lutheran church of O’Neill was opened for use for the first time since the building operations began last fall. . . Deaths: James Harding of Whiting, la., formerly of O’Neill; Lyle G. Moss of Am elia; John Stauffer, jr., of Page. 12. — Within 10 minutes af ter the outbreak of fire at an Emmet Hay Co. barn, the structure was reduced to ruins. The barn contained 157 tons of hay. Loss was fixed at $7,000. . . William W. McIntosh was elected president of the Chamber of Commerce. . . The dam and 28 acre lake at Atkinson has been restored by the state game com mission and will be opened as a recreation spot on July 1. . . The blanket 4-mill school tax levy law was ruiea invalid oy tne state supreme court. . . The escapee from the mental hospital in Min nesota is still at large. . . Deaths: Charles Edward Morsbach, Inman. 19.—D. C. Schaffer was elected president of the Nebraska Stock growers association. . . The city council voted against the move of a tavern building on the cor ner of Madison and Douglas streets. . . The Legion revealed a plan for a 70- to 90-thousand-dol lar swimming pool. . .A twister demolished the drive-in theater screen. . . Seven men left for the selective service. . . M. J. Golden won the 31st annual open golf tourney held at the Country club . . . Robert Shoemaker was elected head of the Knights of Columbus . . . Deaths: Mrs. Frank Kramer of Atkinson; Mrs Zack France of Camas, Wash., formerly of O’ Neill; Mrs. Bailey Miller of At kinson; Jennie Holloway of Page; Mrs. Charles Prussa, jr., of At kinson; William F. Eisele of St. Edward, formerly of O’Neill; Lyle Andrew Gilbert of Bristow. 26.—The Frontier enlarged its newspaper pages to eight-col umn (formerly seven columns) by 22 inches (formerly 22 inches) . . . The John Conard combina tion store and postoffice in Em met was burglarized for the sec ond time in 18 months. . . Buick dealers from a wide area con vened in O’Neill. . . Four Lyndon McKamy children were orphaned when their parents and Mrs. Christine Muff were killed in a car-tractor collision near Central City. . . Joseph George has con tracted to teach social science and literature courses at St. Mary’s academy. . . Mr. and Mrs. Nels Nelson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. . . Deaths: Gerald Scott Stamp of Inman; Mrs. Clara Ala Ohri of Spencer; Roy Kimes of Ewing; Fred Barnes Df Atkinson; Mrs. Jennie Madi son of Omaha, formerly of O’Neill. July 3. — O’Neill’s municipal water shortage entered the . critical stage. . . Rev. Wallace B. Smith of Hemingford has been appoint ed to fill the Methodist vacancy here. . . Two youths admit bur glarizing the John Conard store at Emmet. . . Bert Bertolini has joined the staff of the Gilligan’s Rexall drug store. . . The Mc Kamy - Muff funeral rites were J. T. Fletcher of Orchard; Mrs. Fred Prange of Atkinson; John F. Kazda of Atkinson. 10.—Rev. and Mrs. Ward Smith and family returned to Cham bers for a furlough from their mission station at Tocomacho, Honduras, Central America. . . Mr. and Mrs. George Colman of Inman celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. . . The Bethany Presbyterian church near Chambers held a service for the dedication of the cornerstone. . . . A 1936 model fire truck was placed in retirement. . . Mr. ajid Mrs. Elmer Smith of Page cele brated their 5Cth wedding anni versary. . . Mrs. n. n. Miles of Dorsey was killed July 8 when the car in which she was riding struck a bridge near Wisner. . . There are 4,900 car licenses in Holt. . . Death: Harry A. Sny der of Atkinson. 17.—Charles Edward Barnes .of Atkinson was killed July 15 while home on leave when his car overturned. . . Alfred Carroll was elected new Legion com mander. . . An Elgin plane crash ed after striking an REA line near Chambers. . . Clifford Hard ing gets Winner, S.D., star route mail contract. . . Two Plainview men were injured in a car-truck crash while on their way to Nor folk to donate blood to the vic tims of the Miles-Jenkinson ac cident. One was Fred Ristow, formerly of O’Neill. . . The water department has drilled test wells to find a new well to relieve the water shortage. . . Deaths: Mrs. James Humpal of Atkinson; Mrs. Joseph Krska of Atkinson. 24.—The Dorsey Presbyterian church marks its 70th year since its organization. . . Mother Bert rand arrived to take the respon sibilities as the head of St. An thony’s hospital. . . O’Neill was the site of the annual meeting of the North - Central Nebraska Press association. . . Five Cizek brothers and their sister held their first reunion in 49 years at Spencer. . . A cave-in spoiled the well urgently needed to ease the water shortage. . . On an in formal poll on parking meters, business and professional men cast a 34-14 vote against them. . . Deaths: Dave F. Murphy of Te cumseh, formerly of O’Neill; Lyle S. Smith of Ewing; Ralph Pinkerman of Lynch; Ella Lydia Renner of Inman. 31.—Rev. John Thomas is new pastor at the Cnurch of Christ. (Continued on page 5) Police Chief Chet Calkins . . . his assassin is still at large. vim®;-:'*- '■ * . • •. • r - .:•? • •v January Clearance Sale! NEW and USED MACHINERY NEW REFRIGERATORS and FREEZERS New Super “C” Tractor- $1650.00 New Super “M” Farmall __ $2825.00 New llV2-Ft. McCormick Disc Harrow_$ 235.00 New 15-Ft. McCormick Disc Harrow - $ 275.00 New 18-Ft. 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