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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (June 25, 1953)
• . .... . "VOICE OF THE FRONTIER” TWELVE ill m*- PAGES 3m % jl. 9:45 A.M. — 780 k.c. Pa««s 1 to 12 North-Central Nebraska’s BIG Newspaper Volume 73. Number 8. O Neill, Nebraska, Thursday, June 25, 1953. Seven Cents -—~ - —— ---- -___ McLimans Confesses Calkins Killing Slain Police Chief O’Neill’s beloved Police Chief Chet Calkins, 51, veteran * peace officer, was slain in the early hours on March 7, 1952, by an assailant whose identity remained unknown for one year, three months and 17 days. Late Wednesday, Joseph Emmett Mc Limans, 33, who has resided at Norfolk and Long Pine, confessed the killing. Killer of Calkins An Adopted Boy Joseph Emmett McLimans was bom in. a Hot Springs, S.D., hospital and when only 24 hours-old was taken from the hospital by his foster mother, Mrs. Lillian McLimans, 713 South Third street, Norfolk. Mrs. McLimans and her husband, the late W. S. McLimans, were resid ing thei) in Hot Springs, where Mr. McLimans was a merchant. "That boy upstairs in the cell is not the boy I raised,” explain ed Mrs. McLimans tearfully as she descended the courthouse steps after the confession had been heard. “My boy was a fine boy and I tried to raise him right. After Mr. McLimans died ‘it was hard.’ “Joe enlisted in the air force when the war broke out,” she said, “and I was very proud of him in the service.” She reached into her purse and produced two photographs— one of her son smiling and in the air force "summer” issue uniform. “He was a gunner on a Fly ing Fortress. Joseph was sta tioned in England only a month when he became missing in ac tion. He was in a German prison camp for 15 months and the pris oner of war conditions were ter rible,” she said. “I had letters from his com manding officer and I was proud because he was decorated.” The silver-haired mother, who works in a dress shop in Norfolk, retained her composure admir ably. She contained herself very well and thanked the Holt coun ty authorities for “being so nice and considerate about every thing.” It wasn’t until the foster moth er reached O’Neill, with an at torney, that McLimans talked. He confessed first to his mother and Dave Jewell, Norfolk law yer. His foster mother urged him to bare all to the authorities. After the confession he asked if he could see a priest. Mrs. McLimans, wearing a gray flecked rayon dress, a dark hat and a white carnation at the neck, wearily got into a car and returned to Norfolk. * * • Under Observation in Hospital— The confessed slayer of Chet Calkins, having been arrested by authorities following the Febru ary 16 breakin at Norfolk, was kept in the Madison county jail at Madison and later removed to the Norfolk state hospital “for observation.” After two months in the hos pital, he was released and tenta tively cleared as being a mental case. * * * Jokingly Accused at Bonesteel— Joseph McLimans had a habit of sleeping in the caboose of his train at Bonesteel and always parked his car near the depot. Mr. and Mrs. Bill Meyers, Bone steel depot agent and his wife, live in an apartment on the sec ond floor of the depot and the McLimans vehicle invariably is parked in easy view of the Meyers’. On the night of March 6 the McLimans car was gone. The next day the Calkins slaying was the talk of the town and Mrs. Meyers jokingly accused McLi mans, in his presence, of perpe trating the murder. Authorities did not check with Mr. and Mrs. Meyers until this week when they were checking his story. He had insisted dur ing the interrogation that he had been playing poker that night at Bonesteel, but the contact with Mr. and Mrs. Meyers substantiat ed he was away. He subsequently chopped up the suitcase and burned it in the stove in the caboose. He remov ed the “D.D.” plate and threw it in a toilet. The pistol, which was believed to have been gotten in i Norfolk, was hidden and author- J ities have not divulged where it is located. * * * Officers Search Long Pine Residence— Authorities this spring went to Long Pine and searched the Jo seph McLimans residence. Evi dence was found of loots from a number of north Nebraska points. The slayer’s wife and two children reside there. The 4 year-old child belongs to Mrs. McLimans while their baby was born only two weeks before the Calkins killing. The home in Long Pine is on the nondescript side. (Continued on page 6) Bethany Dedication June 28 • Dedication services of the Bethany Presbyterian church near Ewing will be held on Sunday, June 28. Services for the day will include Sunday-school at 10 a.m, and morning worship at 11 o’clock. Following the morning services, everyone is invited to share in a basket dinner. The afternoon service will begin at 2 o’clock. Visiting ministers will include Rev. Ralph Gerber, pas tor of the First Presbyterian church of Lexington, formerly of O’ Neill. He will bring the morning message. Rev. George S. Ban croft of Omaha, Nebraska synod executive, will preach the after noon sermon. Rev. A. P. Kidwell, pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Pender, and Rev. Oliver Proett, D.D., pastor of the First Presbyterian church at Wayne, will also be present. High Gale Snaps Poles; Little Rain Atkinson Blackedout; Frightened Citizens Scurry for Shelter Dark clouds brooding over the O’Neill region — and most of north-Nebraska — Tuesday sent hundreds of folks to their sub terranean storm shelters. Although the wind mounted to more than 60-miles-per-hour, the turbulence in the sky did not in flict much damage. Most resi dents are tornado-conscious be cause of the punishment dealt several dozen midwestem com munities in recent weeks. The strong southerly and southwesterly winds mounted to high velocity several times dur ing the night. The storm blew down five high tension line transmission poles between O’Neill and Atkinson, causing Emmet to be without power over 6Vz hours and plunging At kinson into darkness for one hour and two minutes. Bassett, Newport and Ainsworth were blacked-out for 15 minutes or more. It is believed those locali ties suffered from stronger winds than O’Neill. Consumers Public Power re ported general storm condi tions from Valentine to Ponca. Several homes in O'Neill re ported local power service in terruptions because of tree branches blown down. Northwestern Bell Telephone company fared better than the power grid. No phene line trou ble was reported at the O'Neill office. (Continued on page 12) Sobotka . . . memento from Arcadia tornado 90 miles away. ★ ★ ★ Arcadia Check Descends in Hoit INMAN— While plowing last week in a cornfield on land two miles west of Inman, Lewis W Sobotka, veteran farmer, glanced down and saw an innocent-look ing piece of paper. Just begin ning to acquire a greenish fade, the little piece of paper bore an interesting story. “I could tell by the looks of it the paper hadn’t been there very long,” explained Mr. Sobotka. He picked it up, investigated and found it was a cancelled check issued to Waterbury's store at Arcadia and signed by Ruth G- Lutz. The amount of the check was $11.53. Mr. Sobotka reasoned the check on the Arcadia State bank must have been picked up by the infamous tornado that killed 11 people in that community on Sunday, June 7. He promptly contacted the Arcadia bank and asked if the twister could be blamed. The bank responded: “We would be pleased if you would send us the check . . . and we can see that the right party gets the check. We are sure that Ruth G. Lutz would like to have the check if it has been paid to Waterbury’s. “We think this check has been carried by the disastrous tornado that hit about three miles east of Arcadia. It was so damaging and didn’t leave a thing that was in its path. The lives that were lost was the saddest part.” Mr. Sobotka had made an in quiry through a nephew con cerning the Lutz family and he was informed the Lutzes had lost heavily in the storm This prompted him to write the bank. Joseph Emmett McLimans, 33, orally con-' | fessed Wednesday afternoon to the sadistic ! slaying of O’Neill’s Police Chief Chet Calkins, j The chief was killed in the early morning hours of March 7, 1952, when his body was riddled with five bullets at point-blank range. McLimans is being held in Holt county jail after preliminary hearing in which he made his confession in the presence of Coun ty Sheriff Leo Tom jack, County Attorney William W. Griffin, Capt. H. D. Smith of the Nebraska safety patrol, and others. He admit ted his guilt and said, ”1 killed Chet Calkins.” Larceny was McLimans undoing. He was arrested in Norfolk following a February 1 6, 1953, robbery of a hardware store. Holt coun ty authorities learned he was driving a 1 948 model green Kaiser sedan. Madison authori ties were asked to hold him and from that point the investigation began to unfold. Not until his foster mother, Mrs. Lillian McLimans of Norfolk, arrived Wednesday and urged him to “tell all” was the confession gained. McLimans verbal confession substantiated most of the evi dence which had been baffling the investigators since that fateful morning when fresh snow covered the tracks and Walt Calkins, brother of Chet, found the chief's body slumped against the steer ing wheel of the cruiser car. A railroad brakeman with residence at Long Pine, McLimans said he had been doing a day’s work on the Bonesteel to Winner branch of the Chicago & North Western railroad and had pulled into Bonesteel from Winner for the night. He drove to Spence “looking for a poker game.” He spent an hour or two, he recounts drinking beer in several Spencer taverns. Still itching for a poker game—he frankly admits he likes to gamble—McLimans drove on south to O'Neill. He visited at least three O'Neill beer taverns, as he remembers. Emerging from a tavern on South Fourth street, he went across the street to get into his own csv.. Another vehicle had parked in such a manner he couldn’t back out immediately. He peered inside saw the blue D.D. suitcase, transferred it to his own car and pro ceeded to free his own vehicle. McLimans told how he drove out ^ ed§e of O Neill, took some money out of the suitcase, remov ed the clothqs. He put the suitcase back in his car and returned to town and then he dumped the clothes on the floor of the back seat of the car from which the case was stolen. The theft had been reported to O’Neill police shortly after it happened by Delores Dobrovolny, a telephone operator. About 1a.m., Chief Calkins turned west on Everett street near the corner of Fourth and Everett (Dr. L. A. Carter’s office comer) Calkins suspicioned McLimans’ activities. The chief queried “What are you doing?” “Drinking a can of beer,” replied the voice in the dark McLi mans had emerged from one of the taverns with two six-packs Let me look in the trunk of your car,” Calkins ordered. McLi mans said he reluctantly opened the trunk. It was at this point at least four witnesses said they saw Calk ms ‘shaking down” a blue or green Kaiser, a late model, or some similar car. Those witnesses were Mrs. Mary Fleming of O’Neill Sisson111'66 EWing youths—Richard Spittler, LeRoy Boies and Bill , McLimans said Calkins readily spotted the "D.D." case and ordered him to get into the cruiser car and accompany him Calkins got into the cruiser car first, according to the testi mony, and McLimans went around the car and started to get into the front seat alongside Calkins. It was at that point he pulled his .32-calibre revolver and emptied it into Calkins’ right side. The first bullet is believed to have killed the chief instantly. McLimans, who professed to be “hazy about the details” be cause he had had too many beers, got into his own car and drove west five blocks on Everett street. “I got to wondering if anyone was going to find the car,” he said He left his car parked in the residential district and walked east down an alley, coming to the rear of the Shelhamer implement store. He explained, “From there I could see the police car. I stood and watched the car for ‘quite awhile.’ Still nobody came and in vestigated.” Finally he decided to break into the implement store. He gained entrance into the building forcibly by breaking a glass in the rear door, scooped up $10 or $15 change from the cash register, and emerged from the building. He said he could still see the cruiser car and there was no activity. He then walked to the scene of the slaying and peered inside the car to make certain that Calkins was dead. He then returned to his own car and drove out of town. He continued on to Bonesteel that night and spent the night in the caboose—his normal sleeping place. McLimans, who was a gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress dur ing World War II. avoided O'Neill after that and started a mus tache. Occasionally he'd go through O'Neill with trainman but wouldn't circulate. On the side he indulged in plenty of gambling and, apparently, thievery. Ostensibly, Holt county authorities brought him here in connection with the breaking and entering of the Galyen Motor company office in Atkinson several months ago, and now he has admitted doing the Galyen job. McLimans is a sharp-featured fellow with a pointed nose. He weighs 140 pounds, stands about 5 feet 6 or 7 inches, and normally would be considered on the light complexioned side. But the bur dens of the Calkins slaying and the larceny problems were weigh ing heavily and aging him fast. The bout with the Norfolk police on February 16, 1953, cost him his railroad job. He was in line to become a conductor but his nocturnal maraudings interferred with his rail career. Griffin, Tom jack, Smith and other peace officers were visibly relieved after they had heard the confession. It meant they had reached the end of a long, seemingly endless trail, which time-after time had bumped into a dead end. , McLimans was relieved, too. He said: “I’ve been electrocuted two or three times in my own mind.” His light mustache would come off as quickly as he could get it off, he said. His mustache is brown, small and scraggly. While telling his confession, McLi mans was wearing a GI T-shirt and overall pants. Asked if he had any motive for killing Calkins, the confessed slayer said he knew who the chief was, but was certain the chief did not know him. “At least he didn’t recognize me when he was checking my car.” McLimans is now under 24-hour guard in the jail. He has ad mitted guilt, has been given a preliminary hearing and now awaits appearing before District Jurge D. R. Mounts in Holt county district court. He is being charged with second degree murder. McLimans is expected to appear before Judge Mounts Saturday. The Confessed Slayer These are Nebraska safety patrol and police photos of Joseph Emmett McLimans. 33, the confessed slayer of O’Neill’s Police Chief Chet Calkins. After the killing he raised a brown, scraggly mustache. “I had been drinking too many beers . . . it’s all hazy,” was about the only comment he offered. McLimans is not the talka tive type. The slayer's foster mother, Mrs. Lillian Mc Limans, tearfully explains to Holt County At torney William Griffin: "The man in the cell is not the boy I raised." Mrs. McLimans, who lives in Norfolk, thanked Holt authorities for being considerate. "I adopted Joe when he was 24 hours-old. I had my hands full after my husband died in 1932 ... I was proud of him in the air force ... he was in a horrible German prison camp 15 months.—The Frontier Photo. Holt Sheriff Leo Tomjack (right) wore a wide grin after the confession suspense was over. Capt. H. D. Smith, chief of the criminal in vestigation bureau of the Nebraska safety patrol. assembles McLimans' file after the preliminary hearing. The slayer will face second degree mur der charges.—The Frontier Photo. _ -- Vocal, Home Ec Teachers Contracted Two O’Neill high school teach ing vacancies have been filled, it was announced this week by Board of Education Secretary Ira H. Moss. Mrs. Patricia B. French cf Page has been signed to teacn vocal music, and Miss Mildred McNutt has been hired to teacn home economics during the 1953 ’54 term. The latter is attending summer school at Avoca, Wise. W. S. Devall to Sell Farm, Personal Property— W. S. Devall, farmer residing in the Midway community north of O’Neill, will offer his 80 aere farm and personal property at public auction on Tuesday, July 7, starting at noon. Thorin & Bowker real estate agency is handling the land sale, and it is pointed out the improv ed farm is one of the best-pro iucing 80 - acre tracts in Holt :ounty. Mr. Devall’s wife died three weeks ago. (For details on real astate and personal property, turn to advertisement on page 4.) Frontier for printing! bergeant McLimans . . . Fly ing Fortress gunner, who was in England only a month when he became missing in action over Germany. Promoted at Goodfellow— Axlean Miles, son of Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Miles, has been pro moted to airman second-class and Donald Sauser has been upped to staff sergeant at Goodfellow air force base. San Angelo, Tex. Venetian blinds, prompt deliv ery, made to measure, metal or wood, all colors—J. M. McDon ald's. 8 O’Neill Men to Be Inducted Thirteen Holt county selective serivce registrants will report today (Thursday) for induction in the military service, according to Mrs. W. H. Harty, chief cletK of the draft board. Five of the group are “volunteers,” Mrs,. Harty explained. Being drafted are: Alien H. Martin, Paul W. Moseman, jr., Patrick E. Hickey, Francis B. Floud, Donald E. Beckwith, John E. Wallen and Theodore P. Lindberg, all of O’ Neill, and John D. Langan of Spencer. Volunteers are: Donald D. Kloppenberg of Emmet; Robert R. Pruden, Mel vin L. Pruden and Marvin D. Carl, all of Ewing, and John Joe Uhl of O’Neill. This is the largest group cf “volunteers” in a single group since the outbreak of the Korean war, Mrs. Harty explained. Holt e county selective service records are credited when volunteers en ter the service through the draft organization.