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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (July 2, 1953)
McLimans Trial Stories and Pictures on Pages 2, 3, 4, 5, 8,11 * * * ★★★ ★★★ -VOICE • .. ~ 'vS*' ’ ' * ** ’’ 1 OF THE FRONTIER” TWELVE III W: "T ill w” 1 Mon* * JWnU ^ SECTION 1 Sal. Pages 1 to 12 North-Central Nebraska's BIG Newspaper Volume 73.—Number 9. O’Neill, Nebraska, Thursday, July 2, 1953. Seven Cents Growing Crops Are Now Needing Rain 300 Attend Bethany Church Dedication History of Country Parish Told Dedication services for the new church building in the Bethany community were held Sunday, June 28, with an estimated crowd of 300 in attendance. Following the Sunday - school hour, Rev. Ralph Gerber, pastor of First Presbyterian church of Lexing ton and former pastor of ‘he Rethany and O’Neill churches, preached the morning sermon. Rev. Oliver Proett, D.D., pas tor of First Presbyterian church of Wayne, gave the call to wor ship and pastoral prayer. Musical numbers included “The Whispers of Jesus,” sung by the choir, end two numbers, “The Church in the Wildwood” and “My Anchor Holds,” by the male quartette composed of Tom Chilvers, Bob Chilvers, Tom Lambert and Stan ley Lambert. Rev. A. P. Kidwell, pastor of First Presbyterian church at Pender and moderator of the Niobrara Presbytery, offered the invocation and benediction. “During the noon hour a basket dinner was held in the basement. Many old friendships were re ngwed. The dedication service with Rev. Samuel Lee presiding be gan with the choir singing the introit at the entrance, continu ing with the hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation,” as the processional. Following the Apostle’s creed, the choir sang “Be Thankful Unto Him,” after which Rev. Oliver Proett, D.P., read the Scripture. James G'b son, chairman of the building committee, presented the key to Reverend Lee, who then proceed ed in leading the congregation in the litany of dedication. Rev erend Gerber offered the prayer of dedication. After the male quartette selection, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” Rev. George S- Bancroft, D.D., of Om aha preached the dedicatory ser mon, choosing as his subject, “The Church’s One Foundation using I Corinthians 3:11 as his texht, “For other foundation can no man lay than is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Doctor Bancroft emphasized the need of the church to be aware of the world's needs, and of the necessity of building on the foundation of Christ. He pointed out that even many religious groups seemingly forget this admonition and tend to base their work or uctivi y more upon the words of man than upon Jesus Christ and His message But Christ is the only sure foundation upon which we can build, he said. Mrs. Lizzie Honeywell o f Chambers, the only living charter member of the Bethany church, and Mrs. Star, one of the early aid members, were present. Rev. L. R. Hansberry, Rev. Lawrence McEI heron, bo’h of Chambers, and Rev. Jens C. Jor gensen of Hoskins were also present. Histories of the Bethany church and the ladies’ aid organ ization were read by Mr. and Mrs Carl Lambert, respectively. Mrs. Henry Wood, treasurer c-f the building committee, reported that all bills were paid and that there was a substantial balance in the treasury at present. She also read an appropriate ooem which expressed the feeling of the community in their accom plishment of building the new' church. Members of the building com mittee are Chairman James Gib son, Mrs. Henry Wood, Mrs P W. Summerer, Stanley Lambert, Carol Summerer, Mark Gribble, and Irwin LuRue. John Harkins, Jim Gibson and Carol Summerer make up the board of trustees, and the mem bers of the session are Mark Gribble, Ralph Hoffman and Kenneth LaRue. On February 19, 1887, a small band cf Christian peo ple met at the home of L. S. Angel, three miles east of Ihe town of Chambers, and under the direction of Rev. T. L. Sex ton, assisted by Rev. John C. Sylvanus. Bethany Presbyteri an church was organized. L. S. Angel, William 0. Hekart and Z. Prothero were elected ruling elders. There were 19 members in the original organization. The session recorded meetings on February 19, May 29, and October 2 of che year 1887. Z. Prothero was cho (Continued on page 6) Try The Frontier on your next order of printing! f - Hot weather has prevailed in north Nebraska for the second consecutive week and ranchers and farmers are hourly glancing skyward for rain. Pastures are getting dry and the small grain and com crops are badly in need of moisture. Meanwhile, federal aid is being made available to cattlemen in drought-stricken Texas and Okla homa. Forty counties in those two states have been designated as major disaster areas. i The 1953 bluegrass crop in Holt county is of little account and hay crops will not be outstanding. The mercury Wednesday soar ed to 102 degrees here, official ly—the hottest mark of the year. Week’s weather summary, based on 24-hour periods ending 3t 5 p.m., daily, follows: Hi Lo June 25 —- 76 54 June 26_____ 80 55 June 27 _ 86 61 June 28 - 83 54 June 29 _xL_ 97 67 June 30 - i-_ 94 73 July 1 _102 68 July 4 Celebrations at Stuart, Neligh Independence day falls on Sat urday and the long weekend will be an inducement for considerable traveling, family reunions and revelry. The American Legion at Stuart will be staging a two-day roder, starting Saturday and extending through Sunday. Program also includes a parade, quarter horse show and contest dancing, carn ival and fireworks. Neligh’s Veteran’s Celebration on July 4, heralded as Nebraska’s bigest, will feature stock car races, wrestling, free acts, mid way, fireworks, dancing and baseball games. At the Country club here a golf tournament will be in pro gress and there will be fireworks in the evening. Members and their guests will throng the grounds and the public is invited to wit ness the fireworks display from the numerous vantage points along the roads near the grounds. The Martha Community club again is sponsoring a July 4 celebration on the school grounds, activities starting at 10 a.m. There will be a brief patriotic .program followed by baseball games, foot races and picnicking. Preschool Tests August 12, 13, 14 Miss Virginia Lynn of Wayne State Teachers college will be in O’Neill to give preschool tests August 12, 13 and 14, according to Miss Alice L. French, Holt county superintendent of public instruction. If your child is 5 any time from October 16 to January 1 and you want him to attend kindergarten or the beginner grade this year, contact the coun ty superintendent’s office, Miss French urged. The state department recom mends that no children whose birthdays come after January 1 shall be tested. Simples of school exhibits are being placed in the window of the Coyne Hardware each week end during July. “Look at the samples and then see the whole exhibit in the exhibit hall!” ISC Graduate Kenneth Bergiund (above), son of Mrs. Peter More of Fair mont, formerly of Redbird, re cently received a bachelor of science degree from Icwa State college at Ames. Bergiund graduated from O’Neill high school in 1946. He is a brother of Mrs. Harvey Krugman of O’Neill, and has accepted a position with General Electric at Ft. Wayne, Ind. His degree is in electrical engineering. Signature Lack Saves Life when A/3c Thomas Erwin Murray of O’Neill reported at a Far East air base for passage on a C-124 Globemaster transport plane, one of the clearance docu ments in his possession lacked a signature. “Sorry, Joe. we can’t let you board this one,” bellowed the ser geant, who was checking the passenger roster. The big engines were being warmed up and mak ing plenty of racket. The O’Neill airman turned back a little disappointed. But his mbod changed later in the day when he learned the lack of a signature actually had saved his life. One hundred twenty nine GI - passengers and crew members aboard the big Globe master plunged to their death. “Boy, I never was so lucky tn my life,” wrote Erwin to his fa ther, Frank H. Murray, Phoenix route, O’Neill. “The news really shook me up for awhile. “I was lying on my bunk and reading when a runner came and told me to get all my stuff pack ed because I was leaving for Korea from Japan. So I got pack ed and hurriedly left Niigata for Johnson air force base. Got to Johnson about 6 o’clock and was supposed to clear the base, then go to another field for the flight “It was the last-minute I was scrubbed from that passenger list. One paper wasn’t signed and they scratched me right off,” he wrote. “Now, a week later, I’m still waiting to leave. Those Globe masters are about the size of a five-room house, but they ve ail been grounded, as you’ve prob ably read in the papers. “I expect to go to Seoul first but don’t know how long I’ll be there. Tell The Frontier to hold up the paper until I get my per manent address.—Love, Erw»n. ’ Mr. and Mrs. Martin Walter attended a reunion of the George Walter family Sunday at Spen cer. McLimans brushes away a tear when sentence is pronounced. (Sheriff Tomjack at left.) * * * ★★★ ★★★ Slayer's Record Sordid in the wake of swift justice for Joseph Emmett McLimans, 33, the killer of O’Neill’s Police Chief Chet Calkins, investigators have pieced together a sordid story of waywardness and crime. But it wasn’t until after the murder confession had been told that the details of the crime spree were made public. McLimans’ life wasn’t always twisted and evil-bent. He was lifted from a crib in a Hot Springs, S.D., hospital when only 24-hours-old and taken into the home of W. S. and Lillian McLimans. The foster father, who died in 1932, was a pros perous merchant in Hot Springs. The couple already had a daugh ter of their own. The couple christened the foundling child and endeavored to rear him in the ways of right eousness. Both parents were de vout Catholics and good church goers. They entertained fond hopes for Joseph. The task of rearing Joseph became increasingly difficult af ter the death of Mr. McLimans, the brave foster mother recalls. Joseph’s first brush with law took place in Omaha when he il legally appropriated an automo bile for a “joyride.” The incident landed him in court and he was paroled to an Omahan. This was in November, 1942, and he was 22-years-old. Came Pearl Harbor. Joe enlisted in the air force and received training as an en gineer-gunner on four-engined B-17 Flying Fortresses. Appar ently, the air force had winked at the police record. His outfit was shipped overseas to England. Joe’s crew had been operational only a month and had flown only one or two missions when his craft was shot down over Germany. That was in April, 1944. Dur ing the ensuing months, until the war in Europe ended, Joe exist ed in a Nazi stalag — one of the worst prisoner of war camps. His war record prompted his commander, Col. Dale O. Smith, to send a letter of commendation to Joe in the care of his foster mother. The citation read: “Although you failed to return from your last mission over Ger many, I take pleasure in being able to commend you for your meritorious achievement on that date. In spite of heavy fighter and flak opposition, you coolly accomplished your duties. By your skillful airmanship and courage you enabled our group to deal a vital blow to the ene my. “We sincerely hope you are safe and that we shall again be able to fly wing-to-wing.” After the war he got a job in a Norfolk grocery store, working for Joe Maas. Then, for six months, he was a bartender at the American Le gion club in Norfolk when it was located in the Hotel Waldorf (now Hotel Madison). In 1943 ne went to work for the Chicago & North Western railroad as an “extra brakeman,” making runs from Norfolk-to-Long Piijt and from Norfolk-to-Bonestedr and Winner. He was among four younger men with the rairoad who were readying for examina tions to qualify as freight con ductors. But his extra-curricular activ ities, his unbridled sorties in tne night and his habits, which were flaunting everything he had been taught at his mother’s knee, changed the course of the life of Joseph Emmett McLimans. McLimans got himself involv ed in a series of larcenies—petty and otherwise. His undoing was breaking and entering the Schlueter Implement company in Norfolk on February 18. He was caught in the act by William Schlueter, the owner, who held McLimans by the nap of the neck with one hand and held a ham mer over his head with the other until police came and arrested MeLimans. It was his second en trance at the Schlueters estab lishment. That night. Madison County Sheriff Joe McCarthy, one of Nebraska’s youngest peace offi cers, first linked McLimans with the Calkins crime. The suspicion arose because McLimans had a 1949 green Kaiser automobile similar to the one seen in O’Neill the night of the Calkins murder. It had a large and distinctive buffalo-head hood ornament. By agreement between McCar thy, Holt County Attorney Wil liam W. Griffin, Holt County Sheriff Leo Tomjack and the Nebraska safety patrol, a plausi ble policy was evolved. No at tempt would be made to link the man with the O’Neill murder un til the right moment. Instead, -— Billy Lyons, 18, Still ‘Critical’ Billy Lyons, !8, son of Mr. and Mrs. Don O. Lyons, is in “crit ical condition” in Methodist hos pital, Omaha. He was knocked unconscious when his motorcycle went out of control Sunday afternoon near the Hugo Holz farm, on U.S. highway 20, a mile north of O’ Neill. He lay in the ditch until he was removed to St. Anthony’s hospital in an ambulance. Dr. O. W. French several hours later ordered the youth transferred bv air ambulance to Omaha where surgery was performed. He was suffering from con cussion and a skull fracture. His temperature Tuesday soared to 106 degrees and all members of his familv including his parents; his sister, Mrs. Betty Richter of Washington, and his brother, Walter, of New Mexico, were summoned to his bedside. By late Wednesday the temperature had dropped to 101 degrees but hos pital attendants were holding little hope for his recovery and he was still unconscious. Tune in! Voice of The Fron tier” .. Mon.. Wed., Sat., 9:45 a.m. WJAG (780 k.c.) they would first probe his lar ceny record. McCarthy sought out a C&NW railroad inspector and checked the company’s work sheets. Im mediately it was determined McLimans was off-duty the night of the murder. From that point on the machination set in that led to his confession and lifetime trip to the pen. (Editor’s note — The Frontier has borrowed much of the fol lowing chronology from the Nor folk Daily News): After a group of officials, in cluding Madison Sheriff McCar thy, Holt Sheriff Leo Tomjack, Brown Sheriff Ralph Leonard, Sgt.. Harry Carlisle (then of the safety patrol), and Sgt. R. R. Shorney of the safety patrol (Continued on page 3) Natural Gas Line Nearing O’Neill Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas company pipeline crews are now working from Inman to O’Neill— the final leg of the extension from Neligh to O’Neill. It is tentatively planned to have natural gas flowing into the new O’Neill distribution system by about July 15, officals explained this week. A “torch - lighting” ceremony is being talked with Chamber of Commerce and city officials. Following completion and test ing of the lateral line southeast of O’Neill, gas service will be made available to the communi ties of O’Neill, Ewing and Inman. It will be necessary to put these lines under test before gas can be turned into these com munities,” an official pointed out. Completion of the distribution system in the city is expected be fore July 15. When it is complet ed, the crew will move to Bloom field. Only a few rail crossings and street crossings remain to be completed in O’Neill. A natural gas line from Neligh to Plainview is expected to be finished this week, after which a lateral line will be laid to Creigh ton. Other towns in the expansion program include Randolph, Lau rel, Belden, Hartington, Coler idge and Wausa. High Postal Official, Holt Native, Dies ATKINSON—C. B. Utley, 70, a native of Holt county and in re cent years the holder of the high est civil service post in the U.S. postoffice department, died sud denly Tuesday in Washington, D. C. He suffered an apoplectic stroke. Survivors include the widow. Mr. Utley was an uncle of Mrs. John Silverstrand of Atkinson. He began his postal career in Mus kogee territory of Oklahoma. JOINS MARINES John F. (“Jack”) Carney, 3 9, son of Leo Carney and the late Mrs. Carney, left Omaha late Wednesday for boot training in San Diego, Calif., after enlisting in the marine corps. He is a St. Mary’s academy graduate who has been attending Creighton university, Omaha. Phone us your news — 51. McLimans Begins Life Term in Pen o L « • , Threatens McLimans with Big Hammer Norfolkan Capt u r e s Burglar in Store A powerful, 210 - pound gent with greying hair sat in the courtroom Saturday as sentence was pronounced on Joseph Em mett McLimans. This man had a special interest in the prosecution. Here’s why: William Schlueter, owner of the Schlueter Implement com pany in Norfolk (Oliver dealer on East Norfolk avenue), was the man who, assisted by Clarence Hamm of Winside, actually cap tured the elusive McLimans. It was on the night of Febru ary 18, 1953. Schlueter had just been released from an Omaha hospital. Hamm, a customer, went to Norfolk, asked Schlueter to open up the implement store to get some needed repairs. It was about 8:30. Upon entering the store they heard a rustling near the cash register. Schlueter’s firm had been robbed several times before. Bill had unsuccessfully set several traps for the intruder. McLimans got to his feet and wormed Irs way through the store — a dis tance of about 80 feet. Schlueter, in his bedroom slippers, and Hamm were in close pursuit. McLimans started out a small window head-first. Schlueter applied a powerful grip on McLimans’ leg and drew him back into the building. The burglar landed among some iron articles near the win dow. He pleaded to be allowed to get up on his feet. Schlueter picked up a two-pound hammer and admonished McLimans whom he did not know, not to make a move. Hamm hovered over the burg lar while Schlueter called police, who were about five minutes in arriving. Later, at the police station, it was found McLimans had been unarmed. The police knew Mc Limans as “Joe” and said they could handle him all right. Schlueter and Hamm, both of whom told the story to The Frontier, might well be the right ful claimants to the rewards that have been offered for anyone giving information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Calkins slayer. Moreover, the night of Febru ary 18, 1953, fell short of the year’s time limit that was placed on some of the reward money. The city of O’Neill and county of Holt each posted $500 rewards and a popular subscription rais ed another $500, although some of the money has been returned. No official claims, however, have been made for the reward money todate although one coun ty official said there had been “several inquiries.” To Slate Hospital February 28— A Madison county district court order on Friday, February 25. resulted in McLimans’ being taken to the Norfolk state hospi tal for observation. He was tentatively cleared as being a mental case after about eight weeks, and was returned to the Madison county jail, it was on Thursday, June 18, Mc Limans was transferred to the Holt county jail at Holt’s request. The technique of the investi gators was to pin the Galven Motor company burglary on the prisoner, finally the Shelhamer implement break - in, and the “D.D.’Mnitialled overnight case theft—all of which would tie down the loose ends and lead to the confession of the Calkins murder. McLimans told County Attor ney William W. Griffin he wou’d have something to tell if he might see his foster mother first. Mrs. Lillian McLimans, accom panied by Dan Jewell, Norfolk attorney, came to O’Neill early Wednesday, June 24. Mrs. McLimans urged her fos ter son to “tell all.” He did. Jew ell also heard the initial confes sion. Holt county and state patrol officers moved in and the oral confession was repeated in de tail. A hearing was immediately set in county court at 5 p.m., and the slayer was bound over to district court. McLimans told his mother he felt like a “50 pound weight had been lifted off his chest.” (Continued on page 6) By a Staff Writer The heavy barred gates of the Nebraska state penitentiary clanked shut about dusk Sunday evening on the remaining years in the life of Joseph Emmett McLimans, 33-year-old railroad brake man from Long Pine and Norfolk. McLimans was quiet and submissive as he began his life sen tence in the penitentiary at Lincoln for the slaying of O’Neill’s welt loved Police Chief Chet Calkins on an O’Neill street in the early morning hours of March 7, 1952. Only four drama-packed days elapsed between the time McLi mans confessed to the slaying and the day he entered the Nebraska penitentiary. However, the investigators have a file on McLimans an inch thick that now bares the full, sordid story of a fantastic life of larceny, gambling and drinking in addition to the shameful murder of Calkins. As his term began, McLimans volunteered no comment He ad mitted things looked “pretty discouraging” now and that he didn’t feel too good. His first words to prison officials were, “When can I have some supper?” County Sheriff Leo Tomjack and his wife took McLimans %o Lincoln Sunday, leaving here about 2 p.m. Tomjack said McLimans was very quiet on the four-hour trip from O’Neill. McLimans, having been in custody since February 18, was 0 brought to O’Neill from the Madison county jail June 18, osten sibly to be questioned in connection with breaking and entering the Galyen Motor company in Atkinson several months ago. A con fession of the Calkins murder was gained late Wednesday after noon, June 24. McLimans was handcuffed and strapped into the sheriff# car for the Lincoln trip. He had been a bit surly and temperamental following the trial, and Tomjack was anxious to turn the Drisoner over to officials at Lincoln. Tomjack admitted he himself was exhausted after the trial and indicated the trip wouldn’t be made for several days. McLimans threw a minor scare into officials when he took some pills which he had carried over from his days in the state hospital at Norfolk. (He had been in the hospital for 60 days this spring for observation.) Doctors were summoned but the pills turned out to be relatively harmless sedatives for nerves. -——-----_ Pearl McLimans, descending steps from Holt county court house cell block . . . "I'll sticjc by Joe." Teacher Signed Frank Lee Weinmeister (above) has been contracted to teach industrial arts and so cial studies in the Chambers public school for the 19jo-’54 term. Mr. Weinmeister. whose home is at Greeley, Colo., >s a trained shop instructor. The board considers itself fortunate in securing his services. Frank Noffke, Sr, Dies in Hospital Funeral Held Monday for Blacksmith EWING—Frank Noffke, sr, a retired Ewing blacksmith, died at the University hospital at Omaha on Friday forenoon, June 26. Mr. Noffke had been m poor health for a number of years. Survivors include* Widow: sons —Herman of Superior, Carl of Albion, Frank, jr, of Ewing, and Harold of Kansas City, Me,; daughters— Mrs. Elmer Owen© of Norfolk and Mrs. Vernon Cronin of Pierre, S.D. Two daughters, Helen and Ruth, and one granddaughter, Sandra Kay Cronin, preceded him in death. Funeral services were held on Monday afternoon at 2 (/clock from the Ewing Methodist church with Rev. W. J. Bomer officiating. Frontier Publishes Extra After Trial The Frontier's big press be gan turning out a four-page MeLimans trial extra late Sat urday afternoon—a few hcmrfe after the life sentence had been imposed on the slayer of Police Chief Chet Calkins. Forthcoming publication of the extra was heralded on The Frontier’s Saturday morning radio program (“Voice of The Frontier,” WJAG, 780 k.c.) andl during a total of one hour attd 30 minutes of radio reporting: of the trial. The extra contained three" pictures taken inside the court room by The Frontier’s staff photographer, John H. Mc Carville, plus five other late news pictures in eonnectior.. with the confession and several: pictures taken from the CaBe ins murder files. Three thousand extras were published and made available at newsstands extending team Norfolk to Ainsworth, east ane west, and from O’Neill north Uj Bonesteel, S.D. Most news stands reported sellouts. Maii orders directly to The Frontier ran into the hundreds rmA or ders are still coming in. The extra is believed to be’ the first ever published in O' Neill newspaper history. Most of the contents in the extra appear in this issue in order that all regular subscribers; have the full trial story. FORMER RESIDENT DIES Emerson Devine of Burley, Ida., a former resident of O'Neill, died Saturday, June 27. He i& survived by his widow, three? daughters and two sons, two s*s> ters, Mrs. Harry Dempsey and Mrs. Robert Cook of O’Neill, and one brother, Philip Simmons. The funeral was held Tuesday, June 30.