Drama Heard by Radio Audience
Mr Voice of The Frontier" went on the air at 10:15 a.m., Saturday
wiin a 45-nunute special broadcast in which the background on the
murder was reviewed and George Hammond broadcast from the
couraoom door. A portion of the text follows, reprinted from Sat
urday's McLimans Trial Extra.)
Cal Stewart S pea Xing
irom Studio—
In the early morning hours of
March 7, 1952, O’Neill’s police
chief, a man who was beloved by
all the kids and a man who was
a friend of wayfarers, and even
the wayward, was killed in cold
blooded murder. Chet Calkins
had been O’Neill’s police chief
for well over 20 years. He was a
. man who had been reared here
in Holt county, he’d been on the
*• * attiletic side as a younger man,
his. friends were legion.
Chet Calkins was a powerful
heavy set fellow, 5Uyears-old.
That early morning of March
7, 1952, Chet was sadistically at
tacked with a death-dealing
'weapon that in a split-second
took the life of a man who never
had a chance.
An assassin, whose identity
would not become known for
one year, three months and 17
, days, had emptied five bullets
from his .32-calibre pistol into
the chief’s right side as the chief
sat jn his cruiser car. Chet Calk
ins died instantly that cold win
ter morning . . . there was light
snowfall that quickly covered
any evidence of the murder. In
fact, for an hour or more it was
believed O’Neill’s likeable, affa
ble, courteous, mild - mannered
and model police officer had
died from a heart attack.
That tragic murder did some
thing to this town of more than
three thousand persons. Feeling
ran high for days on end and in
vestigators sought to find the
killer of O’Neill’s police chief.
Leads fizzled out—one after an
other. The search spread to other
states, even to a foreign country.
Still the same old story. There
were dead ends. The trail grew
• cold . . . colder even than the
fresh snow that covered the mur
der' scene that fateful early
morning hour on March 7, 1952,
that wee hour when Police Chief
Chet Calkins died unmercifully
in the line of duty . . he was
brutally killed while the city he
loved so well slept.
Wednesday of this week, the
24th of June, 1953, the quest
for the killer came to a swift and
dramatic ending.
On trial this morning (Satur
day) is Joseph Emmett McLi
mans, a 33-year-old railroad
brakeman from Long Pine and
Norfolk. Joseph Emmett McLi
mans, a 5 foot 6 inch fellow,
weighing around 140 pounds,
is charged with murder in the
second degree. He admitted his
guilt orally late Wednesday af
ternoon, he bared all of the de
tails to Holt county authorities,
and this morning he stands be
fore the bar of justice, in Holt
county district court..
* * *
George Hammond Speaking
from Courthouse—
The “Voice of the Frontier”
microphone announced to a
startled world, a stunned O’Neill
citizenry, that the police chief
had been murdered by a strange
sadist. Chet. Calkins had no en
emies. He’d been a police officer
for years, he had encountered all
types of mankind — the rough
hewn rowdies, dope addicts, gyp
sies, clergymen, troubled old la
dies, other peace officers, travel
ers who were in need, kids who
were off base for this reason or
for that reason. He met them all
. . . in many different circum
stances. And they all respected
him.
Chet Calkins’ violent and sud
den death left a big void in his
family circle, a vacancy that
never can be filled. His widow
bore up well and she had the
sympathy, spoken and silent, of
every man, woman and child in
the town of O’Neill . , . plus . . .
uncounted thousands of others
who were bitter and grieved. He
left two sons and a daughter.
Harold, the eldest son, is a
fine citizen, he travels on the
road for a wholesale tobacco
company. Donald, a star athle+e
in high school, performed on a
basketball floor, in a tournament,
before his dad’s own eyes, on
the eve of the murder.
Don now is in the navy getting
specialized training. Chet’s
daughter, Jean, is married, is a
young mother, and this week,
while this momentous news was
unfolding, she was enroute with
her husband to New Mexico to
make her home. Chet left other
relatives, too, including a broth
er, Walt, who promptly was pro
moted to police chief to fill the
vacancy created by a heartless,
cold assailant.
The clues were meager and
the columns of The Frontier were
filled week-after-week with sto
ries that filled readers with sus
pense and hope — yet threaded
their way only into infinity. You
might say a blind alley—a dead
end.
Investigators were frustrated
to be sure. The slow, meticulous
build up of evidence on all kinds
of leads and tips would suddenly
explode with a dull, resounding
thud. Hours of toil meant noth
ing, and the privacy of lives of
some very good citizens was im
posed upon, studied, and, finally,
the notes and memorandums that
concerned those citizens made
their way to the inevitable
wastebasket.
its all over now, apparently.
For Joseph Emmett McLimans
has admitted his guilt and this
morning a crowded courtroom
looks on as the shamed, con
fessed slayer of O’Neill’s police
chief stands before justice.
In his confession, McLimans
told how he had finished a day’s
work at Bonesteel, S.D., while
working as a brakeman on the
Bonesteel to Winner, S.D., branch
of the North Western railroad.
He customarily slept in the way
car, or you might call it a ca
boose, in the Bonesteel rail yards.
The night of March 6 he climbed
into his car, a late model, a green
Kaiser, and drove to Spencer.
He said he was hunting for a
poker game, he visited several
taverns, and then continued to
□’Neill. Most of you know the
story, having heard several of
our special “Voice of The Fron
tier’’ broadcasts and having read
it in The Frontier as well as the
dailies.
He visited two or three O’Neill
taverns, did some more drinking,
went to his car, was annoyed
because another vehicle had
parked in such a manner it was
awkward to free his own car. He
looked inside that ill-parked ma
chine, so the confession goes, saw
a blue overnight case . . . took it
. . . put the case in own car . . .
finally pulled away and went to
the edge of town. He took some
money from the purse, drove
back into O’Neill, restored the
clothes loosely on the floor of the
same car from which the case
-
had been taken. By now it was
later in the evening and he sat
on Everett street, about midway
between Third and Fourth
streets, drinking some beer which
he had purchased in a tavern.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Chet
Calkins had received the report
of the stolen suitcase.
Chief Calkins’ car came down
an alley, not a stone’s throw
from O’Neill’s main thorough
fare. He turned soutn on Fourth
to Everett street, spotted the
McLimans car and the man lin
gering in the dark. The chief
made an inquiry by asking what
he, meaning McLimans, was do
ing. The man responded by say
ing he was drinking beer. Chief
Calkins asked if he could inspect
the car. And in the trunk the
stolen suitcase was discovered by
the police officer. He ordered
McLimans to get into the cruiser
car and accompany him. The
chief, who may or may not have
recognized McLimans, seated
himself first. McLimans went
.around, began to get into the
cruiser car. Instead he flashed
his gun, in an instant he sent
five shells into the chiefs body
at point-blank range. The range
was so close there were powder
bums on the chiefs coat and
arm . . . the interior of the car
muffled the shots and the hei
nous crime had been committed.
This raises a question: Why was
this man carrying a loaded gun?
ivLCLiimans, so ms confession
goes, got into his own car and
drove west several blocks. He
parked his car and told authori
ties about walking eastward
down an alley—the same alley
the chief’s car had traveled only
a few minutes before. When he
got to the rear of the Shelhamer
store, he could see, across the
way, the dark, lifeless cruiser
car. With no leaves on the trees,
and with new snow on the
ground, he could see there was
no activity. He waited . . . and
waited. Finally, he decided to en
ter the rear of the implement
store—and he did. He scooped
up some change from the cash
register. He emerged from the
store and stared through those
cold eyes across one hundred
yards of freshly laid, light, fluffy
snow. Still no activity. Then he
became very brave, so it would
seem. He walked over to the
cruiser car. He saw the body
slumped there, the chief’s 'flash
light still glowing, the arm and
head of his victim leaning
against the steering wheel.
Then, and we’re reciting from
the confession, McLimans walk
ed to his own car, several blocks
away, and drove away into the
night.
He was an amateur, all right,
and every break in the book of
killers worked for Joseph Em
mett McLimans.
It is possible that before we
leave the air with this special
broadcast we might bring you
from the courthouse the results
of the trial, now in progress.
We’ll continue with our story
following this announcement.
The man who killed Chet
Calkins spent the remaining
hours of that night in that red
caboose in the Bonesteel railroad
yards.
Next morning, the Voice of
The Frontier” came on the air.
Cal Stewart was doing the an
nouncing in a special broadcast.
He told the hastily pieced to
gether story . . . and, I might
say, I’ve played back that re
cording a number of times, and
the story was quite accurately
written and told. I wish time
permitted us to replay that for
you now.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Meyers, the
depot agent and his wife at
Bor.esteel, invited McLimans into
their apartment to hear on their
radio the story of the Calkins
slaying. The Meyers say he sat
there, motionless and unmoved
Mr. Meyers had known Calkins
over a period of years. Wheii
the broadcast was over, he said,
“I hope they catch the killer.”
Mrs. Meyers turned on McLi
mans and accused him, outright,
of murdering Calkins. She said
to him . • . you drive a green
late model Kaiser . . . that’s what
they’re hunting for . . . you were
gone last night . . you’re the
man!
Friday morning we received a
letter from Mr. and Mrs. Meyers.
Cal Stewart and Joe Biglin, our
engineer, promptly set out for
Bonesteel. They stood in front
of the caboose and talked with
the Meyerses. Joe Biglin, the ra
dio technician, complained about
the wind beating into the micro
phone, but here’s the story, by
tape recording. (See page 5).
* * »
Much Written and Said—
After the confession was gain
ed from McLimans late last Wed
nesday afternoon, much has been
written and said about him.
We conducted interviews here
with County Sheriff Leo Tom
jack, with Captain Harold Smith,
chief of the Nebraska safety pa
trol bureau of criminal investiga
tion, and with Lieut. Harry Brr,
who is in charge of the Norfolk
area office for the patrol.
They told of the investigative
work . . . the long, hard, and
trying search for the killer. They
told how a series of robberies,
in recent months, led to the kill
er’s undoing. He broke into a
Norfolk implement store one
evening, around 8:30. And it was
in Norfolk, his home town, he
was captured February 18 of this
year. The main thing about Mc
Limans that interested O’Neill
investigators was the fact he
owned a late model Kaiser. Then
the story began to unfold, but
not until after McLimans had
spent about two months in the
Madison county jail and had
spent several weeks in the Nor
folk state hospital under obser
vation. Finally, he was brought
to O’Neill and within a very few
days, and under careful, prudent
and fair questioning, he bared
his story, he said he killed Chet
Calkins.
One person’s voice you haven’t
heard on our special events mi
crophone either at the Ame of
the slaying or, even now, that
the confession has been gained
and the slayer stands before the
high judge in this sedlion of
north Nobraska. I refer to the
voice of County Attorney Wil
liam Griffin.
Bill has spurred on Sheriff
Tomjack, he has been dogged
and determined with some mat
ters pertaining to the safety pa
trol and other peace officers.
Please understand, cooperation
was always fine and everybody
tried to be helpful, but some
body, some force has to be in
the driver’s seat. Bill Griffin
never relented, and he guided
the investigation through to its
climax and is the prosecuting
attorney in the courtroom.
McLimans’ foster mother, Mrs.
Lillian McLimans, the woman
who took her adopted son from
an orphanage at the age of 24
hours-old and reared him, re
peatedly has thanked Mr. Griffin
for being kind and courteous—
now that the investigation is ov
er and the confession gained.
The investigating officers have
been universal in their classifica
tion of McLimans as a cold,
sharp - featured fellow with de
vious eyes, a scraggly mustache,
a lone operator and a strange
fellow.
The foster mother, upon de
scending the courthouse steps
after she had first heard the con
fession from her adopted son,
and then urged him to tell it all,
pointed to the cell upstairs and
said, “That’s not the boy I raised.
He’s changed. He’s different. I
raised a good boy.” She blamed
the war. McLimans was a gunner
on a Flying Fortress.
Police officers and the prison
er’s foster mother share some of
the same ideas concerning Mc
Limans, who is standing trial
this morning in that crowded
courtroom.
Every man is loved somewhere
by someone. Let’s listen to Cal
Stewart again, speaking by tape
recording.
(Stewart then interviewed in
Long Pine the wife, Pearl, and
the mother-in-law, Mrs. Alice
Coen. See article, ‘Wife Will
Stick By Him,’ on page 5 of this
* * *
Varied Opinions
of McLimans—
There you have a word picture
of the man . . . you know the
deed . . . you’ve heard how the
police and his foster mother feci
about him. Perhaps you heard
the McLimans children . . two of
them were playing in the sand
pile and the third, a tiny baby,
is only one-month-old. Thursday
afternoon authorities took Mcl i
mans out of the cell and they
visited several points, accumu
lating some of the loot. They also
took him to his nondescript
home, a cluttered up affair
alongside the railroad tracks at
Long Pine, just a few hundred
feet from the rail station there.
McLimans then saw the new
baby for the first time.
Mrs. McLimans, the wife of the
confessed slayer, wouldn’t dis
cuss with Cal the murder ... or
the robberies ... in fact, she de
clined to talk at all if he asked
any pertient questions. That ex
plains the nature of some of his
questions. But she insists she’ll
stay by her husband till the end.
And the mother-in-law says the
same thing.
This morning, the day that is
expected to climax this story,
dawned bright and clear. There’s
not a cloud in the sky and the
courtroom filled to capacity well
before the trial was to begin.
(Editor’s note: Time and space
do not permit a transcript of the
tape - recordings made in the
courthouse by Mr. Hammond
However, they were heard by
the WJAG radio audience and
they will be preserved for all
time. The Frontier honestly be
lieves Mr. Hammond’s reporting
from the door of the courtroom
will go down on record as a re
markable instance of radio re
porting at its best.)
Slayer’s Record
Sordid Story
(Continued from page 1)
siezed a large quantify of stolen
goods under a search warrant at
the McLimans’ home in Long
Pine, these articles were placed
in a vault in the courthouse at
Ainsworth. They were seeking
to build a case on the robberies
which would eventually cbnnect
him with the slaying—and that’s
exactly what happened.
The confiscated loot included
a pistol, camera, binoculars, elec
tric razor, pen and pencil sets,
antifreeze, wax, polishes, saws,
gun cleaning equipment, solder
ing gun, pistol-grip compression
tester, electric fans, saw blades,
windshield wiper blades and an
assortment of other articles.
The next phase of the investi
gation took place February 25 in
Norfolk at the home of Mrs. Lil
lian McLimans. A Madison coun
ay deputy sheriff handed her the
keys to McLimans’ car at the
door. The troubled foster motner
was aware an investigation was
going on, but had no idea her
son was suspected of the griev
ous slaying of Calkins.
She said he had a large quan
tity of assorted brands of ciga
rettes and a few changes of
clothing at her house.
Thursday, February 26, Mc
! Limans was brought into district
court at Madison and was order
ed committed to the Norfolk
state hospital for observation
and a report on his mental and
physical condition. He was not
taken to the hospital until Sat
urday, February 28, however.
Friday, February 27, Sheriff
McCarthy and Sergeant Carlisle
decided to try to get a statement
from McLimans about a long list
of robberies. They went to the
county jail and asked McLimans
if he wished to make a statement.
He told the officers he would tell
all he knew.
They then took McLimans to
the jury room in the Madison
courthouse where a statement
was taken in the presence of
Miss Florence Neidig, a sten
ographer and notary public.
The result was a statement,
which, when transcribed, covers
n typewritten legal-size pages.
Both McCarthy and Carlisle par
ticipated in the questioning.
In the statement McLimans ad
mitted stealing a box of tools,
which had been found at his
home m Long Pine, from a panel
^k in Norfolk. The camera he
?aid he bought for a dollar from
two little kids” whom he en
countered playing with it on
bouth Fourth street in Norfolk.
„ e said the name had been
scratched off” when he got it.
• * 6 ,?a*d. that when he went
into the air force he was under
to an official in Omaha,
out this was cancelled when he
went into the service. (Although
tne facts were not mentioned in
the statement taken from McLi
mans, he became a turret gun
n?r in a bomber during World
War n was shot down over Ger
many and served 15 months as
a prisoner of war of the Ger
mans.)
After he returned to Norfolk
from Europe McLimans said he
worked for Joe Maas, former
Norfolk grocer. He denied that
he ever stole anything from his
employer.
In answer to further question.
McLimans told Sheriff McCar
thy and Sergeant Carlisle that he
left Joe Maas’ employ and went
to work for the American Legion
club where he worked six
months or so. -
About his Legion club employ
ment McLimans said: “They
caught me breaking into the slot
machines; I mean playing them
for nothing. I didn’t break into
them. I played them for nothing
and I got the money out. In the
long run they gave the money
back. I found a way to beat
them.”
In answer to the question,
‘ When was the Legion club
broken into?” McLimans rep.ied.
“I didn’t have anything to do
with that.”
Asked what other towns he
had “pulled jobs” in, McLimans
replied, “Ainsworth.”
He stated that he broke into
the hospital at Ainsworth in Feb
ruary or March, 1952. He said he
took “seven cases of SMA” and
some baby powder and baby oil
from the hospital.
Next McLimans said he enter
ed the Jones Implement com
pany at Ainsworth and took a
motor heater. He said he raised
an unlocked window and crawl
ed in. He denied taking anything
else there.
At that point in the question
ing McLimans insisted that these
were the only two places he had
entered, outside of Norfolk.
In Norfolk he admitted steal
ing tire chains from the Phillins
66 station, where he said he look
ed in the open cash register for
money, but there was none in it.
Then he said he broke into the
Schlueter Implement company
“the first time,” when he got
“about $14 or $16 in cash, ’ a
large electric fan, a large exten
sion cord and some wrenches.
McLimans then added, “I got
something else at that place. A
toy tractor, and a little toy hay
baler. They were toys. I got
them for the kid.”
When McLimans broke into
the Schlueter Implement com
pany a second time, last Febru
ary 18, he was caught there by
William Schlueter, the owner,
and arrested.
The next robbery McLimans
admitted was at Van’s Super
Service on South First street,
Norfolk. There he said he took
“two or three” inner tubes, some
cleaning wax to polish his car
and a case of six gallons of anti
freeze. He said he entered tnis
service station through an un
locked north window. He denied
taking several other articles the
officers asked him about.
McLimans was then asked
about an electric razor in a case,
one of the articles found in his
home. He said he stole it from
the Geist drug store in Norfolk
and also took three pen and pen
cil sets and some deodorant
there.
The suspect told the officers
he didn’t break into the Geist
drug store. He said he went in
while the store was open “and
walked around and went into
the basement and 1 got locked in.
I was aow-n in the basement and
it was about closing up time and
they locked the back doer.” He
said he took some of the articles
from the basement and some
from the store itself.
As the two officers pursued
their questioning McLimans told
them he had taken rolls of tape
from a railroad box car and some
door handles and catches ‘from
the lumberyard at Bassett.”
Several other articles, includ
ing a power saw, some guns, an
RPM checker an electric hack
saw, a sander and buffer, Mclu
mans claimed he had purchased
from the Master Mart in Nor
folk. Later the officials learned
that the Master Mart did not
handle and had never handled
the makes of guns which McLi
mans had in his possession.)
Other Norfolk firms from
which McLimans admitted he
stole various articles of equip
ment and tools were the U and
M Motor company and tne
Schmode Implement company.
He said he entered the Schmode
building through a paint shop
window and stole a case of mo
tor oil. Windshield wipers, a
bumper jack and other automo
bile accessories he said he stole
from cars in Norfolk.
As the questioning proceeded
McLimans said he took a new
tire tester from Schlueters and
some rubber floor mats from
Van’s Super Service. As various
items were mentioned, at times
he seemed to recall articles he
had forgotten, and talked fairly
freely about where he had stolen
them.
A $45 rod and reel set he claim
ed to have purchased from “some
guy” for $12. Asked if he didn't
think the set might be “hot” at
that price, McLimans said, “I
had a hunch.”
The large quantity of cigarettes
and gum found in McLimans’
home at Long Pine he insisted he
had purchased.
“I bought all the cigarettes
myself. It may seem funny, but I
did,” he said. He also said he
had bought the gum and the cig -
arettes “a year and a half or two
years ago. I bought the gum
that long ago, maybe not the
cigarettes.”
The loot found at McLimans’
home in Long Pine included 20
boxes of 12-gauge shotgun sheds
and 1,500 rounds of .22 calibre
ammunition. He said he got
“some” of the shotgun shells,
“two or three boxes” at the Bas
sett lumberyard, and some of the
rifle shells also. He claimed he
had bought the remainder.
Several articles, including a
desk pen set, a drill gun, box
of drills, pliers and a hacksaw,
McLimans claimed he found “in
a freight yard.”
McLimans also said he had
purchased a large quantity of
sardines which had been found,
“because I like sardines.” He
named several Norfolk grocery
stores where he said he purchas
ed them, as well as a market in
Long Pine and at Bassett.
Asked about a table model ra
dio, McLimans said, “1 found
that when I found that tool box
and desk set.” Later he identified
the “freight yard” as being at
Fremont, “where I worked about
two weeks this summer.” McLi
mans denied that he ever broke
in anywhere in Fremont, insist
ing he had “done jobs” only at
Norfolk, Ainsworth and Bassett.
Filed keys which were in the
tool box McLimans said he had
made “one day when tho kid
locked the padlock on the tool
box, so I made me a key to op.u
it.” He denied trying to use ihe
keys to enter doors.
A revolver McLimans said he
“bought from some bum when I
was working at Fremont. I
bought it before or after I found
the stuff. I think I gave him $10
lor it.”
McLimans claimed he had
traded one shotgun for anotntr
at the Master Mart and had
bought a tubular repeating rifle?
from Montgomery Ward com
pany at Norfolk. Another pistol
he said he bought for $60 at thie
Master Mart “four or five years
ago.”
Asked if he had ever register
ed any of the guns, McLimans
said, “No. I was told I didn’t
have to. I went to the police sta
tion and found out.”
McLimans said he had tried
to sell the antifreeze himself, but
had been unable to do so. He said
he later gave it to a bartender
at Long Pine to sell for him. He
said he told the bartender that
he had bought it.
Concluding their questioning
and McLimans' statement, Sher
iff McCarthy and Sergeant Car
lisle asked:
“In all these break-ins and
robberies, were you alone or did
you have anyone with you?”
“I was alone.”
“At all times?”
“At all times."
I
*
• * '
I I
' I
I I
I
I I
° l------—-■---—-— —i— '
|-----—
for your
Holiday
Outing
★
(Prices Effective Thursday 8c Friday — Closed Saturday)
MINCED HAM.Lb. 39c
PICNIC HAM.Lb. 45c
. BACON ENDS.Lb. 29c
CANTALOUPE
Per Lb..IS0
SUNKIST
ORANGES
Size 176 Lb. He
KOOL AID
6 Pkgs.25c
CANDYLAND
Marshmallows
210-oz. Bags 35c
Pasteurized, Processed, American Spread—
TASTECOOP CHEESE... 2-th. Bw 73c
I MEADOW GOLD I
Ice Cream Cottage Cheese I
ftGaL.... 89c Lb.19c I
4 th Street Market
— PHONE S3-W —
t> *
George Hammond, "Voice of The Frontier"
announcer, talks in the lobby with Joe Contois
of O'Neill, formerly of Clearwater. "I knew Calk
'''-•-‘-•■•••I --■•••• I'Tfaga'imfltiffirniT inmniriMM——
ins welL I wanted to see what kind of a fellow
killed him," Contois told Hammond.
—World-Herald Photo.
Coffee hour after confession . . . (from left) Capt. Harold Smith, Sheriff Leo Tomjack, Mrs.
Leo Tomjack, Lieut. Harry Brt, County Attorney William Griffin, Deputy Sheriff Jimmy
Mullen and Jim Towle.
Dine and Dance
Ewing
AT
SUMMERLAND
Open from 9 p.m. lo 1:30 wa
Every
WEDNESDAY
and SATURDAY NIGHT.
to 12:30 a.m.
Open Sundays 5 p.m.
For that Fourth of July PICNIC!
Thermos * galu>ns
™ ★ HALF-GALLONS /
Vugs : —
Paper Plates — Hot Drink Cups
Soda Straws — Paper Napkins
Plastic Forks & Spoons
Get Your Film Here . . Kodak & Ansco
For a Healthy-Looking, Rich-Glowing
Sun Tan This Summer
Try Our Popular
SUN TAN CREAM — OIL — LOTION
49c _ 69c — 75c
Stop Insect Bites!
CREAMS — LIQUIDS — STICKS
FLY SPRAYS — For Household and Livestock
POTATO BUG POISON — VEGETABLE INSECTICIDES
I GILLIGAN'S Rexall drug
Open Evenings We Give SftH Green Stamps
«BIER(mm
MM« HMIM <»•»•■» • M»M 0NMIM „
i——"—■*— ■-■■'■■ ■ ■ i