Good Old Days 01-31-14

Compiled By The Sidney Sun-Telegraph Staff

These stories from the past first appeared in The Sidney Telegraph. Original writing is preserved, though some stories were shortened for space reasons.

100 YEARS AGO

'Fire Destroys Union Pacific Property'

January 31, 1914

At half past three last Sunday morning the home of P. C. Connors, Union Pacific maintenance engineer was totally destroyed by fire, together with its contents. Mr. Connors and the two little boys, sleeping on the first floor were lucky were lucky to escape with little clothing. Mrs. Connors was in the east visiting. The furniture was of the best quality and considerable valuable jewelry and family treasures were consumed, which makes the loss a heavy one even though insured in part. A high wind prevailed and burning shingles sailed to many points in the southwest part of town. The firemen turned out in numbers but could only stamp out incipient blazes as the house, belonging to the Union Pacific, stood in the extreme yard and was beyond the city water mains. It took work to protect the section house nearby.

75 YEARS AGO

'Series Of Thefts Solved With Arrest Of Pair'

January 31, 1939

Charles Spriggs and Charles McGraw each received three year prison terms yesterday. Judge Tewell pronounced sentence. McGraw was brought here from Ogallala.

Charles H. Spriggs, 39, was bound over to district court under $1,000 bond by County Judge Robert A. Barlow yesterday, after Spriggs had pleaded guilty to a burglary charge. The complaint against Spriggs charged him and Charles F. McGraw, 60, with breaking into a garage belonging to Carl Christ at 1308 14th Avenue, where they took carpenter tools belonging to Christ.

Although McGraw was charged in the same complaint with Spriggs, he was kept at Ogallala where he faced an identical charge, accusing him of stealing carpenter tools. He pleaded guilty at the preliminary hearing in Keith County Court and is also waiting sentence in district court.

According to Sheriff W. W. Schulz, Spriggs and McGraw signed confessions admitting a series of thefts from Lexington to Torrington, Wyo. In every instance, the confession related, the two men broke into garages and sheds in search of carpenter tools. Both carried large gunny sacks, which they filled with loot, they admitted when questioned at Ogallala by Keith County Attorney Zelma Derry.

According to Spriggs' own testimony to Miss Derry, he and McGraw stole carpenter tools at Lexington, Cozad, Paxton, Chappell, Sidney, Morrill, Bridgeport and Ogallala. It was while disposing of the Ogallala tools at a sales barn in Julesburg that the two men were arrested and taken to Ogallala for questioning. The tools stolen at Ogallala belonged to Henry Ronneker, former Sidney resident. Ronneker attended the sale at Julesburg and accidentally spotted his tools being offered at auction.

When arraigned before Judge Barlow yesterday, Spiggs indicated a desire to get the sentencing over as soon as possible. County Attorney R. P. Kepler, who filed the complaint against Spriggs, said he would see if Judge J. L. Tewell could pass sentence yesterday or today. Spriggs asked that McGraw be brought here so they could be sentenced together.

50 YEARS AGO

'Sidney Market, 2 Kimball Stores Victims of Thieves'

January 27, 1964

In what was apparently a cleverly devised plan, burglars broke into the Town and Country Market in south Sidney sometime between 5 and 6:20 a.m. Sunday and cracked the safe which yielded $2,100. An estimated 90% of the loss was in cash, according to M. L. (Pat) Pattison, manager.

The time is known for a certainty because of the fact that Officers Gerald Brestel and Rich Boyer of the Sidney Police Department checked the doors and the safe, kept in the well lighted front lobby of the supermarket, at 5 o'clock that morning. They returned at 6:20 a.m., to find that the crime had been committed.

The burglars left a number of brand new tools behind. Near the safe the police found an eight pound Warwood sledge hammer, the handle of which had been sawed to a length of 16 inches; two wrecking bars, each 16 inches long, one branded Bridgeport and the other with the brand name Stanley Handyman; and a 12 inch screwdriver with the brand name of Bridgeport.

Later, in the rear of the building, the janitor found two more tools-a vise grip wrench and a punch.

Officers also discovered two empty orange juice bottles in the rear part of the building. These had been emptied, supposedly by the robbers, and were still cold when found.

Chief of Police Sol Willis said today that the surrounding area is being checked for break ins in which the new tools might have been obtained.

Deputy Sheriff Kermit Brumbaugh was in Kimball today checking out a weekend break in at the Western Auto store there.

Captain Roy Jauer of the police force said that road blocks had been set up in the Cheyenne area Saturday night to attempt to nab an armed robber who had taken $300 from a liquor store in Kimball. He was described as wearing heavy pancake makeup and having tape on his eyebrows.

Entry to the Town and Country was made by prying open the front exit door. Authorities estimated that the skillful hammering and prying of the safe door. Authorities estimated that the skillful hammering and prying of the safe door would have required at least 30 minutes working time.

The burglars either wore gloves or carefully wiped of fingerprints because there was little in the way of clues line, it was reported.

The Town & Country Market was burglarized a little more than four years ago-in September of 1959-and at that time between seven and eight thousand dollars was taken from the safe. Half of this was in checks and there was no insurance coverage then.

Mr. Pattison said the Sunday loss has insurance coverage.

25 YEARS AGO

'New City Handibus Put In Service

February 1, 1989

Mal Minshall is beaming these days.

If you have seen Sidney's new Handi-Bus, you understand.

The large gleaming white bus is the result of collaboration between Minshall and the State of Nebraska, according to Nancy Osborn at City Hall.

She noted the driver was asked to make suggestions about the design and layout of the bus because of his experience with the needs of his passengers. "During fiscal year 1987-88," Osborn revealed, "he gave 7,300 rides to residents one-way."

One feature, the back-up signal, was initiated on the Sidney Handi-bus but it will likely become standard equipment on all buses purchased in Nebraska.

He noted the new Handi-bus, like the old one, has a wheelchair lift, but the wheelchair lift in the old bus was located in the front, so people who used it wheeled to a spot behind the driver where the chairs could be secured. "That wasn't the best spot. Some of our wheelchair bound passengers are likely to reach out and grab for the driver, which could cause him to lose control."

Minshall demonstrated the lift installed at the rear in the new bus. He pointed out that up to two chair can be secured at a time and their users safety-belted into the bus.

"Actually it was my suggestion that it be arranged like this," Minshall admitted.

The new bus was turned over to Minshall "at 4 p.m. the 18th," he easily recalled and it has been busy every since. It replaces an 11-passenger bus with almost 120,000 miles on it.

"This bus, as far as I am concerned, is ideal. It's easier to get on and off because it has wider, more uniform steps. The door is higher so the passengers don't have to stoop to get on."

Osborn reported that the bus cost City of Sidney $13,308 on a 60-40 percent split with the federal government, which paid $19,962. Regular operating costs are split between the federal government, the State of Nebraska and the city, according to Osborn. She disclosed that the federal government pays up to 50 percent of the operating costs and the city and state split the remainder.

Word that passengers await a ride is dispatched to Minshall two-way radio. He is making do with a hand-held police portable on the city frequency until the new radio arrives and is installed.

10 YEARS AGO

'Sidney Driver Airlifted After One Vehicle Accident'

January 29, 2004

A Sidney man was airlifted to a Scottbluff hospital Wednesday morning after being injured in a one vehicle accident.

Louis Ahlers, 77, longtime Sidney baker, was taken by AirLink to Regional West Medical Center. He complained of back and hip injuries and had to be cut from his 1999 Chevrolet Blazer with Jaws of Life equipment by members of the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department.

A woman answering the telephone at Regional West said her records still had Ahlers as a patient in the emergency room at mid-afternoon Wednesday. Emergency room personnel said they could not release his condition.

The eastbound lane of Interstate 80 was closed to traffic for about 15 minutes as AirLink landed and loaded Ahlers for transport.

The Nebraska State Patrol said it received a report at 8:22 a.m. that Ahlers, westbound on the interstate about a mile east of the eastbound rest area, had gone into the median, over-corrected, lost control and rolled. He was not wearing restraints, the patrol said.

Extrication was necessary because Ahlers' foot was pinned by the steering wheel. To reach him, Jaws of Life equipment was used to cut through the door frame and the vehicle's roof. Firemen then pulled the roof back.

Traffic resumed in the eastbound lanes by 9:15 a.m.