The Way it Was

100 years ago

Saloon burglarized late last night

Burglars visited the saloon at the corner of Cherry and Commercial streets on the south side of the former street last night, but they were not very fortunate -- they found only one dollar in the drawer and of the 25 nickels taken Chief of Police Janes has returned all but four.

Entrance was secured by forcing the back door.

Marshal Janes arrested two young men, who claimed to be from Kansas City, early this morning and later another and the three were turned over to Sheriff Moore.

50 years ago

Reformatory escapee captured today

JEFFERSON CITY -- An escaped Algoa Reformatory inmate was recaptured by a posse today after he had terrorized two women in a home on the western outskirts of Jefferson City.

The convict Alphonse D. Davis, 19, slipped away from the Jefferson City Junior College last night while the Algoa basketball team was playing.

Police said he apparently spent the night in the garage of John Weber but broke into the basement this morning and found a .410- gauge shotgun.

They said he pointed the unloaded gun a Mrs. Weber and a friend who was visiting, Mrs. Kate Strebel. He demanded shoes, officers said, because he had lost one of his own in his fight during the night. Mrs. Weber said she gave him her husband's size 11 shoes and Davis put them on, although they were two sizes too big for him. He also took $3 from Mrs. Weber's purse, tore the telephone from the wall and fled on foot through snow covered fields and woods.