The Press-Dispatch
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B-8 Wednesday, September 15, 2021 The Press-Dispatch HISTORY Submit history photos: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Source: www.history.com • Photo source: www.independent.co.uk Wednesday, September 15 • Ali defeats Spinks to win world heavyweight championship (1978) • Confederates capture Harpers Ferry (1862) Thursday, September 16 • Gandhi begins fast in protest of caste separation (1932) • Mayflower departs England (1620) Friday, September 17 • Battle of Antietam (1862) • U.S. Constitution signed (1787) Saturday, September 18 • Capitol cornerstone is laid (1793) • Patty Hearst captured (1975) Sunday, September 19 • Nevada is site of first-ever un- derground nuclear explosion (1957) • President Garfield succumbs to shooting wounds (1881) Monday, September 20 • Kennedy proposes joint mission to the moon (1963) • Magellan sets out (1519) Tuesday, September 21 • Benedict Arnold commits trea- son (1780) • Monarchy abolished in France (1792) Petersburg Track Team—1939-40 Members of the 1939-40 track team were, row one: Renny Harbison, Mickey Walker, Bill Williams, John Paul Gray, Jim Thomas, and Vic Dilley; second row are Bill Risley, Tommy Cundiff, "Slats" Latson, and Bob Bartley; Row three: (?) Young, John Colvin, Clifford Chew, and (?) Dodge; Fourth row: (?) Vierty, Bob Weathers, (?) Wil- lis, and Lowel Coleman (coach):Fifth row: Bob Walker, Claud Stone, Jack Hayes, and John Canavan. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO The Petersburg Press Friday and Tuesday, Sept. 13 and 17, 1946 The Loyal Order of Moose have called a special meet- ing September 25 to consider the purchase of an iron lung, which would be made avail- able in this area. With the sud- den increase in infantile paral- ysis this matter deserves the support of every member and the secretary is making every effort to have a good turnout that night. A chart released by the Na- tional Foundation of Infantile Paralysis shows that polio cas- es for the year of 1946 num- bered 8.854 over the United States, as compared to 4,308 for the year 1945. Highest number of cases were report- ed in Minnesota, with 1,349 cases recorded. Floyd Thomas received a small newspaper from Japan this week. The publication contained a story of a softball game in which his son, Pfc. Bill Thomas, made the win- ning home run for headquar- ters. The series of games are being played to determine the Area One Championship. Pfc. Thomas has been in Japan since February. He is at home with all the athletic programs of the Army and is the catch- er for his team. The front of the local A&P store suffered slight damage when a woman lost control of her car and crossed the side- walk and ran into it mid-af- ternoon Friday. The window glass was not broken nor was the display disturbed, but the wire-enforced composition base was broken and caved in. The building belongs to David Foster. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Lynden Sullivan, a son, Lar- ry David, at Daviess County Hospital, Saturday, Sept. 14; To Mr. and Mrs. Oral White- head, of Petersburg, a son, Sat- urday at the Daviess County Hospital. Marriages: Elizabeth Mile and Frank E. Stone were mar- ried Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Free Methodist parsonage; Bernadine Knight became the bride of Patrick Horst- meyer on Monday, Sept. 9 at Henderson, Ky.; Pauline Wil- son married Joseph P. Orbin on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m., Sept. 7 in the First Meth- odist Church in Petersburg. Deaths: Sarah Ellen Rum- ble, 76, died Sunday at Rid- dle Nursing Home; Anna Strunk, 74, died at the home of her brother in Spurgeon on Wednesday. SIXTY YEARS AGO The Pike County Dispatch Thursday, Sept. 14, 1961 Dr. J.W. Elbert, of Peters- burg, Pike County Health commissioner, reported to the Dispatch at noon Wednesday that three cases of encephali- tis have been reported in Pike County in recent weeks. The third case was reported Tues- day morning when Sherry Weatherly was rushed to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes when it was sus- pected that she had enceph- alitis. The first case reported was that of Elwood Griffith of Winslow on the Wednesday before Labor Day. The second case was reported the middle of last week when Mrs. Tom Jochum became ill and was taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes. Mrs. Weatherly, a second grade teacher in the Petersburg pub- lic schools, became ill Monday but continued teaching during the day. She suffered a head- ache Monday, but was serious- ly ill when she awoke Tues- day morning. When the doc- tor was called, he immediate- ly sent Mrs. Weatherly to the hospital, suspecting that she had encephalitis. The hospi- tal reported that she had en- cephalitis but it will be some time before the exact type can be determined. Dr. Elbert said that all three cases have been very mild forms of the disease. In the advance stages, the disease is often called sleep- ing sickness. Dr. Elbert said the symptoms of the disease are terrific headache, high fe- ver, stiff neck and vomiting. He said the mild form, which has hit Pike County, requires about a week's stay in the hos- pital. Specialists from the Pub- lic Health Department were in Pike County yesterday trying to determine the cause of the disease. Dr. Elbert said it is possible the disease may be carried by horses or birds. However, nothing has been determined as to the carrier of the disease. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Levi Wiscaver, of Otwell, as son at Daviess County Hospi- tal, Thursday, Sept. 7; To Mr. and Mrs. Ray Grasch, of Ot- well, a daughter, Teri Lynn, at Jasper Memorial Hospi- tal, Thursday, Sept. 7; To Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Lee Wise- man, of Otwell, a son, Ron De- Wayne, at Jasper Memorial Hospital, Monday, Sept. 4; To Mr. and Mrs. David L. Hard- en, of Winslow, a son, Jeffery Scott, Saturday, Sept. 9 at the Daviess County Hospital. Deaths: Herman K. Brown, 69, of Petersburg, died at his home at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; George Dimmett, 77, of Oak- land City, died in Princeton hospital at 9:30 a.m Tuesday; Flora Hall, 89, of Spurgeon, died Sunday at 1:35 p.m. at the home of her daughter. FIFTY YEARS AGO The Press-Dispatch Thursday, Sept. 16, 1971 Col. I.O. Gladish received two broken bones in his right leg just above the ankle Wednesday of last week. The accident happened as he was helping Johnnie Austin, care- taker of Hornady Park, load some old electric light poles at Co. Gladish's home when one slipped and rolled on his foot, causing the bones in his leg to break. The men were planning to take the poles to the park to use to keep people from driv- ing on the grass. Col. Gladish was taken to the Good Samar- itan Hospital, where the dam- aged leg was repaired and a cast put on to several inches above his knee. He was able to return to his home on Pike Av- enue on Monday of this week. Michael Lee Lett, of Wash- ington, entered a plea of guilty to statutory rape last Wednes- day in the Pike Circuit Court. Lett has been charged with the rape of a 10 -year-old Pe- tersburg girl. The girl had been attending a school func- tion last January 14 and was waiting for her ride near the school at the time Lett picked her up in his auto. Since that time, another rap charge has been filed in Knox County Court against Lett and is now pending. According to Judge William D. Richardson, state law requires that he be placed in custody of the Indiana De- partment of Mental Health for 120 days for examination and evaluation. The judge went on to say that if their findings prove him to be a sexual devi- ate, they will keep him until he is cured. At that time, he must face charges in the Pike Circuit Court. If they find him sane at the end of the 120 days, he must be returned to face charges at that time. Judge Richardson said the charge Lett plead guilty to carries a 2-21 year sentence. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Abrams, of Petersburg, in Da- viess County Hospital, Friday, Sept. 10, a daughter, Pamela Gail; To Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kays, of Oakland City, a son, Paul Janson, at Wirth Memo- rial Hospital, Thursday, Sept. 9; To Mr. and Mrs. James A. Earles, of Oakland City, a son, Greggory Aaron, Wednesday, Sept. 8 at Deaconess Hospital; To Mr. and Mrs. George Beck, of Ayrshire, in Gibson Gener- al Hospital, Friday, Sept. 3, a daughter, Kimberly Michelle; To Mr. and Mrs. Bill Cannon, of Petersburg, in Good Samar- itan Hospital, Monday, Sept. 6, a daughter, Cristal Kay; To Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Morton, of Oakland City, a son, Timo- thy Leonard, Tuesday, Sept. 7 at Gibson General Hospital; To Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wayne Arm- strong, of Petersburg, Satur- day, Sept. 4 at Daviess Coun- ty Hospital, a daughter, Jenni- fer Sue; To Mr. and Mrs. Jim- my Meece, of Spurgeon, in St. Joseph's Hospital, a daughter. Deaths: Alpha Bonnie Brust, 79, of Winslow, died at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15 in Welborn Memorial Baptist Hospital; Alex Roy, 90, of Spur- geon, died at 8:15 p.m. Tues- day, Sept. 14 at his home in Spurgeon; Offie Marie Nor- rick, 46, of Winslow, died Thursday, Sept. 9 at her home; Ottis Loveless, 74, of Oakland City, died Monday, Sept. 13 at his home in Oakland City at 8 p.m. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO The Press-Dispatch Thursday, Sept. 12, 1996 An elderly Petersburg cou- ple survived being trapped under water in their van for several minutes due to hero- ic efforts of a passerby and rescue personnel after the couple's van went into a deep ditch upside down and was partially submerged. Morris and Imodel Miley, of Nichols Ave., were in a van that went off the west side of Cherry St. and flipped upside down into a deep ditch. They were hang- ing upside down underwater, trapped in their seatbelts until Pike County Jail Commander Jim Capozella, with help form Petersburg Police Chief Bill Scales, was able to free them. "It just looked like they missed the curve, said Virginia Hens- ler, who saw the van go off into the large ditch and overturn. Hensler immediately drove to the sheriff's department a few blocks away and notified police. "It was the quickest thing I could think of to do," said Hensler. She said she didn't have a cellphone and the nearest house was a cou- ple of blocks away. Pike Coun- ty Jail Commander Jim Capo- zella was at the sheriff's de- partment and heard Hens- ler's report. He immediately jumped in a vehicle and went to the scene while radio dis- patchers notified other police. "He really jumped in the water quickly," said Hensler, who fol- lowed Capozella to the scene. A few seconds later, Peters- burg Police Chief Bill Scales arrived. He said he was near Jay C Food Store when he heard the call. Scales wad- ed into the nearly waist deep water and helped Capozella get the Mileys out of the van. Capozella said when he found them, they were trapped in their seatbelts upside down in the water, which was up to the bottom of the seats. He said the seatbelt release button was just above the water level in the van. "Neither of them were breathing," he said. "They had probably been there three or four minutes." When he first found them, he could not get the seatbelt unfastened and hollered for Scales to get a seatbelt cutter. Scales ran up the steep rip =rap bank to get a cutter, but by the time he got back down to the van, Capo- zella had freed Mrs. Miley. He said he had a hard time getting her from between the bucket seat, steering wheel and caved in roof. He performed CPR on her and floated her back to Scales, who held her head above water until more help arrived to help get her up the steep bank. Mitch Schapker, who was working at city hall, rushed to the scene. Capozel- la said Mr. Miley was under- water for about a minute lon- ger. He said he was able to get Mr. Miley out of his seatbelt without removing the belt. But then he had to push him un- der the surface of the water to get him through the seats. "It was strange to push him under instead of trying to hold him above the water, but that was the only way I could get him past the seat," said Capozella. He said after performing CPR on Miley, he began breathing and regained a pulse, but he quit breathing a few moments later and CPR had to be per- formed again. Within a few minutes, the large ditch had filled with volunteers and they used spine boards and a hu- man conveyor belt to had the bodies up the steep-banked ditch to the ambulance. The couple was taken to the Da- viess County Hospital. Capo- zella said both were respon- sive and talking when he left the hospital. A spokesman for the Daviess County Hospital Intensive Care Unit said both were in critical condition. The spokesman said Mrs. Miley didn't appear to have any seri- ous injuries and that her con- dition appeared to have been caused by being submerged under water. Mrs. Miley is 76 and Morris is 78 years old. Scales, who went to the hos- pital late Tuesday afternoon, said doctors told the family it would be touch and go for the next 48 hours. Scales praised Hensler's actions in notify- ing police. He said unless you were looking for something in the ditch, it is deep enough that they might not have been noticed for some time. Births: To Nicole Hum- bert and Ryan Lashbrook, of Otwell, at Memorial Hospital, August 30, a daughter, Haven Leann; To Mr. and Mrs. David Dawson, of Otwell, at Memori- al Hospital, Sept. 1, a son, Lo- gan Richard. Deaths: Austin B. Hume, 91, of Winslow, died at 10 :35 a.m. Friday, Sept. 6 at Good Sa- maritan Nursing Home; Dan R. Powell, 93, of Otwell, died at 12:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 at his residence; Grace Bartlett, 68, of Petersburg, died at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4 at the home of her son; Anita Gayle Lashbrook, 58, of Petersburg, died at 6:30 a.m. Sept. 9 at her home; James B. Weigant, 89, died at 12:50 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 5 at Petersburg Health- care Center.