.jpg)
1940: Thieves hit hospital and liquor store
Aug. 22, 1940
WYNOT — Sometime after 4 o’clock Sunday morning thieves entered the Otto Asbre liquor store at Wynot and carried off all of the liquor in the place.
Sheriff L. A. Case and Deputy Sheriff R. E. Clements were summoned Sunday morning and investigated the robbery.
They found that two boards in the wall between a small anti-room and the toilet had been torn loose and entry to the liquor store was made in that manner. Officials believe that the goods were carried out the front door.
Besides liquor to the value of over $150, candy, gum and cigarettes were also stolen, officials found.
There have been several liquor store robberies in past years, but officials state that this is the first time that as clean a sweep has ever been reported.
Aug. 22, 1940
HARTINGTON — Another daring robbery was committed in this city Tuesday night. The robber, evidently no amateur, made a sizable haul and succeeded in making his getaway before the police arrived on the scene.
At about 1:15 o’clock, Miss Anna Lubeley, head nurse at St. John’s hospital, was rudely awakened from sleep in her room on the second floor by a man who had entered stealthily, covered her with a gun and demanded her money. She, at first, denied that she had any money, but he continued to threaten her and she finally said, “It’s in the dresser drawer, go and get it yourself and get out.”
The robber went to the dresser drawer, opened it and took out Miss Lubeley’s purse with approximately $20 in currency in it.
After pocketing this loot, he faced about, commanded the nurse to turn over whatever money Dr. J. M. Johnson had and forced her with a gun in her back, it is reported, to go to the doctor’s room on the same floor and get his trousers. She got the trousers, containing assuredly $30 in cash and an uncashed check, which the robber also pocketed.
Then, he left the hospital, making his exit out the north door on the first floor.
As soon as the robber was gone, Miss Lubeley notified the county sheriff’s office and Deputy Sheriff Ralph Clements hurried to the hospital; but, by that time, the thief was gone and no trace of him could be found.
Investigation of the premises revealed that he had entered the hospital by removing a screen window in basement and it is the opinion of both the officers who investigated the case and of the people connected with the hospital that the robbery was committed by somebody who was familiar with the premises. He, evidently, knew where the bedrooms were and where money was usually kept. Deputy Sheriff Clements told The Herald yesterday that they were working on the case, but declined to say what clues, if any, had been discovered as to the identity of the robber.
There was no light in Miss Lubeley’s room when the thief entered it and he did not carry a flash light, but the moonlight was streaming in the window and she was able to see him quite distinctly. She described him to the officers as a man of medium height, quite heavy set, wearing a hat and having a handkerchief tied over his face. He had a gruff voice, she said.
Aug. 22, 1940
HARTINGTON — A stalk of corn of unusual nature was exhibited at the Johnson Bar in Hartington last week.
It was a stalk from the Wynn Pfeil field in the Wausa community and it had 10 ears of corn shooting. Some of the ears were small, but most were well formed.
Three ears shot out at one spot, also.
