98 years ago: Teen runaways wanted to see ‘bright lights’ of St. Louis
On Oct. 26, 1925, three runaways who said they were seeking the “bright lights” of St. Louis got as far as O’Fallon before their adventure was cut short.
Here’s their story as told by the O’Fallon Progress.
“Two fifteen-year-old girls and a boy, who said he was 15 but appeared to be 19, were picked up yesterday morning by the local authorities following a tip from Victor Thoman, living two miles west of here, who reported that the three had slept in a straw stack on his farm during the night.
“Thoman notified his brother-in-law, city clerk H.L. Siekmann, who drove to the farm where he found the youths huddled together in the straw, scantily clad and shivering from the cold.
“He induced them to come to this city with the promise that he would procure a hot meal and a warm place. They consented and on arrival here were turned over to Officer Warhoover who locked them up.
“On being questioned one of the girls admitted that they were runaways, on their way to St. Louis to get a glimpse of the bright lights, as she termed it.
“The youth gave his name as Cecil Garrison, of Centralia and stated that he accompanied the girls as an escort.
“One of the girls said she was Beulah Garren, also of Centralia and the other Celia Branch, of Sandoval. The girls are cousins.
“They told the police that they had tired of home-life and had informed their parents that they wanted to go to the city, which met with the approval of their parents, according to the Garren girl.
“When questioned as to how they came to O’Fallon they said that after leaving Centralia they were given a ride by a motorist, who dropped them off at Carlyle. From there they walked to this city.
“Fearing to go into St. Louis at night they decided to sleep in the straw stack with the intention of resuming the journey in the morning, according to the Branch girl.
“City Clerk Siekmann notified the Centralia authorities and the mother of one of the girls came yesterday and took the trio home.”
75 years ago, Dec. 9, 1948
The fire department answered an alarm for a roof fire on the two-story property owned by Henry Wachter at the corner of West First and Cherry Streets at 10 o’clock Saturday morning.
The fire, originating near a chimney, was quickly extinguished with only slight damage.
Five families occupy the two-story apartment.
Due to a slight mix up in location of the fire, the firemen rushed to the Moonlight building (present day Peel Pizza), occupied by Al. Hartman’s Moonlight Recreation, where the family of Manager James Harter was routed from their living quarters.
The Fournie sisters were conducting their Saturday morning dancing school in the second floor Moonlight hall when the firemen rushed into the building.
The pupils left the structure in an orderly manner only to learn that the blaze was at the property across the street.
50 years ago, Dec. 4, 1973
O’Fallon Township High School experienced its second burglary in less than a month last Tuesday evening when burglars once again broke into the typing room at OTHS and took $5,429.50 worth of typewriters.
The burglars broke a window on the south side of the main building to gain entrance to the room.
At the last regular meeting of the O’Fallon Township High School District 203 Board of Education meeting, the board approved the purchase of a burglar alarm system for the typing room area in case of another burglary.
The equipment had not been installed when the second burglary occurred.
Last month’s burglary included seven older typewriters.
Those taken last week were purchased more recently. An adding machine and transcriber were also taken.
