Burglar Terrorizes Southside District

This story was published by The Ypsilanti Daily Press of November 1, 1937. A midnight to dawn marauder terrorized residents on the south side of the city between one and four-thirty o’clock Sunday, molesting four homes, choking an aged woman, and obtaining 65 cents for his night’s work. Entering the home of Mrs. Anna R. Ewell, 115 Hawkins St. about 4:30 a.m. by removing the screen in a downstairs bedroom where she was sleeping, the thief demanded her money. When Mrs. Ewell, who is 74 years old, refused, he choked her and left her in a serious condition. She is resting fairly comfortably today, however, and her daughter, Mrs. James Bell, who lives with her, said that when her mother heard the man removing the screen she thought it was someone upstairs closing a window. Mrs. Ewell was alone in her room on the first floor, she said, the rest of the occupants of the house, Mr. and Mrs. Bell and their two children being asleep upstairs. The marauder did not make a very thorough search of the room, Mrs. Bell said, and left as suddenly as he had come. She said, that her mother reported he had talked a great deal, and although she could not see him, would remember the voice. He seemed to be of average height, talked with no trace of an accent and reeked of tobacco smoke although there was no indication that he had been drinking. The Ewell report was the fourth received by police, the first being at 1 a.m. when Douglas L. Cruickshank, 205 E. Ainsworth Blvd. reported a colored man had tried to crawl in through an open window on the second floor. Mrs. Cruickshank saw the man, he said, and when her husband started to get out of bed the marauder fled. The next report came from a home in the next block when Elmer L. Peters, 303 E. Ainsworth Blvd., said that about 2:30 a.m. he had seen a man prowling around their house as though trying to gain entrance, but he that he had fled on finding he couldn’t get in. The next attempt at entrance was successful, however, when at 4 o’clock a man broke into the home of Mrs. Lillian Acre, 520 Jefferson Ave. through a rear door, took a billfold containing 65 cents from an upstairs bedroom, and left through the front door. Later the billfold was found discarded on Hawkins St. and was returned to Mrs. Acre. The police are not certain the same person is responsible for all the crimes, but the similarity of technique used in entering, the proximity of the four places entered to each other, and the time element during which the offenses took place all point to the same origin. Finger prints have been secured and are being checked. Reports from the residents molested indicate that the man is colored, was wearing a grey cap and old blue coat.

Two Breeches Bibles In Libraries Of Ypsilanti

This story was published by The Ypsilanti Daily Press on Saturday, September 17, 1932. Among the interesting and valued possessions of Ypsilanti people are Breeches Bibles, one in the library of Mrs. F. A. Barbour, and the other owned by C. I. LeForge. The Bible gets its name from the fact that one word is different that the Authorized Version. In Genesis III, 7, the word “breeches” was substituted for “aprons” in the description of man’s first clothes. Mrs. Barbour’s copy of the Breeches Bible was given to her by her daughter, who brought it from England. The first edition of the Breeches Bible was published in Geneva, in 1560. For that reason, it was first called the Geneva Bible, later receiving its nickname because of the difference of one word. The copy belonging to Mr. LeForge is the older of the two. It was printed in London in 1595 and has an engraved frontispiece, illustrating the Tree of Life. The other copy was printed in London by Robert Baker in 1608. Although it is 325 years old, it is in excellent condition. The pages of soft white paper have become yellow and grey with age, but the well printed text can be easily read. It has been necessary to repair the cover, but the old leather of the cover was used. The gilt in the simple tooled design on the binding is nearly gone and the leather darkened. But these signs of age and the spots where the leather is scuffed and worn with use only increase its value and interest for the owner. Mrs. Barbour has many interesting bits of history and information about the Breeches Bible. It is the work of a group called the Reformers who fled from England to escape persecution by the authorities. It is a revison rather that a translation, and was based on the translation by Tyndale. Because it was less bulky and cheaper than any other, it was the most popular Bible that had appeared in England. Several features of the Bible of today first appeared in the Breeches Bible. It was the first to use the present Roman type instead of the old black letter. At the first glance, the text of these books looks queer, as the “s” had the form of an “f”. It was the first to divide the verses and the first to omit the Apocrypha from the Bible. Mr. LeForce’s copy differs from most examples of the Breeches Bible, since the Apocrypha is included, but there are no marginal notes in this portion of the book. This Bible also omitted the name of St. Paul from the Epistle to the Hebrews and used italics for all words not in the original translation. One of the outstanding features was the marginal notes, in which the Reformers made comments concerning the theology and politics of the time. These notes were responsible for the King James Version of the Bible. These notes and comments were not the liking of the King, so he ordered a new translation made, the original of the Bible now in use. Publication of the Breeches Bibles marked end of much of the opposition to the Bible and the persecution of those believing in it. An idea of the knowledge that people had of geography in those times is given by plates illustrating these books. They have titles showing the subjects such as “A Description of the Holy Land, and situation of the Garden of Eden”. The engraved plates are much different from the latest pictures of these lands. But the important part of the Bible, the text, is very like the one in use today.

Larouche Farm Home Destroyed

This story was published by The Ypsilanti Daily Press on Friday, September 16, 1932. The farm home, south of Ypsilanti, occupied by Rod Larouche, burned to the ground Thursday afternoon, with a loss of approximately $2,500. A second building nearby, just under construction, was also burned. The fire broke out while Mr. Larouche was alone. Although he had been ill, he managed to break a window and get out, and a physician in the crowd which soon gathered, cared for him temporarily. The family is staying with friends until further arrangements can be made.

Thieves Enter Farm Dwelling

This story was published by The Ypsilanti Daily Press on Friday, September 9, 1932. Percy Hollaway, R. F. D. 3, Ypsilanti, reported to the state police at 11 o’clock Wednesday night that his house had been entered and goods valued at about $500 were missing. Mr. Hollaway and his family left the house at 6:30 and did not return until 10:30 when they discovered the theft. Entrance had been gained by cutting the screen on a door and unhooking it. Goods reported stolen to Trooper Conrad Konetshny, who investigated, included a dinner set of 100 pieces, linen valued at $75, a rug valued at $200 and about $150 of wearing apparel. No clues have been discovered but Lieutenant Lyle Morse, finger print expert of the state police has been sent for.

A Tar Bath Wasn’t What J. G. Carrugh, Detroit, Came Here After But He Got One

This story was published by The Daily Ypsilanti Press on September 7, 1922. To find an undressed man in the basement of one’s store, taking a bath in turpentine is an experience which does not happen to every business man everyday, so when Alex Nulan took a customer to his basement to show him some goods and found the turpentine bath in progress, he registered considerable surprise if not actual alarm. Besides the unusual external circumstances was the additional fact that the bather was in decidedly perturbed frame of mind and difficulty was encountered in finding out just who he was, why he was there and what the benefits of the turpentine ablutions might be. Fortunately for the bather and Mr. Nulan, the customer, who had accompanied him to the basement was a man. Between the tow they finally managed to get the story together. Jesse G. Carrugh of Detroit, in the employ of Harris, Small and Lawson; had come to Ypsilanti to fill a business engagement with President Charles McKenny (of Eastern Michigan University). When he alighted from the D. U. R. car (the interurban) he stepped, or rather, fell into a puddle of warm, soft tar which Manager Older had had just ordered to be spread on the streets. Mr. Carrugh’s cloths were saturated with it, the tar even permeating to his skin. Feeling that he was in no condition to talk business with anyone and aided by sympathetic onlooker Mr. Carrugh went about in quest of turpentine as a possible solvent for the tar. Sympathetic onlookers piloted him to Mr. Nulan’s hardware where an equally sympathetic clerk tendered the basement as a temporary dressing room with bath. It was at this point that Mr. Nulan entered, having just returned from the Kiwanis dinner. A customer was waiting and he stepped up to attend to his wants before the clerk had an opportunity to tell him of the little drama which was being carried on in the basement of his store, and all unknowingly, Mr. Nulan and his customer ascended basement wards. With Mulan also listed on his side, Mr. Carrugh procured a suit of B. V. D.’s and one by one his trousers, shirt and coat were made presentable. Whether or not Mr Carrugh was able to make a satisfactory business arrangement with Mr. McKenny is not known. He called at city hall before he left and informed Mayor Beal that he intended to start a damage suit . The mayor suggested that he first present his bill at the next meeting of the common council in hopes that a more peaceable adjustment of the unfortunate circumstance might be made.

A, McPherson, Well Known Grocer Dies After Long Illness

This story was published by The Ypsilanti Daily Press on Monday, August 5, 1912. Alpheous McPherson of the grocery firm of McPherson & House died at his residence 46 East Cross Street Sunday, August 4, 1912. He had been seriously indisposed for a year and a half and though he had been about the store considerably, he had not been able to do very much business during this period. Mr. McPherson was born at St. Anne’s, Ontario, sixty-eight years ago, and for the last nineteen years of that time has resided in Ypsilanti and has been engaged in business here for seventeen years. His wife, a daughter, Mrs. Arthur E. House and a sister survive him. The funeral will be held from the residence at half after two o’clock on Wednesday afternoon.

Woman’s Spell Brings Drowning

This story was published by The Ypsilanti Daily Press on Wednesday, August 4, 1937. The body of Mrs. Hester Dukett, 2125 ST. Aubins St. Detroit, was recovered from the Huron River neat the Edison plant at Superior by Sheriff’s officers Tuesday afternoon shortly after they had received report of her drowning. Mrs. Dukett was on a fishing party with her son, Thornley Hester, who had gone to sleep. Others nearby said Mrs. Dukett, who is reported by her son as being “subject to spells” suddenly got up and walked straight into the river where she went under and was not seen again alive. County Coroner Dr. Edwin C. Ganzhorn ordered the body removed to Staffan Funeral Home.