The following are selected articles from a Newspaper titled, "The Higbee News" which was issued out of the town of Higbee, in Randolph County, Missouri from the years 1888 through 1953. The editors were W. H. Welch and his son H. Scott Welch. This paper covered the Higbee area and also a great deal of the northeastern part of Howard county. The copyright notice at the end of this transcript is there for the sole purpose of keeping this work free to the public, and to ensure that it is not harvested by a fee-based corporate genealogy site, or published in any format for profit. If you decide to use the information from this transcription, PLEASE LIST ME AS THE SOURCE, rather than the paper. My transcription is another generation removed from the microfilm, and would thus be a third generation copy of the original paper. For proper documentation, a researcher should obtain a photocopy of the microfilm for their own permanent records, and use my transcript as a guide or index. The microfilm is available for interlibrary loan through the State Historical Society of Missouri, and a copy is also on file at the Moberly Public Library, generously donated by the Higbee Historical Society. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, 9 Sep 1926, Vol 40, No 19, Pg. 1, Col 1&2--ADELINE TERRILL KIDNAPPED FROM SCHOOL YESTERDAY--Taken Away in Car by Strange Man and Woman, Latter Presumably Her Mother--Left no Trace--Not Missed Until Late Afternoon--Higbee was thrown into a wild state of excitement about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon when it was discovered that Adeline Terrill, 12-year-old niece of Mrs. Belle Murphy, and with whom she made her home, had been kidnapped, the abductors being a strange man and woman, the latter presumably her mother. The child's father, Irvin Terrill, who died some two or three years ago, secured a divorce a year or two before his death, it is said, and was given the custody of Adeline. He had lived at Astoria, Oregon, for many years, and when his health failed and he knew that he had but a few weeks to live, his sister, Mrs. Murphy, went to Astoria and brought him to her home, as she did Adeline, and where he died a few weeks later, and since which time has made Mrs. Murphy's home her own. The mother, so it is reported, made a strong fight to retain the child and had made her brags, so we learn, that she would have her some day, but as no demand had ever been made on Mrs. Murphy for her, so far as we know, the latter never suspicioned that an attempt at kidnapping would be made. So far as can be learned, the car which carried a camping outfit, arrived Sunday, and it is supposed the couple camped in the city park, as neither was seen around town, so far as we are able to learn. All day Tuesday the car was parked in the street in front of Mrs. Jean Little's home, where all the school children pass going to and from school, the couple stating that their battery was run down, and which may have been the case, as they had it charged, it is said, at Murphy's garage. Adeline left home for school as usual yesterday morning, but failed to report to school, her teacher presuming she had been kept at home by the rain, while Mrs. Murphy thought the rain had kept her from returning for dinner, and it was not known that she was gone until she failed to return home when school was dismissed for the day. The car was moved some time during the night to the alley west of Mrs. Little's and which runs past the rear of the school building. As Adeline reached the alley accompanied by a classmate she was called to the car by the women, but where the car was from that time until one o'clock, or whether Adeline was in it or not, no one knows, but evidently Adeline spent the morning with the couple, as she was not seen at school or anywhere else, so far as we are able to learn. The car pulled out about 1 o'clock, but whether anyone saw Adeline in it we could not learn. Rankin Little, in front of whose home the car stood all day, was able to give us a pretty good description of the car and occupants. He states that the car was a 4-door 1926 model Star sedan, blue in color. It carried a Southern California license plate, the latter having a purple background with white letters and figures. The car also carried a camping outfit, while several large boxes were carried on the inside. Rankin described the woman as having light hair and dark eyes, Roman nose, about 35 years old and would weight about 130. She wore a pongee waist and khaki knickers, khaki tourist cap and high top boots without buckles at top. The man he described as about 40 years old, 5 feet 4 inches tall, weight 140, and dressed in light shirt, brown trousers and badly scuffed tan oxfords. Rankin further described him as a mighty "touch looking wad." The man was hard of hearing and spoke with some kind of a brogue, as did a boy of some 9 or 10 years, who accompanied them, and who had black hair. Rankin said the man told him he lived in southern California, that he had traded a Ford for the Star car only recently and that he had made 2300 miles in it. On Rankin remarking that the little boy was missing school, the man said, "yes, he has already missed a week, but we want to be back home by Monday so he can enter school." He then put out some apple sauce about having to go to Huntsville and St. Louis before starting home, hoping, no doubt, to throw pursuers off the track. As a rain began to fall about 11 o'clock, and which increased during the day until about 6, when it simply poured, it is not thought the car could have gone far unless it reached a hard surfaced road before night. As soon as the kidnapping was discovered, calls were sent out over the phone, but up to the hour of going to press nothing had been heard. If the car is headed for California or the northwest some trace of it may be secured at Kansas City, where officers are on the lookout. Adeline was a general favorite and her disappearance is a tragedy to all, and especially to Mrs. Murphy, who loved her as her own, but her going is not as bad as it might have been, as she surely will come to no harm in the care of her mother for such the woman undoubtedly was. It is sincerely hoped that her kidnappers can be found and punished, if they took her against her will, which they no doubt did, for she seemed perfectly contented with her home and surroundings and was as happy as the day was long. The fact that Adeline would come into quite a fortune on coming of age may have had something to do with her being forcibly taken, and if such is the case her future, if she is not returned, may not be so roseate as it would be otherwise, especially if it is true that the court refused to giver her to her mother at the time of the divorce, and will have the hard-looking stranger for a step-father. The NEWS joins the community in the prayer that she may be returned and that any choice of homes she may make will be of her own free will and accord. ----------------------- Since putting the above in type we learn that two young ladies, Misses Adaline Winn and Orpha Lessly saw Adeline go down the alley and get in the car with the man shortly before 9 o'clock, and which was probably the case, as they would not risk exposure by remaining in town a moment longer than necessary. Miss Juanita Walton, who had noticed the car the day before, states that Adeline passed her home about ten minutes before she herself started to school and that when she reached the street--Owens, there was no car in either street or alley. If the car left in the morning, as now seems certain, any chance of hearing from it in this state is rather slim. Thursday, 9 Sep 1926, Vol 40, No 19, Pg. 1, Col 2--COX-RITZENTHALER--Dr. Forrest Cox of Trenton, Mo., and Miss Judson Ritzenthaler were married last Thursday evening at 9 o'clock at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Ritzenthaler. The ceremony was performed by Dr. W. C. Gibbs of the Bible College of Missouri, Columbia, a former pastor of the Christian church here. Dr. and Mrs. Cox left immediately after the ceremony driving to Brunswick, going from there to St. Louis, where they remained until Monday. They are spending the week here and will go to Trenton, where they will make their home. Dr. Cox is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Cox of this city and has been practicing dentistry at Trenton since his graduation from Washington university two years ago. The bride is the daughter of the editor of this paper. She is a registered nurse and followed the profession until a few months ago. Dr. and Mrs. Cox will be at home to friends at Trenton after September 15th.--Salisbury Press-Spectator. Thursday, 9 Sep 1926, Vol 40, No 19, Pg. 1, Col 3--CHARLES ROBB DEAD.--Charles T. Robb, one of the best known and most highly respected farmers of the community, passed away at his home southwest of town on the 5th after an illness of many months from cancer of the stomach. Charles Thornton Robb was the son of William and Susan Robb and was born in Howard county on October 17, 1863, and was therefore in his 63rd year. He was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Nicholas on July 2, 1882, who with seven of the eight children born to them, survives. One son, Edwin, died on December 8, 1916. Besides his widow and children, he is survived by fifteen grandchildren and many more distant relatives and a legion of friends. At the age of twenty years Mr. Robb united with the Presbyterian church and had since lived a consecrated christian life. Funeral services were conducted at Old Log Chapel Tuesday by the Rev. Notley Magruder, in the presence of a crowd that taxed the capacity of the church, and which spoke most eloquently of the esteem in which he was held. Interment was made in the church cemetery. The NEWS joins the community in deepest sympathy to the bereaved wife and children. Thursday, 9 Sep 1926, Vol 40, No 19, Pg. 1, Col 3--NICHOLAS SALE POSTPONED UNTIL SEPT. 11TH.--The Dysart Nicholas public sale, which was to have been held yesterday, had to be postponed until Saturday, Sept. 11th, on account of the death of Chas. Robb, an uncle of Mrs. Nicholas, and their nearest neighbor, whose funeral was held that day. As will be seen by his ad in this issue, Mr. Nicholas has included many more items in the sale, especially in the way of stock. Mr. Nicholas, we are sorry to say, has decided to leave the farm and community and will move to Marshall. A host of friends join the NEWS in the hope that he may see fit to return in the not far distant future. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright notice: All transcriptions in this email are copyrighted by their creator. They may not be reproduced on another site or on any printed or recorded media, CD, etc. without specific written permission from Kathy Bowlin. Although public information is not in and of itself copyrightable, the format in which it is presented, transcriptions, notes & comments, etc. is. It is however, quite permissible to print or save the files to a personal computer for personal use only. Permission is granted to public libraries, and genealogical and historical societies to print and bind for the use of their patrons. Kathy Bowlin Additions, corrections, comments welcome.