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 and owners were a wonderful man by the name of 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. It is because of my tremendous admiration for this father and son, that I am transcribing this paper and putting it in a more readable format, so that this work may again be brought to light, to entertain, and teach a whole new generation of the descendants of the inhabitants and neighbors of a little town called "Higbee." 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. I wouldn't want my own possible errors in transcription, blamed on the editors of the 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. When the Higbee Historical Society disbanded, their material was donated to the Randolph County Historical Society and is still available there. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 1, col 4--Impenetrable Mystery in Death of Salisbury Boy--Tragedy wrapped in a cloak of mystery ended the life of James Schachtele, the 18 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Schachtele of 5 1/2 miles northwest of Salisbury last Friday morning. The boy was shot, a 22-calibre rifle bullet piercing his brain. The bullet entered his neck about two inches below the left ear and ranged upward and lodged just under the skull at the top and on the right side of his head. Who shot him or how he was shot is a mystery that a coroner's jury could not decide after examining the dead boy's brothers, Ralph 14 years old and Howard, 5 years old, who were the only ones at home when the tragedy occurred. Mr. and Mrs. Schachtele had just come to town when the older boy phoned that his brother, James, had fallen from the hay loft at the barn and was dead. The boy was found lying on the barn floor where he had fallen from the loft. Mr. Schachtele after briefly asking his sons about the accident, thought at first, that the boy had fallen from the hay loft and that the wound in his neck, from which blood flowed was caused by his falling on the tine of a pitchfork or a stick. The doctor's examination of the wound in the afternoon led him to the conclusion that the wound was made by a bullet. Dr. West of Mendon, coroner, was called and held an inquest Friday night. The doctor's examination, by removing a part of the skull, revealed a 22-calibre bullet lodged just under the skull at the top and on the right side of the head. The verdict of the jury was that the boy died from a gun shot wound caused by some manner unknown to the jury. The principal witness at the inquest was the dead boy's brother, Ralph, who made the following statement, corroborated in all points by Howard, the five year old boy. James and Howard were at the barn and James was engaged in stripping some kaffir corn which he was feeding the chickens. Suddenly James fell from the loft. The lad seeing that he did not raise ran to the house and called his brother, who was taking care of his baby sister, and told him that Jim had fallen from the hay loft and hurt himself. Both returned to the barn and Ralph seeing the blood flowing from the wound returned to the house and got a pan of water, some absorbent cotton and adhesive tape to dress the wound. When he returned he started to dress the wound when he noticed his brother was dead. The youngest boy at the barn maintains that he heard no shot and Ralph says he was in the house with the baby and knew nothing of the accident until called by his younger brother. Judging from the range of the bullet, the boy was shot from below while standing up or from the rear and side as he was stooping over. There is a shotgun and 22-calibre rifle in the Schachtele home, but both were found to be in the place in which always kept, and there was no evidence that either had been handled or fired during the day. The boys say they did not touch the guns and have told the same story each time when questioned. There was no evidence that there was any person hunting in the neighborhood.--Salisbury Press-Spectator. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 4, col 6--A marriage license was issued in Moberly Monday to Virgil Thompson of that city and Miss Lavina Kelso of this place. We did not learn when or by whom the wedding ceremony was performed. Along with other friends, the NEWS extends congratulations and best wishes. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 5, col 1--Mrs. Elerd Baker received the sad intelligence Tuesday from her sister, Mrs. Bulah Hart, that Mr. Hart was lying at the point of death in a Kansas City hospital, and that unless there was a decided change for the better in twelve hours there would be no earthly chance for his recovery. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 5, col 4--LETTERS TO SANTA CLAUS--Higbee, Mo., Dec. 16. Dear Santa: I am a boy nine years old. Please bring me a ball and knife and a gun. Bring some nuts and candy. Don't forget my brother. Bring something for the other girls and boys.--Ralph Hargis. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 5, col 4--LETTERS TO SANTA CLAUS--Higbee, Mo., Dec. 16.--Dear Santa: I am a little boy six years old. I live in the country. I want a gun, a wagon, some nuts, candy, oranges, bananas and please don't forget my sister and other good boys and girls.--Junior Comstock. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 5, col 4--LETTERS TO SANTA CLAUS--Higbee, Mo. Dec 16--Dear Santa Claus: I am a little girl twelve years old. Please bring me a doll, candy, oranges, bananas, and nuts. And please don't forget my little brother and other good little boys and girls--Helen Atkins. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 5, col 4--LETTERS TO SANTA CLAUS--Higbee, Mo., Dec. 16--Dear Santa Claus: I am a little girl seven years old. Won't you please bring me a doll buggy, some candy, nuts and oranges. Don't forget my little brothers. Bring them something nice--Helen Marie Lynch. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 5, col 4--LETTERS TO SANTA CLAUS--Higbee, Mo, Dec. 16--Dear Santa: I am a little girl ten years old. Please bring me a doll and buggy, candy, oranges, bananas, and nuts. And don't forget my little sister and brother and all the other little girls and boys.--Toinette Blansett. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 5, col 4--LETTERS TO SANTA CLAUS--Higbee, Mo., Dec. 16--Dear Santa: I am a little boy ten years old. I will tell you what I want for Christmas. I want a ball, wagon, knife, candy, oranges, and nuts. Please don't forget little sister.--T. R. Fisher. Friday, 25 Dec 1925, Vol 39 No. 35, pg 5, col 4--LETTERS TO SANTA CLAUS--Higbee, Mo., Dec. 16. Dear Santa Claus: I am a little girl nine years old. I live in the country. I want a doll, a buggy, a trunk, some candy, nuts, oranges, bananas. Please don't forget other good boys and girls. I am your little friend.--Hilda Comstock. NOTE: The January through 14 May 1926 issues of the paper were not microfilmed, so are unavailable for transcription. The next posting will begin with 20 May 1926. 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.