Friday, 10 Apr 1914--A. S. HIGDON DEAD--The many Higbee friends of A. S. Higdon were greatly shocked Sunday when word came from Huntsville that he had died at the home of his son, Herbert, that morning at 3 o'clock of pneumonia, none of them having heard of his sickness. Albin Stewart Higdon was born in Hardin county, Ky, on Feb 2, 1834, and died April 5, 1914, being 80 years, two months and three days of age. He was married in 1854 to Miss Eliza Ward, sister of the late W. E. Ward. They were the parents of one child, Mrs. Henry B. Cubbage, of near town. His wife dying in the early '70's, he came to Missouri in 1874, when he was married to Miss Jemima Duncan, sister of R. G. Duncan. Two children were born to this union--Mrs. H. H. Goldsberry of Glasgow and Herbert L. Higdon of Huntsville. Besides his three children he is survived by two brothers, Henry, of Roanoke and Mack, of near Richmond. Mr. Higdon was a citizen of Higbee for many years and was known and respected as a Christian gentleman, and numbered his friends by his acquaintances. Since the death of his wife a few years ago he has been making his home with his son. Funeral services were held at the Methodist church Monday, by Rev. Ben Robson, and despite the driving cold rain, the house was filled, almost every seat being occupied, which spoke most eloquently of the esteem in which he was held. Interment was made in the city cemetery. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--DEATH OF MRS. PATTERSON--Mrs. Emily Patterson, 38 years of age, died at 8:30 o'clock Sunday evening at the family home at 820 Rothwell street. The surviving relatives are a husband, Charles Patterson, six children, one brother, two half brothers, and two half sisters. The remains were shipped to Higbee and were then taken to New Hope church in Howard county where the funeral was held this afternoon. The case of the motherless children is particularly pathetic as their father is in the Missouri state penitentiary at Jefferson City. He had been paroled and was recently returned to the pen on account of violating the parole by getting drunk. The innocent, helpless children are without means and are on the mercies of the charitably inclined people of Moberly and vicinity. For the present the members of the Junior league of the First M. E. church are taking care of the infant. This is a very commendable work as the little leaguers have earned the money which they are unselfishly spending to keep the little baby until it can be placed in a good home--Moberly Democrat. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--The residence of John Mure of south of town was destroyed by fire Wednesday noon, the fire originating from a defective flue. By the hardest kind of work most of the furniture and contents of the house in general were saved. A summer kitchen which stood near was also burned with all of its contents. Mr. Mure carried insurance, but it will not begin to cover his loss. Mr. Mure seems to have had more than his share of bad luck of late, and all deeply sympathize with him in his latest misfortune. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--Caleb Edwards of Moberly is the guest of his son, B. L. Edwards and wife. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--J. T. Reynolds, aged 70 years, a brother of Mrs. John Dennis of this place, died at his home in Shelby county on March 28. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--Lee Burton, son of W. M. Burton of south of town, while dragging the roads Saturday, was thrown from the drag and had his collar bone broken. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--Thomas Jones, who was accidentally shot last December, and who has been slowly recovering since, gave his family and friends a good scare Friday by falling in a faint as he was starting up town. He was taken home and a doctor sent for. The doctor could find nothing unusual the matter with Mr. Jones, and gave it as his opinion that he fainted from weakness. After a day or two in bed Mr. Jones was able to be about as usual. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--Mr. and Mrs. John Rankin closed a contract last week with Malcolm S. Martin, architect and superintendent, of Hannibal, for the erection of a handsome residence on the lot just east of the residence of Dr. C. F. Burkhalter, ground for which was broken Monday. R. W. McMillian, who had the construction of the school house for Mr. Martin, will superintend the building. The residence when completed will be the finest in town, and will cost $6,000, exclusive of furnishings. We hope to give a picture of it and a full description in an early issue. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--Born, at Elliott, on the 4th, to N. J. Moffitt and wife, a daughter. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--Wm. Mason will sell a lot of household goods today at public auction at his residence near the Katy depot. Mr. Mason and family will leave in a few days for Canada. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--FRED MICHAEL PAROLED--Fred Michael, who was sent to the pen for ten years for the killing of Elmer Magruder in the city jail here some five years ago, was this week paroled by Gov. Major to Walter A. Mills of La Plata, the parole being recommended by the State Board of Pardons. Michael, it will be remembered, was arrested by Marshal Cain along with two companions, who were wanted for robbing the Wabash depot at Salisbury. When he arrested them, Mr. Cain searched them rather hurriedly, and placed them in the city jail, and that night about 9 o'clock took Magruder to the jail, or rather, the latter volunteered to go, to aid in the search. Michael had a pistol concealed under his coat and when Cain opened the cell door and told him to come out and be searched, as the prisoner in the first cell had been, he came out on the run, shooting as he ran. Cain pulled his revolver and began shooting, hitting Michael in the arm with the last shot as he made his escape through the rear window. When the smoke cleared it was found that Cain was shot two or three times, while Magruder lay on the floor dead, having been killed by Michael's first shot, according to Mr. Cain. Luckily for Michael, he made his escape, else he would soon have been put beyond the help of any earthly board of pardons. Higbee citizens offered a reward of $250 for Michael's capture, which was made at Mexico a week or ten days later, after he had, presumably, held up the Alton depot at Centralia. He was placed in jail at Huntsville and at his trial was allowed to plead guilty to second degree murder in order to save his neck, and escaped with a sentence of only ten years. About a year ago his father asked that his son be paroled, for which no one can blame him in the least, and interested several parties at LaPlata, near which place he resides, in the case, with the result that the matter was taken up with the State Board of Pardons. According to law, or a ruling of the board, due notice of the application was made by publication in THE NEWS, and immediately such a protest was made that the board refused to grant the parole. If any notice was ever given that the board intended considering the matter again, we have no knowledge of it, and it would appear that snap judgment was taken on the people. In justice to them they should have at least been notified that the matter was to be considered. The claim was made for Michael that he had been a model prisoner. Why shouldn't he have been? This thing of spending millions in criminal costs, erecting jails and penitentiaries and maintaining them at heavy cost is all useless if all kinds of criminals from the common thief to the rapist and red handed murderer are to be turned loose in a year or two. The way we view it, the board of pardons is a nuisance and was created mainly to make room for a few more pap-suckers, and in order to make it appear that its members are earning their salary, a dozen or more are paroled at each meeting of the board. We don't know that the old Mosaic law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is exactly the proper thing for these enlightened and humane days, but we do believe that when a man is given a just sentence for a crime he commits deliberately and with his eyes open, he should be forced to serve it in full, even if he gets so good that he sprouts wings. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--Eugene Turner, col, aged about 20, who works for M. Murphy, was all but killed Sunday while playing ball in the northeast part of town with a lot of other colored boys, and it will be a month before he will be able to be out. Fred Brooks was at the bat and made a vicious swing at a hot one, when the bat slipped and flew with the speed of an arrow, the big end of it striking Turner between the eyes and squarely on the nose, driving that member into his face. He was unconscious for a half hour or more, and until his companions could get a doctor they thought he was dead. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--ANOTHER BOOZE VICTIM--Walter S. Swigert, who at one time was classed as one of the best retail grocery clerks in Kirksville, died as a result of a protracted debauch in an old elevator at Kingsbury Friday. He was found in the rear of a negro shanty Wednesday night carrying a jug of whiskey and was later taken to the elevator where his two daughters, who live with their mother in New Franklin, tried to induce him to go home. His son found him dead Friday morning after he had been notified that Mr. Swigert was in a bad condition, says Coroner Denny Smith--Fayette Advertiser. Friday, 10 Apr 1914--M. W. Kneuven, aged 30, killed himself at Glasgow Wednesday of last week by drinking carbolic acid. Domestic trouble was the cause. Kathy Bowlin Additions, corrections, comments welcome.