Balanced and relaxed
25 years ago — 1993
ORLANDO — The Orlando Arena was hushed and tense, more like a hospital waiting room than a basketball gym. Memphis State University men’s basketball coach Larry Finch said it was because the sellout crowd of 15,151 had so little to cheer about. “That was an ugly, ugly win for them — and an even uglier loss for us,” Finch said after watching Western Kentucky knock his team out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday night, 5552. Finch’s Tigers shot 38.6 percent compared with the Hilltoppers’ 38.2. From the free-throw line, MSU hit 6of-15, WKU 10-of-19. The Tiger defeat ended MSU’s season at 20-12.
50 years ago — 1968
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called last night for a general work stoppage by Negroes if the city does not agree to demands of striking sanitation workers for a union dues checkoff. “They will hear you then,” he told the cheering and shouting persons attending a rally at the Mason Temple at 938 Mason. “The City of Memphis will not be able to function that day.” Some persons estimated the crowd at 13,000. The police estimate was 9,000. Dr. King, on a swing through Southern states to recruit persons for his “Poor People’s” camp-in next month in Washington, asked the rally to “make this the beginning of the Washington movement.”
75 years ago — 1943
Some 90 persons who had their license numbers taken at night spots near Memphis last week are breathing easier today. W.G. Manley, district OPA chief, had said the 90 “might lose gas buying privileges for violating wartime driving restrictions.” He said too yesterday that the regulations allowing 90 miles a month for “household use,” can be construed to include any pleasure driving.
100 years ago — 1918
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Berlin and many other German cities can be leveled and the war won in 30 days by an aerial torpedo which he has invented, according to Lester Barlow of this city. He is the inventor of a highly successful submarine torpedo. He says his new weapon can be fired from behind Allied lines, carries more than a half ton of the most powerful known explosive and has a range of 500 miles. The device is so simple that Barlow says it is surprising the Germans have not thought of it themselves.
125 years ago — 1893
JELLICO, Tenn. — A terrible tragedy occurred on the passenger train last night at Hell’s Point, near here. Campbell County Sheriff John Burnett was shot dead and two of his deputies were mortally wounded. They had come to Jellico yesterday to arrest Jesse Jones. Some of Jones’ friends seized him from custody and ran down the road and over the Kentucky state line. Whereupon the sheriff and his deputies, being powerless to follow, caught the train back home to Jacksboro. Later that night the conductor discovered that Jones had bought a ticket and was riding in the water closet. The sheriff arrested him again not knowing that his friends were on the train too. A terrific gun battle ensued and five men were killed and six more nearly killed.