MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1993
WASHINGTON — President Clinton announced Thursday that he is doubling U.S. strength in Somalia with 5,300 more troops, heavy armor and naval firepower, and he promised to have all combat forces out by March 31. “We started this mission for the right reasons and we are going to finish it in the right way,” Clinton said in a nationally televised address. “If we stay a short while longer and do the right thing, we have a reasonable chance of cooling the embers.” The speech seemed to ease some of the criticism from Congress that followed the disastrous mission Sunday in which 12 Americans were killed and at least one was taken hostage.
50 years ago — 1968
Committees in every school community in Shelby County outside of Memphis will be asked to help formulate school desegregation plans, George H. Barnes, superintendent of county schools, said yesterday. The county school system is under a federal court order to submit a desegregation plan by Jan. 15. Reports have been widespread in the county for several months that students would be bused to comply with the court order. “The court order says nothing about busing,” said Mr. Barnes.
75 years ago — 1943
Complying with an Office of Defense Transportation directive, Memphis laundries and dry cleaners Monday will start making only two deliveries a week, Henry Fisher, secretary of the Memphis Laundry Club, said yesterday. Under the new delivery schedule truck drivers will be able to serve only one-third of their customers each day.
100 years ago — 1918
Sheriff O.H. Perry says he wants some help from legislative candidates in Shelby County in his efforts to put an end to bootlegging. He has in mind a law which would allow the sheriff to confiscate any auto used for the purpose of unlawfully transporting liquor from one place to another in the county.
125 years ago — 1893
At least a dozen Memphians were on the Illinois Central train out of Chicago which was held up by bandits last night. Many of the passengers took up arms and finally one of the robbers was shot and the others subdued. A number of passengers were in favor of hanging the wounded robber on the spot with the signal rope, but a Catholic priest interceded. All four robbers were delivered to jail in the next town.