Backward Glance
Published 8:49 pm Thursday, November 5, 2026
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This week’s Backward Glance begins in 1906 and a mystery involving a local child, moves to 1933 and a report about the local Elks Lodge annual Halloween Dance, and then a story from 1960 about a local political stunt being pulled.
Source: Kansas City Star
Date: Sunday, Nov 4, 1906
Title: MYSTERY IN CHILD’S BURIAL; A Baby Interred Near Warrensburg May Have Been Murdered.
The discovery to-day of the body of a 7-months-old child mysteriously buried in the Dunkard cemetery, two miles southeast of this city, has caused no little sensation among the people of that neighborhood. The cemetery sexton had gone to dig a grave when the new made grave was found, of which he had no knowledge. He called some members of the Dunkard church and made an investigation. They found a coarse pine box, something like a carpenter’s tool chest, inside of which was the body of a little child, over which had been thrown some lime with the apparent purpose of disfiguring or eating the body. The coroner was notified and viewed the body. He found sufficient evidence of murder to order an investigation and an inquest will be held Monday, when some light may be thrown on the mysterious burial.
Source: The Star-Journal
Date: Thursday, Nov. 2, 1933
Title: Elks Lodge Halloween Dance
The social season of the Elks Lodge was opened Tuesday night with the annual Halloween dance which this year was changed to a kid party. Before the dance, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Robinson entertained 18 guests at a “depression” dinner party. The guests were received at a rear door and taken to the basement where a delicious dinner was served on rude wooden tables in old china and tinware.
Source: The Star-Journal
Date: Friday, Nov. 4, 1960
Title: Balloon From Here Found At Bourbon
A balloon released Tuesday when a Democratic caravan was here, was found Wednesday at Bourbon in Crawford County, a distance of 150 airline miles. A telephone call was received at Democratic headquarters Wednesday, Mrs. Joe H. Chambers, secretary, said, from a man who found the balloon.
The balloons contained cards asking that calls be made by anyone living at a distance who found one. Less than two hours after they were released, the headquarters was notified that a man at California, Mo., had found one.
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