Looking back: Local 10-year-old girl asleep for 26 days with ‘sleeping sickness’ and four Arco men walk away from plane crash
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IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of March 17 to March 23 in east Idaho history.
1900-1925
BLACKFOOT — A man around the age of 20 years was caught buying items with bad checks, The Bingham County News reported on March 23, 1916.
Wm. Morgan spent $65 in Blackfoot, which he distributed between three businesses. When the merchants discovered Morgan was writing bad checks, they found Morgan and took him to the sheriff for “safe keeping.”
Morgan tried to purchase a horse from Jas. Martin when Martin realized something was not right. The Golden Rule, the Kinney Mercantile and Rowles and McCosham are the businesses he forged checks at.
Morgan, who was said to be a farm hand, ended up acknowledging that he was a “forgerer” and was bound over to district court.
1926-1950
POCATELLO — A safe that had been missing since the night it was stolen on Dec. 18, 1932, was discovered, the Idaho Falls Post Register reported on March 17, 1933.
The safe was stolen from O.P. Skaggs store in Idaho Falls. It was found on March 16, 1933, about six miles south of Pocatello on the Yellowstone Highway. It had been thrown into a borrow pit at the side of the road.
The Pocatello sheriff contacted authorities in Idaho Falls that the safe was found. Sheriff Meppen and Algot Carlson, chief of police, went to Pocatello to pick up the safe.
The dial and combination on the safe had been broken, reportedly by explosives, according to officers. There were two indentations on the safe’s door, indicating the use of powder or dynamite. The door had sprung off and the contents removed. It’s not clear what all was inside.
Carlson believed the safe had been opened on the side of the highway where it was found because there was evidence of a fire having been made nearby.
1951-1975
IDAHO FALLS — A local 10-year-old girl was asleep for her 26 consecutive day with what was called “sleeping sickness,” the Idaho Falls Post Register reported on March 18, 1951.
Anita Meppen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted J. Meppen, of Bonneville County, was being cared for at the Idaho Falls LDS Hospital. The “sleeping sickness” was said to be the aftermath of the girl having had the measles.
“The girl is being fed through her veins and a tube leading to her stomach, and has lost only about 10 pounds of weight,” the paper wrote.
1976-2000
ARCO — Four Arco men walked away from a plane crash, the Idaho Falls Post Register reported on March 22, 1976.
The crash happened in Jackpot, Nevada. The fire chief there, Jay Snyder, described the crash as “one of the most completely demolished vehicles I’ve ever seen with survivors.”
Synder said the plane was upside down, its tail twisted around its superstructure and the engine separated from the craft. He said it did not ignite though.
The plane crash happened about one-half mile northeast of Jackpot’s lighted runway as the pilot was attempting to land on a flight from Arco.
The four men walked about a mile from the crash site before they were picked up and taken to Magic Valley Memorial Hospital in Twin Falls.
Pilot Kenneth McAffee, 42, and passengers Larry Barnes, 37, and Robert Campbell, 28, were all listed in fair condition. McAfee suffered the worst injuries with a possible fractured hand.
The fourth passenger, Charles Higgens was released from the hospital. No further information about him was provided.
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