Remember When

Washington County deputy sheriffs were guarding Burton State Bank while clues were being sought following a Friday morning burglary. Sheriff Johnny Schulte of Brenham said the exact amount of cash taken had not yet been determined, but he estimated several thousand dollars’ worth of coins had been stolen. Deputies speculated the robbery occurred somewhere between 1 and 4 a.m. Friday and that entry had been gained through the wall of the adjacent post office. The vault where the coins were stored was cut open with acetylene torches, deputies reported. They noted that the burglars must have been very familiar with the bank and the adjoining structure to plan the robbery. This burglary was the third major crime involving Central Texas banks in a fourday period. Lockhart State Bank was hijacked Tuesday morning when two men got away with around $100,000. On Wednesday, the First State Bank of Jarrell in Williamson County was robbed by a lone gunman who got away with between $1,000 and $3,000.

What might have been a disastrous fire was averted in the 200 block of S. Jefferson St. at the former Koss house owned by H.T. Carter and rented to Needles Fashions and the offices of Oak Motel. Fire Chief Rudolph Voss said the alarm was turned in at 2:15 p.m. by a motorist driving into La Grange on Hwy. 77 from the north. He saw smoke and when he stopped at the traffic light at the post office corner, he noticed flames coming from the top of the two-story building. Voss said when firemen hurried to the attic with two fire hoses it was their good fortune that the attic was vacant. As a result, firefighters were able to get to the eight to 10 burning shingle areas in a hurry. The chief said the blaze apparently started when a fire in the fireplace set the accumulated soot in the chimney ablaze. Fire damage was minor and there was no water damage.

More than 760 Fayette County people availed themselves of the free tuberculosis tests Monday. When the results became known, state health department physicians recommended that those with a positive test take a chest x-ray to ensure they are in good health.

Conservative estimates said about 700 youngsters and perhaps as many grownups turned out for the Easter egg hunt at Monument Hill State Park initiated by Craft Builders, Inc., and co-sponsored by eight other area firms. The eggs at the Saturday afternoon event contained $150 in cash. Several golden eggs held $10 bills.

La Grange Postmaster Walter P. Freytag underwent major surgery for a stomach obstruction at a hospital in Brussels, Belgium. The first telephone reports were that he withstood the operation and was doing as well as could be expected. Mr. and Mrs. Freytag left for Belgium by plane on April 13 to visit their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Don Roselius and sons.

Daylight savings time started on April 29.

Funeral services were held for: Miss Albina Kovar, 70, of Fayetteville; Walter Kneip, 85, of La Grange; and Mrs. John Kossa, 97, of Ammannsville.

The board of trustees of the Fayetteville Rural High School appointed Jesse Bruton to fill the board vacancy. He succeeded J.B. Crowley who resigned earlier in the month. Mr. Crowley’s term would have expired with the April 1974 election. A native of the Fayetteville community, Mr. Bruton returned to the area after a career in the U.S. Air Force.

At the annual Aggie Muster, Hank Paine was cited for his various accomplishments at Texas A&M University during the prior four years.

Arno W. Krebs of Round Top was reelected grand finance committee member of the Order of the Hermann Sons at the 73,000-member organization’s quadrennial convention in San Antonio.

An account of a daylight robbery in Dallas involving the business of a La Grange area native was received. The appliance firm owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Leon Adamcik was robbed by a man brandishing a pistol. Mrs. Adamcik was ordered into another part of the store while the thief got away with around $100. Mr.Adamcik was away from the store at the time of the robbery.

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