100 years ago
July 2, 1914
TOPEKA, Kan. -- For six weeks Marie Patrick of Des Arc, Ark., passed in Kansas as a man. She wore men's clothing, and during harvest helped about cook shacks and did light work because she announced she was not strong enough to do a man's work. The farmer became short of help and she was compelled to take a pitchfork and help stack wheat. Her actions caused the farmer, who had been suspicious of her sex, to accuse his slender, girlish looking hired man of being a girl, and Marie confessed. She is being held by the county attorney while an effort is being made to to locate her relatives.
50 years ago
July 2, 1964
• Approximately 100 persons in and around Witts Springs (Searcy County) will get telephone service for the first time Aug. 18 when Allied Telephone Co. completes installation of cable and switching equipment. In addition to Witts Springs, service will be made available to residents of Welcome Home (Searcy County), 5 miles northeast, and Tilly (Pope County), 6 miles southwest.
25 years ago
July 2, 1989
ALEXANDER -- A few nights ago, the phone rang at Jo and Loyd Batman's house. The unidentified caller "wanted to know if we knew we had a flat tire on the Batmobile," Jo Batman said. The prankster was referring to the car driven by Batman, the comic book superhero who fights crime in Gotham City. Though no relation, Jo and Loyd Batman say they constantly get the caped crusader's calls. The movie "Batman" grossed more than $42 million its first weekend last month. The television show with the same name brought Batman and his helper, Robin the Boy Wonder, into Americans' homes in the late 1960s. The Batmans, of Alexander, say that though the movie's release has prompted more crank calls, they are used to it. "They go through spells of it, said Loyd Batman, 54, who works at Wilkins Sheet Metal Corp. "They want to know where Robin's at. It doesn't bother me."
10 years ago
July 2, 2004
• Supporters of an Arkansas constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex unions said they submitted to the state Thursday more than double the petition signatures needed to get the proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot. Leaders of the Arkansas Marriage Amendment Committee said they handed over petitions signed by 200,693 Arkansans, which they say is a strong sign that voters will approve the measure if given the chance this fall.
Metro on 07/02/2014