Other days

100 years ago

Sept. 22, 1921

PINE BLUFF -- Following a chase of several blocks, which was participated in by several members of the local post of the American Legion, Willton C. Hopkins was arrested today, charged with obtaining money under false pretenses. According to the story he told the police, he began to solicit funds for the relief of a "Mrs. Louise R. Bryant" using a subscription list that said that he had been authorized by the American Legion to collect money for the woman, who he said was the widow of a soldier with two small children, and that her house near Pine Bluff had just been destroyed by fire, and the family was destitute.

50 years ago

Sept. 22, 1971

• The body of Milton Tilman, 21, one of two County Penal farm prisoners who Farm Superintendent M. L. Cherry said escaped Saturday, was found about 5:15 p.m. Monday floating in Little Maumelle Creek west of the Farm. The other escapee, Billy A. Davis, about 24, was still at large Tuesday, Cherry said. Cherry said Davis and Tilman had been among about 15 prisoners who had been sent about a mile west of the farm to clear grass from the right of way of the County Farm Road. As a truck was driving the prisoners back to the Farm about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Davis jumped over the sideboards and ran west through a bean field, Cherry said. After several minutes, Tilman jumped out and ran west into a thicket, Cherry said. The guards finally gave up searching for the two men. Cherry and sheriff's deputies said the drowning apparently was accidental.

25 years ago

Sept. 22, 1996

HOPE -- Hope Police Chief James Purtle has called in the Arkansas State Police to determine what happened to 17 rocks of crack cocaine that was to have been used as evidence at a trial Wednesday but was discovered missing. The evidence envelope contained a paraffin-like substance instead of cocaine. The rock cocaine, supposedly seized from the residence of Pearl Gennette Anthony during a raid Feb. 9, was the state's key evidence against her on felony charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Those charges were dismissed. If convicted, Anthony could have received life in prison. She remains in jail on two other pending charges.

10 years ago

Sept. 22, 2011

• Higher percentages of Arkansans were unemployed, receiving food stamps or living in poverty last year than before the 2007 recession, but census numbers released today show those figures leveled off going into 2010. Regarding 2009 and 2010, census figures show that although median household income didn't decline as steeply in Arkansas as in most states and that the state's poverty rate went unchanged, both categories were worse than they were four years ago.

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