What Happened To Paula

SUITS FILED

Cedar Rapids Gazette—June 18, 1962

City National Bank of Cedar Rapids vs. James J. and Carol J. Oberbroeckling, $1,705 promissory note…

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DIVORCE PETITIONS

Cedar Rapids Gazette—Oct 14, 1966

… Carol J. Oberbroeckling vs. James J. Oberbroeckling…

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TAVERN OWNER IS FOUND DEAD

Cedar Rapids Gazette—Feb 9, 1966

Charles G. Chyba, 52, of 3019 E avenue NE, died Wednesday morning in his car on Thirty-fourth street near Cottage Grove avenue SE. Police found Mr. Chyba slumped over in his car. There was no accident. Chyba was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Luke’s hospital shortly before  noon, an Medical Examiner Percy Harris said death resulted from natural causes. There will be no autopsy. Chyba suffered from diabetes and a heart condition, Harris said. Chyba was owner of a tavern at 1602 E avenue NE. His body was taken to the Brosh chapel, where funeral arrangements are being completed.

  

EASTERN IOWANS ENGAGED

Cedar Rapids Gazette—Aug 3, 1969

 ANNOUNCEMENT is made of the engagement of Miss Lynn Marie Oberbroeckling, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Oberbroeckling, 2025 G Avenue NE, and Randolf Greve, 1624 Park Towne Place NE. Mr. Greve is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Greve, Arlington Heights, Ill. A February wedding in St. Matthew’s Catholic church is planned. The Bride-elect is employed by King Loan Co., and her fiancé, a student at Area Ten Community College, by Quaker Oats.

 

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HUGHES SCORES ‘PANIC’ IN C.R.

Des Moines Register—Jan 31, 1968

Gov. Harold Hughes said Tuesday night that a rumor-filled weekend in thi city last summer points up the fear and danger of the racial crisis for Iowa and the nation. “I don’t want to point a finger at the people of Cedar Rapids,” the governor said. “But you lived in a community so filled with rumors that our whole State Bureau of Criminial Investigation and all our intelligence units couldn’t track them down. They were wild, malicious, vicious rumors, totally unfounded. Citizens went out and started buying guns. Women and children were afraid to go out after dark. People wanted us to bring in the militia to protect them from a phantom in the closet. People were living in an armed camp in the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Hughes was referring to the last weekend in July when Cedar Rapids was shaken with rumors of impending racial violence…  Hughes said he was told in Cedar Rapids last August, during one of his unannounced visits to Negro areas, that the only reason for his being here was because Detroit was burning. “And this was true,” he said…

…”Mob violence will not be stopped dead in its tracks. No cause can justify acts of violence.” But, he said, controls are nothing better than stop-gap measures and that the real solution is treating the cause of disorder. [He] said there is a double standard of law enforcement in some Iowa cities. He said police departments have taken that attitude that as long as the crime stays in their (Negro) area, it won’t bother us. “Last summer we watched prostitutes solicit business in one city and the governor was nearby. In another city liquor was being sold out of back doors to black and white 14-year-olds…”

… The governor said in the final analysis it is a matter of conscience. “There are only two ways we can go. We can either guarantee everybody their rights, or we can discriminate and say we will meet them in the streets. It’s ironic that black men and white men are at this moment fighting side by side to safeguard the rights of Orientals…”

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CHARGE WILL BE FILED IN SCHOOL FIGHT

Cedar Rapids Gazette—Jan 10, 1963

An assault charge will be filed today against Warren McCray, 17, Washington high school senior who was involved in a fight with Albert Carr, jr., 15, a Negro student at the school. The fight, a one-punch affair, took place last Friday night outside the Washington high gymnasium following the Washington-East Moline basketball game. Carr suffered a cut above the right eye, which required 10 stitches to close, and lacerations inside the mouth. He was knocked unconscious.

Juvenile Judge Howard McLaughlin said Thursday that the case is being referred back to the county attorney to be handled as an adult matter. [He] and County Attorney Jack Fulton had previously agreed that the case should be handled as a juvenile matter but decided on adult disposition Thursday morning following publication of a story in a Des Moines paper about the incident. “The boys’ names have been printed,” Judge McLaughlin said. “The privacy purpose of handling it as a juvenile case to avoid publicity for the boys has now been destroyed.”

Police were called into the case Friday night at St. Luke’s hospital, where Carr was taken for treatment. They obtained a statement from the Carr boy and informed his father of his rights in the matter. On Monday the case was brought to the county attorney’s attention. He discussed it with McLaughlin. “We decided to handle it in the juvenile court,” Fulton said, “because the boys were both juveniles—and for no other reason.”

According to statements taken by juvenile authorities from both boys and other students, the affair started over what Carr described as a pushing incident and what McCray, who is married, called a “goosing” incident. McCray was walking in the corridor of the high school Friday afternoon when, he claims, Carr goosed him. Later, at the basketball game, another youth told McCray Carr had goosed him while he was waiting in line at the Coke machine. McCray told police he decided to talk to Carr and get him to apologize. He said he asked Carr, after the game, why he had done it and Carr told him to forget it, it was just a joke. McCray replied that he and his wife didn’t think it was funny and again Carr told him it was just a joke.

The two then went outside, where one push led to another and McCray struck Carr, knocking him to the concrete driveway near the arcade. McCray asked him to get up, but Carr did not move. McCray then took a handful of snow and poured it on Carr and told him to cool off.

Carr told police that McCray asked him after the basketball game, “Why did you push me in the hall?  Let’s go outside, nigger, and fight.” Carr said he did not want to fight, but when they got outside McCray pushed Carr. Carr pushed him back and the next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital.

Police Chief George Matias said he was absolutely satisfied with the investigation of his officers. “It was handled just as any juvenile case is handled,” he said. “Ordinarily, the officers would investigate and when they had gathered all the facts that were necessary, the boys would have been called in, asked for statements and the matter would have been turned over to County Juvenile Probation Officer Al Lowell for disposition. “The investigation in this case had not yet been completed,” Matias said, “but this was the process the officers were following.”

…Mrs. Carr appeared Wednesday afternoon at the county attorney’s office. Fulton said she wanted to know what was being done and why McCray hadn’t been arrested. She was told… that if she wanted immediate action she would have to see a judge because the investigation had not as yet been completed. Judge McLaughlin said he explained the procedure of juvenile court to Mrs. Carr and told her the case was being handled as a juvenile matter to avoid publicity.

The investigation has established that no other students were involved in the fight except the two boys, juvenile authorities said. The assault charge will be filed in municipal court. It will be signed by the county attorney and sworn to by the Carr boy.

Police said there has been absolutely no racial trouble at the school. “Usually we don’t even hear of fights at the schools,” Matias said. “If they occur, they’re handled by school officials.”

Carr is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert O. Carr, 1115 Twelfth Avenue SE. McCray and his wife, also a student at Washington, live at 1719 Fourth Avenue SE.

Robert Fitzsimmons, principal of Washington high school, told The Gazette Thursday noon:  “We acknowledge the fact that a fight took place between two individuals following the game Friday night, Jan. 4. The school is investigating and has not made any decision as yet regarding disciplinary action.” He said he could make no further statement at this time in view of the circumstances.

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MAYOR REGRETS DES MOINES STORY

Cedar Rapids Gazette—Jan 10, 1963

Cedar Rapids Mayor Johnson issued the following written statement to reporters following Thursday’s city council meeting. “As mayor, I deeply regret the explosive story appearing in the daily newspaper from Des Moines. This kind of publicity for a city with the character of Cedar Rapids is not desirable. However, I am sure that the county attorney and the municipal judge have accepted their responsibilities and justice will be served.”

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MCCRAY ENTERS INNOCENT PLEA; TRIAL FEB. 13

Cedar Rapids Gazette—Jan 11, 1963

An innocent plea was entered in municipal court Friday morning for Warren McCray…   The plea was entered before Judge Howard McLaughlin by McCray’s attorney, D J. Ibeling, to a formal charge of assault and battery. Judge McLaughlin set Feb. 13 as date of the trial. Bond was set at $110, which Ibeling posted for the youth.

McCray is accused of engaging in a fight with Albert Carr, jr., 15, also a student at the school, following a basketball game last Friday night. Carr was knocked unconscious in the encounter and was taken to St. Luke’s hospital, where 10 stitches were required to close a cut over his right eye.

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DISMISS CHARGE BROUGHT BY CARR AGAINST MCCRAY

The Cedar Rapids Gazette—Feb 11, 1963

An assault and battery charge filed against a Washington high school senior following a fight outside the school Jan. 4 was dismissed Monday in Cedar Rapids Municipal court. The charge was dismissed on recommendation of the attorney for the complainant… [and] the dismissal is subject to a showing that a satisfactory arrangement for payment of Carr’s medical bills has been completed. Court costs will be paid by the defendant.

Monday afternoon’s hearing was before Judge L. M. Hullinger, jr. … Howard Smith, attorney for the Carrs, moved dismissal of the charge. He said dismissal was based on the fact that school authorities already have taken disciplinary action. He said it is “not the desire of the Carrs to persist in any prosecution against the other boy.” He said that arrangements have been made, but not consummated, for the Carr boy’s doctor and hospital bills to be taken care of by McCray. He said he believes it to be in the best interest of all concerned that the charge be dismissed.

Gerard Glaza, assistant county attorney, said that “it is the feeling of the state that if the parties are satisfied, justice has been served. We won’t resist the motion.”

Attorney Donald Ibeling, for the McCrays, said he had spoken to his clients a few minutes earlier and that he was sure that the costs could be disposed of to the satisfaction of all.

Judge Hullinger asked Mrs. Carr if her attorney’s statement represented her sentiments. She said, “Yes, they do. We are sorry that this incident happened. My husband and I both agree that we do not wish to cause Warran McCray to feel that we are interfering with his education. She said that McCray has been warned that he will not graduate and that her son has been warned that he will not be allowed to participate in sports if there is any more trouble. “I hope this has learned Warren Mcray a lesson and hope he will not further bother my boy, and I will see that my boy doesn’t bother him.”

Judge Hullinger concluded that he concurred with the position of the attorneys and that because the matter arose at a school function, it belonged primarily within the framework of the school system. The dismissal was under a section of the Iowa code which prohibits the case being reopened.

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