Pages past - Dec. 24

On this date ...

1974: A Tucumcari man was shot to death at his Tres Ritos cabin after he slammed the door in the face of an armed gunman, an investigator for the district attorney’s office said.

Guy M. Justus, 63, answered the door and offered assistance to men who said they were out of gas.

Justus then noticed one of the men had a gun and slammed the door. The man shot his rifle through the door and killed Justus.

Several other shots were fired through the door and windows of the home. Justus’ wife and three relatives were in the cabin at the time but were not injured.

Officers reported the arrest of an 18-year-old Mora man and two juveniles, with an arrest warrant issued for another juvenile.

— New Mexico State Police and federal agents arrested a Tucumcari man in Albuquerque on three counts of possession of heroin. He was scheduled to be arranged the following week.

— A snowstorm moved rapidly across New Mexico, assuring many residents a white Christmas but with bitterly cold temperatures. Red River reported as much as 18 inches of snow, and many towns in the northern part of the state reported a foot.

— Samual Ray of Springer posed with a state-record Northern pike he caught at Miami Lake. The fish was 53 inches long.

— The Odeon Theatre was showing the martial-arts film “Return of the Dragon,” starring the late Bruce Lee. The ad proclaimed “his last performance was his best.”

— Many Tucumcari businesses expressed holiday good wishes, including Sands Dorsey Drug Co., which stated it would have Santa on the premises each afternoon through Christmas.