No. 715
Crime, Eccentricity, and the Sporting Life in 19th Century America.
September 2, 2025

Female Wrestling Match in Nevada.

Two female athletes at Virginia city Nevada, indulge in a wrestling match for the championship.
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November 8, 2022
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Tag: Sports

Shark Fishing off Cobb's Island, Virginia.

Aquatic Sport on the Virginia Coast.

7/7/2024

Crowds Watch the Bicycle Race.

Wheelers break records in the six-day contest in Madison Square Garden, New York.

1/9/2024

Sport on the Brain.

Puck's American Phrenological Chart for the Season.

5/30/2023

Skating in Central Park.

1/10/2023

Forex news live

Two female athletes at Virginia City, Nevada, indulge in a wrestling match for the championship.

11/9/2021

Great Base Ball Match.

Great baseball match between the Atlantic and Boxford Clubs of Brooklyn.

4/23/2018

Tennis.

"Who wants to pway me a couple of wattling stwong games?"

6/5/2017

Athletics.

Athletics

8/23/2016

Killed by a Baseball.

John Walters, of Richmond, Indiana becomes a victim of his love for the national game.

4/5/2016

A Winter Scene.

Winter Pastime – A Skating Scene.

1/25/2016

Fierce Football.

The great game recently played between teams representing the colleges of Princeton and Yale, on the former's grounds, Thanksgiving Day.

11/23/2015

The Bicycle Tournament at Springfield, Mass.

Perhaps the most successful bicycle tournament ever held in this country was that which opened at Springfield, Mass., on Tuesday, September 18th, 1883, and continued for three days.

9/29/2015

Yachting.

Yachting.

8/3/2015

Skating in Central Park.

Winter sports in the metropolis—a skating scene in Central Park.

2/9/2015

Belle Gordon.

9/29/2014

The Girls Have a New Game.

8/18/2014

Tennis.

7/14/2014

Tobogganing.

1/7/2014

Collegians at Football.

12/10/2013

The Last Dip of the Season.

Water witches who frolic with Neptune, no matter how cold his embrace.

9/3/2013

Baseball Animals.

Cigarette cards, 1880s, 1890s

5/14/2013

George Dixon’s Victory over Australian Billy.

2/26/2013

John L. Sullivan Saved by a Neck.

11/6/2012

A One Legged Baseball Club.

9/11/2012

Pretty Female Billiardists

1/3/2012
WILLIAM FALE
alias: BROOKS
HOTEL THIEF, SLEEPING-CAR WORKER

The Mysterious Fires at Bladenboro

"Philadelphia Inquirer," March 13, 1932, via Newspapers.comThis blog has featured several stories involving mysterious fires.  However, the most famous, and probably the most well-investigated, case of this sort took place in the town of Bladenboro, North Carolina, in 1932.One afternoon in February the family of Charles H. Williamson was sitting quietly in their parlor, the picture of Norman
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Strange Company - 9/1/2025

It’s Almost August

Stop by this week as we explore what happened the week before the murders, Emma and Lizzie’s getaway to Fairhaven and New Bedford, and new imagery which will help to tell the story. The pears are almost ripe, August 4th is coming fast, and thoughts begin to turn to that house on Second Street once again. Follow us at https://www.facebook.com/lizziebordenwarpsandwefts/ !
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Lizzie Borden: Warps and Wefts - 7/26/2025
Amen.

A two-letter Manhattan phone exchange spotted in Midtown: what does it stand for?

The East Midtown blocks in the shadow of Grand Central Terminal hold some fascinating relics of old New York City. Case in point is the phone number on this street-facing sign for an elevator emergency alarm at 7 East 43rd Street. “Call ST 6-4300” it reads. “ST” is another long-obsolete phone exchange, dating back to […]
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Ephemeral New York - 9/1/2025

1617: A miller of Manberna, the hangman’s last

Youth With Executioner by Nuremberg native Albrecht Dürer … although it’s dated to 1493, which was during a period of several years when Dürer worked abroad. November 13 [1617]. Burnt alive here a miller of Manberna, who however was lately … Continue reading →
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Executed Today - 11/13/2020

The East Liverpool Borgia.

Daniel Van Fossen and his wife hosted a dinner party for their extended family on January 8, 1885, at their home in East Liverpool, Ohio. Fourteen people were in attendance, including members of the Van Fossen, McBane, and Collins families. Coffee and Tea were served after the meal, and almost immediately, the coffee drinkers complained of a burning, bitter sensation in their throats. Soon, they
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Murder By Gaslight - 8/30/2025
On the Russians.

Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1883-84, St. Louis, San Francisco, Soapy arrested: Pages #22-23

Soapy Smith STAR NotebookPage 22 - Original copy 1884Courtesy of Geri Murphy(Click image to enlarge) oapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1883-84, St. Louis, San Francisco, Soapy arrested: Pages #22-23      This post is on page 22 and 23 of the "STAR" notebook. I am combining these two pages as they only account for a total of seven lines. They are not appearing to be a continuation of
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Soapy Smith's Soap Box - 8/27/2025

Convicts to Maryland, 1773 by Peter Dickson

  [Editor’s note: Guest writer, Peter Dickson, lives in West Sussex, England and has been working with microfilm copies of The Duncan Campbell Papers from the State Library of NSW, Sydney, Australia. The following are some of his analyses of what he has discovered from reading these papers. Dickson has contributed many transcriptions to the Jamaica […]
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Early American Crime - 2/7/2019
| "Beaneries"

Female Wrestling Match in Nevada.

Female-wrestlers

The sports of Virginia City are a gay lot, and as money is plenty out there, they enjoy life hugely. They wile the heavy hours away with horse racing, cock fighting, bucking the tiger, and other amusements characteristic of their class. The latest novelty gotten up by them was a female Graeco-Roman wrestling match The contestants were Miss Lillie and Miss Maud, two of the most beautifully formed ballet girls known to the local stage. Their backers were two well-known gamblers of the city, each enamored of the charms and believing in the skill of his favorite beauty. Tickets were only issued to the insiders, but the lucky ones saw rare sport. The girls were both in excellent condition, having been training three weeks. The match was for $1000, best two in three falls. After a spirited struggle of forty-five minutes Miss Lillie was declared the victor, having won two straight falls. There was a good deal of excitement, and a large amount of money changed bands on the result.

Illustrated Police News, April 18, 1876

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