No. 635
Crime, Eccentricity, and the Sporting Life in 19th Century America.
December 2, 2023

Dan Creedon in Training.

June 4, 2013
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 "The Witches' Cove," Follower of Jan MandijnWelcome to the first Link Dump of December!The Strange Company HQ staffers are already starting on the Christmas parties.The "Shankhill Butchers."The history of Christmas puddings.In which we learn that Napoleon had planned to spend his retirement in New Orleans.  Oops.Vintage Christmas gift ideas.The adventures of a Victorian sailor boy.A
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Strange Company - 12/1/2023
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Soapy Smith in Leadville, ColoradoJuly 21, 1880Soapy and partner, rear, between carriagesCourtesy Kyle Rosene collection(Click image to enlarge) Soapy Smith's stereo-view photographLeadville, Colorado, July 21, 1880Where was it taken?WHERE IN LEADVILLE WAS THIS TAKEN?(Click image to enlarge)     Those who have read Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel may
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Soapy Smith's Soap Box - 9/14/2023
On a busy day in 1951, a hot dog vendor found himself captive to a hawker of cheap jewelry who set up shop across from his rickety food cart decorated with American flags. Horses still worked the side streets of the city. Stray dogs waited for food scraps to fall to the pavement. TV antennas […]
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Ephemeral New York - 11/27/2023
An article I recently wrote for the British online magazine, New Politic, is now available online. The article, “The Criminal Origins of the United States of America,” is about British convict transportation to America, which took place between the years 1718 and 1775, and is the subject of my book, Bound with an Iron Chain: […]
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Early American Crime - 12/17/2021
The morning of February 5, 1895, Dr. John E Rader was found murdered in the house of Mrs. Catherine McQuinn in Jackson, Kentucky. Catherine told police they were drinking whiskey with her paramour Tom Smith and when Tom passed out, Dr. Rader assaulted her. She shot him in self-defense. Catherine could have committed the murder; she was a rough, course woman with a bad reputation. But the
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Murder By Gaslight - 12/2/2023
On October 16, 1900, the Fall River Daily Herald reported an incident at Maplecroft. Lizzie took a tumble from a step ladder while adjusting a picture on the wall. Dr. Stephen Masury Gordon set the broken wrist. Dr. Gordon lived at 165 Rock St. and was a Harvard graduate. One has to wonder why Lizzie did not have one of the servants or her handy man doing the chore. Dr. Gordon
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Lizzie Borden: Warps and Wefts - 10/12/2023
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 engaged as a carrier of wine, because he and his brother, with the help of […]
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Executed Today - 11/13/2020
Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co. | Undercover Lunatic.

Dan Creedon in Training.

Dan Creedon in TrainingThe plucky Australian Middle-weight punches the bag at his quarters near St. Louis, Mo. [more]

Dan Creedon, whose portrait appears in this issue of the Police Gazette, is the middleweight champion of Australia, and s matched to fight Bob Fitzsimmons, middleweight champion of the world, at 154 pounds for $5,000 and the championship of the world in the Olympic Club, New Orleans. Creedon is a clever and scientific boxer, a hard hitter, and possesses great stamina. He has fought numerous battles in Australia, and came to this country with the title of middleweight champion. Since his arrival from Australia he has engaged in many glove contests—the most important one being with Alec Greggains of San Francisco. They fought for $9,000 at Roby, Ind., on Aug. 14 1893. Greggains had quite a reputation and many booked him to defeat Creedon. The latter displayed great generalship and tremendous hitting power and after fighting fifteen rounds, according to “Police Gazette” rules, in 55 minutes he knocked Greggains out. Creedon’s victory over Greggains gained him quite a reputation and Col. J. D. Hopkins the popular theatrical manager and backer, issued a challenge to back Creedon to fight Bob Fitzsimmons for $5,000 a side at the same time posting $500 forfeit. Fitzsimmons did not pay any attention to the challenge and Creedon gave up all hope of ever meeting the former until the present match was arranged. Creedon is now training near St. Louis, and from the latest advices form his backer he was in first-class condition and confident of winning.

 


Reprinted from The National Police Gazette, September 22, 1894.