No. 636
Crime, Eccentricity, and the Sporting Life in 19th Century America.
December 6, 2023

A Terrible Scare.

July 8, 2014
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Via Newspapers.comWhile I can’t say I’d like to have a ghost move into my residence, I’d make an exception for one that’s willing to take over the housekeeping.  The “Cincinnati Enquirer,” March 21, 1891:Mechanicsburg, Ohio. March 20. Of late years this section of territory has been fortunate in escaping the visitations of ghosts, but it appears that one has recently been stalking about.Mr.
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Strange Company - 12/6/2023
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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
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
Through most of the 20th century, they could be found all over the city: on street corners, in hotels, drugstores, and restaurants, inside schools, libraries, train stations, and other public buildings. But it’s been at least a few decades since cell phones arrived and the lowly coin-operated pay phone was relegated to history’s dustbin. So […]
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Ephemeral New York - 12/4/2023
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
Via Newspapers.comWhile I can’t say I’d like to have a ghost move into my residence, I’d make an exception for one that’s willing to take over the housekeeping.  The “Cincinnati Enquirer,” March 21, 1891:Mechanicsburg, Ohio. March 20. Of late years this section of territory has been fortunate in escaping the visitations of ghosts, but it appears that one has recently been stalking about.Mr.
More...
Strange Company - 12/6/2023
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
More...
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
Tennis. | Independence Day in the Country.

A Terrible Scare.

Lunatic

A lunatic makes his escape from confinement and employs his energies in divesting ladies of their hair; Louisville, Ky.[more]

Three Young Ladies Frightened by a Lunatic.


At Louisville the other evening about seven o’clock a well-dressed young man, about eighteen years old, made his appearance on Preston street, between Jefferson and Green, and suddenly started after a lady walking along the pavement with a baby in her arms. The lady ran, and he pursued her across the street, where she entered her gate. The villain or madman, as it was unable to decide at the time, then ran across to the west side of the street and started in pursuit of three young ladies, who were coming down the street. The ladies ran screaming until they reached a three-foot alley between Mr. Peter Stark’s house and an adjoining saloon. They ran to the back end of the ally, and into the saloon. The man rushed in right on their heels, and grabbed one of the young ladies by the hair, threw her violently on the floor. In almost an instant, however, Mr. Stark and the gentleman in charge of the saloon, attracted by the screams of the terrified girls, ran in and caught the lunatic by the arms and released the prostrate lady. She was almost frightened to death, and could hardly walk or speak. The two gentlemen started to the First street station house with the young man, but met Officers Ryan and Darling on the way, who took charge of the captive and conveyed him to the station where he gave his name as Youse, a false name. A short while afterward his brother, who had heard of the occurrence, came to the station house and informed the officers that the young man was non compos mentis and irresponsible for his actions.


Reprinted from The National Police Gazette, October23, 1880.