No. 404
Crime, Eccentricity, and the Sporting Life in 19th Century America.
February 18, 2019

Another Fool with a Gun.

Mattie Salter killed by her brother, who didn’t know it was loaded, Sandersville, Ga.
February 18, 2019
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Fashion's Fillies. | The Rejected Valentine.

Another Fool with a Gun.

counterfeiters Notwithstanding the extreme hazards involved, in these days of sharp detective service, the factitious business of manufacturing counterfeit money seems to keep a greater or less number of "crooks " at work almost continually. The latest capture in this line was accomplished in Brooklyn, upon the night of Thursday. December 27th, by Special Operative John P. Brooks, of the U. S. Secret Service force, who surprised three men in the act of turning out a rather poor imitation of the silver dollar. Some of the base coins were red hot in the molds, while the crucible, battery, milling - tools, and other paraphernalia, were in active employment in the hands of Messrs. Green, Cassidy and Kenney, the three men who constituted the gang. The two former are old offenders, both having recently completed terms in the Penitentiary for counterfeiting. The dollars turned out by their counterfeit-factory, upon the top floor of a tenement in Pearl Street, Brooklyn, where they were arrested, had been in circulation in Brooklyn for two or three months past. Mr. Brooks traced up their source, and planned the raid so successfully, that when the doors were burst in by the police the crooked alchemists were completely surprised, and surrendered without resistance.


Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, January 12, 1889.

Disguising Nature

Society’s male darlings “making up” their faces for the purpose of “looking pretty” to their addlepated female counterparts; Saratoga, N. Y. [more]

Fashionable: And new we are told some of the fashionable young men at Saratoga and other watering places not only powder their faces, but that they actually paint. That they wear corsets has long been admitted. How far this aping of femininity is to extend it is hard to say; but we hope the young men will stop it before they actually become mothers.


Reprinted from National Police Gazette, September 25, 1880.

Fool With a Gun

Mattie Salter killed by her brother, who didn’t know it was loaded, Sandersville, Ga.

Miss Mattie Salter died recently at her home, two miles east of Sandersville, Ga. From the effects of a rifle ball fired by her brother. John Salter had come in to dinner, bringing a loaded rifle, which he laid on a bed. After finishing dinner, he picked up the rifle, pointed it at his sister, who was in an adjoining room, told her to look out and pulled the trigger.

The ball entered behind the ear and lodged in her head. She suffered intense pain and for several days had been in an unconscious condition. Her vitality was remarkable, considering the serious ness of the wound. Salter stated that he did not know the rifle was cocked. No coroner’s inquest was held, as her death was caused by accident and the act of her brother was simply carelessness.


Reprinted from National Police Gazette, December 9, 1893.