No. 887
Crime, Eccentricity, and the Sporting Life in 19th Century America.
October 27, 2026

The Woman Racket.

Frail Beauties Enlisted in the Cause of Politicians.
October 27, 2026
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I’ve noticed that in recent years, Halloween decorations have grown increasingly macabre.  In my neighborhood, at least, grinning Jack o’lanterns and innocuous ghosts are being replaced by ghoulish skeletons (both human and animal,) gravestones, knife-wielding devils, and various other ugly monstrosities.  Last year, a house near me put in their yard such a revolting handmade display of
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Strange Company - 10/26/2026
  [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
"As his son I am proud of hisefforts to succeed in life"Jefferson Randolph Smith IIIArtifact #93-2Jeff Smith collection(Click image to enlarge) oapy's son hires a legal firm to stop the defamation of his father's name. At age 30, Jefferson Randolph Smith III, Soapy and Mary's oldest son, was protecting his father's legacy and his mother's reputation from "libel" and scandal. He was also
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Soapy Smith's Soap Box - 10/13/2025
This week, we feature a guest post by Don Everett Smith Jr., author of The Goffle Road Murders of Passaic County (History Press, 2011).   In a previous post on Murder by Gaslight, “Revisiting the Goffle Road Murders,” Don presented an excerpt from his book. This week’s post, “The Three Hangings, Lycoming County,” examines the 1880 murder of Andrew Miller in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
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Murder By Gaslight - 10/24/2026
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 Floor Falls Through,

The Woman Racket.

woman-racket

At the recent caucus Of political leaders held in New York state, previous to the recent convention at Utica, various modes of operating on the Grange were discussed, but the only feasible one and that finally adopted, which was proposed by a shrewd young New York politician of fast proclivities, was the "woman racket" "If," said the latter, in his somewhat flowery remarks in advocacy of the idea, "the charms of lovely women could so enthrall the gigantic intellect of our chief, Senator Conkling, can we doubt that they will have a moving effect upon the untutored minds of our rural friends?" "Yes," Interrupted a blunt but sound delegate from the agricultural districts, "but you know it wasn't their charms but a double-barreled shotgun with Gov. Sprague at the business end of it that had the 'moving effect' on the boss." "Order, order" was loudly called by several members.

While seated at their supper that night In Eames' Hotel. Hon. Timothy Hay and a fellow delegate both from the back counties were surprised by a vision of female loveliness. consisting of two magnificent looking and stylishly dressed women, who under the escort of our young New York politician, seated themselves at their table, apparently by accident an introduction followed, and it was not long before the New Yorker found an excuse to leave. That the remaining parties were immensely pleased with each other would have been the verdict of a casual looker-on, after the consumption of the sundry bottles of Monopole. half an hour later. Each delegate sought his room that night exultingly conscious of having achieved a conquest.


Illustrated Police News, March 27, 1880.