Tag: crime & punishment
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Haunting Mugshots: Criminal Faces of the 1900s
The early 20th century was a pivotal moment in the history of criminal justice, marked by the widespread adoption of “scientific” methods of identification and documentation. At the heart of this revolution was the mugshot. Far from being mere photographs, these stark, standardized portraits were the culmination of a movement to professionalize policing and create…
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The Assassination of King Alexander and French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou on the Streets of Marseilles, France on October 9, 1934. Video.
The Assassination of King Alexander and French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou on the Streets of Marseilles, France on October 9, 1934. “King Alexander and Louis Barthou, Shot Down in Streets of Marseilles by Revolutionists. Furious Spectators Batter Bulgarian Killer to Death As His Victims Die. Alexander Murdered” – “Universal Newsreel brings you the First Actual…
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The Murder of Elfrieda Knaak
Image: Police Officer Eugene Spaid examines shoes and a purse belonging to Elfrieda Knaak in the furnace room of the Lake Bluff police station, where she was found naked and burned on October 30, 1928. There were also signs of electrocution and head trauma.
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Henry Wirz, a Swiss Immigrant and the Commanding Officer of Andersonville Prisoner of War Camp in Georgia, is Hanged for the Murder of Union Soldiers Interned There During the American Civil War. November 10, 1865.
Image: The execution of Henry Wirz, commandant of the (Confederate) Andersonville Prison, near the US Capitol moments after the trap door was sprung. Washington, D.C. (Public Domain) On this day in history, November 10, 1865, Henry Wirz, a Swiss immigrant and the commanding officer of Andersonville prisoner of war camp in Georgia, is hanged for…
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Mary Jane Kelly, the Fifth and Final Victim of Victorian Serial Killer Jack the Ripper, Was Found Murdered on November 9, 1888.
Image: Police photograph of the murder scene of Mary Jane Kelly. (Public Domain) On this day in history, Mary Jane Kelly, the fifth and final victim of Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper, was found murdered on November 9, 1888. Mary Jane Kelly’s mutilated body was found on her bed in the room she rented…
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Public Enemy No. 1 Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd was Shot and Killed by Bureau of Investigation Officers in a Cornfield in East Liverpool, Ohio. October 22, 1934
Image: Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd (Public Domain) On this day in history, October 22, 1934, Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd was shot and killed by multiple gunshots by Bureau of Investigation officers in a cornfield in East Liverpool, Ohio. Floyd, Public Enemy No.1 since the death of fellow gangster John Dillinger on July 22, 1934, who…
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Ronald DeFeo Jr. Went on Trial for Slaughtering his Parents and Four Brothers and Sisters in their Amityville, New York, Home. The Event Was the Inspiration for the Amityville Horror Books & Movies. October 14, 1975.
Image: Mugshot taken of Ronald DeFeo, taken following his arrest. (Public Domain) On this day in history, October 14, 1975, Ronald DeFeo Jr. went on trial for slaughtering his parents and four brothers and sisters in their Amityville, New York, home. The family’s house was afterward thought to be haunted and provided the idea for…
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President William McKinley is Shot and Injured at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, New York. September 6, 1901.
Image: Leon Czolgosz shoots President McKinley with a revolver concealed under a cloth rag. (Wikimedia Commons.) On this day in history, President William McKinley is shaking hands and greeting visitors at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, New York, when a 28-year-old anarchist named Leon Czolgosz walks up to him and fires two shots into his…
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History Daily: August 31
JACK THE RIPPER KILLS FIRST VICTIM Image: “With the Vigilance Committee in the East End: A Suspicious Character” from The Illustrated London News, 13 October 1888. (Wikimedia Commons.) On August 31, 1888, prostitute Mary Ann Nichols, the first known victim of the English serial killer “Jack the Ripper,” was murdered and mutilated in the Whitechapel…
History Daily With Francis Chappell Black 