No. 693
Crime, Eccentricity, and the Sporting Life in 19th Century America.
March 10, 2025

Crooks at the Capitol.

Noted Criminals Collared Inauguration Week.
February 26, 2025
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 Welcome!  Our hosts for this week's Link Dump will be two members of the crack Strange Company HQ research team.A notorious Appalachian murder.A look at glacial archaeology.An examination of a musical conspiracy theory.The long-unsolved disappearance of three small boys.And here is your unparalleled opportunity to view the contents of an ostrich's stomach.The Case of the Disappearing
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Strange Company - 3/7/2025
Included in yesterday’s trip to Fall River was a stop at Miss Lizzie’s Coffee shop and a visit to the cellar to see the scene of the tragic demise of the second Mrs. Lawdwick Borden and two of the three little children in 1848. I have been writing about this sad tale since 2010 and had made a previous trip to the cellar some years ago but was unable to get to the spot where the incident occured to get a clear photograph.  The tale of Eliza Borden is a very sad, but not uncommon story of post partum depression with a heartrending end. You feel this as you stand in the dark space behind the chimney where Eliza ended her life with a straight razor after dropping 6 month old Holder and his 3 year old sister Eliza Ann into the cellar cistern. Over the years I have found other similar cases, often involving wells and cisterns, and drownings of children followed by suicides of the mothers. These photos show the chimney, cistern pipe, back wall, dirt and brick floor, original floorboards forming the cellar ceiling and what appears to be an original door. To be in the place where this happened is a sobering experience. My thanks to Joe Pereira for allowing us to see and record the place where this sad occurrence unfolded in 1848. R.I.P. Holder, Eliza and Eliza Ann Borden. Visit our Articles section above for more on this story. The coffee shop has won its suit to retain its name and has plans to expand into the shop next door and extend its menu in the near future.
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Lizzie Borden: Warps and Wefts - 2/12/2024
(Click image to enlarge) ce Box Murphy Did He Exist?Anyone reading my book, Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel, and this blog, might have wondered why I have not included the history of the soap gang member, “Ice Box” Murphy. The early biographies introduced me to Murphy, whose story was also included in most of the later biographies and articles. Today, many writers repeat
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Soapy Smith's Soap Box - 3/6/2025
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
 A driverless horse and wagon wandered aimlessly in the prairie between Fort Gibson and Tahlequah in Indian Territory on December 3, 1883. Jim Merrill heard the wagon come up to his front gate and went out to investigate. In the bed of the wagon, he found the body of Arch Casey with a large bullet hole in his left breast. The wagon tracks were clearly visible in the dirt. They followed a
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Murder By Gaslight - 3/8/2025
When Ashcan School painter William Glackens created this 1900 image of a group of shop girls moving with energy and vitality along a New York sidewalk, the concept of the working young woman was nothing new. Shopgirls specifically emerged in the second half of the 19th century with the rise of consumerism, the garment industry, […]
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Ephemeral New York - 3/3/2025
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
Night on the Docks. | Concert Saloons Changed to Skating Rinks.

Crooks at the Capitol.

Crooks

Crooks collared at the National Capital during inauguration week

Noted professionals who obtained places in the "Rogues Gallery" at Washington, D. C., March 3-4-5.

Fifty-one noted professional crooks of various grades were taken in custody in Washington, D. C., during inauguration week. Some of them were arrested and merely held in custody until the inauguration ceremonies were over. Those against whom no definite charges were made were then placed on trains and run out of the city. The NEWS presents in this number the portraits of the most important.

Details of the collared crooks.

William Vosberg, an old thief and pickpocket, was arrested March 4 by Officer McTaggart, of the 6th precinct, for picking a gentleman's pocket of $123. He was held by Judge Snell, of police court, for the grand jury, and has recently been indicted. Is out on $500 bail. Is well known in New York.

William Baker, alias Barrick, William Edmonds and William S. Reynolds, bunco men from New York, were seen on F street, March 4, by Detectives Carter and Cox, and arrested before they had an opportunity to work their game. They were held until the crowd was out of the city, and then sent off on the train.

John Gardiner, a swindler, was arrested by Officer Lee, of the 6th precinct, for representing himself as the agent of a Philadelphia publishing house, and collecting subscriptions for a paper called the "Musician," when in fact no such paper is published in Philadelphia. He was tried on a number of charges of petit larceny and sentenced to the district jail for three years.

John Hanrahan, alias Boston Jack; Dan Morgan, alias Jack Manderfield; J. C. Moore and James McGlue were arrested and held until the inauguration ceremonies were over and the crowds dispersed from the city. Their photographs were taken and they were then sent away from the city on trains.

Charles Hallert, alias Red Hyle, alias Cincinnati Red, is an expert hotel thief. He was arrested March 6, by Detectives Raff and Block, on suspicion of having robbed the American House, the St. James and the Metropolitan hotels on the 4th of March. He was committed for trial. When the case was called the witnesses had left the city, one having gone to Kansas and the other to Texas. He turned up most of the articles stolen, and was released.

Charley Williams, alias Shane Campbell, was Red Heyl's companion, and is widely known as a professional pickpocket and all-around thief.

Harry Hoffman, alias Carl Schultz, was arrested by Detectives Edelin and Mattingly, March 12. Hoffman was arrested in Washington ten years ago for hotel robbery, and got three years. His reappearance was noticed by the detectives above named, who arrested him on the street on suspicion. It was found that he had a room at an obscure lodging and also a room at a prominent hotel. The description of a fine overcoat worn by Hoffman was telegraphed to neighboring cities. The Baltimore authorities answered that Hoffman had robbed a room in a hotel of that city, getting clothing, money and a certificate of deposit for $3000. He is a fine musician and is fond of playing the piano in the evening at the first class houses of prostitution. He is 40 years old, 5 feet 8 3-4 inches high, has dark brown hair, long,. light brown moustache, weighs 165 pounds, and was born in Prussia. On plea of guilty he was, sent to the Maryland penitentiary for three years.

The descriptions of the above named are as follows:

William Vosburg, alias Thomas Lee, pickpocket and general thief, 55 years old, 5 feet 10 inches high, weighs 165 pounds, brown eyes, smooth face. Arrested by Officer McTaggert.

William Baker, alias Barrick, bunko man, 30 years old, born in New York, can read and write, height 6 feet 8 1-2 inches, weighs 140 pounds, has light hair, blue eyes, fair complexion. Arrested by Detective Carter.

William Edwards, alias "The Doctor," bunko man, age 35, can read and write, was formerly a Boston crook, is stout built, weighs 160 pounds, has brown hair, dark eyes, full face, medium. complexion. Arrested by Detective Carter.

William S. Reynolds, alias Raymond, bunko man, age 35, can read and write, height 5 feet 8 inches, weighs 160 pounds, has dark hair, dark eyes, full face.

John Gardiner, swindler and confidence man, age 46, height 5 feet 61-2 inches, weighs 200 pounds, has black hair, brown eyes, full face. Arrested by Officer Lee.

John Hanrahan, alias Boston Jack, pickpocket and confidence man, age 40, height 5 feet 7 inches, full dark whiskers, mixed with gray, heavy built, has one leg crippled with rheumatism. Arrested by Detective Carter.

Dan Morgan, alias Jack Manderfield, pickpocket. Age 40, can read and write, height 5 feet 8 inches, weighs 135 pounds, has dark hair, hazel eyes, dark complexion. Arrested by Detective Carter. Hails from Philadelphia.

J. C. Moore, alias Skinner, burglar and pickpocket. Age 47, height 5 feet 9 inches, weighs 160 pounds, bald-headed, has blue eyes, dark complexion. Arrested by Detectives Raff and Block. He has holes in his ears for ear-rings.

James McGlue, film-flam worker and confidence man. Age 27, height 5 feet 8 inches, weighs 150 pounds, has dude hair, eyes and complexion. Arrested by Detectives Edelin and Mattingly. He sometimes wears full whiskers.

Charles Hallert, alias Red Heyl, alias Cincinnati Red. Age 19, height 5 feet 6 inches, has short side-whiskers, light red hair, florid complexion, and weighs 153 pounds. Arrested by Detectives Raff and Block.

Charley Williams, alias Shane Campbell, pickpocket. Age 30, born in Cincinnati, has light brown hair, blue eyes, fair complexion. Arrested by Detectives Raff and Block.

Harry Hoffman, alias Charles Schultz, hotel thief. Age 90, born in Germany, can read and write, height 5 feet 8 3.4 inches, dark brown hair.. Arrested by Detectives Edelin and Mattingly.


Illustrated Police News, April 25, 1885.