HAPPY HALLOWEEN

If you go trick or treating tonight, watch out for zombies. They're everywhere!

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"What an excellent day for an exorcism."

-Demon (voice of Mercedes McCambridge), The Exorcist (1973)

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 29, 1964

On this date in 1964, Jack "Murph the Surf" Murphy and his crew pulled off the largest (at the time) jewel heist in US history. Murphy and Alan Kuhn broke into the American Museum of Natural History in New York, while accomplice Roger Clark waited in the getaway car and acted as lookout.

When Murphy and Kuhn broke in, the alarm didn't sound. It had been turned off to save electricity. They broke into several display cases and stole a number of gems. One of the cases--the one containing the Star of India Sapphire--had a separate, battery-powered alarm. Murphy and Kuhn didn't realize this until they had already started cutting the glass. They went ahead and finished the job anyway. No alarm sounded. It had a dead battery, as it turned out. A sudden sound in the corridor surprised the thieves, and they beat feet out of the museum.

The crew made tracks for Miami with their swag. The haul of 24 gems included the Star of India, which at 563 carats was the largest sapphire in the world (valued at $410k in 1964). They also stole the Delong Ruby (100 carats), the Eagle Diamond (14 carats), and the Midnight Sapphire.

Once the boys got back to Miami, it was party time. The celebration was short lived. Like most thieves, their plan for the heist was better than their plan for the getaway. The police got a tip from a suspicious bellhop who noticed that they were suddenly flush after a short trip out of town. The cops arrested them 24 hours after the burglary. They say the best parties always seem to end too soon.

The Star of India, the Delong Ruby, and some of the other stolen gems were eventually recovered. The Eagle Diamond was among several that never were. I guess that's the price you pay for shutting off the building alarm and using cheap batteries in the display case alarm.

Further reading:

Wikipedia article on Jack Murphy

Archived Court TV article on the heist

Murph the Surf, a movie about the heist

Murph the Surf website

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 28, 1919

On this date in 1919, the US Congress overrode President Woodrow Wilson's veto and passed the Volstead Act, which banned alcohol and ushered in the era known as Prohibition. Now that was a crime.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 27, 1994

On this date in 1994, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released a report that showed that the U.S. prison population had exceeded one million for the first time.  The number, which included those incarcerated in state and federal prisons, was more than double the prison population in 1984.

Further reading:

Albany Times Union - LOCK 'EM UP, LOOK IT UP: 1 MILLION BEHIND BARS

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is actress Charlize Theron, star of the classic movie Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest, as well as a bunch of other movies. Oh, and she won like an Oscar, or something.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY:OCTOBER 26, 1881

On this date in 1881, the feud that had been brewing between the Earps and the Cowboys came to a head in Tombstone, AZ. Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp, along with their friend Doc Holliday, confronted Ike and Billy Clanton, Tom and Frank McClaury, and Billy Claiborne in a lot next to the OK Corral. Ike Clanton (who was unarmed) and Billy Claiborne fled the scene unscathed. Billy Clanton and the McClaury brothers stayed and shot it out with Holliday and the Earps. The gunfight lasted maybe 30 seconds, and when it was over, two of the Earps (Morgan and Virgil) and Doc Holliday were wounded, and Billy Clanton and the McClaury brothers were dead.

Further reading:

My 2007 blog post on the gunfight (with pictures from my trips to Tombstone)

The Notorious Clanton Gang

Wikipedia: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

OK Corral Famous Gunfight Site

Wyatt Earp's Testimony Re: The Gunfight at the OK Corral

Law Buzz: SHOOT-OUT AT THE OK CORRAL

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 25, 1957

On this day in 1957, mob chieftain Albert Anastasia was gunned down while getting a haircut in New York City. Anastasia, born Umberto Anastasio in Calabria, Italy, was head of what would come to be know as the Gambino crime family. His resume also included being "Lord High Executioner" of the mob hit squad that had been dubbed Murder, Inc.

On the morning of October 25th, Anastasia arrived at the Park Sheraton hotel to get a haircut. After he sat down in the barber chair, his bodyguard conveniently went for a stroll. Minutes later, two gunmen walked into the barber shop and shot Anastasia several times. The killers walked out the door and disappeared into mid-morning traffic.

The killers were never caught, and several of Anastasia's former allies--including his underboss, Carlo Gambino--were thought to be behind the hit. The Park Sheraton, back when it was known as the Park Central, was the place where gambler Arnold Rothstein (architect of the 1919 Black Sox scandal) was murdered in 1928.

Further reading:

Gambino.com - Albert Anastasia

FBI - Albert Anastasia

Mr. Murder - Albert Anastasia (1902-1957)

Utica Observer-Dispatch (October 25, 1957) - Killers Cut Down Albert Anastasia In Barber's Chair

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY:OCTOBER 23, 1935

On this date in 1935, Arthur "Dutch Schultz" Flegenheimer and three members of his crew were shot in the Palace Chophouse Restaurant in Newark, NJ. Word on the street was the hit on the Dutchman was ordered after he asked NYC mob chieftains for permission to kill prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey (he's the guy who did NOT defeat Harry S. Truman in the 1948 Presidential election). Schultz and his henchmen were taken to a hospital, where they all later died of their wounds. Schultz was reportedly worth about $7 million when he died, but no money was ever found. Rumor had it that Dutch and his bodyguard buried a waterproof safe somewhere in upstate NY.  I haven't found it yet, but I'm still looking.

Further reading:

FBI History - Arthur Flegenheimer

GANGSTER CITY PROFILES - Dutch Schultz

J-Grit - Dutch Schultz - Jewish Gangster

Wikipedia - Dutch Schultz

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"This is the AK-47 assault rifle, the preferred weapon of your enemy; and it makes a distinctive sound when fired at you, so remember it."

-Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway (Clint Eastwood), Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 22, 1934

On this date in 1934, notorious outlaw Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was shot and killed in eastern Ohio.  According to the FBI version of the incident, Floyd was shot by agents as he jumped from a car and drew a .45 pistol.  Another version has it that he was shot and wounded by East Liverpool, OH police sharpshooter Chester Smith, and that FBI agents executed Floyd after briefly questioning him.  At the risk of appearing to be a victim of J. Edgar Hoover's propaganda machine, I'm inclined to believe the FBI version.  But I guess we'll never know for sure.


Further reading:

FBI Famous Cases: Kansas City Massacre - Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd

truTV - CHARLES ARTHUR FLOYD: 'PRETTY BOY' FROM COOKSON HILLS

Wikipedia - Pretty Boy Floyd 

A VOICE FROM THE PAST

Have you seen that commercial by Goldline with former US Mint Director Jay Johnson. I've seen it a lot lately, including at least once today. Every time I see it, it makes me think of another Mr. Johnson. Anybody remember this guy, from the old Miller Lite commercials?



I always wondered what happened to that guy. Looks like he's still alive and kicking, he's just not doing commercials these days. His real name is Bill Saluga, by the way.

On a side note, former US Mint Director Jay Johnson--who is still doing commercials--is apparently not alive and kicking. As it turns out, he passed away last weekend.

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is actress Erica Durance.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 19, 1982

On this date in 1982, maverick auto executive John Z. DeLorean was arrested at a hotel near the Los Angeles airport.  DeLorean was charged in connection with a $24 million cocaine transaction that he took part in to save his failing company. (Rumors that the $24 million in cocaine were needed to generate the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity it takes to travel through time are, to this day, unconfirmed.)  DeLorean maintained that he had been entrapped by an informant working for the FBI.  The jury agreed, and Delorean was acquitted (even though his defense team had called no witnesses).  His business, DeLorean Motors, wasn't so fortunate.  The British government, which had partnered with DeLorean in the venture, shut it down in November of 1982. 

John DeLorean died of a stroke in 2005 at the age of 80.

Further reading:

Wikipedia - John DeLorean

The Citizen, Auburn, NY (October 20, 1982)  - DeLorean faces cocaine charges

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 17, 1931

On this date in 1931, Chicago mob boss Al Capone was convicted in federal court on charges of income tax evasion. Judge James H. Wilkerson surprised Capone and his attorneys by passing a sentence of eleven years in prison, about double the usual sentence for similar crimes. In addition, he assessed $150,000 in fines and court costs against Capone. Adding insult to injury, the judge denied Capone's motion to stay out of prison while his appeal was in the works. Capone was on a train to Leavenworth prison a week after his conviction. He would not make parole until late 1939.

Further reading:

Binghamton Press, October 24, 1931 - Al Capone Gets 11 Years, Must Pay $150,000

truTV - Al Capone

Mario Gomes - My Al Capone Museum

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"Allow myself to introduce... myself."

-Austin Powers (Mike Myers), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 14, 1912

On this date in 1912, New York saloon keeper John F. Schrank shot former President Teddy Roosevelt in Milwaukee, WI.  Roosevelt, who was running for president on the Bull Moose party ticket, was in Milwaukee to give a speech.  Prior to the speech, he had dinner with advisers at the Hotel Gilpatrick.  As he left the hotel, supporters waiting outside cheered him.  Also waiting for the former president was John Schrank, armed and ready for action.  As Roosevelt turned and waved to the crowd before getting into his car, Schrank aimed a pistol at Roosevelt's head.  Just before he pulled the trigger, a spectator named Adam Bittner struck Schrank's arm, spoiling his aim.  The bullet struck Roosevelt in the chest, hitting a glasses case and a fifty page speech before lodging in the former president's body.

The crowd pounced on Schrank and began pummeling him.  The beating continued until Roosevelt stood up and implored the crowd to show mercy to the man.  The police arrived and took Schrank into custody.  Roosevelt eschewed a trip to the hospital, and vowed to give his speech "if it's the last thing on earth I do."  Roosevelt arrived at the Milwaukee Auditorium several minutes later and gave his speech to 10,000 supporters, the bullet still lodged in his chest.  Roosevelt eventually lost the election, coming in second to Woodrow Wilson.  The incumbent, Republican William Howard Taft, came in third; the only incumbent president ever to do so.  The bullet remained lodged in Roosevelt's body for the rest of his life (on the lower left in the x-ray photo above).

John Schrank, who claimed the assassination attempt was done per the instructions of the ghost of President William McKinley, was (unsurprisingly) declared insane.  He spent the rest of his life in mental institutions.  He died of natural causes in 1943 at the Central State Mental Hospital in Waupun, Wisconsin.


Further reading:

Classic Wisconsin - John Schrank

Wikipedia - John Flammang Schrank

Wikipedia - Theodore Roosevelt

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe if former WWE Diva and Survivor contestant Ashley Massaro. You can check out more pictures of Ashley over at Maxim's website (Link).

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME

This looks like a great gift idea for that hard-to-buy-for person on your Christmas list.  From The Sun:

Jackson's burnt hair up for sale

Singed strands of Michael Jackson's hair that were burned in a Pepsi advert are coming up for sale.

They were collected by Ralph Cohen, the executive producer of the commercial, who took off his coat to put the flames out on the singer's head.

Jackson was said to have never fully recovered from the second degree burns and an autopsy reportedly showed he was almost bald.

The hair was preserved after the accident in 1984 by Mr Cohen and the 12 strands are clearly singed.

I'll start scraping my pennies together tonight.  I'm sure I can find enough spare change in my couch cushions to cover it.  If that doesn't work out, I can always skip a mortgage payment or something.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 11, 1923

On this date in 1923, twin brothers Ray and Roy DeAutremont, and their younger brother Hugh, committed the last great train robbery in the United States. The robbery started when the brothers hid in a railroad tunnel outside Siskiyou, OR. As the Southern Pacific Gold Special passed through the tunnel, they jumped onto the train and made their way to the engine. After forcing the engineer to stop the train, they planted a bomb on the mail car to open the door. The bomb, which was more powerful than they expected, blew the car to pieces, killing the mail clerk inside.

Once they concluded that the robbery was a total failure, the brothers fled into the woods. Before they left, they shot and killed the engineer, the fireman, and the conductor, leaving no witnesses who could identify the robbers.

The police investigation, with the assistance of early forensic science pioneer Dr. Edward Heinrich, quickly identified the perpetrators. Tracking them down, however, would prove a bit more daunting.

The brothers figured that their chances of escape would improve if they split up. Roy and Ray went their separate ways, eventually meeting up in Ohio, where they got jobs working under assumed names. Hugh's escape was slightly more creative. He started out by joining one of the posses that was searching for the robbers. After riding with them for a few days, he quit the posse. He then joined the US Army under an assumed name, and was eventually posted in the Philippines. He was shipped back to the United States in 1927, after an Army buddy saw a wanted poster and recognized his friend "James Price" as Hugh DeAutrement. Roy and Ray were arrested a short time later when one of the co-workers had a similar revelation.

After two trials (the first ended in a mistrial) Hugh was convicted of four counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison. His older brothers, seeing what was in store for them, pled guilty and received similar sentences.

Hugh DeAutrement was diagnosed with cancer while in prison. He was paroled in 1958 and died in ealry 1959. Roy went insane while in prison. He was transferred to a mental hospital, where he was given a lobotomy. He died of cancer while in the mental hospital. Ray DeAutrement, who had been described as a model prisoner, was paroled in 1961, on the anniversary of the robbery. His sentence was commuted by the govrnor of Oregon in 1971. He died in 1984, at the age of 84.


Further reading:

The Last Great Train Robbery

The Last Oregon Train Robbery

Smithsonian Channel - THE D'AUTREMONT TRAIN ROBBERY

Wikipedia - DeAutremont Brothers

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"Where you been all your lives, at an orgy?  Listening to Mick Jagger music and bad-mouthing your country, I'll bet."

-Gunnery Sergeant Foley (Louis Gossett Jr.), An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 8, 2004

On this date in 2004, domestic diva Martha Stewart reported to the Alderson Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, WV where she became inmate number 55170-054.  Alderson, also known as "Camp Cupcake," had previously been home to jazz great Billie Holiday, World War II propaganda queens Axis Sally and Tokyo Rose, and would-be presidential assassins Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme and Sara Jane Moore.

Stewart, who had been convicted of four counts of obstruction, was paroled on March 4, 2005, an event she would doubtless describe as "a good thing!"


Further reading:

USBOP - Inmate Locator

CNN - Stewart convicted on all charges

Wikipedia - Alderson Federal Prison Camp

Wikipedia - Martha Stewart

DO CELL PHONES MAKE YOU STUPID?

I'm starting to believe that the answer to that question may be yes.  Yesterday afternoon, I was on the elevator at work when it stopped at a floor below mine to pick someone up.  The doors opened, and there stood a disheveled-looking guy with a cell phone pressed to his ear.  "I'm getting on an elevator, I might lose you," he said.  Apparently the call was too important to hang up until he was finished with his elevator ride, but not important enough that he could afford to wait for the next elevator so he could finish the call.  He stepped on the elevator and the doors closed behind him.  He kept blabbing away on the phone, so apparently he didn't lose his signal.

The elevator stopped a couple floors below and another guy got on.  He stood at the front of the elevator, near the doors.  Phone Guy kept yakking away until the elevator got to the ground floor.  When the doors opened, Phone Guy, still jabbering on the idiot box, charged toward the doors and ran right into the other guy.  The guy turned and looked at him.  Phone Guy backed up as if to let the other guy go first.  So the guy started to exit the elevator again when Phone Guy charged off the elevator, sideswiping the other guy as he got off.  The other guy turned and looked at me with a "Can you believe this?" look on his face.  I just smiled and shook my head.

As I got off the elevator, I heard Phone Guy shouting into his cell, "Hello?  Hello?  Hello?"  Must have lost his signal.  What a shame.  Dimwit.

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is Italian model, dancer, and TV personality Elisabetta Gregoraci.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 5, 1892

On this date in 1892, members of the Dalton gang--Bob, Emmet and Grat Dalton, Dick Broadwell, and Bill Power--rode into the town of Coffeyville, KS.  Their mission: a spectacular double bank robbery.  It was a great plan, but for two serious miscalculations.  The first being that Coffeyville was the hometown of the Dalton boys.  In spite of attempts to disguise themselves, they were recognized when they entered the banks.  The second miscalculation involved the tolerance of the local population for bank robbery (they had none), and the lengths they would go to in thwarting would-be bank robbers.  Said lengths involved guns, lots of guns.

The townsfolk armed themselves and confronted the Daltons as the gang emerged from the banks.  After a fierce gun battle, four of the townspeople lay dead.  As for the gang, four of the five were killed, leaving a wounded Emmet as the lone survivor. After being tried and convicted, Emmet Dalton was sentenced to life in prison.  His sentence was commuted in 1907.  He moved to California, where he wrote a book and even acted in a few Hollywood movies.  He died in 1937 at the age of 66.

Further reading:

Historynet - Dalton Gang's Raid on Coffeyville

EyeWitness to History.com - The Dalton Gang's Last Raid, 1892

Gunslinger.com - The Dalton Gang

Emmett Dalton - His Life After the Coffeyville Raid

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"

-Captain Renault (Claude Raines), Casablanca (1942)

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: OCTOBER 1, 1910

On this date in 1910, a bomb was detonated in an alley next to the Los Angeles Times building in Los Angeles, CA.  The bomb, which was planted by labor union activists who were angry at the paper's anti-union editorial policies, was set to go off when the building was empty.  A faulty timer resulted in an early detonation.  A faulty placement of the device--right over a gas line--resulted in a fire that ultimately destroyed the entire building, and the building next door.  In all, 21 people were killed.

The police investigation of the bombing quickly hit a dead, leading city officials to hire private investigator William J. Burns to track down the guilty parties.  Burns, who was already investigating other bombings believed to be union-related, incorporated the case into his ongoing investigation.  Based on information from spies that Burns had planted in the unions, as well as eyewitness testimony, Burns identified the guilty parties as brothers J.B. and J.J. McNamara, and Ortie McManigal, who were all labor union officials.  In April 1911, McManigal and J.B. McNamara were arrested in a hotel in Detroit.  They were found in possession of suitcases that contained blasting caps, dynamite, and alarm clocks.  After a grueling (and probably unconstitutional) interrogation, Burns got McManigal to agree to turn state's evidence.  A warrant was obtained for the arrest of J.J. McNamara.  He was arrested several days later at an executive board meeting of the Iron Workers Union.

National labor leaders condemned the arrests as a frame job.  The union tried to hire famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow to defend the men.  Darrow initially declined due to his failing health, but was eventually convinced to take the case by labor organizer Samuel Gompers. 

Darrow quickly realized that the police had a fair amount of evidence against the McNamaras, including the testimony of McManigal, who was not being charged in the case.  He eventually convinced the brothers to plead guilty in order to avoid death sentences.  J.B. McNamara was sentenced to life in prison.  J.J. McNamara got 15 years.  J.B. died in prison in March 1941.  Upon his release, J.J. went back to work for the Iron Workers Union as an organizer.  He died in Butte, MT, two months after his brother's death.

Further reading:

Bombing of the Los Angeles Times

USC Library - The Bombing of the Los Angeles Times

Wikipedia - Los Angeles Times bombing

Wikipedia - William J. Burns