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Posted by: Heather Thomas
On a peaceful Sunday in 1859 in the nation's capital, Congressman Daniel E. Sickles shot and killed U.S. District Attorney Philip Barton Key in broad daylight on Lafayette Square. The murder and subsequent trial captivated antebellum America and sparked nationwide debates about male honor, female virtue, insanity, and the rule of law.
Posted in: Crime, Digitized Newspapers, Newspapers
Posted by: Thomas Beheler
There are few couples who have made headlines in quite the same way as Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The two criminals are known for a series of bank robberies, murders, and kidnappings that took place between 1932 and 1934, the height of the Great Depression. Their romance has also been the inspiration for films, songs, and even a musical. Even during their lives they were the subject of fascination, and tens of thousands reportedly viewed their bodies as they lay at separate funeral homes.
Posted in: Biography, Crime, Digitized Newspapers, Newspapers
Posted by: Malea Walker
The following is a guest post by Arlene Balkansky. Arlene recently retired from being a librarian in the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room, and was a regular writer for Headlines and Heroes. The late 19th century was a time of great change and difficulty for Native Americans navigating challenges to their livelihoods and culture as …
Posted in: Crime, Digitized Newspapers, Native American History
Posted by: Heather Thomas
One hundred years ago, the world was a very different place. But many things from 1920 changed the course of history and, in a lot of ways, helped to shape the world we live in today.
Posted in: African American History, Baseball, Crime, Digitized Newspapers, Newspapers, Sports, Women's History
Posted by: Heather Thomas
Without a flicker of emotion, Russian aristocrat, Prince Felix Yussupov, declared on the witness stand that he killed Russia’s “Mad Monk,” Rasputin. Yussupov described in detail how he helped poison, shoot, beat, and drown him, as part of a larger conspiracy to murder the mystical “holy man,” who had gained powerful influence over the Imperial …
Posted in: Biography, Crime, Digitized Newspapers, Newspapers
Posted by: Heather Thomas
The infamous trials throughout the early 20th century provide great theater for the masses. A look at these trials gives a snapshot of the issues of class, wealth, status, and race that pervade the time period.
Posted in: Crime, Digitized Newspapers, Newspapers
Posted by: Heather Thomas
There are some cases that capture the public's imagination and cause a media frenzy. There's the political trials, which cover treason, spying, dissidents, and radicals. Celebrity trials that involve high-profile people, whether victims or defendants. And the "whodunit" trials that are surrounded in mystery. Whatever the case, 19th century America has its share of legendary trials that captivate the public interest and newspapers deliver all the sensational details.
Posted in: African American History, Crime, Digitized Newspapers, Newspapers, U.S. Presidents
Posted by: Heather Thomas
Gunfire erupts on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on March 1, 1954, when four Puerto Rican nationalists shoot at random from the spectators' galleries, shouting "Viva Puerto Rico libre!"--"Long live free Puerto Rico!" Five members of Congress are injured, one seriously.
Posted in: Crime, Digitized Newspapers, Hispanic American History, Newspapers
Posted by: Heather Thomas
One minute they’re here, the next they’re gone. The history of infamous kidnappings in America is long and stretches back centuries. In some cases, the missing are released and recovered alive, while others are not so lucky. Other disappearances remain unsolved. Cynthia Ann Parker May 19, 1836, Waco—The 9-year-old Texan girl is kidnapped by Comanche …
Posted in: Crime, Digitized Newspapers, Mystery, Newspapers