Historical Crime By Chris Bunton I have been traveling sections of The Great River Road for many years now. It is a road that goes along the Mississippi River on both sides, and is full of beautiful sites of history and culture. I recently went to Alton, Illinois which is on the Great River Road,Continue reading “True Crime: The First Prison in Illinois”
Tag Archives: Historical Crime
Forget it, Jake. It’s Schenectady
By David Bushman (An excerpt from David’s upcoming true-crime book about one of the most notorious police corruption scandals in NY State history, and very loosely the basis for the 2012 film ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’) *** Chapter 15: Willy Sometime between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m. on the overcast day of Saturday, October 6,Continue reading “Forget it, Jake. It’s Schenectady”
The Last Drop
By Steve Saulsbury The baby has been ill, Richard was told. He worried throughout the weekend. Then on Tuesday, he told Anna, “I will pick the boy up tonight.” That evening he went to the bakery. Anna was working the late shift. Richard hunched at the counter, attempting to joke. He was close to theContinue reading “The Last Drop”
The Kansas City Massacre
By Chris Bunton Frank Nash was being escorted through Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. He had escaped from Leavenworth Prison on October 19th, 1930. He had been serving a 25 year sentence for assaulting a mail employee. It took 3 years to capture him after his escape. The FBI tracked him to Hot Springs,Continue reading “The Kansas City Massacre”
Meet the Medieval Mafia #5
By Jon Tait BLACK WALTER’ SELBY AND THE MITFORD GANG If you were going to give the Black Walter Selby story the full Hollywood treatment,you’d want to cast someone like Joe Pesci as the main man. Getting some of that swagger and psychotic stage presence would be essential for the big screen, for sure. StickContinue reading “Meet the Medieval Mafia #5”
Meet The Medieval Mafia #4
By Jon Tait Hutcheon Graham of Gards The Bishop of Carlisle was watching from the ramparts of Carlisle castle whenHutcheon Graham and his crew of border reivers started riding out to plunder theCumbrian countryside following the death of Queen Elizabeth 1 in March 1603.Hutcheon and his fellow horsemen – around 140 of his ‘kinsmen andContinue reading “Meet The Medieval Mafia #4”
Meet The Medieval Mafia #3
By Jon Tait Ellen Charlton of the Bower It should come as no real surprise that Ellen Charlton of the Bower was jailed inNewcastle alongside her son John junior for cattle theft in 1629.Ellen was the wife of a notorious border reiver called John Charlton of the Bower andthe daughter of one of the mostContinue reading “Meet The Medieval Mafia #3”
Meet The Medieval Mafia #2
By Jon Tait Adam Scott of Tushielaw Adam Scott was such a notorious leader of sheep and cattle raiders that he earned the nicknames ‘King of Thieves’ and ‘King of the Border.’ Scott was born sometime in the late Fifteenth century, a son of David Scott in theforest of Ettrick, who had gained possession ofContinue reading “Meet The Medieval Mafia #2”
Serial Killer: Leslie Irvin
By Chris Bunton Leslie “Mad Dog” Irvin terrified the Evansville, Indiana, and Henderson, Kentucky communities in the 1950’s. It all began on December 2, 1954 when the body of Mary Holland was found at the Bellemeade Liquor Store stuffed behind a toilet. She was the owner, and she had been killed execution style. Three dimesContinue reading “Serial Killer: Leslie Irvin”
Meet The Medieval Mafia #1
By Jon Tait Sim Armstrong of Whithaugh He was Scottish organised crime’s Mr. Big TWO CENTURIES before the Sicilianmafia was formed. With links to cattle and sheep rustling, coin counterfeiting, robberies, protectionrackets and murders, Sim Armstrong of Whithaugh was one of the most dangerousand notorious reivers from just over the border in the lonely LiddesdaleContinue reading “Meet The Medieval Mafia #1”