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Unfortunate juxtaposition of headline & photo…
November 8, 2013 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
The “New York Journal American” newspaper of Nov. 22, 1963 did this “Extra” edition reporting Kennedy’s assassination. Making this issue a bit of a curiosity is the photo which accompanies the headline, as it shows a smiling Lyndon B. Johnson, a laughing Mrs. Johnson, and a smiling Jackie Kennedy. The photo was almost assuredly planned to accompany another story about their visit to Dallas but that edition was interrupted to quickly produce this “Extra” with the breaking news of the assassination. The photo was not replaced in the haste of getting the edition on the streets, producing this rather bizarre photo/headline combination which gives the appearance of a joyful reaction to the news that JFK had been assassinated.
The Traveler… at the theatre…
November 4, 2013 by The Traveler · 1 Comment
Today’s journey took me to Washington, D.C. via the Daily National Intelligencer (November 4, 1863). There I found an article advertising a new theatre tragedy at Ford’s 
Theatre entitled “The Robbers” written by a German author. What is most intriguing is find that a cast member that they are applauding is the son of Junius Brutus Booth, John Wilkes Booth “…probably as good an interpreter of its interpreter of its many intricate and difficult portions as could be desired… Mr. Booth will, as a matter of course, appear as Claude Melnotte, a character which he is admirably suited to sustain, both by personal and mental gifts… those desirous of witnessing the honest and sincere efforts of an aspiring young actor in all of the best acting tragedies should make their arrangements accordingly.”
It is hard to image his following appearance on April 14, 1865…
~The Traveler
Long live the dead… a zombie love affair?
October 31, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The New-York Observer (August 14, 1856) has a report which seems right out of a Hollywood Halloween-Thriller script (or crypt?). Was this a bogus story? Perhaps the blockbuster “Ghost” (1990) wasn’t fiction after all. I’ll save the “being married to a dead-beat” jokes for another post.
The Traveler… let her in… hard to replace…
October 21, 2013 by The Traveler · 4 Comments
Today I traveled to Omaha, Nebraska, by the way of The Omaha Daily Bee dated October 21, 1913. There I found a very interesting British lady had been detained at Ellis Island for the past three days, that being militant suffragist leader Emmeline Pankhurst. She had come to the States to do lecture engagements. “…It was difficult to imagine that the slightly built, gray haired little woman who stepped ashore from the ferry boat at the 
Battery was the same person that for several years had caused the British government so much trouble by reason of her militant tactics in behalf of woman suffrage or her incitation to militancy for the ’cause,'”. It took President Wilson and the Secretary Wilson of the Department of Labor issuing an order of release to allow her admittance into the country.
Did you ever think that you were irreplaceable on your job? A maid, Rose Bergenhammer, found this to be true. She was engaged to be wed and gave her employer, Mrs. Dwight, three weeks notice. Mrs. Dwight went to every employment agency and could not find anyone to take her place. When Rose tried to leave, Mrs. Dwight called the police and tried to have her fiance, Mr. Lee, arrested on attempted kidnapping charges. Rose must have been a fantastic maid!
~The Traveler
AND as for stating the obvious… Hitler insane?
October 18, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We recently discovered a surprisingly interesting article in the Minneapolis Morning Star for June 30, 1942. At first glance it seems to state the obvious. However, upon further reflection, it might be interesting to explore the backstory as to the motivation behind his 1923 evaluation. Perhaps there is nothing here to uncover, but it makes one wonder.
The Traveler… “Don’t give up the ship”…
October 7, 2013 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I journeyed to Baltimore, Maryland, through The Weekly Register (dated October 9, 1813). As Commodore Perry commenced battle on Lake Erie, he raised a flag with the infamous words “Don’t give up the ship” on it. “…They speak of the battle as being one of the hottest ever fought…” (see below).
In the report of the Battle on Lake Ontario, Commodore Chauncey references the news of the battle on Lake Erie. “…There is a report here, and generally believed, that Capt. Perry has captured the whole of the enemy’s fleet on lake Erie. If this should prove true in all its details (and God grant that it may) he has immortalised himself and not disappointed the high expectations formed of his talents and bravery…”
~The Traveler
Jack the Ripper’s Identity Revealed?
September 27, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
While many are familiar with Jack the Ripper and are aware that his actual identity has never been confirmed, what may be surprising to some is how many “false alarms” have surfaced over the years. William Henry Bury is such an individual… or is he? An internet search will return much concerning this potential “Ripper”. I wonder if this case will ever be resolved to any degree of certainty??? Please enjoy the following report found in the Kansas City Daily Journal for February 12, 1889:
Baseball game won by 2 1/2 to 2…
September 20, 2013 by TimHughes · 2 Comments
The “Bethlehem Globe-Times“, Pennsylvania, newspaper of August 4, 1937 has a curious some article about a baseball game in 1893, as told by an elderly gentlemen who was involved in the game some 44 years previous. It provides some interesting reading, although I’m not convinced it actually happened. What do you think?
The Traveler… Birmingham church bombings… and baby makes how many?
September 16, 2013 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to New York City through The New York Times (dated September 16, 1963). There I found the headlines “Birmingham Bomb Kills 4 Negro Girls in Church; Boy Slain in Protest Riot”. This 
bombing occurred five days after the desegregation of three previously all-white schools in Birmingham, in which President Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and the Federal Courts issued a sweeping order again Governor Wallace due to his defiance. This church was the same one which was used as the staging point for anti-segregation demonstrations led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in May of that year. Dr. King was reported to be coming to Birmingham to “plead with my people to remain non-violent in the face of this terrible provocation”.
The front page also was providing an update on a special birth that was reported the previous day. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Fischer delivered quintuplets, four girls and one boy. They had five children at home, ages 3 1/2 to 7 years! I did a little research on them and found that they also had one more child after the quints too. The quints were the second surviving set to be born in the Western Hemisphere and the first to be born in the United States.
~The Traveler
Trenton as the nation’s capital in 1799…
September 13, 2013 by TimHughes · 2 Comments
A small news bit inconspicuously located on page 2 of the “Columbian Centinel” newspaper from Boston, dated October 19, 1799, struck me as being in error: “The President of the United States arrived at the seat of government, (Trenton) in good health.” Or so I thought. 
While history tells us that the seat of government had moved from New York to Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. during this period, it appears in fact that the federal government did remove itself from Philadelphia (to Trenton) for a brief time in 1799 to escape the Yellow Fever epidemic in that city. But to my surprise there is very little on the internet about it. There are several sites which provide some detail about Trenton being the nation’s capital for 54 days in 1784, but just two sites have a passing reference to the 1799 event. There is no mention as to exactly when or for how long. Can anyone provide more detail? Surprisingly even the sites of the city of Trenton offer no help.