Fascinating History: Infamous Gangster Al Capone Goes to jail (17 October 1931)

October 17, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

Al Capone Mug Shot 1939 — Al Capone mug shot, May 16 1929, Chicago, Illinois
Source: FBI

On 17 October 1931, Alphonse Gabriel Capone (commonly known as Al Capone or Scarface), an American gangster who had achieved notoriety as the boss of the Chicago Outfit, was convicted of tax evasion. It ended the reign of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s.

The son of Italian immigrants and originally from Brooklyn, New York he went to Chicago in 1920 where he was helping crime boss Johnny Torrio run his illegal enterprises. The 18^th Amendment, commonly called Prohibition, had come into effect in January 1920. Under this law (called the Volstead Act), the manufacture, transportation, and transportation of alcohol was banned. Passed as means to end the terrible effects of alcohol intoxication and addiction, it instead allowed the rise of criminal enterprises that dominated the 1920’s. From illegal production or importation of alcohol to operating places to drink (speakeasies), it poured millions into criminal enterprises.

While other criminal activity still went on (smuggling, gambling and prostitution), alcohol was the biggest income producer for gangs such as Torrio ran. When Torrio retired in 1925, Capone took over control. Capone had to deal also with rival gangs such as Bugs Moran. Violence between gangs was often in public and bloody culminating in the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929. Bugs Moran would have been there but saw a police car and left thinking it was a raid. In fact, it is believed that the men, dressed as policemen and associated with the Capone gang, shot the seven men associated with the Moran gang. It officially remains unsolved, but most believe Capone responsible for the murders.

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre became national news and with Capone’s alleged association to it, his notoriety increased. Capone had relied on bribing city officials, intimidation and various hideouts to avoid arrest. He did spend 10 months in Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia for carrying a concealed handgun but ran his operation from jail. The effect though of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was to bring the federal government into the situation. From corrupt city officials, police, and magistrates, the case was made the city was under the control of gangsters like Capone. President Hoover directed federal agencies concentrate on Capone and his allies.

Using a multi-agency approach, the Treasury and Justice Departments came up with plans on that attacked from two sides. First was to attack the gangsters for income tax evasion and then second to use small elite squads of Prohibition Bureau agents (this included the famous Eliot Ness) to be used against the bootleggers. William A. Strong, publisher of the Chicago Daily News (and who had urged Hoover to act), used his newspapers resources to gather intelligence to aid the investigations. The famous Untouchables in Chicago led by Eliot Ness were responsible for trying to inflict economic damage on his organization. Unlike what was shown in the movie The Untouchables, it was a large unit and the income tax angle was done elsewhere.

As the treasury bore down on him, Capone tried get his tax records into shape to prevent going to jail. He offered to pay for certain years in hopes of a reduced sentence and fine. A letter from his lawyer conceding large taxable income was a great gift to the prosecution. With a ledger and his accountant, the government position was to imply his control. Capone’s spending was presented to paint a vivid picture of someone who lived quite large having access to large sums of money to spend. It worked. He was convicted of evading $215,000 in taxes with an income of $1,038,654 during a five-year period. Judge Wilkerson gave him the maximum penalty for the five counts: 11 years. He was also fined $50,000, $7,692 in court costs, and interest on the $215,000 that had not been paid.

His career as head of the Chicago Outfit would be at an end. He was sent to the Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary in May 1932. However, Judge Wilkerson became concerned when he got reports of special treatment. Capone was suffering from both syphilis and gonorrhea. He had taken cocaine and suffered withdrawal symptoms as well. He was transferred to Alcatraz in August 1934. Due to neurosyphilis that eroded his mental faculties, he would spend most of his time in the hospital section. After completing his term in January 1939, he was sent to another facility to serve out his contempt of court sentence. He would be paroled in November 1939 and received treatment at Union Memorial Hospital.

After treatments, he would go to Palm Island Florida where he remained for the rest of his life. He got treatments with the newest mass-produced drug called penicillin. It could not reverse his disease but helped him lived longer. He would die from heart failure on 25 January 1947. He was originally buried at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago. His remains were later removed (along with his family’s) to Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillsdale, Illinois.

Aftermath

With the repeal of the 18^th Amendment with the adoption of the 21^st Amendment in December 1933, Prohibition had come to an end. Only a few states choose to remain dry (that would change much later) ending the income for illicit alcohol that had given rise to gangs like the Chicago Outfit. Organizations like Chicago Outfit would take a quieter approach and avoid public violence to avoid either local or federal police investigations. These organizations focused on prostitution, union racketeering, and gambling after the Capone years. In later years, much to the chagrin of J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI, it would be found these criminal organizations had become very powerful and worked together.

Sources

Al Capone

Al Capone | Biography, Life, Death, Alcatraz, Syphilis, and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Oct. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Al-Capone

“Al Capone Goes to Prison.” HISTORY, 24 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/capone-goes-to-prison]

Wikipedia contributors. “Al Capone.” Wikipedia, Oct. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

“St. Valentine’s Day Massacre – Victims, Evidence and Suspects.” HISTORY, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/crime/saint-valentines-day-massacre

“Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre | Victims, Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and Prohibition.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sept. 2023, www.britannica.com/event/Saint-Valentines-Day-Massacre

Titanic, Titanic X Files

What Sank the Titanic? Why A Cursed Mummy Of Course!

October 17, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

[This has been revised from 2020 with updated sources and corrections in grammar and punctuation.]

One of the most enduring supernatural stories of Titanic is that a cursed Egyptian mummy aboard the ship caused its demise. The tale has been around since Titanic sank often repeated in books about the supernatural. And with the advent of the Internet, this tale gained a new audience as it bounces around in emails, social media posts, and blogs. Back in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, there was a lot of interest in Egypt. People were fascinated with the pyramids, its history, and mummies. Bram Stoker, who wrote Dracula, wrote his own mummy horror story called Jewel of the Seven Stars that has become the basis of many mummy movies. So, it is not hard to see how the tale of a cursed mummy would be appealing to many.

Tale of the Cursed Mummy

Pearson’s Magazine,1909, featuring the story of the Unlucky Mummy (British Museum ref AE 22542)
Public Domain (via Wikipedia)

The Princess of Amen-Ra lived some 1,500 years before Christ. When she died, she was laid in an ornate wooden coffin and buried deep in a vault at Luxor, on the banks of the Nile. In the late 1890s, 4 rich young Englishmen visiting the excavations at Luxor were invited to buy an exquisitely fashioned mummy case containing the remains of Princess of Amen-Ra They drew lots. The man who won paid several thousand pounds and had the coffin taken to his hotel. A few hours later, he was seen walking out towards the desert. He never returned.

The next day, one of the remaining 3 men was shot by an Egyptian servant accidentally. His arm was so severely wounded it had to be amputated. The third man in the foursome found on his return home that the bank holding his entire savings had failed. The fourth guy suffered a severe illness, lost his job and was reduced to selling matches in the street. Nevertheless, the coffin reached England (causing other misfortunes along the way), where it was bought by a London businessman.

After 3 of his family members had been injured in a road accident and his house damaged by fire, the businessman donated it to the British Museum. As the coffin was being unloaded from a truck in the museum courtyard, the truck suddenly went into reverse and trapped a passerby. Then as the casket was being lifted up the stairs by 2 workmen, 1 fell and broke his leg. The other, apparently in perfect health, died unaccountably two days later.

Once the Princess was installed in the Egyptian Room, trouble really started. The Museum’s night watchmen frequently heard frantic hammering and sobbing from the coffin. Other exhibits in the room were also often hurled about at night. One watchman died on duty: making the other watchmen wanting to quit. Cleaners refused to go near the Princess too. When a visitor derisively flicked a dust cloth at the face painted on the coffin, his child died of measles soon afterwards.

Finally, the authorities had the mummy carried down to the basement figuring it could not do any harm down there. Within a week, one of the helpers was seriously ill, and the supervisor of the move was found dead on his desk. By now, the papers had heard of it. A journalist photographer took a picture of the mummy case and when he developed it, the painting on the coffin was of a horrifying, human face. The photographer was said to have gone home then, locked his bedroom door and shot himself. Soon afterwards, the museum sold the mummy to a private collector. After continual misfortune (and deaths), the owner banished it to the attic.

A well-known authority on the occult, Madame Helena Blavatsky, visited the premises. Upon entry, she was sized with a shivering fit and searched the house for the source of an evil influence of incredible intensity; She finally came to the attic and found the mummy case. Can you exorcise this evil spirit? Asked the owner. There is no such thing as exorcism. Evil remains evil forever. Nothing can be done about it. I implore you to get rid of this evil as soon as possible. But no British museum would take the mummy; the fact that almost 20 people had met with misfortune, disaster or death from handling the casket, in barely 10 years, was now well known.

Eventually, a hardheaded American archaeologist (who dismissed the happenings as quirks of circumstance), paid a handsome price for the mummy and arranged for its removal to New York. In Apr 1912, the new owner escorted its treasure aboard a sparkling, new White Star liner about to make its maiden voyage to New York. On the night of April 14, amid scenes of unprecedented horror, the Princess of Amen-Ra accompanied 1,500 passengers to their deaths at the bottom of the Atlantic. The name of the ship was of course, the H.M.S. TITANIC [sic].

The problem, and there are many, is that so far no one can confirm that a Princess Amen-Ra (or someone similar) ever existed. There are many princes and princesses in Egyptian history. What appears to be a mummy is actually the inner coffin lid described as a gessoed and painted mummy board of an unidentified woman. The lid was found in Thebes and has been dated (by style and shape) as from the late 21st or 22nd dynasty (about 950-900 bc). Unfortunately, her identity is unknown, and the only inscriptions are religious phrases. She likely participated in ceremonies in the temple of Amen-Ra. It is speculated though not proven she was a priestess of that temple. It was donated to the British Museum in 1889 and has been on display ever since (except during the two world wars) and even gone on traveling exhibitions.

The tale, according to David Mikkelson at Snopes.com, was concocted by two Englishmen William Stead and Douglas Murray. Stead was a well-known journalist and believer in mysticism. Murray is described as an Egyptologist. They both crafted a horror story about a mummy that went to the home of a friend. According to their tale, the next day everything in the drawing room where it was located was destroyed. It was moved to different rooms but that only resulted in more damage to objects in those rooms. The mummy would cause all sorts of things to its owner that included sickness and death. After visiting the British Museum and seeing the coffin lid, they concocted another story that the look of terror depicted on the coffin lid indicated a tortured soul with an evil spirit now loose upon the world. This fanciful tale was repeated to newspaper reporters who ate the story up. Two stories then became one and this mummy would cause havoc wherever it was. Stead would die when Titanic sank in 1912 but told the tale to dinner attendees about a cursed mummy.

Survivors who heard the tale from Stead relayed this to reporters. The story Stead and Murray concocted and Stead’s presence on Titanic telling the story of a cursed mummy became merged producing the current legend. It was modified that the British Museum, so anxious to be rid of it, sold it to an American who shipped it home on Titanic. So of course, the mummy caused Titanic to sink. Some more elaborate tales have the mummy making it off Titanic and would cause havoc and had to be shipped elsewhere causing more disasters. However, the cargo manifest shows no mummy or Egyptian relic being transported aboard Titanic.

We have a fascinating tale in the end but that is all that it is. It was two stories merged into one and then altered to include Titanic. And has been repeated in numerous times over the years and found a new home on the Internet. It is a great tale, and if you left off Titanic, would make a great horror story.

Sources

Mikkelson, Barbara, and David Mikkelson. “Did a Cursed Mummy Sink With the Titanic?” Snopes. Last modified October 9, 1999. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mummy-titantic/.

Dessem, Matthew. “One Month After the Titanic Sank, the Washington Post Suggested a Mummy’s Curse Was to Blame.” Slate Magazine, October 15, 2018. https://slate.com/culture/2018/10/mummy-curse-titanic-sinking-washington-post-article.html.

———. “Unlucky Mummy.” Wikipedia. Last modified October 11, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unlucky_Mummy.

“The UnMuseum – Myth of the Titanic Mummy.” http://www.unmuseum.org/mummyth.htm.

Little, Becky, and Becky Little. “The Craziest Titanic Conspiracy Theories, Explained.” HISTORY. Last modified June 22, 2023. https://www.history.com/news/titanic-sinking-conspiracy-myths-jp-morgan-olympic.

Videos

Ancient Architects. “The Titanic Mummy: The Truth Behind the Legend | Ancient Architects.” Video. YouTube, August 3, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Cvuf7vlo0.

BRIGHT SIDE. “Some Think a Mummy Was the Reason the Titanic Sank.” Video. YouTube, October 30, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmMEkKuv_kc.

Remembering History: Pierre Laval Executed (15 Oct 1945) and Hermann Goering Commits Suicide (15 Oct 1946)

October 15, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

Pierre Laval

After the German invasion of France in 1940, the Vichy state was created with Henri Pétain in charge and Pierre Laval as head of state. Laval had originally begun his political life as a pacifist but during the 1930’s shifted more towards supporting Fascism. In 1935 he sought France to align with Italy rather than make a deal with the Soviet Union (he had become anti-communist by then). By 1939 he was against war with Germany and encouraged the antiwar faction to keep the government from using troops against Germany when it invaded Poland in September 1939. After the German invasion in 1940, he helped push for an armistice and got himself into the new Vichy government.

Pétain did not care much for him and dismissed him in 1940 after he found he was negotiating with Germany on his own. He had developed a friendship with Hitler and thus by 1942 had become the real ruler of Vichy while Pétain remained as a figurehead. During the time he ran the regime, he actively collaborated with Germany in carrying out their deportation of Jews and enforcing oppressive laws on French citizens. Laval had to flee to Germany when France was liberated in August 1944. He escaped to Spain when Germany was defeated in 1945, but Franco had him expelled. He tried hiding out in Austria but ultimately surrendered to American forces. He was then sent back to France to stand trial for his actions during the German occupation. The trial was quite sensational and revealed his complicity in working with the Germans. He was convicted of treason and sentenced to death. He tried taking his own life, but he was nursed back to health so he could be executed by firing squad on 15 October 1945. Petain, revered for his leadership in World War I, was tried and found guilty of treason. He was also to be executed but French president Charles de Gaulle changed it to life imprisonment. He was sent to the island of Yeu and died there in 1951.

Hermann Goering (15 October 1946)

Hermann Goring, 6 Jan 1943
Public Domain via Wikipedia

Hermann Goering once was not only the head of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) but at one time Hitler’s designated successor. As Reichsmarschall, he held the highest military rank and answered only to Hitler. He had other titles as well (president of the Reichstag, prime minister of Prussia, chief liquidator of sequestered estates and much more). He established concentration camps to imprison enemies and was instrumental in many anti-Jewish policies such as Kristallnacht and confiscation of Jewish money and property. Known for his flamboyant outfits that showed off his decorations and his displays of stolen artwork, his only threat was from Heinrich Himmler head of the SS.

His stature began to fall when the Luftwaffe failed to deliver in the Battle of Britain, and failing to deter Allied bombings of Germany. Other German officers had a low opinion of his military strategies leading him to become depressed and more addicted to painkillers. By the end of the war, Hitler had turned away from his old comrade and dismissed him when he learned he was negotiating with the Allies. He was captured at the end of the war and was tried in Nuremburg for various crimes against humanity.

He was convicted and sentenced to be hanged. Before that could be carried out, he took a potassium cyanide capsule and died. Speculation on how he obtained the capsule is either he had managed to hide it successfully when he was initially captured, or it had been secretly delivered to him. Cyanide capsules were found on his person when he was captured. Some speculate that US Army lieutenant Jack G. Wheelis had retrieved a capsule after Goering gave him some personal effects, but it has never been substantiated. Former US Army private Herbert Lee Stivers claimed in 1945 that it was likely hidden in a fountain pen a German woman asked him to smuggle into the prison. Goering’s body was later cremated, and ashes thrown into the Isar River.

Herman Goering body, 15 Oct 1946
Public Domain

Sources:

Pierre Laval

———. “Pierre Laval | French Prime Minister, Collaborator & Statesman.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified October 11, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pierre-Laval.

Reed, Betsy. “The Execution of Pierre Laval.” The Guardian, October 16, 2008. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/oct/16/fromthearchives.

———. “Vichy Leader Executed for Treason.” HISTORY, October 14, 2020. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/vichy-leader-executed-for-treason.

Hermann Goering

Fraenkel, Heinrich, and Roger Manvell. “Hermann Goring | Biography, History, Death, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified October 11, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hermann-Goring.

Deutsche Welle.“Secret Lifted Around Göring’s Suicide,” Dw.Com, February 9, 2005, https://www.dw.com/en/secret-lifted-around-g%C3%B6rings-suicide/a-1482751.

———. “High-ranking Nazi Leader Hermann Göring Dies.” HISTORY, October 14, 2020. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hermann-goering-dies.

“Hermann Göring.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/hermann-goering.

Titanic

Novantia in Talks to Acquire Harland & Wolf; OceanGate CEO’s Wife Related to Isidor & Ida Strauss; Titanic Exhibition Coming to Boston

October 15, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

RMS Titanic pictured in Queenstown, Ireland 11 April 1912
Source:Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh Ireland/Wikimedia Commons

Williams, Kelly. “Eerie Link Between Devoted Titanic Couple and the Doomed Oceangate Submersible.” Daily Star. Last modified October 13, 2024. https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/eerie-link-between-devoted-titanic-33864720.

In a twist of fate, it has emerged that their great-granddaughter Wendy Rush was married to the CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush who died when the Titan submersible imploded in June 2023 killing all five on board, Business Insider reports. Her great-grandparents, Isidor and Ida were born in Germany before moving to America and were aged 67 and 63 when the Titanic sank.

Harland & Wolff David and Goliath crane in Belfast, 2006
Plastic Jesus (Dave) via Wikimedia Commons

Oliver, Matt. “Spanish Shipbuilder Close to a Deal to Buy Titanic Shipbuilder Harland & Wolff.” The Telegraph, October 11, 2024. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/10/11/spanish-shipbuilder-close-deal-buy-titanic-harland-wolff/.

Spanish state-owned giant Navantia is nearing a deal to buy stricken shipbuilder Harland & Wolff out of administration, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. The sale being lined up in exclusive talks between the parties, which remains tentative, would see Navantia take control of Harland & Wolff in late November, The Telegraph understands. It would include all four of the company’s yards – in Belfast; Appledore, Devon; Arnish on the Isle of Lewis; and Methil, Fife – which collectively employ around 1,000 workers.

Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

FOX 13 Seattle. “Titan’s Former Lead Engineer Says He Felt Pressured to Get the Submersible Ready.” FOX 13 Seattle, October 8, 2024. https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/titans-former-lead-engineer-says-he-felt-pressured-get-submersible-ready.

The lead engineer for an experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreck of the Titanic testified Monday that he felt pressured to get the vessel ready to dive and refused to pilot it for a journey several years earlier. “‘I’m not getting in it,'” Tony Nissen said he told Stockton Rush, co-founder of the OceanGate company that owned the Titan submersible.

Titanic lost: Belfast Telegraph front page on 16 April 1912
Source: Belfast Telegraph

Campsie, Alison. “The Scotsman Archive: How We Reported the Sinking of the Titanic.” The Scotsman, October 4, 2024. https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/the-scotsman-archive-how-we-reported-the-sinking-of-the-titanic-4809634.

The Scotsman first reported the disaster on April 16, but the story only appeared in a few lines of parliamentary business picked up from the day before. The report said: “The President of the Board of Trade said he received a short time ago the following telegram from The White Star Office: Liverpool. “Only information telegram from New York as follows – ‘Newspaper wireless reports advise Titanic collision with iceberg at 41.46 north, 50.14 west. Women being put into lifeboats. Steamer Virginian expects to reach Titanic 10am. Olympic and Baltic proceeding to Titanic. Have no direct information.” Page 7 of The Scotsman on April 17 1912 where the first full stories of the sinking of The Titanic appeared.

Titanic Lunch Menu 14 April 1912
Photo: AP

Lupus, Luna Christina. “How First Class Passengers Took Their Steak Aboard the Titanic.” Tasting Table. Last modified October 3, 2024. https://www.tastingtable.com/1675171/titanic-first-class-menu-steak/.

On April 11, the second evening of the ship’s journey, sirloin steak was served with horseradish cream, a combination still popular today. Pairing horseradish with steak offers an elevated flavor experience, and the cream is very easy to prepare-Horseradish is mixed with sour cream and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Another steak dish from the dinner menu is beef tournedos a la Victoria. Tournedos are the same steak cut as filet mignon; except they can be slightly larger. Prepared “a la Victoria,” tournedos were served with crumb-coated fried bananas, a very interesting combination that was then topped with white and espagnole sauces, two of French cuisine’s five mother sauces.

Titanic Exhibition

Bodnarchuk, Kari. “Travel News You Can Use: Titanic Exhibit and Theater District Tour.” BostonGlobe.Com, October 3, 2024. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/03/lifestyle/here-there-everywhere-titanic-theater-district/.

See deck chairs, jewelry, fine China, and other authentic artifacts from the wreck site of the Titanic during an upcoming exhibition at The Saunders Castle at Park Plaza, Oct. 17 to May 29, 2025. “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” comes to Boston for the first time, with more than 250 artifacts and a chance for viewers to learn real stories about the passengers and crew of the “unsinkable” ocean liner, which sank in April 1912 during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City.

For dates, times, and ticket prices, go to https://titanicboston.us/.

Columbus Day (Observed)

October 14, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

Christopher Columbus (done after his death in 1506)
Sebastiano del Piombo (1485–1547)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Today is Columbus Day in the United States. Celebrating Columbus began in 1792 in New York City and became an annual tradition. As a result of 11 Italian immigrants being murdered by a mob in New Orleans in 1892, President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day as a one-time national celebration. This was also part of a wider effort to ease tensions and to placate Italian Americans and Italy, which had expressed official dismay at the murders.

Italian Americans began using Columbus Day to not only celebrate Columbus but their heritage as well. Serious lobbying was undertaken to enshrine the holiday in states and ultimately the federal government. Colorado proclaimed it a holiday in 1905 and made it an official holiday in 1907. In 1934 after lobbying from the Knights of Columbus and New York City Italian leader Generoso Pope, Congress passed a statute requiring the president to proclaim October 12 as Columbus Day each year and asked Americans to observe it with “appropriated ceremonies” in schools, churches, and other places.

However, it was a not yet a federal holiday. The effort to make it a federal holiday began in 1966 when the National Columbus Day Committee lobbied to make it a federal holiday. This was achieved in 1968 and has been a federal holiday since then. Like most federal holidays, it is often celebrated on a Monday of the week the date it falls on. The exception being if falls on a Saturday, it would be celebrated on Friday.

Columbus is recognized for his discovery of the New World. He, like many, were eager to discover the riches of Cathay, India, and Japan. Since the Ottoman Empire closed off using Egypt and the Red Sea to Europeans (land routes were closed as well), European explorers were eager to find a sea route. Columbus (and he was not the only one) held the belief that by sailing west they would be able to get to the Indies. While many educated Europeans (like Columbus) believed the Earth was round, they had no concept of how it big it really was. Thus, they thought East Asia was closer than it was.

After securing financing from the Spanish monarchy, Columbus set sail on 3 August 1492 with three ships-Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina–from Palos, Spain. On 12 October 1492 land was sighted. They would find Cuba later and Columbus thought it was Japan. They landed on Hispaniola in December and left a small colony behind. Returning to Spain in 1493, he was received with high honors by the Spanish court.

Columbus would lead four expeditions to the New World exploring the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and South and Central American mainland. His original goal of finding a western ocean route to Asia was never accomplished. And he likely never truly understood the full scope of what he had accomplished. The New World–North America, the Caribbean, Central and South America–would open new opportunities for exploration and wealth. Spain would become one of the wealthiest and powerful nations on Earth as a result.

Sea travel of great distances in the 15^th century was quite a challenge, fraught with all kinds of uncertainty and dangers. They had to depend on the wind, current and favorable weather, and the stars. The sextant had not been invented yet, so they used a procedure called Dead Reckoning. This required the use of simple arithmetic and process to determine their location. A long rope was used, a piece of wood, an hourglass, and a compass. The navigator would record in a logbook the daily speed and direction. The rope was knotted every four to six feet along its length.

Arithmetic tells us that distance traveled in a single direction can be measured by multiplying the speed with the time. You might have done some of this in grade school. A car traveling at 30 miles per hour for two hours would travel 60 miles (speed x 2). A navigator would log the speed, direction, and time in the log. In this way they could measure the distance traveled to and from where they departed from. Changes in wind speed and other things would be recorded as well. Columbus used his own version, gained from experience sailing, of determining the speed and direction to enter in his log. He could feel the keel moving through the water and with his sense of the wind, knew what the speed of his ship was.

It was a remarkable and historic undertaking. Long sea voyages were often avoided because you were away for years at a time and dependent a great deal on nature to survive. And there was the terrible specter of scurvy. Many would die on long sea voyages from this scourge, which came from the lack of vitamin c in the diet. Fresh water in kegs often wet bad after a month, so beer and spirits (often rum), was where you got water from. Fruits and vegetables would only last so long, and meat had to be cured for long term use. So, food was rationed carefully. Later when it was realized that having citrus would alleviate this condition, sailors would get lime or lemon juice as part of their daily food ration. It became so common on British Royal Navy ships the sailors were called Limeys.

Italians and Spanish are rightly proud of his accomplishment. Others had touched upon America (the Vikings for one) prior to Columbus but none had opened the door as he did to a new part of the world that had been undiscovered. Like all our accomplished heroes of the past, he had his faults. In fact, not one hero you can point to doesn’t have faults. The ancient Greeks knew this and what defined a hero was someone who rose above them to do something extraordinary. The Greek hero Heracles (Hercules in Latin) had all kinds of faults but did things that rose above them. Columbus should be remembered for the courage, bravery, and fortitude to sail over the horizon to see what lay beyond. It would change the world and end the Venetian and Ottoman control of trade to the East forever.

Columbus died on 20 May 1506. Gout was considered the cause of his death, but doctors today believe it was reactive arthritis.

Sources

Flint, Valerie I.J. “Christopher Columbus | Biography, Nationality, Voyages, Ships, Route, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified October 7, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Columbus.

———. “Christopher Columbus – Facts, Voyage & Discovery | HISTORY.” HISTORY, August 11, 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus.

“Christopher Columbus – Ages of Exploration.” Ages of Exploration. Last modified August 9, 2024. https://exploration.marinersmuseum.org/subject/christopher-columbus/.

History

Great Fires of History: The Chicago Fire of 1871 (8 October 1871)

October 8, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

[This has been edited for 2024 correcting spelling, revising sources, and adding suggested reading]

Currier & Ives lithograph shows people fleeing across the Randolph Street Bridge. Thousands of people literally ran for their lives before the flames, unleashing remarkable scenes of terror and dislocation. “The whole earth, or all we saw of it, was a lurid yellowish red,” wrote one survivor. “Everywhere dust, smoke, flames, heat, thunder of falling walls, crackle of fire, hissing of water, panting of engines, shouts, braying of trumpets, roar of wind, confusion, and uproar.”
Original Source: Chicago Historical Society
Public Domain

On 8 October 1871, what became known as the Great Chicago Fire began and would last till 10 October. The fire began around 9 pm on October 6 possibly at a barn owned by the O’Leary family or in the nearby area southwest of city center. It consumed a shed on that farm and then spread outward. Due to a period of hot, dry, and windy conditions, the fire would spread rapidly. With homes and buildings built mostly of wood, it also provided fuel for the fire as well.

The fire leapt the south branch of the Chicago River destroying central Chicago. It leapt across the main river branch and consumed the north side as well. 300 people were killed, and a large swath of the city (about 3.3 square miles) was destroyed. 100,000 people were left homeless because of the fire. After the fire help poured in from all over the country and internationally as well. Money from Great Britain helped build the Chicago Public Library that would be free to everyone.

After the great Chicago fire of 1871, corner of Dearborn and Monroe Streets
Public Domain

The aftermath brought reconsideration of many things particularly in the area of building construction. Fire prevention became a big topic and construction of brick rather than wood buildings would result. With the right infrastructure in place, it would prevent such a catastrophe from happening again. Rebuilding began right away with higher standards and sometimes with buildings that were considered better than the ones that burned down.

Sources

“Great Chicago Fire | Cause, Deaths, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified October 1, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/event/Chicago-fire-of-1871.

“The Great Chicago Fire,” The Great Chicago Fire & the Web of Memory, https://greatchicagofire.org/great-chicago-fire/.

Mullen, Matt “Great Chicago Fire Begins,” HISTORY, October 4, 2023, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/great-chicago-fire-begins.

Onion, Amanda. “Chicago Fire of 1871 – Great, Map & Cause | HISTORY.” HISTORY, August 21, 2018. https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/great-chicago-fire

“Great Chicago Fire.” Wikipedia. Last modified October 6, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chicago_Fire.

Suggested Reading

Berg, Scott W. The Burning of the World: The Great Chicago Fire and the War for a City’s Soul. Pantheon, 2023.

Tribune, Chicago. Chicago Flashback: The People and Events That Shaped a City’s History. Agate Midway, 2017.

Smith, Carl. Chicago’s Great Fire. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2020.

History

Interesting History: The First Train Robbery in U.S. History (6 Oct 1866)

October 6, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

Steam Trains Vintage Poster
Karen Arnold, publicdomainpibtures.net

In the early days of this country, traveling was hazardous. Roads were poor, especially in winter. Near cities it was not too bad but the further out you were, it was more treacherous. Roads, such as they were, were poorly kept. And of course, thieves (tagged highway robbers, blackguards, and other notable names) loved to prey on travelers. Stealing from a train though seemed implausible to many since trains moved pretty swiftly, at least most of the time.

Now train robberies had occurred before this date but these were mainly done in freight yards or when the train was stationary sitting in a depot. So, it was a bit of a shock when the Reno Gang stopped a train in Jackson County, Indiana and made off with $13,000. They boarded the Ohio & Mississippi train at the Seymour depot and once the train was underway made their way wearing masks until entering a car owned by the Adams Express Company. The company delivered bank drafts, documents, and packages for clients. The clerk was ordered to open the safes, but he only could access one. He opened it and they took gold coins totaling $10,000 and bank notes worth about $3,000. There was another safe they tried to open but couldn’t and tossed it off the train. They never got it open.

First logo for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Color version.
Circa 1850’s
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

They signaled for the train to stop, hopped off, and disappeared into the night. The Reno Brothers were well known gang before and after the Civil War and caused lots of headaches. The gang frequently robbed post offices, homes, and murdered those who might talk about them. Their audacious robbery of a train would soon be imitated by other gangs and would become part of the lore of the old west. Trains carrying gold, cash, and other precious metal would become targets and became frequent in the 1870’s-1880’s. And they would become more deadly over time. Railroads were anxious to stop this banditry as it caused lots of bad press, angry passengers, and impacted shipping. So, they began adding armed guards to their trains along with horses in some cases so they could give chase. Bounties were made and the famous Pinkerton Agency was used to help track them down as well.

To make it more difficult to offload safes, they were made extra heavy all but making it impossible to toss them off the trains. And the people on the train may not have access to those safes for security reasons either making it useless to try and hold up the train (except to rob the passengers). While in the early days targeting trains was easy, deadly shootouts between the armed guards and gangs made it not worth trying as time went on. The Reno Brothers, an already notorious gang before and after the Civil War, added this to their roster of crimes that included robbing post offices, banks, homes, and murder. It did not end well for them. In 1868 after another successful train robbery that netted them $96,000, they were captured and held in jail pending trial. They had badly beaten an armed guard in the robbery and when he died while they were in jail, a vigilante mob was formed. They broke into the jail and took the Reno Brothers (Frank, William, and Sim) out and hung them from a tree.

Like most gangs, they had their supporters who threatened retaliation. The vigilantes-officially called the Jackson County Vigilance Committee-made it known that any retaliation would be met fiercely, which seems to have worked. While many in law enforcement wanted to bring them to trial and were not happy with this action, none of the vigilantes were identified or brought to trial for their actions. This ended one of the darker periods in southern Indiana history. The Reno Brothers Gang though would fade in memory while other gangs (such as the James Gang) would become more well known.

Sources

Daley, Jason. “How The Reno Gang Launched the Era of American Train Robberies.” Smithsonian Magazine, October 6, 2016. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/reno-gang-launched-era-american-train-robberies-180960702/.

HistoryNet Staff and HistoryNet Staff, “Reno Gang’S Reign of Terror,” HistoryNet, last modified August 9, 2016, https://www.historynet.com/reno-gangs-reign-of-terror/?r.

Mullen, Matt, “The Reno Brothers Carry Out the First Train Robbery in U.S. History,” HISTORY, October 4, 2021, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-u-s-train-robbery.

“Outlaws.” https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-renogang/.

History

Remembering History: Warsaw Uprising Ends (2 Oct 1944)

October 2, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

Warsaw, the capital of Poland, destroyed by German Nazis, January 1945.
Public Domain (Wikipedia)

On 2 October 1944 the Warsaw Uprising came to an end with the surrender of surviving Polish rebels to German forces. The uprising began two months earlier when the Red Army was approaching Warsaw. The rebels supported the Polish government-in-exile and hoped to gain control of the city before the Soviets arrived. They did not want the Russians to gain the city and establish a communist regime in Poland.

While the rebels had initial gains, they were poorly supplied. Hitler sent reinforcements and the rebels and German soldiers engaged in brutal street fights. The Red Army did take a suburb of Warsaw but proceeded no further. Stalin ordered the Red Army not to assist the rebels and denied a request to use their airbases to supply the rebels. This would be remembered down the road by the Polish people. Both Churchill and Roosevelt asked for his assistance. Churchill, without Soviet approval, had supplies dropped by the RAF, the South African Air Force, and the Polish Air Force. Stalin finally relented and gave air clearance for the U.S. Army Air Force to make supply drops. However, it was too late by the time the supplies came.

Out of arms, supplies and food, there was no choice. After 63 days, they had no choice but to surrender. In retaliation for this uprising, the remaining population of Warsaw was deported. The Polish people were always meant to be eradicated as were the Jews. Plans had been drawn up before the war to turn Poland into a German colony. Warsaw was to be Germanized. Once the remaining population was deported, German destruction of Warsaw was sped up. They had started after the earlier Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Using flamethrowers and explosives, special teams went to work destroying whole neighborhoods, historical monuments, archives, and any place of interest.

By January 1945, 85% of the buildings in Warsaw were gone. Approximately 25% was done during the Warsaw Uprising. The losses are staggering to consider:

10,455 buildings
923 historical buildings (94% of these were destroyed)
25 churches
14 libraries which includes the National Library
81 schools
64 high schools
The University of Warsaw and Warsaw University of Technology
Of course, prior to these all-Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were seized, looted and destroyed as well.

Aftermath

The Soviets took the position that the rebels did not coordinate their plans with them. Of course, the chief reason they did not aid them is that they supported the democratic Polish government-in-exile in London. And Stalin was not interested in supporting them. His goal had been before the war to allow the west to fight themselves to exhaustion allowing for the Soviet Union to expand in their direction. Those that led the uprising and members of the Home Army were persecuted by the Soviets after the war. They were arrested, tried, and deported to Soviet gulags. They had a show trial, not unlike ones during the Great Purge, where confessions were introduced to show they were actually in league with the Germans!

Fortunately, those captured by the Germans and freed by American-British forces were spared this. Stalin and his propaganda machine twisted the facts to show the failings of the Home Army and the Polish government-in-exile. All criticism of the Red Army and Soviet Union by Polish people were forbidden. All references to the Home Army were censored, all books and movies on the Warsaw Uprising were either banned or edited out the Home Army. When that did not work, they made the Home Army soldiers into heroes that were betrayed by their corrupt officers. This would remain in effect until the 1980’s with the rise of Solidarity that challenged the Soviet backed regime. It was not until 1989 that a monument was built in Poland.

Warsaw Uprising Monument
Source: Dhirad 2004

In the West, stories of the heroism of the Home Army were told. They were valiant heroes fighting against the Germans. The Soviets were criticized for their non-involvement and that it helped them get rid of partisans that would have opposed them. Despite all the official censorship that existed, many Poles knew what happened and led to growing anti-Soviet sentiment that manifested into the Polish labor movement Solidarity. This peaceful movement in the 1980’s would effect change in Poland and later, as the days of the Soviet Union waned, Poland would gain back the freedom it had lost in 1939.

Sources:

———. “Warsaw Uprising | Summary, Dates, & Monument.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified September 28, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/event/Warsaw-Uprising.

Missy Sullivan, “Warsaw Uprising Ends,” HISTORY, October 1, 2024, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/warsaw-uprising-ends.

“The Warsaw Polish Uprising.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-warsaw-polish-uprising.

Lester P. Gideon. “The Warsaw Uprising of 1944.” https://www.gideon1.net/uprising/.

“Chronicles of Terror.” https://www.chroniclesofterror.pl/dlibra/results?action=AdvancedSearchAction&type=-3&search_attid1=69&search_value1=Warsaw+Uprising.

Suggested Reading

Bialoszewski, Miron, A Memoir of the Warsaw Uprising (New York Review of Books, 2015).

Davies, Norman. Rising ’44: The Battle for Warsaw. Penguin Books, 2005.

Richie, Alexandra. Warsaw 1944: Hitler, Himmler, and the Warsaw Uprising. Picador, 2019.

[This was updated for 2024 correcting for grammar, punctuation, and revising source information and details.]

Miscellaneous

Welcome to October

October 1, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

Halloween Decoration in Fall
Vera Kratochvil
Publicdomainpictures.net

October is the 10th month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Under the old Roman calendar this was the eighth month and retained its name. October in the Northern Hemisphere begins the full transition to Autumn while in the Southern Hemisphere it is Spring.

Jack-o-lantern Pumpkins Glowing in the Dark
Petr Kratochvil, publicdomainpictures.net

Autumn harvests are underway this month with apples, artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins becoming widely available in many areas. Pumpkins are important this time of year as decorations and the source for pumpkin pie and delicious roasted pumpkin seeds. In Ireland they used to use turnips to keep old Stingy Jack from entering their homes this time of the year. Carving them into menacing faces and with a candle near them, it would send old Stingy Jack (and any other ghost) away! When the Irish came to America, they found the pumpkin. Unlike a turnip, which is not so easy to carve, the pumpkin was much easier to use. And you could put a candle inside it was well. Soon this tradition, and many others they brought with them, would end up becoming a major Halloween icon in the United States.

October also brings with it Oktoberfest, a major event in Munich, Germany that spread into Europe, the United States and South America. It began in 1810 to honor a Bavarian royal wedding and now is in many places like a carnival with rides, lots of German themed food and of course beer. Beer of all kinds, especially craft beers find their ways to such events to be judged. Octoberfest usually goes from mid-September to October (it used to end on the first Sunday in October) but it usually goes on later these days. One figure estimates the consumption of beer to be around 1.85 million gallons (7 million liters) of beer. Now that is a lot of beer!

The first full moon of October is often called Hunter’s Moon. For 2024, it will be a super moon. During October the Moon orbits closer to Earth than any other time of the year. In the years when it is a super moon, it will look bigger and brighter than usual. And near sunset, it can appear larger and more orange. It certainly is important for this time of year when, according to some beliefs, the walls separating dimensions seems to thin allowing for ghosts and other things to be seen. In Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, it is this time of year that a traveling carnival appears looking for souls to ensnare.

Haunted House
JL Field
publicdomainpictures.net

Of course, the big event in October is Halloween or more properly All Hallows Eve on October 31. What used to be a day to prepare for the feast of All Saints and All Souls Days now has morphed into an event primarily for children to put on masks and ask neighbors for a treat. Haunted House exhibits are open, hayrides through a haunted landscape, and of course scary movies to watch. We get the obligatory Halloween themed commercials and lots of scary themed promos. Many parents opt to have simpler old-fashioned celebration with friends and children assembling for food, entertainment, and of course hearing very spooky stories.

Titanic

Coast Guard Hearing Wraps Up (30 Sep 2024)

September 30, 2024 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

The Coast Guard hearing into the Titan submersible catastrophe has concluded. The hearing revealed interesting details about the company, Rush Stockton and the submersible. Testimony indicates that Rush downplayed warnings about Titan’s reliability and safety. He was confident that it was safe. However, some testimony indicated there were problems with the craft that came up when it was diving. There was refutation that the company was focused solely on tourism and Titanic and that it was focused on making the ocean accessible to everyone. We also learned that there was no formal inspection done of the craft done by the Coast Guard.

That issue concerned one former employee, Matthew McCoy, who was a Coast Guard veteran and worked as an operations technician for about six months. He was concerned that classifying people as mission specialists rather than passengers would violate Coast Guard regulations. And also, that the Coast Guard had not cleared the submersible. He would learn after he left the company, which he thought was well run, had severed ties with both Boeing and the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory. He left the company over Stockton’s dismissal of Coast Guard investigating him and his comment he would buy off a congressman to make it go away.

Another issue the hearing looked into was the response to the emergency itself. Questions have been raised as to how slow it seemed to be to get all the necessary equipment to find Titan. Capt. Jamie Frederick, who helped lead the rescue effort, testified the biggest problem was getting the ROVs capable of diving down to Titanic. And also all the support equipment needed for it. They were able to get it together as quickly as they could but it took a “logistical tour de force.” The banging noises issue came up as well. Sounds were detected at regular intervals that some thought might be someone banging inside the submersible. However the data they studied indicates that was not the case and has been classified as an acoustic anomaly. Information about it was not revealed at the time as it was classified.

“It wasn’t for us to share with the family or with the public. It was one piece of data. It wasn’t definitive.” (Captain Jamie Frederick, U.S. Coast Guard)

One of the complications Frederick noted was conflicting information. At the time, they did not know about the slight shudder that the mast of the Polar Prince had detected just before losing contact with Titan. If they had known about that at the time, it would have changed the equation but could not answer how that would have changed the operation. Jason Neubauer, who chaired the investigation, noted that the Coast Guard is now changing how it handles whistleblower information. David Lochridge, an OceanGate employee who was fired after he raised concerns, submitted information to the Coast Guard that was not widely distributed but will be in the future.

Neubauer stated more investigative work needs to be done and more hearings may occur if warranted. He could not provide a timeline when it will wrap up its investigation and issue a report. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will issue a separate report on the implosion. If the reports indicate criminal charges be filed, then it will be turned over to the Justice Department for review and prosecution.

“Titan Hearing Reveals Malfunction Days Before Doomed Descent.” Video. NBC News, September 30, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/key-revelations-emerge-coast-guards-titan-submersible-hearing-rcna172274.

Boyle, Alan. “Eyebrow-raising Revelations Come to Light as Hearings Into Titan Sub’s Loss Wrap Up.” GeekWire, September 27, 2024. https://www.geekwire.com/2024/eyebrow-raising-revelations-come-to-light-as-hearings-into-titan-subs-loss-wrap-up/.

Liddell, James. “Titan Sub Hearings Live: Testimony Concludes as Coast Guard Hears About Build up to OceanGate Disaster.” The Independent, September 27, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/titan-oceangate-submersible-implosion-disaster-hearing-latest-b2619941.html.

Deliso, Meredith. “Submersible Expert Who Went on Early Titan Dive: ‘OceanGate Came Very, Very Close to Killing Me.’” ABC News. Last modified September 27, 2024. https://abcnews.go.com/US/oceangate-titan-coast-guard-hearing-tuesday/story?id=113961904.

Whittle, Patrick, and David Sharp. “NTSB Engineer Says Carbon Fiber Hull From Titan Submersible Showed Signs of Flaws | AP News.” AP News. Last modified September 26, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/titan-titanic-oceangate-coast-guard-hearing-implosion-f1ee1b9d4e48bf782af328590c417f03.

Morelle, Rebecca. “How Did Titan Hull Come Apart? Safety Experts Weigh In.” Last modified September 25, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g09gv4zg7o.

“Passenger on a Previous Titan Sub Dive Says His Mission Was Aborted Due to Apparent Malfunction.” Reviewonline.Com, September 20, 2024. https://www.reviewonline.com/uncategorized/2024/09/passenger-on-a-previous-titan-sub-dive-says-his-mission-was-aborted-due-to-apparent-malfunction/.

In Other News

Tylor Brummett, News Channel 3. “Titanic: The Exhibition in Chicago Showcases the Ship’s History.” WWMT. Last modified September 29, 2024. https://wwmt.com/news/local/titanic-the-exhibition-in-chicago-showcases-the-ships-history-maiden-voyage-hms-explorer.

Campbell, John. “Harland and Wolff: Titanic Shipbuilder Enters Administration.” Last modified September 27, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxgn1n08k7o.

‘TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition’ Heads to Boston Next Month | EDGE United States.” EDGE Media Network. https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/story/335553.

Titanic News Channel

Fascinating History: Infamous Gangster Al Capone Goes to jail (17 October 1931)

What Sank the Titanic? Why A Cursed Mummy Of Course!

Remembering History: Pierre Laval Executed (15 Oct 1945) and Hermann Goering Commits Suicide (15 Oct 1946)

Pierre Laval

Hermann Goering (15 October 1946)

Columbus Day (Observed)

Great Fires of History: The Chicago Fire of 1871 (8 October 1871)

Interesting History: The First Train Robbery in U.S. History (6 Oct 1866)

Remembering History: Warsaw Uprising Ends (2 Oct 1944)

Welcome to October

Coast Guard Hearing Wraps Up (30 Sep 2024)

Titanic, historic ship, and general history news.