Download or read book Ax Murders of Saxtown written by Nicholas J. C. Pistor and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2013-12-23 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An entire household massacred. A family feud. A sheriff found dead. Neighbor turned against neighbor. Reports of ghosts, bounty hunters, deathbed confessions, and legacy fortunes. In 1874, the Saxtown massacre rocked a nation reeling from economic depression and shattered a small German immigrant farming community in Illinois. The murder of the Stelzriede family led investigators through forests and farmland, chasing footprints, bloody tobacco leaves, and the marks of an ax dragged away from the scene. Nicholas J. C. Pistor’s The Ax Murders of Saxtown is a gripping tale of suspense and suspicion that exposes brand new information about the century-old crime and showcases the flaws of the nineteenth-century justice system.
Download or read book The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told written by Tom McCarthy and published by Lyons Press. This book was released on 2021-09 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An arresting collection of murder and mayhem from the front pages of history that captured the whole world's attention.
Download or read book Shooting Lincoln written by Nicholas J.C. Pistor and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2017-09-19 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They took the most memorable photographs of the Civil War. Now their long rivalry was about to climax with the spilled blood of an American president--an event that would usher in a new age of modern media. Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner were the new media moguls of their day. With their photographs they brought the Civil War -- and all of its terrible suffering -- into Northern living rooms. By the end of the war, they were locked in fierce competition. And when the biggest story of the century happened--the assassination of Abraham Lincoln--their paparazzi-like competition intensified. Brady, nearly blind and hoping to rekindle his wartime photographic magic, and Gardner, his former understudy, raced against each other to the theater where Lincoln was shot, to the autopsy table where Booth was identified, and to the gallows where the conspirators were hanged. Whoever could take the most sensational -- or ghastly -- photograph would achieve lasting camera-lens fame. Compelling and riveting, Shooting Lincoln tells the astonishing, behind-the-photographs story of these two media pioneers who raced to "shoot" the late president and the condemned conspirators. The photos they took electrified the country, fed America's growing appetite for tabloid-style sensationalism in the news, and built the media we know today.
Download or read book Bad Moon Rising written by Ed Morrison and published by Archway Publishing. This book was released on 2019-06-11 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ed Morrison's brother, Michael, and his spunky girlfriend, Debra Means, never made it home from the Mascoutah Community High School prom held on May 3, 1969. Two days later, their bodies were discovered near an abandoned strip mine on the outskirts of town. After taking his victims at gunpoint, Marshall Wayne Stauffer raped and strangled fifteen-year-old Debbie and dispatched eighteen-year-old Mike with three shots to the back of his head. In this true crime memoir, Ed Morrison chronicles his journey nearly fifty years after that fateful night to learn the truth of what happened, illuminate the evil within a murderer, and find resolution. Gathering insight from interviews with former police investigators, attorneys, judges, a survivor of a similar attack, and prison personnel, Morrison exposes the raw emotions that accompanied the senseless killings. He traces the murderer throughout his life, uncovering facts and unknown stories about his cross-country crime spree, imprisonment, and eventual death. Bad Moon Rising is the gripping true story of one man's quest to uncover the truth fifty years after his brother and his brother’s girlfriend were murdered on prom night.
Download or read book American Hauntings written by Troy Taylor and published by Whitechapel Productions. This book was released on 2017-04-13 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the mediums of Spiritualism's golden age to the ghost hunters of the modern era, Taylor shines a light on the phantasms and frauds of the past, the first researchers who dared to investigate the unknown, and the stories and events that galvanized the pubic and created the paranormal field that we know today.
Download or read book The Man from the Train written by Bill James and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-09-19 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Edgar Award finalist for Best Fact Crime, this “impressive…open-eyed investigative inquiry wrapped within a cultural history of rural America” (The Wall Street Journal) shows legendary statistician and baseball writer Bill James applying his analytical acumen to crack an unsolved century-old mystery surrounding one of the deadliest serial killers in American history. Between 1898 and 1912, families across the country were bludgeoned in their sleep with the blunt side of an axe. Jewelry and valuables were left in plain sight, bodies were piled together, faces covered with cloth. Some of these cases, like the infamous Villasca, Iowa, murders, received national attention. But few people believed the crimes were related. And fewer still would realize that all of these families lived within walking distance to a train station. When celebrated baseball statistician and true crime expert Bill James first learned about these horrors, he began to investigate others that might fit the same pattern. Applying the same know-how he brings to his legendary baseball analysis, he empirically determined which crimes were committed by the same person. Then after sifting through thousands of local newspapers, court transcripts, and public records, he and his daughter Rachel made an astonishing discovery: they learned the true identity of this monstrous criminal. In turn, they uncovered one of the deadliest serial killers in America. Riveting and immersive, with writing as sharp as the cold side of an axe, The Man from the Train paints a vivid, psychologically perceptive portrait of America at the dawn of the twentieth century, when crime was regarded as a local problem, and opportunistic private detectives exploited a dysfunctional judicial system. James shows how these cultural factors enabled such an unspeakable series of crimes to occur, and his groundbreaking approach to true crime will convince skeptics, amaze aficionados, and change the way we view criminal history.
Download or read book Lies Told Under Oath written by Beth Lane and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2012 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1912, a prosperous Illinois farm family Charles; his wife, Mathilda; their fifteen-year-old daughter, Blanche; and boarding schoolteacher Emma Kaempen were brutally murdered, the crime concealed by arson, and the family's surviving son, handsome Ray Pfanschmidt, arrested. He was convicted by the press long before trial. In Lies Told Under Oath, author Beth Lane retells the story of the murders, the trial, the verdict, and the aftermath. Using information culled from actual trial transcripts and newspaper accounts, Lane presents the day-to-day testimony as Ray's battle for his life surged through three courtrooms the drama complicated by brilliant attorneys, allegations of perjury, charges of rigged evidence, jailhouse informants, legal loopholes, conflict over the large estate being inherited by the alleged murderer, and appeals to the state supreme court. The remaining family became divided over Ray's guilt while his fiancée staunchly stood by him. Lies Told Under Oath provides a fascinating, historical account of the times and the people when science was in its infancy, telephones meant shared party lines, bloody evidence was contested (or contrived), and automobiles competed with bloodhounds and buggies. It captures the essence of an emotional crime that rocked this small Illinois community.
Download or read book Popular Crime written by Bill James and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-05-08 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published: 2011. With new addendum.
Download or read book Silent Witnesses written by Nigel McCrery and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2014-09-01 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Crime novelist and former police officer Nigel McCrery provides an account of all the major areas of forensic science from around the world over the past two centuries. The book weaves dramatic narrative and scientific principles together in a way that allows readers to figure out crimes along with the experts. Readers are introduced to such fascinating figures as Dr. Edmond Locard, the "French Sherlock Holmes"; Edward Heinrich, "Wizard of Berkeley," who is credited with having solved more than 2,000 crimes; and Alphonse Bertillon, the French scientist whose guiding principle, "no two individuals share the same characteristics," became the core of criminal identification. Landmark crime investigations examined in depth include a notorious murder involving blood evidence and defended by F. Lee Bailey, the seminal 1936 murder that demonstrated the usefulness of the microscope in examining trace evidence, the 1849 murder of a wealthy Boston businessman that demonstrated how difficult it is to successfully dispose of a corpse, and many others.
Download or read book The Bloody Century written by Robert Wilhelm and published by . This book was released on 2014-11-21 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A murderous atmosphere pervaded nineteenth century America unlike anything seen before or since. Lurid murder stories dominated newspaper headlines, and as if responding to the need for sensational copy, Americans everywhere began to see murder as a solution to their problems. The Bloody Century retells their stories; some still famous, some long buried, all endlessly fascinating. The Bloody Century is a collection of true stories of ordinary Americans, driven by desperation, greed, jealousy or an irrational bloodlust, to take the life of someone around them. The book includes facts, motives, circumstances and outcomes, narrating fifty of the most intriguing murder cases of nineteenth century America. Richly illustrated with scenes and portraits originally published at the time of the murders, and including songs and poems written to commemorate the crimes, The Bloody Century invokes a fitting atmosphere for Victorian homicide. The days of America's distant past, the time of gaslights and horse drawn carriages, are often viewed as quaint and sentimental, but a closer look reveals passions, fears, and motives that are timeless and universal, and a population inured to violence, capable of monstrous acts. A visit to The Bloody Century may well give us insight into our own.
Download or read book Bloody Illinois written by Troy Taylor and published by Whitechapel Productions. This book was released on 2008-04 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Join author Troy Taylor as his "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" Series continues with a terrifying and blood-soaked look at Illinois crime, mystery and tales of hauntings from all over the state - many of which have never appeared in any book before! In this volume, Taylor unlocks files of rare, seldom-told and favorite stories from both the cities and rural areas of the Prairie State, revealing true accounts of violence, murder, bloodshed and ghosts. Journey back into Illinois' past and discover tales of bandits, thieves, pirates and killers from the early days of the state; haunted prisons, jails and police stations; bloody vendettas; Illinois hangings; unsolved murders; ruthless murderesses; Charlie Birger, the Shelton Gang and War in Illinois; Pat Quinlan, the Devil's Apprentice; the Herrin Massacre; the Hundley Murders; the famous Coliseum Ballroom; the Battle of Barrington; Hell Hollow; the Lake Club; Fred Vannuci's "One-way Ride"; the Starved Rock Murders; Ghosts of the old Cook County Jail & the Joliet Penitentiary; and dozens more! You don't want to miss this collection of uncut and uncensored tales from the pen of Troy Taylor. It's a chilling book that is not for the faint of heart!
Download or read book Deadly Deception written by Alva Busch and published by Pinnacle Books. This book was released on 1993 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The inside account of the Illinois massacre of a mother and son by Psychotic killer Dale Anderson.
Download or read book Weird Illinois written by Troy Taylor and published by Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.. This book was released on 2005 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores bizarre sights and stories found in Illinois.
Download or read book The Forgotten History of Lake County Illinois written by James D Lodesky and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2020-10-28 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book covers the long-forgotten history of Lake County, Illinois. The period takes place mainly in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The first chapter tells the story of Robert Dady. Starting with nothing and never learning to read or write, Robert would become the largest landowner in the county. His daughter, Nellie Conrad, became one of Waukegan’s most successful businesswomen. She built the Times Theater, Roller Rink, two subdivisions, plus miscellaneous other real estate ventures. The next chapters concern Lake County violence in the form of fights, mobs, and riots. Most kinds of violence were common and accepted in society. Penalties were light for all but the worst crimes. Ethnic Lake County and North Chicago follows. Profiles for the various ethnic groups are covered. The area had Albanians, Armenians, Blacks, Bulgarians/Macedonians, Croatians, Czechs, Danes, Finns, Germans, Greeks, Irish, Italians, Jews, Lithuanians, Poles, Romanians, Russians, Slovaks, Slovenes, and Turks. Next are stories about Lake County men who overcame adversity. Most had little education and not many prospects. They overcame it all and became successful men in their communities. Famous Lake County women follow the men. These women had an impact on a number of county affairs. One Lake County woman was the first woman to vote in the state. The Lake County Historical Society is named after one of the county’s most influential women. The next chapter concerns Lake County women acting badly. Some Lake County women were anything but meek, and the reader might be surprised at just how violent some of them actually were. None of the county’s women could keep up with Lake County’s all-time worst woman. The next chapter tells the story of the Bender family. The Benders lived in the country for a time but were sent packing because of their detestable ways. They soon settled in Kansas and became one of the most famous serial killers in American history. Kate bender was the brains of the whole operation. The book finishes up with miscellaneous stories about Lake County men and women. Some of the stories covered include Lake County’s lynching record, hermits, gypsies, women farmers, and Lake County’s strongest man. Also included is the Fats baseball team. The Fats played baseball in the county a number of times and sported a 640- pound first baseman. Located in the ethnic Jewish profile is the story of Meyer Kubelsky, father of comedian Jack Benny. Jack Benny is Waukegan’s favorite son but not so much Meyer.
Download or read book One Night in Washington written by Troy Taylor and published by . This book was released on 2020-12-04 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ONE NIGHT IN WASHINGTON THE TRUE STORY OF AMERICA'S MOST HAUNTED PRESIDENT BY TROY TAYLOR From the backwoods of Kentucky and Illinois to the White House steps, the life of Abraham Lincoln has become one of America's greatest legends. But there is much more to Lincoln's life than you'll find in any mainstream history book. Visited by eerie premonitions of death, omens and portents, and prophetic dreams, Lincoln embraced the supernatural from when he was a young boy to just days before his assassination. He had an innate faith in destiny and the ability of the dead to communicate with the living. Forget everything you think you know about Abraham Lincoln and take a trip back in time to discover the true story of our country's most haunted president. Author Troy Taylor lifts the veil from Lincoln's often macabre and eerie life, from his encounters with Voodoo predictions as a young man to his eerily accurate visions of the future and his embrace of Spiritualist mediums in the White House. Using forgotten newspapers and vintage sources, this is the most complete book ever published about Lincoln's haunted life, and within these pages, Taylor reveals Lincoln's dreams of death, spirits around the séance table, and how the occult affected Lincoln's life until one tragic night at Ford's Theater in Washington. He takes the reader along as he delves deep into the annals of history with unsettling accounts of the Lincoln Assassination and the spirits that lingered from it, the "Lincoln Curse," the haunted life of Mary Lincoln, mystery, mayhem, mummies, grave robbery, ghosts, and much more! There is no other Lincoln book like this one - and you'll be turning its pages long into the night!
Download or read book One Afternoon at the Iroquois written by Troy Taylor and published by . This book was released on 2021-12-10 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ONE AFTERNOON AT THE IROQUOIS HISTORY AND HAUNTINGS OF AMERICA'S DEADLIEST THEATRE FIRE On the cold afternoon of December 30, 1903, a fire broke out in Chicago's Iroquois Theater during a sold-out performance. The theater had been advertised as "absolutely fireproof" when it had opened ahead of schedule to take advantage of holiday crowds. But the theater wasn't fireproof - it wasn't even safe. In less than 20 minutes, more than 600 people - mostly women and children - were burned, smothered, and trampled to death as the panicked audience tried to flee the theater. They soon discovered locked stairways, missing fire escapes, and jammed doors, leading to scores of deaths. In this chilling book, author Troy Taylor delves into the true story of this horrific holiday tragedy, detailing not only the disaster itself but the lives that were lost, changed, and utterly destroyed on that fateful afternoon. He takes readers inside the walls of the theater in a search for the missing and the dead and behind the doors of Chicago's City Hall, where the corruption occurred that allowed the dangerous theater to open just five weeks before the fire. Follow the victims taken to makeshift morgues in stores, restaurants, and saloons and then hunt for the lingering spirits who refuse to rest in peace after more than a century. Discover first-hand accounts of hauntings in the theater that now stands at the site, in a nearby department store, and, of course, in the narrow passage behind the theater where more than 100 people were killed - a passage that the press in 1903 dubbed "Death Alley." One Afternoon at the Iroquois is the perfect book for a cold winter's night during the holiday season -- when what should have been the perfect time of year turned into a nightmare.
Download or read book One Dark Night written by Troy Taylor and published by Whitechapel Productions. This book was released on 2022-02-25 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ONE DARK NIGHT MAD GASSERS, BLACK GHOSTS, AND AMERICA'S OTHER SINISTER STRANGERS For more than three centuries, America has been plagued by phantom figures, strange happenings, and sinister strangers who come and go without explanation. Although usually dismissed as "mass hysteria," these events often involve hundreds of people and even entire towns - all of them chasing after anomalous figures that shouldn't exist - and yet they do! These strangers wreak havoc for a time and then vanish without a trace, leaving no clue as to their purpose or why they committed the strange acts that they did. What do they want? No one can say - but whatever these weird apparitions might be, they have left an indelible mark on the haunted landscape of America and have become a part of our strange history that few are familiar with until now! Author Troy Taylor presents a book that is unlike anything else he has ever written, uncovering bizarre events and strange happenings that have never appeared anywhere before. Some of these incidents are so strange that you may not believe them and yet they're true: * In the late 1800s and early 1900s, towns across America were visited by "black ghosts," shapeless, often malevolent black creatures that terrified people and physically attacked them. * Starting in the 1980s, a string of evil clown sightings began across America, extending into the present day. * Mysterious "women in black" have been sighted across the country since the late 1800s and each time, they serve as a portent of doom - are they real or fiction? * The Mad Gasser of Mattoon may be one of the most famous sinister strangers of all time, but many don't know that the Gasser - or someone just like him - also struck in Virginia 11 years earlier! * From Phantom Stabbers to Invisible Barbers, Leaping Blue Men, Bunny Men, and more, you'll be baffled, unnerved, and even frightened by this book - so you may not want to read it alone!
