Sunday, May 31, 2020

The Peasenhall Murder: The Murder of Rose Harsent


On the night of May 31, 1902,  Peasenhall, Suffolk, England was dealing with a dark and stormy night. It was remembered as a particularly bad storm.

On the morning on June 1, 1902, 21/22-year-old Rose Ann Harsent's father came to visit her at her home in the Providence house. He found her lying on the ground in her kitchen with her throat slit. It was initially thought of being a suicide until it was found that Rose was 6 months pregnant and a closer look at the scene.

It was believed that she was killed around 1 to 6 a.m. She had been attacked and her chest and throat stabbed and her arms showed signs of defensive wounds. It seemed that the murderer failed to burn her and the home as her arm had been burnt, her nightgown had been partially burned, and there was a newspaper under her head that had burnt edges. Paraffin from a broken lamp was used to try start the fire, and a medicine bottle was smashed and left at the scene. It seemed like she hadn't slept in her bed that night.

No one had known that Rose was pregnant. It seemed as if she had tried to induce a miscarriage at one point, but it failed. She then kept her pregnancy a secret and never revealed who the father was.

There was a letter found in her home.

"Dear Rose, I will try to see you tonight at twelve o'clock at your place. If you put a light in your window at ten o'clock for about ten minutes then you can take it out again. Don't have a light in your room at twelve o'clock as I will come round to the back."

It's believed that whoever sent this letter may have been the killer. 

William Gardiner became the main suspect soon. The locals knew he was having an affair with her in 1901. It was assumed that the baby may have been Gardniers. There was other evidence that seemed to point towards him also. Such as bootprints in the wet ground seemed to have matched a pair of his boots. A handwriting expert stated that the letter was in his handwriting and that the paper came from his workplace. The smashed medicine bottle was also 

William denied all of this. He also had spent a lot of time that early morning with his wife and another neighbor with visiting. But he lived in eyesight of Rose's home and wouldn't have taken much time to get there to murder her and come back.

William Gardiner was arrested and tried twice once in 1902 and 1903 but was acquitted. His trial was said to have been 11 to 1 for guilty in the first trial and 11 to 1 for not guilty for the second.

Was there a misjustice in this case where the murderer couldn't be tried. Maybe the real murderer was someone no one suspected due to the main focus being on William. Some speculate that William's wife was the perpetrator of the crime and her motive was because she was jealous.

But the world will never truly know what had happened that stormy morning.


SOURCES:
Revolvy
Wikipedia
Strange Company 
Press Reader
Unsolved Murders

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Joan of Arc and her execution

15th Century miniature of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc who was also known as the Maid of Orléans was seen as a Military Leader, Heroine, and Martyr all before she was 19 years old.  

She was born in 1412 in Domrémy, Bar, France to poor tenant farmers. Joan grew up learning piety and domestic skills from her mother. Their home was also Joan never ventured far from home and was in charge of taking care of the animals. Joan also had a deep love for the Catholic Church. 

Joan was blessed with remarkable mental and physical courage. She was said to have had great common sense.  Joan eventually claimed to have extreme personal piety. She said she had direct communication with the saints. This was what allowed to make her the leader she became.

At the time she was born France was already fighting England in what was known as the 100 Year War. The war was over who would take over the French Throne. By the 15th century, Northern France was lawless and frontier for marauding armies. 

In 1415, King Henry V of England invaded northern France. England had gained support from Burgundians in France after they defeated French forces. 1420 a treaty called Treaty of Troyes, granted the French throne to Henry V and disinherited Charles of Valois.

Henry expected to inherit the throne after Charles IV's death. Both died months apart in 1422. This left Henry's infant son as ruler of both places. 

By 1422 England occupied northern France. Joan's village, like many others, were forced to leave their homes. In France, there were supporters for Charles's son to take the French Throne. Charles VII thought this was a good opportunity to do so. 

At 13 Joan had started to hear voices of Saints. She knew that she was given a task be God that was very important. She knew she had to save France by installing Charles as kind and kicking out their enemies. 

At 16 her father had tried to arrange her marriage. Joan stood in front of the court and fight the reason they weren't a match. She had convinced the court and won. 

In May of 1428, Joan made her way to Vaucouleurs. It was a nearby stronghold of those who were loyal to Charles and supported him. She was rejected by the local magistrate. Joan had attracted a small number of followers who believed she was to save France. They believed that a prophecy of a young Virgin saving France was of Joan. 

They eventually gave her a horse for her journey. Joan cropped her hair and dressed in men clothes. She made an 11-day journey across enemy territory to Chinon. It was where the crown prince's palace was and she was determined to help. 

Joan asked for an audience and announced she was to save France. Charles was unsure of what to think of her. She correctly identified him in disguise and spoke the future King Charles VII and won him over. She supposedly revealed to him only things God could have known and he believed her claims. No one knows what she revealed to him.

Joan promised him she would see him crowned king at Reims, and asked him for an army to lead to Orléans. Orléans was at the time under siege from England. Charles went against the advice given by his counselors and generals and granted Joan her army. 

In March of 1429, she set off to Orléans dressed in white armor and riding a white horse. Joan led several French assaults against them. This had caused the Anglo-Burgundians from the bastion and forced them to retreat across the Loire River. 

Charles did accept Joan's mission but didn't fully trust her judgment and advice. After her victory, she kept trying to hurry him to Reims to be crowned. He and his advisors were more cautious. However, Joan's reputation had spread far and wide among French forces. She and her followers escorted Charles across enemy territory into Reims. He was crowned Charles VII on July 18, 1429. Joan was by his side and occupying a visible place at the ceremonies. 

Joan tried to convince Charles that the French should press their advantage. That they should attempt to retake Paris. Charles wavered even though many warned him Joan was getting too powerful. 

In the spring of 1430, Joan was ordered to confront a Burgundian assault on Compiegne. In her effort to protect the town she was thrown from her horse. She was left outside the gates as they closed and was taken captive by the Burgundians. 

They took her to the castle of Bouvreuil, which was occupied by the English commander at Rouen. The Duke of Burgandy was ecstatic to have captured the girl of legend. In 1431 Joan went to trial under 70 charges that included witchcraft, dressing as a man and hearsay. 

The Burgundians were looking to get rid of Joan and discredit Charles. Charles, who owed her for getting him crowned, began to distance himself. He made no attempt to negotiate for Joan's freedom. She had even attempted to protect Charles by refusing to answer questions about him. 

Joan had spent a year in captivity by May 1431. She relentlessly signed a confession denying she never got messages from saints.  She defied the document days later by sporting men's clothes. This allowed them to announce her death sentence. 

On the morning on May 30th Joan was taken to the old marketplace of Rouen to be executed. There were estimated to have been around 10,000 people. Joan did not want to be burned to death. she would have preferred to have been beheaded. She was terrified and one guard noticed and gave her a small wooden cross. When she was tied to the stake and burned someone held up a cross for her to gaze at as she died. 

In the end, she claimed that the voices were real. That they were divine and had allowed her to save France and crown Charles as king. As Joan burned she called out to her three favorite saints and before she lost consciousness she screamed for Jesus. 

The 100-Year War lasted for 22 more years. Charles VII kept his crown and in 1456 he had Joan of Arc declared innocent of all charges and a martyr On May 16, 1920, she was canonized as the Patron Saint of France. 

SOURCES:
History
Britannica
Biography
National Geographic
Spark Notes

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Mrs. Colley Murdered Her Three Youngest

On May 28, 1837, The George Colley, his wife Ann and their family lived in the Police station-house in Fenton England. That night their father was out of the home. Anne the mother of 5 children the oldest being 11 and the youngest 5 months put them all to bed in the room they shared with their parents. The two oldest George (11) and Josiah (9) were laid to sleep together. Their mother put James (5 months) in his cradle. Ann and Charles slept in their bed with their mother Ann.

 No one expected what was to happen that night.

The two older boys George and Josiah were screaming running down the streets. The boys were injured and were only wearing their shirts. The first person they saw they told them that their mother Ann Colley was killing their siblings. They had escaped through a window after being attacked. George and Josiah had injuries to their head and neck causing their shirts to be blood-soaked. George has one of his ears almost taken off and Josiah had a deep gash in his neck.

The boys had woken up to their mother trying to stab them. Josiah was able to escape first and then George through a kitchen window. At the time they had no idea what had happened to the younger siblings.

John Beardsworth who lived next door was one of the first to enter the police station-house the family inhabited. They went upstairs to the room the family slept in. That was where the horrors lied. Three other children two boys and a girl laid on the ground with their heads nearly severed. Their mother on the floor with them with her throat cut, but still alive.

When the Dr. arrived on the scene he tried to sew up her neck wound. She struggled and even bit the surgeon's hand in an attempt to keep him from saving her. With the assistance of three others he was able to sew it up and save her.

It had seemed as of recently her husband and the children's father had been discharged from his position. This lead the family to live in poorer conditions. They were only living day to day on the earnings from their household goods. Before her husband's discharge, she seemed to be of good character and went to church regularly.

She claimed they it wasn't her husband's fault that she had done this. She said that he was a good husband and father to the children. It was the distress from life that had caused her to want to end the childrens life. Wanting them in the good lord's hands.

When in the hospital she would pray to god and begged the nurses to read the bible to her. She was mentally unstable. When she was told that her two sons were doing well she stated: "God will take them for when they survive they must come to want."

It was brought out that George a few weeks prior caught his wife trying to harm the children (isn't specifically what she did) and threatened to send her to the asylum if she hurt them. He believed this set her straight, but unfortunately did not.

She was brought before a jury and they returned with the verdict of Willful Murder against her.

SOURCES:
The Morning Chronical
The Morning Post
Jackson's Oxford Journal

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Murder of Laura Foster



This murder ballad isn't much about the victim, but the possible murderer. It's about Thomas Dula (Tom Dooley) who was hung for the murder of Laura Foster.

Thomas Dula (his last name pronounced Dooley) grew up in Wilkes County, North Carolina. As they grew up he and Ann became intimate. Before his 18th birthday, he joined the Confederate army. Ann had married around 3 years before Tom left to a James Melton. It was unknown if the relationship was still going.

Thomas then started to date Laura Foster a cousin of Ann's. I0t's rumored he was actually dating 3 of the Foster cousins including Ann. It's believed that Ann was possibly still in love with Tom and may have been jealous of her cousins.

In the last week of May of 1866, Laura had disappeared with her father's horse. Her father stated that he did not care if his daughter returned, but he wanted his horse. Probably believing at the time she had run away.

Rumors began to stir that Laura had been murdered and hidden. Her cousin Pauline admitted to where Laura's body was and that Ann and Tom had killed the young woman. The next day the horse returned alone without Laura. Search parties were sent out but the young 22/23-year-old wasn't found, but a bloodied rope had been.

It's never known what had happened that evening, but Laura was seen riding the horse next to Tom. She told a friend that they were eloping and Laura was pregnant at the time. Tom tried to run but was found by the posse that brought him back which involved Grayson (who some wrongly assume was a love interest of Laura's.) Tom had made it to Trade, Tennesse before being found.

Tom professed innocence, but after the arrest of him and Ann, he was found guilty from circumstantial evidence. Former North Carolina Governor Zebulon Vance defended Tom pro bono. It's believed he possibly did this because of him believing in Tom's innocence or because he was a Confederate Veteran. There were rumors of a former connection between the two that were found to be false.

 He was executed by hanging. The night before his hanging Tom wrote a confession that made it seem like Ann had nothing to do with Laura's murder. He did state at his execution "Gentlemen you see this hand? I didn't harm a single hair on the girl's head."

He was acquitted in 2001 from the crime. It's unknown what happened that night Laura died or even if Tom and Ann were involved and if they were what was the motive? Ann's jealousy? Some claim Laura was killed because she had a venereal disease. Tom and Laura's unborn baby? No one is for sure.

SOURCES:
Find A Grave
Murderpedia
Legal Executions in North Carolina and South Carolina page 14
Wilmington Daily Dispatch
Wilmington Daily Dispatch
Statesville Record and Landmark
Statesville Record and Landmark
The Fayetteville News



Monday, May 18, 2020

Fictional Murders: Black Dog Of Rolling Hills



Hanging Hills is a beautiful place to hike. It's mountainous and overlooks the city of Meriden, Connecticut within It's got great scenery and there's a saying some people use as a warning. "And if a man shall meet the Black Dog once, it shall be for joy; and if twice, it shall be for sorrow; and the third time, he shall die."- by W.H.C. Pynchon.

On Hanging Hills there are rare occasions where people see a black dog. The dog is said to be nothing unique in appearance. It's a moderate size has black fur, and nothing noticeable about its appearance. he strange thing about the dog is that when he barks he makes no sound and seemingly disappears when people come close. There's never any evidence he'd ever been there as he doesn't even leave footprints.

Geologist W.H.C.Pynchon had written the earliest accounts of the mysterious black dog in 1898 Even though the legend had been around for much longer. Pynchon mentions he saw the dog and it had followed him to a restaurant and back about the path before he mysteriously disappeared around the area he first saw him. Marshall scoffed and claimed to have seen the dog twice already and the legend did not scare him.

Marshall and Pynchon were looking at a rock formation on the edge of a cliff. They noticed the little black dog approach them, and unfortunately, Marshall slipped on the ice and fell to his death. Even though his death is labeled an accident many believe that the little black dog was to blame.

Many people claim to have the same experiences even over 100 years later. There are even some deaths that people believe are caused by the sighting of the black dog today.

SOURCES:
Connecticut Weekender
Connecticut Boom
The Yankee Express
Unsolved Mysteries


Sunday, May 17, 2020

The Yde Girl

Images of her and the 1992 reconstruction of her face. 

On May 12, 1897, a man working in the Stifveen peat bog near Yde, Netherlands a well-preserved mummy of a teenaged girl. They referred to the girl as Het Meisje van Yde in Dutch. Which is meant the girl from Yde.

Yde Girls' body wasn't turned over to authorities until two weeks after she was found. Due to the conditions that a bog has, it allows bodies inside of it to mummify. Her body went through some deterioration and decomposing due to mishandling. People also came to see the body and took hair and teeth from the body.

The mummy had Carbon-14 dating done on her. It was found she had died between 54 BC and 128 AD. She had died around 16 years old.  It was found she had scoliosis of the spine and stood at 137 cm and was short for her age. Her hair was nicely preserved as it was long and reddish-blonde hair. It's possible one side of her head was shaved, but sometimes this shaved feature is seen in bog bodies and it's possible that that side of her head was in oxygen a bit longer.  She was wearing a woolen cape and around her neck was a braided woolen band. The braided band was wrapped around her neck three times.

She had a stab wound to her collar bone, but it is unknown if this was what killed her. It's believed the stabbing happened when she unconscious as there were no defensive wounds.

Her name and story are lost to history. It's not sure why she had died or why her body was left in a Peat Bog. Some speculate that she was murdered or sacrificed. Others think that maybe the woolen band around her neck is evidence that she killed herself. It's not sure what really happened to the girl.

SOURCES:
Mummipedia
Awesome Stories
Atlas Obscura
Wikipedia



Saturday, May 16, 2020

Murder of Mr. McGee

This photo was taken by Aleksandr Saenko


On May 16, 1853, a laborer named McGee was lying on the Atlantic and St. Lawrence railroad near Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. He was stupid drunk at the time. Another laborer named Sullivan decided to strike McGee in the head with a pick-axe several times. Sullivan went on the run and I couldn't find if he was caught or not.

I could only find one article on this case.

SOURCES:
Ottawa Daily Citizen-May 21, 1853

Friday, May 15, 2020

Missing: Mary Agnes Moroney



2-year-old Mary Agnes Moroney's parents were desperate for help as they were pregnant with their second child. In early 1930 they put an ad in the social worker column. They thought their prayers were answered when a woman supposedly named Julia Otis arrived and helped them out with food and needed items.

On May 15, 1930, the woman came back to their Chicago, Illinois home and was welcomed inside. She had wanted to buy a dress for Mary and the parents trusted Julia so they allowed her to take her to the corner store. She never returned with the child though and the next day she sent a letter to the parents. They knew they'd never see their daughter again.

Julia stated that she was taking Mary to California and the parents could spare a few months without her. Two weeks later another letter arrived where she pretended to be a cousin named Alice Henderson saying she was mourning the loss of her own child. That she was "love-hungry" and was keeping Mary. 

Her story became known across America as Newspapers picked up the story. This did not bring Mary home and she never got to meet her little sister who was born two months later on July 11th. She may have been raised as the mystery woman's child.


Mary was a 2-year-old white female at the time. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was 3 ft and 20 lbs. She had a strawberry birthmark on her face and a scar on her stomach from a hernia. She was also left-handed.


SOURCES:

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Murder of Lavinia Jenkins

On May 13, 1872, 20-year-old Lavinia Jenkins and 24-year-old George Jenkins had a fight. George had been drinking on and off that day and came home at 8p.m. Late that night around  9 p.m. Lavinia wanted to leave the house. She at first said she was going to her sisters-in-law, but George told her no and she then told him she wanted to go to church. He told her to not leave and to go the next day.

George would then leave to go to the lodge returning home around 10. When he came home Lavinia was not home. So he went and sat on a bench between his and the neighbor's house. Lavinia would return home with a man (known to George, but not stated who it was). Lavinia called out to George and looked for him.

When she found him beside the house she was offended. She thought that George was trying to spy on her and she was angry. The two said goodbye to the man who walked her home. Once he was gone Lavinia lashed out at George telling him "I don't need you watching me." They would get into an argument leading George to drink more.

He would go and borrow a meat cleaver claiming he was going to cook meat for breakfast. Lavinia was still sleeping when George took a cleaver to his wife. He would hit her in the face, throat, shoulders, and chest.

When Robert, George's older brother, came to the house around 9 a.m. the next morning the doors were closed and the two children were outside playing. He would ask them where their mother was and one of the children would tell him, "Mother is upstairs dead."

Robert believing something was wrong went to the police station to retrieve officers. They would return to the home and forcibly broke down the door. Inside they found Lavinia still in her blood-soaked bed and George was nowhere in sight.

George would turn himself in. He would claim that he did not remember what he did to his wife. He said that he was drunk and blacked out and during the blackout out he murdered his wife. He would take an insanity plea at trial. He would also state that she would not treat him as she should have. They would find him guilty and set to be executed an on October 31, 1872, George would be executed.

SOURCES:
Legal Executions in Delaware, The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia 
The Baltimore Sun May 15, 1872
The Philidelphia Inquirer May 15, 1872
Evening Star June 27, 1872
Evening Star October 4, 1872
Evening Star October 31, 1872

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Rosemarkie Man

SkeletonPictish man

In 2016 members of the Rosemarkie Caves Project discovered the body of a medieval man in Black Isle, Ross-Shire in Scotland. He was found in the recess of the cave with his legs crossed and rocks on top of his limbs. He was possibly buried there because it may have been thought of as an "entrance to the underworld" as part of a ritual. animal bones near his remains showed there may have been a celebration for him. Even though it seemed as if he was carefully buried his death was brutal.

It's believed that he was Pictish. The Picts were a group of tribes in Scotland during the iron age and Medieval times. Romans gave them their name likely from the word "picti" which means painted ones. The Picts had distinctive tattoos and war paint.

The man had died between 430 to 630 and was around 30-years-old at the time. He was 5'6" and was well built much like a rugby player.  He had a high protein diet. The fact that he had a high protein diet and didn't have any injuries that warriors would have or wear and tear from being a laborer it's believed he was Royal or a Chieftain. 

His end was not pleasant. He had been attacked about the head 5 head injuries With a weapon the first 3 impacts broke his teeth and fractured his left jaw and the back of his head. The 4th, which likely ended his life, the weapon used was driven through his skull from one side out the other as he was laying on the ground. 

It's unknown who this man was and why he was killed and this will remain a mystery. 

SOURCES:
BBC July 24, 2019
BBC Feb. 17, 2017

Monday, May 11, 2020

Murder of Miss Lydia Bell

 16-year-old Miss Lydia Bell was asked by a private in the York volunteers asked her to walk that night. She did so without telling her father between the night of May 11th and 12th of 1804 She snuck out of her Scarborough, England home around 9 p.m. leaving through a neighbor's home to not be seen by her family. The neighbor warned her not to go because the man she was meeting was married. She ignored their advice and left with him anyway. Her family became aware she snuck out and worried about her.

The next morning Lydia's body was found around 11 a.m. she was lying on the Cayton Sands about two yards in the water with her head towards the sea. It was obvious whoever killed her expected her body to be brought out to sea. She had been brutally killed. Her clothes were torn and it seemed as if someone tried to sexually assault her. She had been beaten about her face and had scars, and skin on her arm had been torn from the bone. It was obvious she fought back from her attacker.  Her killer had strangled her to death. There were footprints in the sand near her body but unfortunately didn't extend to either side of the beach.

There was a malicious rumor that she was pregnant and had jumped off of a cliff to kill herself. This was not true as autopsy did not show that she was pregnant was in fact murdered.

The York Volunteer was taken in and questioned. He claimed he wasn't acquainted with the girl, but did speak with her before her death. The neighbors who she left the home of state he was the one who they saw her leave with that night. Her sister stated he was the same man to ask her on a walk and her brother stated that he had also seen him talking to his sister another day. He was found to have an alibi and magistrate was satisfied with it and released him.

The family believed he did it. Her father wrote a letter to the newspaper stating that he wasn't claiming that the whole York Volunteer was bad, but the man who killed his daughter was. He felt that people who were in the York Volunteer would understand.

It was later found out that four "witnesses" from the York Volunteers, Val Nicholson, William Short, Jonathan Simpson claimed to see another York Volunteer with Lydia on Cayton Road. He was taken to trial but was acquitted for the crime as there was no evidence.

It turned out the four had committed perjury to protect Val Nicholson. All four had suffered torments from the murder with guilt, chronic nightmares, and untimely deaths. Shortly before Val Nicholson died he confessed to killing the teen girl.

SOURCES:
Historic UK
The Times 24 May 1804
The Ipswich Journal 26 May 1804
Aberdeen Journal, and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland 06 June 1804
The Hull Packet; and East Riding Times 10 July 1804
The Monthly Mirror Volume 17


The Orthodox churchman's magazine; or, A Treasury of divine and useful knowledge

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Fictional Murders: Aren't You Glad You Didn't Turn On The Light?



Kelly and Danny were complete opposites. Kelly was a bookworm, who was seen as smart and responsible and Kelly liked to live life on the wild side and was seen as a party girl.  Despite their differences, the two girls were best friends. When they had gotten to college the two had roomed together in the dorms.

It was getting close to their first midterms of college. Danny, being who she was, wasn't worried about the midterms. She was invited to a party by a guy she liked and really wanted to go. When two got back the room they discussed their plans. 

Kelly was, of course, going to stay in the dorm and study. Danny wanted her to come to the party and enjoy the night but wasn't successful in convincing Kelly. When Danny left she felt guilty she wasn't going to stay and study, but partying is a good way of releasing stress. 

It was already 3 a.m. by the time Danny got back. The lights were off and she figured Kelly was sleeping. She could hear her toss and turning on her bed and didn't want to wake her if she was already having a tough time sleeping.

In the morning Danny woke up to a horrifying sight. Above Kelly's bed written on the wall in blood was "Aren't You Glad You Didn't Turn On The Light?" She automatically ran over and found Kelly was cold and was covered in blood.

This would mean the tossing and turning she was hearing when she came in wasn't Kelly having a rough time sleeping. She was being murdered and who knows how long the murderer spent in the room before Danny woke up.

SOURCES:
How it was told to me as a child
Urban Legends Online 

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Murder of Unnamed Woman by Busheage

In May of 1644, a Native American man named Busheage went into the home in Stamford, Connecticut. The home was a poor family in the area. At the time the husband was out of the home and the wife and their baby were home. Busheage would take a lathing hammer and severely beat her. When he thought she was dead he robbed the place of clothing and fled. The woman was not dead and was able to tell authorities that it was an Indian who attacked her. She would soon die after revealing this.

Several weeks later other Native American's caught the killer and turned him over to the English in New Haven. He was found guilty of the crime. He would be executed in August or September of 1644 by beheading. He would be tied to a chair and in no less than 8 chops were done.

SOURCES:
Legal Executions on New England
Persons Executed in Connecticut
Registry of Known American Indian Executions 

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Unsolved Murders of Donald Burton and Joseph Greco



On May 2, 1959, the bodies of Donald Burton and Joseph Greco were found in the trunk of a vehicle parked on the side of the road on Montague  1/4 mile east of Meridian, Illinois. The 21-year-olds were beaten to death and had evidence of gambling paraphernalia. They were known for their frequent illegal gambling operations in the Northern Illinois area.

SOURCES:

Friday, May 1, 2020

UNIDENTIFIED: 1854, Ontario, Canada Unknown Stranger


In 1854 a young man stayed at the Whitevale Inn, in Whitevale, Ontario, Canada. There is little information on this, but he had died during his sleep and had no identifying papers on him. It's not stated how long he'd stayed there or what exactly he died from. No one also came looking for the young man, and he was buried with a headstone saying "An Unknown Stranger 1854".

I couldn't find any other sources on An Unknown Stranger.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave