Serial Killers: Martin Lecián

On October 31, 1900, in Ostrožské Předměstí in Austria-Hungary. He was raised in a youth detention center. He was a career criminal after he left the detention center. He was twice punished by the Regional Court of Uherské Hradiště. During his military service, he fled and went AWOL five times. After his last time fleeing he met Maria Krenovska and they began stealing around Moravia. They would open the door by covering the locking mechanism and then they would rob the cash registers. 

In Prostějov both Lecián and Krenvska were detained. After they transferred to a hospital in Olomouc Lecián escaped with a dangerous criminal named Szekely on December 10, 1926. In their escape, they injured two guards. 

They then went and committed a series of thefts before they split up in Bučovice on the 21st. Lecián stayed in Morania and Szekely went to Slovakia. They were both wanted criminals at this point. 

On Jan. 19, 1927 Lecián shot and killed a municipal officer Rudolf Hanák four times as the officer tried to stop a burglary in Slavkov u Brna Lecián was committing. The next day he was attempted to kill a shop owner and police officer in Poledňák. A month later a murdered a guard  František Marčík at the Grafony in Jihlava. 

Lecián was then recognized by a gendarme on a train where Lecián shot the gendarme several times. Lecián then jumped from the moving train and went on the run again. He was still a wanted criminal, but now he had 10,000 korunas for his capture. This did not stop his crime spree. 

Lecián began to wear a mas and continued his criminal activities. People believed him to be much like Robin Hood a brave and gallant who robbed the rich. Songs were being written by him. 

On March 8, 1927, he shot twice in Veselí nad Moravou at Chancellor Antonín Stuchlı. He was expecting a child shortly after his wedding. This made his popularity hit rock bottom and people stopped seeing him as a Robin Hood figure. Lecián then shot down Military Chief Chvalovsky. Lecián engaged in several shoot outs and at one near Polešovice, he was injured, but still able to escape. 

On April 23rd he was caught and detained by a civil police officer in Nový Bohumín. He was put through a four-month investigation and a six-day trial. He was found guilty of his crimes and set to be executed for his crimes. 

He tried to plead to not get executed. He had acute tuberculosis was going to kill him in just a few years anyway. It was 

On September 25th he and a deserter named Kašparik tried to escape. They killed the guard Ferenc Kisse and took his weapon. After a brief shoot out, they were recaptured. The pardon he may have gotten from him dying of tuberculosis wasn't given. 

On October 6, 1927, he was executed. He tried to plead that his tuberculosis would soon kill him anyway.  He was quoted saying. "In an hour the devil will be cleaning the chimney with my body. I'll make a good broom for him."

It's stated he has up to 10 victims of murder and attempted murder. 

SOURCES:

Murderpedia 

Wikipedia

Crime Museum

Dvojka

UNIDENTIFIED: October 30, 1955 Barstow, California Jane Doe

 On October 30, 1955, the partial skeletal remains of a woman were found scattered from a shallow grave 3.6 miles east of Bear Valley Road in a desert 10 miles south of Barstow, California. She may have died months prior to discovery. Her cause of death is unknown or unstated. 

She's a white female between 30 to 80-years-old but is more likely to be between 50 and 80-years-old. She's around 5'4" and her weight is unknown. She had reddish/blonde hair that is 6 to 7 inches long. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Murder of Ada King

In 1919 20/21-year-old Josephine Berry and 18-year-old Ada King were two colored neighbors in Washington, D.C. The two did not get along and some news articles claimed that they were fighting over a man. But it could have been over a previous assault.

On the morning of October 29, 1919, Ada and her husband had come home after he was acquitted of assaulting Josephine. At 11:30 a.m.  Josephine shot Ada in the neck and killed her. Josephine would claim it would be in self-defense and that she was "Tired of being the dog for one crowd of people."

After the shooting Josephine would go and sit the front door of her home waiting for police. She refused to be arrested by police out of uniform.

Ada's husband would claim that a friend of Josephine's a 19-year-old Howard Dudley gave her the gun. Josephine would say that she didn't see Howard that day and that she had gotten the gun from under a pillow.

When she was found guilty and set to hang Josephine fainted in court. People were advocating for Josephine to get life in prison instead of being executed. Petitions were sent out to be signed. Her hanging would be postponed several times and on October 14, 1920, a day before she was to be hanged President Wilson commuted her to life in prison.

Because  of Josephine's small stature of being 5'0" and 70 lbs if she was to be hanged weights would have to be tied to her feet so that her neck would have broke.


SOURCES:
Evening Star October 29, 1919
The Washington Herald October 31, 1919
Evening Star December 29, 1919
The Washington Herald Jan 24, 1920
The Washington Times February 21, 1920
The Washington Times February 22, 1920
Evening Star October 7, 1920
The Washington Times October 14, 1920
The Washington Post October 15, 1920

Murder of Francis Boggs

Francis Boggs was born in Santa Rosa California he had started his acting career in his teens. He eventually became one of the first motion picture pioneer directors. He was also one of the first to direct a movie in California. In 1902 during his tour southwest with stock companies, he went to Chicago where he met William Selig.

William Selig began to fund a few films. Together they created the first films filmed entirely in California. This included Count of Monte Cristo (1909), In the Sultans Power (1909), and Te Heart of a Race Trout (1909). In 1909 Selig gave Boggs head position in Selig's Los Angeles branch it was built in Edendale.

Today only three of his films are known to exist.

On October 27, 1911, a meeting was happening in Boggs office at Selig Polyscope Co.'s studios in Edendale, California. Selig had traveled all the way from Chicago and arrived in Edendale that morning. The meeting included the business manager, J.L. McGee, actor, W. Santshi, and Hobart Bosworth.

Japanese janitor Frank Minnimatsu out of nowhere busted in the door and opened fire in the room. The first bullet pierced Francis Boggs in the heart and killed him. William Selig was also injured as he was shot in the arm while struggling with Minnimatsu. The others in the room tackled and restrained Minnimatsu. Minnimatsu claimed that Boggs was an evil man and that he had been waiting 6 months to kill him.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Find a Grave

LA Times

Santa Ana Register 

Oakland Tribune

Murders of Phoebe Hogg and her daughter Phoebe Hogg

Wax sculpture of Mary Pearcey

In 1890 Mary Eleanor (Wheeler) Pearcey was hung for killing her lover's wife and baby in North London, England. More is known about Mary than Phoebe and baby Phoebe due to a mysterious ad she placed in the newspaper.

 At the time of the murders, she was 24 years old and was described as 5'6" and had a 'lovely russet of hair and fine blue eyes," she was also described as having a normal build and shapely hands. She wasn't the prettiest of women but had no problem attracting men.

In her late teens, she was in a relationship with a carpenter named John Charles Pearcey. She took his name though they weren't married. She continued to use it even after their relationship was over, Mary never really had to work as she associated herself with better off men. She had several admirers who paid for things for her including her rented room.

Mary suffered from depression and would drink heavily. She only had her mother and sisters as her only living relatives. She had other suitors and in addition to Charles Creighton who paid for her room, she fell for Frank Hoggs. He was a furniture remover and impressed Mary with his printed cards.

She would put a light in her window to let Frank know she was free and he would let himself in with his copy of a key. Frank and Mary were somewhat together but had affairs with other people. Frank had gotten another girl pregnant and was to marry her. Mary was slightly upset but asked if they could still have an affair and she'll treat his soon to be wife as a friend. They agreed to this.

Phoebe Styles thus married Frank Hogg in November of 1888. At the time she was three months pregnant and gave birth to their daughter Pheobe in the summer of 1889. The affair between Frank and Mary continued like planned.

On October 24, 1890, Mary allegedly asked young Willie Holmes to run an errand for her. She asked him to deliver a note to Phoebe Hoggs for a penny. He delivered the note and inside it was Mary inviting Pheobe over for tea.

Around 4 p.m. Charlotte Priddington, a neighbor of Mary heard the sound of breaking glass coming from Mary's. Worried she called over the fence asking if Mary was alright. She got no response. Sometime between 4 and 7 a neighbor saw Mary walking with a baby pram with a heavy object inside it.

At 7.p.m A man was returning back home from work. He found Phoebe's body was found lying on a pavement in Crossfield Road. Her head was wrapped in a cardigan which he removed and saw her bloodstained face.

Phoebe's skull had been fractured and her throat had been slit. Her throat had been nearly decapitated from the slit. There were bruises on her head and arms showing she was trying to defend herself. It was found she was murdered elsewhere and left there. She wasn't identified at the time and her baby wasn't with her.

The next morning a constable found a bloody pram in Hamilton Terrace a mile away from Phoebe. The body of baby Phoebe was found the next day. She had been suffocated to death. It was unknown whether or not it was intentional. She was either killed during or after the murder of her mother. She could have possibly been killed in the pram from her mother's body being placed upon her.

Frank had sent his sister Clara to go ask Mary if they had seen Phoebe and the baby. Mary denied seeing her and went with Clara to see if the bodies in the morgue were Phoebe and the baby. Mary's behavior became strange at the morgue. It was like Mary was trying to prevent Clara from identifying them. Clara went and identified them.

When Frank heard the news that they were dead he admitted to having an affair with Mary. Police went to her home on Priory St. and found the kitchen bloodstained and the windows were broken. It was obvious that this was a crime scene. A rug with bloodstains was attempted to be cleaned with paraffin. as a bloodstained poker and knife had also been found. When asked about it Mary responded with "Killing mice, killing mice, killing mice." Police searched the house with her there and she played popular songs on her piano.

Mary was arrested, and when Mary was searched there were bloodstains on her clothes, scratched on her hands and two wedding rings. One of which was Phoebe's.

While waiting in police court awaiting the committal hearing Mary started to talk to Sarah Sawhill, a woman looking after her. She told her that Phoebe did come over for tea. Phoebe had said something that offended Mary and they argued. Mary went silent as soon as she realized she was incriminating herself.

Mary had entered a plea of not guilty. She was hanged on December 23, 1890. It was noted that Mary seemed to have been calm and accepted her fate. Upon learning her fate she requested an ad to be placed in the newspaper.

"MECP Last wish of MEW. Have not betrayed. MEW"

She would not elaborate what the message had meant, but it could be assumed that MEW was referencing to herself. As her birth name was Mary Eleanor Wheeler. That would mean MECP may also be a person, but who the message was for and what it meant is unknown.

Some believe that she was possibly a Jack the Ripper suspect for the brutal way Mary had slit Pheobe's throat and ditched her in a public place. Some believe Jack The Ripper had killed in private. This though contradicts the information of the crimes which took place at the place the bodies were found.

SOURCES:
Casebook
Historic Mysteries
Capital Punishment UK
Find a Grave

Murder of Margaret Kottke

In 1918 6-year-old Margaret Kottke was sent to live with the Zimmermans a family who intended to adopt the young girl in Granville, North Dakota. Her father was a transient and her mother had her out of wedlock. When her mother married Mr. Kottke and they had children together Margaret was unwanted in the home. She would be passed around to relatives before going to the Zimmerman home.

A friend of Margaret's would witness the starving girl try to eat some spoiled cheese. In reaction, Mrs. Zimmerman hit the girl. They were cruel to the girl and she was starved. This resulted in her trying to survive on raw wheat.

On October 23, 1919, Zimmerman's asked others to help search for the 7-year-old girl. They claimed that they had not seen her in at least 8 hours and had searched for her in the night, but was unsuccessful. She was supposed to have driven the cattle to be milked. When Zimmerman walked past a straw stack with other's search he was quoted saying "something tells me we will find her in that straw stack." On it was Margaret's body and after they found her he stated, "I know you will blame me for this, and everybody will blame me."

When looking at the body they found her to be more decomposed than she should have been. Looking at her stomach would only find evidence of raw wheat. She also had evidence of bruises, but it was believed she had starved to death. She also had to of been placed in the straw stack sometime after her death as she had been dead for a day or two. 

Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman was then taken to trial. After the jury deliberated 30 minutes. The two were then sentenced 5 years.

SOURCES:
Grand Forks Herald Oct. 27, 1919
The Ward County Independent  Oct. 30, 1919

Grand Forks Herald Dec. 2, 1919

Grand Forks Herald December 31, 1919

The Ward County Jan 1, 1920

The Bismarck Tribune Jan. 3, 1920

Grand Forks Herald Jan. 6, 1920

The Bismarck Tribune Jan. 6, 1920

The Ward County Independent Jan 8, 1920

The Bismarck Tribune Jan. 9, 1920

Women of the Northern Plains

Murder of John Byrd

In 1842 John Byrd was lead by his son 16-year-old Amos into the woods. Amos told John that they were going to help with deer hunting with some neighbors in a wooded area in Jackson, Missouri. They mounted on horseback and went into the woods. They did not return that night and it worried the family. They searched and found Amos

They late found John underneath some brush. He had been shot in the back of the neck and the bullet exited under his mouth. He also had his throat slit. He was found within a few hundred yards of their house.

His son originally claimed that they met a foul stranger in the woods. He said that the stranger made threats against him if he did not leave him and the father alone. He stated he thought his father was shot because he heard the gun go off. The boy went to a house and stayed the night with a man. The man claimed to have also heard a gunshot.

Police did not trust Amos as his story changed several times. He then was brought in front of the Justices and then he admitted he had killed his father. He had stolen the gun from a neighbor and hid it in the woods. The motive for his murder was because his son was not allowed to use the gun. Articles talked about how the son did not have the mental capabilities to understand what he did. He may have had some sort of learning disability as he was described as "not a boy of ordinarily good sense" and a "simpleton".

(I believe the name of the son is Amos due to how one of the articles was clipped)

SOURCES:
The Radical 
Boon's Lick Time 

Murder of Mary Stark

On 17 October 1801, Sarah Pafquin came home about 8 that night. She lived on the second floor of a Clements Lane, London, England apartment. Mary Stark and her husband 32-year-old Richard lived on the third floor.  Mary and Sarah visited several times that night. It was about midnight when Richard came home and Sarah was lying on top of the bed with their child sleeping. Before going upstairs he asked Sarah for candlelight.

This was when Sarah heard the mother and child start to scream. This was a common occurrence in the residence. He would beat Mary. On this night she went upstairs to try to get him to stop beating Mary. The door was shut and she could hear Mary beg him to not beat her and Richard swearing at her. He opened the door for Sarah and she came into the room. He continued to beat Mary. He told Sarah it was because Mary had pawned his breeches.

She got Mary to come downstairs with her to her room. Richard followed them down and once they got to the room Richard went inside to and hit Mary in the head knocking her down. Sarah told him to stop beating Mary and not to do it in her home and he asked her to turn her out of her home then. He continued to beat Mary.

Sarah helped Mary up and she was trembling and Sarah asked him to bring her up to their room. Instead, he took a hand full of Mary's hair and dragged her out to the hallway where he bashed her head on the floor. Somehow Mary made it upstairs and Sarah and Richard followed. Mary collapsed on the bed hard. Sarah covered her up and told Richard to not beat her anymore. She said she didn't hear anymore beating after that.

The next morning Sarah saw Richard leave for work. She went upstairs to check on Mary but did not get a response. Sarah thought that Mary had been asleep. Mary Terry who lived in the room under Mary stated that she heard everything that night.

She went upstairs after around 10 in the morning on Sunday after the beating to check on Mary. She found Mary was laying on her left side and her child was trying to drink milk from her breast. Mary was already dead at this point.

During the trial, they tried to make it seem as if Sarah and Mary were drunk, but Mary Terry stated that neither was drinking that night as she had also seen them a few times through the night before the beating. Richard was found guilty at trial and was set to hand on 2 November. He was also hung with James Legg who had killed his roommate William Lamb. The two hung for an hour before being cut down.

SOURCES:
The Caledonian Mercury
The Caledonian Mercury (Execution)
Capital Punishment UK
The Derby Mercury

Murder of De La Haye

On October 15, 1919, Principal  De La Haye and his wife arrived at the Newton House of Madras (now Chennai) India with his wife around 8:30 to 9p.m. After a while, the two went to bed Mrs. De La Haye was sleeping in a bed on the veranda. 30 minutes after midnight some snuck into the room was shot him in the head while he slept.

This woke up his wife and several boys who lived at the school. One of the boys went and telephoned the police after seeing what had happened. Police soon came and found the distraught Mrs. De La Hayes.

The Newton House is a school of the Court of Wards that taught minor princes of the Princely States. There may have been several reasons that De La Hayes was murdered. He would often talk to the students in a racist tone even calling them "Barbarous Tamilians". This would often offend the students. It's also said that his wife seduced a few of the students and that may have been motive.

All who went to trial were acquitted and this case remains unsolved.

SOURCES:
Revolvy
Wikipedia

Murder of Emily and William Cockin

26-year-old George Cockin and his wife separated In September 1878. It wasn't said why the two separated, but it could be because his wife was an alcoholic at the time. The residents at the place they l lodged with Mrs. Hubbarks on Philidelphia Street in Bristol, England did not like her. She had been stealing curtains and linen from their landlord to sell for alcohol. When she left George was living with his five-year-old daughter Emily and 3-year-old son William. By October they had been living there for 5 months.

It was known that his wife would try to see the children while George was not home. He never saw her, but knew she was going to try to take the children away from him.  On October 13, 1878, the children's mother came to the home again. This time she brought toys with her for the children. He told someone else lodging there that to tell her she was unwelcomed and to go back to the man she was with.

The next morning on October 14 George went out and bought a frock and boots for his son. He did not go to work this day and seemed to be going in and out of the house constantly. He seemed sober for most of the day though. He then went out with the children for dinner. They arrived back home about a quarter to 5. He was witnessed holding his children's hands saying; "Come on Emmy and Willie; come with dada upstairs."

Another witness said that the children had seemed upset before going up. They had heard George take off his boots and then told the children to go to bed.

They then followed their father upstairs. William had come downstairs several times within 10 minutes and Emily came down each time to get her brother. About 5 or so minutes later George came downstairs crying. He did not have his boots or coat on anymore. He was also bleeding from his neck as he had tried to slice it. He said, "Mrs. Fowler do go up; I have killed my children."

Mrs. Fowler scared for the children rushed upstairs to find the children. Emily was lying on the floor of the landing and William was lying on the bed. Both of them had their throats slit, but were still alive. The room was said to be covered in blood.

The two children were carried to the infirmary. It was said that William's wounds were worse, but Emily was close to death. So they tried to work on Emily first, but she died within minutes. They then worked on William, but unfortunately, he also died 30 minutes later from his wound.

Witnesses claimed that George never mistreated his children. That he seemed to actually take great care of them. They noticed that he was sober most part of the day and seemed to be sober when he went upstairs with the children. He was drunk when he came back downstairs though.

His family was interviewed and asked if there was a history of mental illness in the family. His brother responded with a yes. They had several family members who were put in an asylum including a brother named William who died in one in 1869. A servant of his sister stated that she had once witnessed him 6 years before putting his head in a boiler hole saying he wanted to destroy himself and he was miserable.  He did have a history of acting strange.

He pled guilty for his daughter Emily's murder, but pleaded not guilty for William. His defense didn't claim that he didn't murder the children, but did so in a fit of insanity due to intoxication. The jury found him not guilty on that ground.

SOURCES:
The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, Western Countries and South Wales Advertiser (Oct. 15)

The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, Western Countries and South Wales Advertiser (Nov. 9)

The Lancaster Gazette 

Murder of Thomas Clinton Beebe

On October 9, 1891, 24-year-old Thomas Beebe had difficulty with cows destroying his corn on his land near Woodland, Washington. He confronted Robert Day's son about the cattle's destruction. During the argument, Thomas smacked Robert's son's face. At the time Robert was out hunting.

When Robert returned his son told him of the argument. After dinner, Robert confronted Thomas at his camp about 3/4's of a mile away from Robert's Ranch. He found Thomas and his cousin David Beebe

Robert confronted Thomas about slapping his son and asked him to walk down the road to talk. Thomas did not deny that he smacked his son. Robert having met the fork in the road that leads to his home he turned around with his gun a Winchester. He shot and killed Thomas without hesitation. The bullet went through his right side and exited through his left going through both of his lungs.  Robert spoke to David roughly and asked him if he also wanted som.

David fled the scene after the gun didn't discharge. David was able to get authorities. Robert fled into the woods and attempted to flee authorities. He was caught the next morning from authorities. A lynch mob came for Robert, but the constable prevented him from being taken.

Robert claimed that the boys were acting as if they were going to attack him. In defense, he shot Thomas.  Robert went to trial and was convicted of the murder on December 16, 1891.

While in prison on December 17 Robert attempted suicide by slashing his arm just below the elbow. He used a knife given to him for his meals. On February 4, 1892, the judge issued the warrant for his execution. On Feb. 28th

On June 3, 1892, Robert was set to hang in Kalama. He was Catholic and before he was sent to hang he talked to Father Kearnes of La Center. When on the Scaffolds he stated that he had remorse for taking a life for which he had to forfeit his own and that he forgave those who sinned against him and hoped those he sinned would do the same. He then stated that he was innocent of the murder he was charged with. He also asked the crowd to take care of his wife and kids.

He was hanged at 11:13 a.m. and his death was instant. They let him hang for 13 minutes before being pronounced dead and another 5 before being cut down and his body turned over to the family.


SOURCES:
Spokane Chronical October 13, 1891
The Seatle Post-Intelligencer December 17, 1891
The Spokesman-Review February 4, 1892
The Seatle Post-Intelligencer  June 4, 1892 (part 1)
The Seatle Post-Intelligencer  June 4, 1892 (part 2)
The Spokesman-Review June 9, 1892
Chicago Tribune January 1, 1893

Missing: Anker Ljunggren

In October of 1935 29-year-old Anker Ljunggren was last seen by his wife in Craik or Craven, Saskatchewan, Canada. At the time he was working in Yellow Grass as a farmhand but was heading north to find more work.

SOURCES:
Canadas Missing

End of Watch: Murder of Officer August Baker and the Lynching of William Burns

On October 3, 1907, 22-year-old William Burns and Gus Little who were both African Americans were drinking at a Hussey's Saloon near canal wharf in Cumberland, Maryland. They were making threats to other patrons and being disorderly. They were ordered to leave and the duo did not do so. Officer August Baker came to arrest the two for disorderly conduct.

William was not having any of it and was supposedly resisting arrest. Officer Baker tried to subdue him with pepper spray, but during the scuffle, William shot Officer Baker.  He was able to handcuff William, but Gus Little escaped during the fight. The shot was proven fatal and Officer August Baker died due to his injuries on October 6.

 William had admitted he was drunk but did not remember that night. He sat in jail for several days and was fearful that the townspeople were going to go after him.

Which when the townspeople heard that an officer had died anger consumed the town. Sheriff H.R. Hamilton did not place extra guards on duty at the jailhouse because he didn't believe that people would harm his prisoner. Deputy Sheriff Noah Hendley was on guard at midnight on October 6.

Several small groups of men were in the streets making their way to the jailhouse. Many of them wore their jackets inside out and handkerchiefs over their faces. By 1 a.m. a group of around 50 men approached the jail and 100 were gathered by the time they reached the jail.

There were conflicting stories of how many were there. Deputy Hendley reported over 2,000 while others said no more than 25. Spectators claimed that Deputy Hendley did, in fact, give over the keys easily even though he claimed that they tore at his clothes for them.

The men stormed the jail doors and demanded the keys from Deputy Hendley. Hendly refused which enraged the group. They tore down a telegraph pole and forced the doors open. They dragged William out of his cell with a smashed nose, a torn ear, and numerous cuts and bruises.

There were two motives of the people who attended the mob. One was that they wanted William to confess to the murder. The other was to lynch William because they were convinced he was already guilty. It was said that several prominent men in the city were a part of the mob.

A rope could not be found, so the men decided to shoot William. After he was shot and his body fell to the ground they checked to see if he was still alive and when confirmed he was, in fact, dead the mod dispersed quickly.

On October 12, 1907, Allegany County was able to raise $500 for the conviction of those who were a part of the mob. Judge Boyd directed a grand jury to investigate the lynching. No one could be identified for the prosecution of the crime. The Afro-Ledger protested the lynching in an article that summed up the situation well.

"The men who lynched Burns are greater murderers than he was, for while he shot his man while under the influence of liquor, and without premeditation, these men deliberately planned and carried their plans in execution. Without a doubt, every one of them is guilty of murder in the first degree and justice will not be done until everyone implicated in it is brought before the bar and receives the penalty of his crime."

No one was arrested or caught for the lynching though. 

SOURCES:

Maryland 

Wikipedia

Murder of Earl Fuller Jr.

Photo of Joseph Altringer

At 7:30 p.m. on October 4, 1930, 12-year-old Earl Fuller Jr. left his home in Dubuque, Iowa. He went to go play football with friends in an area near the "bottoms" along the Mississippi River. The scrimmage was done at 9:30 and some of the boys witnessed Earl going off with a man afterward.

Soon his parents became worried when Earl didn't come home before 10 p.m. They would search for him. His body would be found the next day in the bottoms in a clump of willows. He had been strangled to death It was believed that he had been sexually assaulted too as he had no clothes on him. 

They would then interview several people for the murder, but they would come across one suspect soon a 22-year-old Joseph Altringer. They would interview him for 15 hours and admit to the murder. Two of Earl's friends would confirm that Joseph was the man they saw him leave with.

Joseph would enter a plea of guilty and Judge P.J. Nelson gave him his sentencing. He would be sentenced to death. Joseph did not seem to accept his sentencing. His lawyer tried to plea on his behalf stating he was still so young, but this fell upon deaf ears.

Joseph would be hanged on November 6, 1931.


SOURCES:
Legal Executions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri
The Daily Times October 6, 1930
Quad-City Times October 13, 1930
The Daily Times October 13, 1930
The Des Moines Register October 20, 1930
The Des Moines Register November 5, 1930
The Gazette November 9, 1930

Murder of William Lamb

By 02 October 1801 73-year-old James Legg, and Mary and William Lamb shared an apartment at the Royal Chelsea Apartments in London, England. On the morning of 02 October, Mary Lamb woke up around 7 a.m. James Legg was already up and pacing the common room angry and swearing to himself. As a response to his behavior, Mary asked James "What's the matter?" He didn't take that kindly and responded with threatening to turn her out of the room if she said another word.

She went back to check on William and he was sleeping like she thought. He started to get up and then James rushed into the room and forced a pistol into William's hands. William responded with "What is this for?" and threw the pistol into the common room. William then began to get dressed.

This was when James shot William through the side. Another resident of the hospital, John Forester, came to the room after hearing the gunshot. He saw that William was dead and said that James came out of his bedchambers and said "I had done it" twice. John then took the pistol from James. He noticed it was discharged. He had also noted another pistol (the one William threw) was laying broken by the chest of drawers in the common room.

Another resident, Charles Coates, came into the room. He stated that James was also saying along the lines that he was the person or man who did it. He asked why he had killed him James responded with "I gave him a pistol to fight like a man but he threw it down and I fired." Charles stated he was so little agitated and it seemed as if he was joking with him. Charles then stated that he got agitated again and said: "I am satisfied with it."

On the stand, James claimed that he and William quarreled and he insulted James. He said that at one point he had two pistols and the two planned to end their quarreling. He asked William to chose his pistol and when William pulled it out his hand and this angered James and so he fired.

Friends of James claimed that he was deranged. They tried to prove he was insane at the time of the murder, but it wasn't proof enough for the case. He was calm and collective throughout the trial. James was found guilty and ordered to hang on 02 November 1801.

James was hanged on 02 November along with Richard Stark. James kept a soldier like appearance. The two men hung for an hour before being cut down.

SOURCES:
Capital Punishment UK
Aberdeen Journal, and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland

The Bury and Norwich Post

The Exeter Flying Post or, Trewman's Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser

The Caledonian Mercury

The Caledonian Mercury (Execution)

Serial Killers: Ida Schnell the 13-year-old Serial Killer

13-year-old Ida Schnell worked as a nursemaid in Munich, Germany. She was under the service of several families. She was described as being big for her age, dull and sulky. She didn't stay very long at each home. No one suspected the young teen of the deaths of their children until after the funeral of the 6th infant that died in her care. Each one had died sudden and mysterious deaths within six months and all under her care.

It was decided that they would exhume the body of the last victim, a 14-day-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Bichler of Ampermoching. The investigation revealed that the baby had been killed. The death was caused by a perforation of the child's soft skull with a sharp instrument. This was when it was confirmed that Ida had killed infants in her care. They tried exhuming two other victim's but they were too decomposed to tell the cause of death.

She was quickly questioned about Bichler's sons death. At first, she denied and said that his wound was from a fall. She would soon confess though. She stated that she hated hearing the baby cry and that she stuck her hairpin into his head until he stopped crying.

She would then go on and confess to doing it to the other babies that died under her care. She said that she had gotten into the habit of stabbing them in the back of the head with her hairpin until they stopped crying. She hated hearing them cry and wanted it to stop.

I could not find what had happened to the case and if Ida had served anytime in jail or an asylum.

SOURCES:
The Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser  (19 Oct. 1907)
The Baltimore Sun (03 Nov. 1907)
Buffalo Evening News (04 Nov. 1907)
Buffalo Evening News (18 Nov. 1907)