End of Watch: Michael F. Doran

 On May 31, 1884, 40-year-old Keeper Michael Doran was working at the Eastern Penitentiary in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. For the last two weeks, he was in charge of the weaving department and was put in charge of a new group of men. One of the tasks was to allow the men a few minutes of exercise in the yard connected to their cells.

Among the men was Joseph Taylor. At the time he was in the penitentiary for murderous assault. He had attempted to kill a man by beating him and trying to throw him out of a second-floor window. He had a history of violence against people and animals. 

On this morning Keeper Doran let Joseph Taylor out of his cell. Another prisoner Benjamin Sayers claimed he saw Joseph while he was doing his duties as a cook. Joseph had walked out of his cell and to the railroad track running from the kitchen, stop beside the bread car looked up and down the track, and returned to his cell yard. What happened next was not witnessed.

It's believed that Joseph hid in his cell and waited for Keeper Doran to return to lock him in. He would then attack and hit him about the head with a weavers spool. He would then continue to beat him about the head with an iron bar that keeper Doran had that was used to close the cells. He would then go back into his cell and sit and wait. 

Another keeper noticed Keeper Doran's absence and went to look for him. When he was found he was said to be an unrecognizable mess and moaning. His face was so badly beaten, and parts of his brain were exposed from the beating. He would be brought to a bed and Dr. Robinson would see to him. Unfortunately, his wounds were too severe. He was still alive for a short time but did not become conscious. He would die by noon. 

The murderer kept his mouth closed at first for the murder, but he would admit the reason. He was upset and believed that the physician and keeper Doran were conspiring against him. He had been administered drugs that caused nausea that was prescribed by the prison physician. Other articles stated that he believed that he was secretly being given medicine in his food and that he also asked to be given medicine when he was killing Keeper Doran. He stated he would have rather killed the physician than the keeper. 

Joseph Taylor then would go to trial for the murder. There was an insanity plea, but he would be convicted and set to be executed for the murder. He would be hanged on July 16, 1885. 

SOURCES:

Other Absence Ledger PDF pg 1

Officer Down Memorial Page

The Times June 1, 1884

The Philidelphia Inquirer June 2, 1884

The Times October 29, 1884

MISSING: Mildred Louise Johnson

 Sometime in 1954 31-year-old Mildred Louise Johnson was last seen Couer D'Alene, Idaho. Mildred is a white female and was 31 at the time of her disappearance. She is 5'2" to 5'3" and 120lbs. She has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Murder of Annie Geyer

In Belleville, Illinois 20-year-old Philip Mathews and 21-year-old Annie Geyer grew up together and would eventually become a couple. Annie's family seemed to have become upper class while Philip's stayed middle class. Philip seemed to have "become one of the boys" as Annie's lady friends would term it. He seemed to have spent his time at billiard halls, barrooms, and sporting resorts. The two were engaged, but Annie wasn't happy in the relationship. 

In early 1882 Annie had broken off the engagement and returned the ring to him. She would then move on from Philip. Around May it was reported that Annie was to marry another. This would displease Philip. He would on more than one occasion tell her she would marry him or nobody.  Philip was planning to kill her. 

On May 28, 1882, Philip and his friends to a stroll in a grove in the suburbs in Belleville. He would encounter Annie and several of her friends who were teachers or scholars at the Sunday School. The ladies went there to see the condition of the groves and see if it was good enough for a picnic the next day. 

Philip would then come up to Annie. The two would talk, but Annie seemed scared and wanted to avoid him. Those around did not see anything to be alarmed of from how he was acting, but Annie knew different. The two would walk a few feet from the group. 

Philip would ask her if it was true she was getting married. Annie would answer and it would anger him. He would suddenly pull a revolver out of his pocket and would shoot Annie with it. Philip would run as soon as he shot and Annie would scream take two steps and die. He would soon turn himself into the police station. 

Philip would be protected from a lynching mob, but his fate would be the same. He would be convicted of the murder and set to hang on Jan. 12, 1883. His last words were "I wish you all goodbye."

SOURCES:

Legal Executions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri pg 8

The Inter Ocean Jan 13 1883

The Daily Review Jan 14, 1883

Nashville Banner Jan 11, 1883

The Kidnapping and Murder of Joseph (Giuseppe) Varotta

On May 24, 1921, 5-year-old Joseph (Giuseppe) Varotta was given a penny from his mother. He was last seen in the Italian community his family lived in Manhattan, New York. He disappeared this day and soon after a ransom letter showed up in the mail.

It was soon found that the boy was kidnapped by the Black Hand gang. The group was known for the extortion. They wanted $2,500 in exchange for the boy. The community could not raise the money though and unfortunately, Joseph was never seen alive again.

On June 11, 1921, the body of the young boy was found by a paper-mill worker. His body had washed ashore the Hudson River at Piermont, New York. It was just south of where the Tappan Zee Bridge is now.  It was found that he was thrown in the river and drowned. His father identified him through his clothes and teeth.

Three members of the Blackhand gang were tried and sentenced to death. Later Governor Alfred E. Smith sentenced them to life in prison instead.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave                              
News Day
The New York Herald
Daily News

MISSING: Elsie Mae Roane

 

16-year-old Elsie Mae Roane was last seen around 11 p.m. on May 20, 1957, by a police officer. She was walking down the road with two suitcases in West Point, Virginia. At the time she was living with her adoptive father on Fith Street.

It took her father a few days to realize she was missing. Their schedules sometimes allowed them to miss each other as he worked nights and arrived home when she was at school. He reported her missing three days after she was last seen.

At the time she was a sophomore and was an above-average student at West Point High School. She was described as shy kind and intelligent. She is considered an endangered runaway. In 2015 Authorities announced they have a suspect in the case who was the same age as Elsie and they've interviewed him several times.

Elsie is a white female and was 16 at the time. She's 5'8" to 5'9" and 115 lbs at the time. She has brown hair that was short at the time and blue eyes. She was possibly pregnant at the time. She also wears glasses.

SOURCES:
NamUs
Charley Project 
Track Missing 
The Bee May 31, 1957

MISSING: Flora "Dan" Ligon (Green, Greene, White)

 

During the Spring or Fall of 1956 in Washington D.C. the daughter of 41/42-year-old Flora "Dan" Ligon last saw her mother getting money from under the linoleum. Flora told her daughter she was going to the store and did not return. Flora may have traveled to Trenton, New Jersey, or Greenville, or Clemson in South Carolina. Flora has a history of alcohol abuse. Flora may have been a victim of foul play. She may be using the last names Green, Greene, or White. 

Flora is an African American woman and was 41/42-years-old at the time. She's 5'6" to 5'7" and 130 lbs. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Her ears are pierced. She was wearing a blue jacket, white shirt, and grey pants at the time of her disappearance. 

SOURCES:

Charley Project

Doe Network 

Murder of Tommie Lee Dysick

On May 17, 1953, 37/38-year-old Tommie Lee Dysick's body was found at the edge of an orange grove in Apopka, Florida. He had been stabbed multiple times in his stomach and seemed to have been dragged to where his body was found.

SOURCES:
Project Cold Case
Orange County Sheriff's Office
Orlando Evening Star May 18, 1953
The Orlando Sentinel May 18, 1953

STRANGE HISTORY: Swedish Spheres

 On May 16, 1808 something strange was seen in a little town called Biskopsberga, Sweden. The village was located near Skanninge in Ostergotland, Sweden. The town at the time housed 300 people, but in the present doesn't exist anymore. The unusual phenomenon that was seen that day is remembered.

That afternoon was described as cloudless and warm. A hard wind was blowing from the west. Weirdly enough without any clouds in the sky, the sun began to grow dim. It turned their village a dim brick red. It was so dark that people could stare at the sun and not feel pain.

It was noticed that in the western horizon round spheres appeared. The spheres weren't very big. The spheres headed towards the sun and turned from a dark brown to a black color as they got closer. They slowly began losing speed, but by the time they passed the sun they sped up again. They seemed to have disappeared when it reached the East. The event lasted for around two hours. During which it seemed like millions of similar spheres appeared to do the same thing.

K.G. Wettermark was a respectable citizen and secretary of the Swedish Academy of Sciences. He was there to witness the spheres. He had claimed that one of the spheres fell near him. He claimed that before it fell to the ground that it looked similar to soap bubbles. The kind children created when playing with soapsuds and reeds. The place where the bubble had fallen left a gelatinous film. It was described as thin and fine like a cobweb. It was still changing colors but had soon dried up.

SOURCES:
How Stuff Works

UNIDENTIFIED: May 1912, Providence County , Rhode Island Jane Doe

 In May of 1912, the body of a woman was found in the Blackstone River in Providence County, Rhode Island. Her arms and legs were bound and her head was missing. There is little information on this case. 

She was buried in Edgehill Cemetary. The Cemetary is now abandoned and there are no grave markers.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

MISSING: Leila Lewis Bryan and Mary Rachel Bryan

On May 10, 1941 mother and daughter 36-year-old Leila Bryan and 4-year-old Mary Rachel Bryan went to the beach. They arrived back at their Carolina Beach, North Carolina home at 6:30 p.m. She started dinner. At the time her husband Edis Clarence Bryan or E.C. was making plans to pour a concrete floor in the basement.

At 9 p.m. Leila left with Mary. She initially was going to go out to buy groceries or a bra down the street. She brought Mary Rachel with her because she insisted on going with her. For some reason, she left her rings on the sink. At the time she was driving her husband's black 1935 Ford Model A coupe with 1941 North Carolina License plate number 219-056.

E.C. had gone to bed while she was gone. Later that night Barry Lewis, Leila's brother, and one of his friends came over to the home. He asked  E.C. where the girls were. E.C. said they never came home from their trip. Barry and his friend went out to search for his sister and niece. They couldn't find them.

E.C. called the police and reported the girls missing. This was when the community and police joined the search. The search included the beach, waterways, and wooded areas. The car was low in gas when she left so it was possible that she went to get gas. One station attendant reported that they saw a woman around 10 and they were pretty sure it was her. This tip led nowhere though.

The car was never recovered and the two were declared dead in 1948. Police did not believe that Leila left on her own accord. It could be possible that the girls met foul play and she and Mary Rachel were dead.

Police suspected Leila's husband for their disappearance. They suspected that he killed his wife and daughter and then buried their bodies. It was initially believed that they were buried under their concrete basement floor at the beach cottage on Raleigh Ave., but it was dug up in 2009 and remains were not found. It's possible their bodies were buried elsewhere though if it was him.

Leila may be spelled as Lela is a white female and was 36-years-old at the time. She was 5'7" to 5'8" and 120 lbs. She has black hair and grey eyes. She was wearing a summer print housedress with a green turban, possibly a sweater and white and brown shoes.

Mary Rachel is a white female and was 4 at the time. She was 3'0" and 40 lbs at the time. She has dark brown hair and brown eyes.

 
SOURCES:
Charley Project (Leila)
Charley Project (Mary Rachel)
Find A Grave (Leila)
Find A Grave (Mary Rachel)
Doe Network (Leila)
Doe Network  (Mary Rachel)
Dead Maidens

INFANTICIDE: May 5, 1910 Phoenix, Arizona Baby Girl

 

On May 5, 1910, the body of a baby girl was found in the Salt River Canal in Pheonix, Arizona. She was less than a year and possibly was a newborn. The death certificate lists the baby as probable 1 day. It's believed that the baby's death was criminal. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

Murder of Ruth Feig

By May 3, 1920, 25-year-old Ruth Feig and her husband 28-year-old William Feig were separated for 6 weeks. She had already moved on and was living with another man on 5023 Warren Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On May 3rd she would ask William to come over.

It's unclear what had happened. They were either taking a walk or William was attacking Ruth by either chasing or dragging her on Thompson street. Ruth would then shoot at William and he would be struck twice. They would end up in a shop where Ruth would die inside as William shot her 4 times with his own revolver.

At trial William would claim self-defense. The problem with that was that two of the bullets were in the back of her head. He would be found guilty of 2nd-degree murder and was set to serve 11 to 12 years for the crime.

SOURCES:
Criminal Justice Research Center
Criminal Justice Research Center (PDF page 31)
The Philidelphia Inquirer July 25, 1920
The Philidelphia Inquirer December 11, 1920

UNIDENTIFIED: May 2, 1921 St. Johns County, Florida John Doe

On May 2, 1921, a man was killed in an automobile accident and pronounced dead at 5 a.m. at the hospital. He was a white male around 38-years-old. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified