Saturday, November 30, 2024

Murder of Robert Allan

 On December 1, 1904, 34-year-old Robert Allan was at his home at Drumshangie Farm between Greengairs and Airdrie, Scotland with his wife and 3-week-old child. This was the first night that they did not have any servants at the farm. 

Just after they went to bed some people came up to the window and disturbed them. This irritated  Robert and he opened the door holding his double-barrelled fowling piece. He fired into the sky to scare them away. This however did not happen as the people became more roudy. He went back in put on his trousers and went back out with his gun. He would fire another shot and never be seen alive again. It's believed he had followed the men down the roadway to where the trolley had been drawn.

He would be found dead on an old pit road leading from the farm to Watstown. He was lying across a track partially on his right side with one arm underneath him. His gun was a few feet away from him resting on the embankment on the road. It was found that he had been shot in the stomach. It's believed he was shot with his own gun. 

One theory was that he had stumbled in the dark and accidentally shot himself, but his guy was found several feet away and the locks of the gun were found to be empty of cartridge cases. The other is that Robert and one of the men fought over the gun and he was shot in the struggle. That the killer moved him and his gun from their original positions. 

SOURCES:

Thursday, November 28, 2024

Suspicious Death of Martha Mansfield




Martha Mansfield was determined to become an actress at the age of 14. Her first role would happen in a play of Little Women in 1912. She would act, sing and dance in some plays, and model in photographs before being signed by Essanay Studios.

On November 29, 1923, 24-year-old Martha was working at a location in San Antonio, Texas. She was playing the role of Agatha Warren in the movie The Warrens of Virginia. Because it was based in the Civil War she was wearing a costume based on the time. Which was of hoop skirts and flimsy ruffles. 

After filming was done Martha went to her car where her chauffeur was waiting. Her skirt would burst into flames. Those around tried to save her. The chauffeur tried to take her clothes off and the leading man Wilfred Lytell threw his heavy overcoat onto her. 

Both Martha and the Chaufer were burned. Martha's body was severely burned, but her face was not because of Wilfred's jacket. The Chaufer's hands were badly burned. They would be taken to the hospital. However the following day Martha would die. It was from burns of all extremities, general toxemia, and suppression of urine. 

It's unknown what exactly happened. It was known that a match was the culprit of the fire, but it was unknown who had done it. Some witnesses stated that they saw the match go through the window. Others theorized that Martha was trying to smoke and accidentally dropped the match. However, her mother stated that she didn't smoke and that it in fact made it uncomfortable. 


SOURCES:
Pensacola News Journal December 1, 1923
News 4 San Antonio Nevember 30, 2020

Thursday, November 21, 2024

INFANTICIDE: November 22, 1957, Dublin Virginia Baby John Does



On November 22, 1957, the bodies of two infant boys were found in a box recently buried in an unmarked grave near a cemetery in Dublin, Virginia. It is not stated how the boys had died or when they died. It's possible that the two were twins.

The baby John Does were both African American Infants. The boys were 18 inches long and one was 5 lbs and the other was 4 lbs.

SOURCES:
NamUs Boy 1
NamUs Boy 2

Monday, November 18, 2024

Murder of Old Aquito and Squaw

 There is little information in this case. On November 18, 1686, a man named Jonathan Neponet would be executed at the Gallows in Boston, Massachusetts. He was executed for the murders of a Native American couple known as Old Aquito and Squaw.

SOURCES:

Legal Executions in New England Page 56

Thursday, November 14, 2024

November, 15, 1924 Yuma, Arizona John Doe

On November 15, 1924, a man would die from Suffocating from Cotton Seed it's not listed if it was accidental or not.  He was buried at the Yuma Pioneer Cemetery in Yuma.

John Doe is a white male around 45-years-old.

SOURCES:

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Murder of Jesa "Toni" Rose Corazza


In 1934, 17-year-old Jesa "Toni" Corazza was a dancer and lived on Randor St in the Chelsea area of London, England. She acquired certain fame in theaters and even had a part in one or two films. By October she would become pregnant and did not want to keep it. At this time abortion was illegal in England and would seek help and have one illegally. On October 28, 1934, Toni would miscarry and be sent to St. Luke Hospital in London, England. 

Toni denied that she had an abortion and claimed that she fell dancing, but there was evidence of an instrument used by someone accustomed to this type of work. It was also found that she was taking pills to induce a miscarriage and they were hidden inside a matchbook inside her purse.
 
Toni would develop acute blood poisoning due to the instrument used in the surgery. She would not admit to either who the father was or who had given her the abortion. She would even say that she may have slipped on accident while dancing as an excuse for her condition. She passed away on November 13th due to heart failure caused by the blood poisoning. 

Her mother said that she didn't know if anyone had interfered with her daughter. She stated that Toni tried to tell her something as she was dying, but she couldn't be understood. 

A jury would find a verdict of murder against some person or persons unknown was returned.

SOURCES:
Evening Standard November 19, 1934
Evening Standard November 26, 1934

Thursday, November 7, 2024

UNIDENTIFIED: November 8, 1981, Danville, Virginia John Doe

 November 8, 1981, the skeletal remains were found scattered in an old dumpsite near Danville, Virginia. It's believed that he had died likely in 1959.

John Doe was a Black male and was between 40 to 60 years old. He was 5'2" to 5'7". He was wearing a large dark-colored cotton T-shirt.

SOURCES:

Saturday, November 2, 2024

UNIDENTIFIED: November 3, 1924 Youngwood, Pennsylvania John Doe

On November 3, 1924, a skeleton of a man was found by hunters in Youngwood, Pennsylvania.There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES: