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“Hello Girls” Stayed at Their Switchboards While Disaster Closed In
Before emergency alerts, automated warnings, and instant messages, disaster news often passed through the hands of a telephone operator. They were known as “hello girls,”…
Ohio Movie Censors Decided Long Kisses Had to Go
In 1913, Ohio movie censors faced a pressing moral question: how long was too long for a kiss on screen? A quick stolen kiss might…
Grieving Mother Digs Up Son’s Bones and Flees Into the Woods
Some grief does not stay buried. In France, a destitute woman named Alice Gillet became so overcome by the thought of losing her dead son…
Queen Victoria Was Too Busy to Pose, So the Painter Used a Dressmaker’s Dummy
Queen Victoria Was Too Busy to Pose, So the Painter Used a Dressmaker’s Dummy Painting a queen sounds glamorous, but for the artist, it could…
Poughkeepsie Mother Kills Teen Son Before Taking Her Own Life
Just before midnight, the quiet of a wealthy Poughkeepsie home was shattered by gunfire. Inside the Tower family residence on Hyde Park Road, servants rushed…
Nebraska Butcher Accused of Picking His Teeth Before Handling Meat
In 1923, one southeastern Nebraska housewife had seen enough. The village butcher, she claimed, had habits that were not merely unpleasant, but downright alarming for…
Man Visits Sick Wife at Hospital, Gets Mistaken for Lunatic and Locked Up
Albert Smith went to the hospital expecting to visit his sick wife. Instead, he was greeted like a man everyone had been waiting for. The…
Doctor Said a Plumber’s $21 Tool Worked Best for Burning Out Cancer
In 1924, a Johns Hopkins surgeon startled listeners in Atlantic City with the unlikely claim that one of the best tools for cauterizing cancerous growths…
Two Sailors Scalded to Death When Steam Pipe Burst on Destroyer
A routine speed run off San Diego turned deadly aboard the United States destroyer Kilty when a steam pipe burst under pressure. The vessel was…
Teen Girl Arrested After Saying “Damn” to Atlantic City Beach Censor
In 1923, Atlantic City’s beaches were watched by more than lifeguards. Beach censors patrolled the sand, enforcing rules of modesty and proper conduct, right down…
