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Posted in Telephone Girls

The Unsung Operators Behind the Knickerbocker Theatre Rescue

When the roof of Washington’s Knickerbocker Theatre collapsed under the weight of heavy snow, the first alarm came through an ordinary telephone call. A man…

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Posted in U.S. Historical News

Man Dies Saving His Dog From Oncoming Train

Waverly Moore was walking home from work when a train came up behind him on the tracks. Beside him, as always, was his little dog….

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Posted in U.S. Historical News

16-Year-Old Boy Drowns During Evening Swim in Nimishillen Creek

A summer evening swim in Nimishillen Creek ended in tragedy for 16-year-old Royal W. Tebay. He and his companion, Clayton W. Hines, had gone to…

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Posted in Murder U.S. Historical News

Ex-Convict Found Dead in Hotel Room One Day After Prison Release

Jack Smith had been out of prison for less than a day when he was found dead in a Grand Island hotel room. Released from…

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Posted in U.S. Historical News

9-Year-Old Boy Arrested for Playing Tag Near Church

Nine-year-old Albert Garner did not have much of a defense when he stood before the Juvenile Court. He simply looked up at Judge DeLacy and…

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Posted in U.S. Historical News

Mystery Woman Found Unconscious After Poison Dose at Washington Hotel

A handsomely dressed woman checked into Washington’s Buckingham Hotel in good spirits. By late the next morning, she was found unconscious in her room. Believed…

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Posted in U.S. Historical News

Seven Men Executed in One Morning at Sing Sing Prison

Before dawn at Sing Sing Prison, seven men were led one by one into the death chamber. It was August 1912, and the executions at…

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Posted in Murder U.S. Historical News

11 Bodies Found in Ashes After Mayfield’s “Red Night” Mystery

Near Mayfield, Kentucky, neighbors were awakened at midnight by screams, gunshots, and the glow of a burning home. By the time they rushed toward the…

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Posted in Culture Telephone Girls

“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,”…

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Posted in Culture

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…

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