I’ve decided to gather up some of the more odd or “what the frell” newspaper articles from the past and share them with you.
But before we move onto one of the most perplexing articles I have ever read, we need to define “perambulator.”
A perambulator is a baby carriage or a pram.
1. Tied Baby to the Chimney
And with that in mind, let’s read the strangest four lines I have ever come across in the newspaper archives. From 1914:
“8-months’-old baby of Mrs. Thomas Gibson, tucked in a perambulator tied to the chimney on the roof, was blown off. Child killed.” [Source]
So, why was the baby carriage tied to the chimney on the roof and what was the baby doing inside of it? I simply cannot wrap my head around this. If someone has a clue as to why someone would do this, please share it with the rest of us.
2. Dropped Dead
One of the things I love about old newspaper articles is the bluntness. For example, this death notice published in 1920:
“Mother of 18 Children Dies; Educated All”
“84 years old mother of 18 children, all of whom reached maturity and 12 of whom survive her, dropped dead Christmas Day.
“Although she and her husband were comparatively illiterate, they managed to educate all their children, one son being a college professor and another a minister.” [Source]
18 children. I would have dropped dead long before I reached that number.
3. Frozen to Death
These next short reports about extreme weather conditions sound like scenes from out of a horror movie.
From out of Michigan, 1901:
“The weather has been bitterly cold today. The thermometer registered 25 degrees below zero at 8 o’clock, and 35 below 100 miles northwest of here. This morning, [one gentleman], while walking, fell to the ground and was frozen stiff within forty rods of his house.”
In Indiana, same day:
“[Two gentlemen], while riding in a buggy this morning were frozen to death. They were found on the road stiff corpses. It is stated that both men were intoxicated when last seen.”
Stiff corpses. Again with the blunt language. [Source]
4. Forced to Watch Hanging
But if you enjoy coarser attitudes exhibited over 100 years ago, you will love this next report from 1920.
An Illinois warden decided that the best way to try and reform the 200 men in his care would be to force them to watch the hanging of one of the prisoners, a convicted murderer.
The men were placed in cells that surrounded the square where the hanging was to take place.
And then “the stage was set in the death chamber [and the condemned] was led forth. The quiet… became absolute for a moment… the noose was slipped over the murderer’s head. From one of the [cells] came a … shout:
“’When do we eat?’
“…Cell by cell, the cry was taken up. It became a roar above which the warden’s voice could not be heard.
“The trap was sprung. [The condemned] dropped into the space beneath the scaffold – dead.
“‘When do we eat?’ Was his requiem.” [Source]
5. Caught Falling Child With Bare Hands
Finally, let’s end with something rather impressive.
It was 1913 and Special Policeman Fred Jeschke [Jeh sk key] was on patrol when he spotted a 2-year-old sitting on the edge of a second-story window. Expecting the worst and without a moment’s hesitation, Jeschke ran across the street just as the child began to fall. He dove, arms outstretched, and, incredibly, he caught the child in his arms.
The child was safe and neither of them had any serious injuries from the fall or the catch. [Source]
And that is freaking amazing.
