Naked man in the window and murderous boy bandits: 1917 crime logs

Today we are going to take a look at a few crime logs from 1917.

Most crime logs reported in the newspapers ranged from one to two sentences, generally giving names and the crime committed.

1. Cheek Shot

For example, the following is how most crime logs read:

“Emilie Lange… shot in left cheek. Accused Emma Meyers, nurse. Latter missing.” [Source]

2. Maniac on the Loose

Sometimes the crime logs jumped to conclusions, such as when they claimed a maniac was on the loose.

“Police think maniac slew Katherine Koller. Girl found near home with bullet in head.” [Source]

3. Boy Bandits

But what is really shocking is the number of children committing crimes.

“William Stein… shot and killed in junk shop… by one of three boy bandits, from [ages] 12 to 18 years old.” [Source]

4. Iron Man

Now we all know about people who steal the copper pipes from out of homes, but in the past people would steal iron.

“Charles Arigo… arrested when he sold $50 worth of iron to Mose Gerber… for 13 cents. Stolen?” [Source]

5. Wet Fuse

And bombs seem to be just as popular in the past as they are today.

“Bomb found on doorstep at… Fuse put out by rain.” [Source]

6. Watery Milk

And then there was the issue with watered down milk. There were a lot of newspaper reports about milk dealers getting caught watering down milk. For instance:

“Four milk dealers found guilty of adulteration.” [Source]

7. Pulled a “Life of Brian”

Then there was this man who predated The Life of Brian:

“Case of Frank Timmons… continued in Englewood court. Accused of appearing in window without clothes.” [Source]

8. Threatened to Shoot Italians

Policemen also appeared in the crime logs.

“Jason Casey, policeman, discharged for flourishing gun and threatening to kill Italians.” [Source]

9. Arrested for Flirting

And flirting could get your arrested.

“Harry Schaefer, an alleged actor, Saratoga hotel, arrested on charge of flirting with several passing girls and women.” [Source]

10. Attempted to Burn Mother-in-law

And finally, life would not be complete without one mother-in-law story.

“Martin Walter, motorman, arrested on wife’s charge [that] he set fire to house in attempt to burn up mother-in-law.” [Source]

So you see, crime today is not that much different from the crime of the past.