Tag: Pennsylvania
Woman Charged 25 Cents to View Executed Murderer’s Body
The execution of Frank Small in Pittsburgh in March 1882 did not end public interest in his case. If anything, his death appears to have…
Pennsylvania Hunter Tripped a Hidden Wire in the Woods and Triggered a Homemade Gun
A walk through the woods turned disastrous for a Pennsylvania hunter in December 1920 when he stumbled across a hidden wire stretched across a path….
Two Philadelphia Policemen Faced Charges After Thieves Made Off With a Store Safe
A safe sitting beneath bright electric lights and plainly visible from the street might seem like an obvious target for thieves. In Philadelphia in December…
Abandoned as a Baby, She Returned 49 Years Later Hoping to Adopt Another Foundling
Nearly half a century after she was abandoned as a newborn, one Pittsburgh woman found herself looking into the face of a baby whose story…
Doctors Said Coal Miners’ Lungs Were Black and Their Wages Too Low to Live On
At the turn of the 20th century, coal mining was not merely dangerous work. For many miners, it was a job that slowly destroyed the…
Factory Explosion Blasted Boiling Chemicals Through the Roof in Manayunk
Workers at the General Processing Company had just stopped for lunch when a dye pot filled with boiling yarn exploded inside the Manayunk plant. The…
Wedding Dance Custom Ends in Brawl and Bride Gets Black Eye
The wedding celebration began with music, dancing, and an old social custom. It ended with broken heads, a riot call, seven arrests, and a bride…
Mystery Animal in Pennsylvania Woods Sparked Kangaroo Rumors
Something strange was said to be roaming the wooded hills near Pleasant Run, Pennsylvania, and nobody seemed able to get a good enough look at…
Loaded Evidence Gun Fired in Philadelphia Courtroom, Shooting Reporter
A Philadelphia courtroom was waiting for the judge to take the bench when a revolver suddenly fired inside City Hall. Court reporter Leon Alexander had…
Homestead Electric Plant Disaster Killed 27-Year-Old Engineer
In 1895, the electric light plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania, had only just returned to service when disaster struck. After three weeks of repairs, the plant…
