Bank Robber Immobilizing Vestibule

So near as I can interpret this patent, in front of every bank teller's window is erected a revolving-door chamber. The customer--or robber--must enter the chamber, which revolves shut behind him. A good customer is allowed by the clerk's pressing of a switch to exit. The robber is held in place. What could go wrong?

Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 17, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Crime, Inventions, Patents, Money, Innocent Bystanders, Passersby, Witnesses and Accidental Victims, 1940s

Dolphin Lair’s anti-smoking campaign

Dec 6, 1976: 21-year-old Dolphin Lair held a hostage at gunpoint for several hours on top of a building in Los Angeles until police agreed to his demand that local radio stations broadcast his anti-smoking message. The message read, in part, "I want my Congress to put a bill before the law that all cigarettes that contain nicotine and tar should clearly explain what the ingredients mean." Once the message was broadcast, Lair surrendered.

Lair's father had recently died of lung cancer. He later explained that when he had first tried to get the media to broadcast his message, "They told me it wasn't newsworthy. So I planned this... and it was newsworthy."

He was eventually convicted of felony false imprisonment and sentenced to a year in county jail.

More info: NY Times

Long Beach Independent - Dec 7, 1976

Coshocton Tribune - Dec 7, 1976

Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 08, 2023 - Comments (3)
Category: Crime, Smoking and Tobacco, 1970s

The Birdseed Bandit

Jan 1976: Miklos Petrovics held up a Bank of America branch in Los Angeles, but instead of asking for money he demanded a truckload of birdseed. He also, "demanded the bank landscape its grounds and filter the building's air-conditioning system to fight air pollution that he said was killing his birds." Finally, "he also wanted the people of Los Angeles to 'join hands and march to the ocean to be cleaned.'"

After 90 minutes he surrendered to the police. He later pleaded guilty to a felony charge of brandishing a weapon and was sentenced to six months in jail and six months probation.

Shreveport Journal - Jan 7, 1976

Venice Marina News - May 6, 1976

Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 04, 2023 - Comments (2)
Category: Crime, 1970s

True Crime Podcast on Vinyl

Well, not exactly, but close enough. Use embedded player below.

History of the case here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 25, 2023 - Comments (0)
Category: Crime, Death, Vinyl Albums and Other Media Recordings, United Kingdom, Nineteenth Century, Twentieth Century

ESP Girl

In November 1964, 5-year-old Kenneth Mason went missing. The police searched the river where he was last seen, but failed to find him.

Then 15-year-old Linda Anderson came forward and offered to use her psychic powers to help the police find Kenneth. Her father put her in a hypnotic trance, to activate her powers, and she declared, "The boy is not in the river, but is in a house." So the police began searching houses in the area.

Charlotte Observer - Nov 14, 1964

Linda Anderson, ESP Girl

In addition to being able to locate missing children, Linda also claimed to have the power of "dermal optical perception." She could read through her skin (as opposed to through her eyes). The media dubbed her "ESP Girl."

Lewiston Daily Sun - Nov 14, 1964

A skeptical physics professor, James A. Coleman, doubted that she could see through her skin and challenged her to prove it.

Bangor Daily News - Feb 11, 1965

She lost the challenge.

Nashua Telegraph - Feb 15, 1965

And then Kenneth Mason was found. Sadly he was dead and in the river after all. So much for the powers of ESP Girl.

Daily Kennebec Journal - Mar 12, 1965

Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 04, 2023 - Comments (2)
Category: Crime, Paranormal, Predictions, 1960s

Ubiquitous Perpetuity God

1985: Enrique Silberg had previously tried to change his name to God, but was denied on the grounds that it would be confusing and that he also needed a first name. Finally he convinced a judge to let him change his name to Ubiquitous Perpetuity God.

1996: Ubiquitous Perpetuity God was sentenced to nine months in Marin County Jail for indecent exposure, a crime that he had 17 prior convictions for. He said that he exposed himself to women so that they "could have some type of awareness of God".

San Francisco Examiner - Apr 18, 1985

Memphis Commercial Appeal - Feb 15, 1996

Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 16, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Crime, Odd Names, Religion

Serial aperitif thief

Philippe Delandtscheer may have preferred to steal aperitif, but that's not all he stole. He was later arrested for stealing meat from a supermarket.

Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - Feb 15, 1996

Posted By: Alex - Sun Mar 05, 2023 - Comments (0)
Category: Crime, 1990s

Murder, Inc. Vinyl Album

Get the full story here.

Start grooving with this cut, then find the rest of the playlist on YouTube.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 05, 2023 - Comments (0)
Category: Crime, Music, Space-age Bachelor Pad & Exotic, 1960s

The Elizabethean Underworld

This review by the famous Anthony Burgess (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE) alerted me to the existence of a fascinating book. Turns out it's available at the Internet Archive. The lexicon of thieves talk that Burgess mentions makes for fun reading.

Review source: The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) 19 Mar 1965, Fri Page 11

Posted By: Paul - Sat Jan 28, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Crime, History, Books, Slang

Decoy Santas

Arizona Daily Star - Dec 10, 1976

Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 25, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Crime, Police and Other Law Enforcement, 1970s, Christmas