Posted inLocal Histories

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Posted inUS Civil War

January 11, 1862 – Terrible Explosion—Powder Mill Blown Up

At twelve o’clock last night one of the state powder mills, that at the old United States Marine Hospital at Gretna, blew up with a report that shook the whole city to its foundation stones. A pillar of flame shot up to the sky, for an instant illuminating the whole heavens, and then came the noise and shock—too great, too sudden, too overpowering to be mistaken for anything than what it really was.

Posted inUS Civil War

January 10, 1862 – The Burnside Expedition

Annapolis, Monday Evening, Jan. 6, 1862.

To day the embarkation of the troops has been going forward. Several sad accidents have occurred, resulting in the death of several men, one of whom belonged to the Massachusetts twenty-third. While that regiment was waiting to embark, several members of Company C went to a saloon. Here Thomas Butler of that company was accidentally shot dead by one of his comrades named William Beecher, who was playfully going through the manual exercise with a gun not his own.

Posted inDaily News True Crime

Convict Conceals Himself Under Hot Ashes and Escapes

Endures Tortures of Scorching Bed Until Truck Passes the Prison Gates Convict Commandeers Automobile

RACES THRU CROWDED STREETS

John Campbell Under Heavy Sentence for Robbery Makes Thrilling Escape from Eastern Penitentiary

Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 9.—Suffering great pain as he was hidden underneath a pile of hot ashes on a five ton motor truck belonging to the Eastern penitentiary, John Campbell, a convict at the prison, remained silent until the truck had passed the prison gates and was a block away, then jumped from the scorching bed and made his escape in an automobile driven by one of the prison attendants.

As Campbell leaped on the running board of the prison sedan, which was driven by Charles Krout (white), the prison guard chauffeur, he pressed his pistol against Krout’s head and commanded him to drive away at his maximum speed.

Posted inDaily News

Police Squad in Chinatown Will Be Sued

Shew Hing Association Takes Action.

SEARCHED ROOMS ILLEGALLY

ATTORNEY WILSON HAS BEEN ENGAGED BY PLAINTIFF.

Twenty Thousand Dollars Will Be Asked as Damages for Disturbance Created in the Quarters.

The Shew Hing Benevolent Association will bring suit early next week for $20,000 damages and costs of the action against the city and county of San Francisco, ex- Chief of Police Lees and the Chinatown squad for entering its rooms at 751 Clay street without warrant of law on the 6th day of October last.