Disappearance of Frank Howard

On August 6, 1896, 56-year-old Frank Howard would leave his home at 1043 South Hill St. in Los Angeles, California. He told his family that he was going on a business trip to San Bernardino and the desert. He was last seen by a friend standing on a street corner waiting for a street car, He was not seen since. 

Frank was an Attorney and was president of the Los Angeles County Board of Education and trustee of the county law library.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Metropolitan News-Enterprise September 12, 2006

Murder of Officer Neibert

 Around 2:30 am on June 13, 1896, 53-year-old officer Jacob Neibert was on duty in Muscatine, Iowa. On Burlington Rd Officer Neibert would come across two tramps. Around 6 shots would ring out in the night. Three shots would happen and then in a few minutes three more. gunshots were not uncommon enough to go check it out until H.J. Smith and his wife heard moans of help. 

H.J. would go out and ask "What's the trouble"? Officer Neibert would scream out "Jim! Oh, Jim! Come Help Me!" This was when they would find the police officer suffering from gunshot wounds. H.J. would run across the street to him.

He told of how two trams he tried to arrest had done it. He would give a description, but it was hard for him to speak as he continued to get weaker and weaker. H.J. would stand Officer Neibert up and try to walk him to his house. However, before they would make it there he would collapse to the ground. They would bring pillows and blankets to make him comfortable while waiting for help. The 15-year-old Smith's son would go and fetch a doctor. 

It was too late to save him. Other neighbors would come out to see the commotion. Soon after the Dr. got there Officer Neibert would take his last breath.

The nearby box car was investigated. This was where he was shot. there were five bullet holes in the boxcar. It seemed as if they were caused by two different caliber weapons. There was a lot of blood and evidence of a struggle inside. Officer Neigbert's club and gun both showed that it was used. 

It was apparent that one of the tramps had been injured. There was a significant amount of blood that led away from the scene that wasn't from Officer Neibert. The blood was traced all the way to the sash and door factory. A black soft felt hat was found at the scene likely belonging to one of the tramps. 

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

Muscatine

Officer Down Memorial Page

Iowa Cops

The Muscatine Journal June 16, 1896

October 9, 1893 Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

On October 9, 1893, skeletal remains were found in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania near Wildwood. Two men hunting hops in a wooded area overgrown with brush would find the remains. That area was rarely used because of the brush. It was obvious that the man's body had been left there. He was lying straight with his arms by his sides. It was believed that he had been murdered around 6 months before. 

John Doe was believed to be around 40 years old. He was around 5'7" and 160 lbs. There was nothing left at the scene to identify him. 

I assume that in these news articles, they were the same remains as the areas are almost 10 miles apart and found on the same day. The remains were likely brought to Sharpsburg to be buried because they were a bigger community. I could be wrong though. 


SOURCES:
Find A Grave

Pittsburg Press October 10, 1893

Butler Citizen October 13, 1893

Murder of John "Henry" Bernard Nurre

The image has a typo it's supposed to be 1814 not 1914

In 1890, 76-year-old John "Henry" Nurre and his third wife 57-year-old Elizabeth. The couple had been married for 20 years and lived in rural Clinton County near Brown’s Station, Iowa. The area that the couple were living in was mostly Catholic including them. They would seldom miss any meetings at the church.

Henry was also one of the richest men in their area of the state and was highly esteemed by many. He had more real estate mortgages in Jackson County than anyone else. For the last 4 years, he was a member of the Board of Supervisors of Clinton County. It was estimated that he was worth $250,000.

On March 12, 1890, Henry and Elizabeth did not show up to the 13-hour church meeting. This was concerning, however, it wasn't until they didn't show up to the Thursday meeting people got worried. Elizabeth's son-in-law Theo Hullman, and the Priest were worried because the two never showed up to the meeting. This was unusual for them. The two would go home and investigate to see why the two didn't show up.

When they went inside the house they would go into either the kitchen and find Henry dead near the table. He was in a large pool of blood and had a large gash on the back of his head and another which hit his jugular vein in his neck.

Elizabeth was found unconscious in their bedroom in the attic above the kitchen. She had been attacked with a hammer and she had nine deep scalp wounds. She would stay unconscious for several more weeks before regaining consciousness. However, she could not provide any information on what had happened.

It's believed that the attack happened on the evening of March 11th. Henry was sitting in the sitting room responding to a letter from his son. The letter was received on the 10th and the letter Henry was writing was dated the 11th. It seemed Henry was nearly finished with the letter when he was killed.

The murderer or murderers tried to clean up the pool of blood. There were clothes stained with the blood found on the teakettle. They then dragged Henry into the kitchen. It's unknown why they had done this, but maybe they were thinking of destroying the scene and never got to do it for some reason.


Elizabeth must have witnessed the murder as it seemed that she had run to their bedroom in the attic. She had tried to barricade the door, but they had broken it open with a poker. They would then attack her with the poker and then the hammer when they found it. The room was left a mess with the bestead broken to pieces, the bedding scattered and blood covered almost everything in the room. It was a miracle that she survived.

In another bedroom, a safe was found. It was unknown if the killer or killers were able to get it open, but the dial had been broken off. In the same room, there was a little satchel that Henry was known to carry money and papers. One of Elizabeth's skirts was lying over it and it wasn't seen by the killers. Inside was $1,105 and some papers indicating he was planning to go to Preston that night. Likely after he was done writing his letter and eating dinner.

Theo stated that it was not normal for Henry to have that much cash on him at once and usually only carried around $100 to $150. However, he himself had recently paid him the $1,000 on Sunday so it must have been that money in his satchel.

SOURCES:
Iowa Cold Cases

Find a Grave

Lost Film: Mexican Knife Duel

Mexican Knife Duel is a 60-second 1894 black-and-white short silent film. The film was from Edison Studios and produced by William K.L. Dickson and William Heise was the cinematographer. It was filmed in Edison's Black Maria Studio and featured the fighting skills of Mexican Vaqueros, Pedro Esquivel, and Dionecio Gonzales. The film was released on October 6, 1864.

CAST:

Pedro Esquivel

Dionecio Gonzales

SOURCES:

IMDB

Wikipedia

Unidentified Photography: Group Photo, Apparently in the City

 

Acton Historical Society is looking to identify the people or place where this photo was taken. This photograph had no label or date and the place is unknown. The photographer George Hastings was at 147 Tremont St in Boston Massachusetts in the mid-1880s to late 1890s. It's believed that this photo was not taken in Acton, but it may involve someone from Acton. It's possible it was a stock photo.

SOURCES:
Acton Historical Society

Lost Film: Chinese Opium Den (1894)

Chinese Opium Den or also known as Opium Joint is an 1894 short silent film released on October 17, 1894. It was an early motion picture produced by Thomas Edison. The film was made in a 35mm film format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1.  It was only a minute long. The film was intended to be displayed through means of a Kinetoscope. The film is considered lost.

There is little information on the film itself. It's believed that it may have been the first motion picture to explore the issue of drug use.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Lost Film: The School for Sons-in Law (1897)

The School for Sons-in-Law is an 1897 French short silent film by Georges Méliès and released by his company Star Film Company. The film was inspired by a vaudeville by French Playwright Eugène Bertol-Graivil (Aka Eugène Domicent). It's presumed to be lost.

It was filmed in the garden of the Méliès family property in Montreuil-sous-Bois, France. It had painted scenery and many parts of the set were reused in other films. 

SOURCES:

IMDB

Wikipedia

August 5, 1898 Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Jane Doe

On August 5, 1898, a woman was found washed up on the shore of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. She had a hitching weight such as what a drayman would use to fasten a horse's brittle. It was placed together with the body with a light chain wrapped around the body twice and fastened by prying a link open. She was partial as she was wearing a top and her underclothing it's not stated whether or not the water may have caused it to come off. She was dead for around a month. Her cause of death was undetermined, but it was believed that she was hit over the head and placed in the water alive where she drowned.

Jane Doe was around 30-years-old. She was 5'4" and around 140 lbs. She had Dark Chestnut colored hair that was dyed. The hair at the back of her neck showed light brown hair sprinkled with grey. The underclothing was of good quality and made of handmade lace. She was wearing shoes and on the leather with Harding & Todd which was a shoe manufacturing company in Rochester, New York. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

The Weekley Wisconsin August 6, 1898

August 20, 1997 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada

On August 20, 1997, a canoeist found a human skull on the Moose Jaw River just south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. The skull was exposed to the elements between 50 to 100 years. Meaning she may have died between the 1890s to the 1940s.

The skull belonged to a preteen girl around 12-years-old. She may have possibly been white.

SOURCES:
Canadas Missing
Doe Network
Unidentified Wiki

Lost Films: Peeping Tome at the Seaside (1897)

Peeping Tom at the Seaside is a French short silent film released in 1897. It was directed by Georges Méliès and sold by his company Star Film Company. In its catalog, it is numbered 113. This film was considered one of a small group of risqué "mature subjects" or stag films. He had made several others at the time. This film is now considered lost. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

LOST FILMS: Spelende Kinderen

Spelende Kinderen or Playing Children is a short Dutch silent film released in 1896. The film was by M.H. Laddé, 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Lost Media Archive Wiki

Lost Media: New Pillow Fight (1897)

Siegmund Lubin 1913

New Pillow Fight or also titled Daughters' Pillow Fight is an American silent comedy film released in 1897. It was produced by Siegmund Lubin. The film showed 3 little girls having a pillow fight and feathers would end up flying all around. This is considered lost and not to be confused with Thomas Edison's Pillow Fight released the same year.

CAST:

• Emily Lowry
• Marguerite Sessler

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Library of Congress

May 1893 Hampton, Minnesota John Doe

  In May of 1893 the body of a man was found in Anton Doffing's granary in Hampton, Minnesota. It's believed that the man was a transient and went into the building for shelter and died from an illness. He was between 50 to 60-years-old.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Lost Film Le Chiffonnier (1896)

In 1896 a French short silent Film Le Chiffonier (The Rag-Picker) also released as Une bonne farce (A Good Joke) was released. The film was directed by George Méliès and released by his company Film Star. The film was 20 meters/ 65 ft long. The film is now considered lost.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Radio Times

END OF WATCH: Murder of Officer Pitt McClellan Doxsie

 On October 26, 1897, 34-year-old Patrolman Pitt McClellan Doxsie was patrolling on horseback in the downtown area of Independence, Iowa. He would stumble upon a burglary in progress. He would get into a gunfight with the two thieves. He would be shot and killed, his body would be discovered in an alley.

His case will remain unsolved. 

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

Officer Down Memorial Page

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

May 24, 1893 Hampton, Minnesota Unknown Man

 On May 24, 1893, the body of a man was found in a building in Hampton, Minnesota. It was believed that he was a tram that went into the building for shelter but ended up dying from exposure inside. He was buried in the Potters Field of Lakeside Cemetary in Hastings, Minnesota. 

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

December 23, 1892 Door County Norwegian Railroad Worker Unknown

 In, 1892 a Norwegian man was working on the railroad in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He was diagnosed with Typhoid in December. He would die from typhoid fever on December 23, 1892. His funeral was paid for by the city, but his name was unknown. His age is unstated but can be assumed to be an adult.

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

Unidentified Wiki

March 15, 1891 Bolinas , California Adult Male Unknown

 On March 15, 1891, the body of an adult male was found on the beach of Bolinas Bay in Bolinas, California. The body was found by James Wilson and was badly decomposed. His cause of death is undetermined.

His race is unknown or unstated, but it was believed he was in his 40's. He was 5'10" with a stoat build. He had a purse contains $1.25 and several foreign coins (Unstated from where). He had papers with him, but they were unintelligible. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find A Grave

November 11, 1896 Kansas City, Missouri Unknown Baby

Before November 11, 1896, the body of a baby was found in a patch of weeds on 20th and Charlotte Street in Kansas City, Missouri. The Baby was turned over to the Coroner. The baby was around 2 weeks old.


SOURCES:
Find a Grave
Kansas City Journal