Find me here:
  The Paranormal Guide
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Atlas
  • Glossary

Tragedy, Murder, Theft and Execution

6/5/2013

Comments

 
Picture
May 6-12: The Hindenburg, the most luxurious flying vessel of its time explodes, aviation hero Charles Lindbergh's kidnapped child's corpse is discovered, Edvard Munch's painting 'The Scream' is recovered after it was stolen, and serial killer H.H. Holmes is executed in Moyamensing Prison.

May 6, 1937

PictureThe Hindenburg burns.
"Oh, oh, oh. It's burst into flames. Get out of the way, please. This is terrible, it's burning, bursting into flames, and is falling. Oh! This is one of the worst, it's a terrific sight . . . oh, the humanity."

These are the iconic words spoken by radio announcer Herbert Morrison as the Hindenburg burned. WLS radio had sent Morrison out to the Lakehurst, New Jersey docking tower to report on the first transatlantic flight of the year by the dirigible.

At about 7:20pm people noticed the fabric on a section of the gas bag flapping before the tail section erupted into flame. The Hydrogen gas cells erupted causing the airship to drop, the nose still pointing to the air. It took just 37 seconds for the ship to be destroyed, taking the lives of 35 passengers and crew with it. Those who perished died in the flames, or after trying to jump to safety onto the ground far below. One member of the ground crew also perished.

The cause of the disaster has not been proven one way or the other, with theories ranging from a lightening strike, engine failure, static spark to sabotage and a fuel leak caused by a luger pistol being fired during a suicide attempt.

The disaster spelled the end of the airship era.

May 7, 1896

PictureHerman WEbster Mudgett aka Dr H.H.Holmes
"I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than a poet can help the inspiration to sing."

Dr H.H. Holmes (born Herman Webster Mudgett) used these words in his confession after being arrested for using a corpse in a insurance scam. However fraudulent, use of human remains was not his only crime...

Holmes had purchased himself a nice little pharmaceutical business, after which he built a massive three story building nicknamed 'The Castle'. From the outside it seemed like a nice hotel to help accommodate many of the people visiting Chicago for the 1893 Chicago's World Fair.

However, on the inside was a depraved set-up in order to trap people, mainly women. Holmes could control hidden walls and doors, send gas into the rooms to asphyxiate the people who were staying there, or even ignite the gas, torching them to death. The remains were sent down a chute to the basement, where he would dissect them and mount the skeletons as anatomical models to sell to schools of anatomy.

After his arrest he was trialled and found guilty of four counts of murder in the first degree, though estimates put the actual number of his victims as high as 200.

He was hanged in Moyamensing Prison aka Philadelphia State Prison. Unfortunately for Holmes his execution was not swift, his neck failed to break, and he slowly strangled to death over 15 minutes, twitching.

The caretaker of Holmes Castle was haunted by the ghosts of those who died there before he suicided by taking Strychnine.

May 7, 1994

PictureThe Scream.
"One evening I was walking along a path, the city was on one side and the fjord below. I felt tired and ill. I stopped and looked out over the fjord, the sun was setting, and the clouds turning blood red. I sensed a scream passing through nature- it seemed to me that I heard the scream. I painted this picture, painted the clouds as actual blood. The colour shrieked. This became The Scream."

Edvard Munch describes the inspiration for his composition 'the Scream'. Aside from these words, also expressed later as a poem by the painter, it is believed much inspiration came from Munch's visitation of his sister, who was a patient in an asylum near the place the painting is set.

Munch made four versions of the painting between 1893 and 1910. On February 22, 1994, two men broke into the Oslo National Gallery and stole their version of 'The Scream'. This took place the same day as the opening ceremony of the Lillehammer Winter Olympics.

With the theft taking place in the city, of such a high profile piece of art, the media attention was massive, as was the fact that the thieves left a note saying "Thanks for the poor security."

The thieves set a ransom of $1million for the safe return of the painting, but the museum refused to pay. A special task force was set up between Norwegian and British police, and the hunt was on. The painting was recovered on 7 May, 1994, and nearly two years later four men were arrested in connection with the theft. However, all were released on legal grounds, including one man who was previously arrested in relation to the theft of another of Munch's works!

May 12, 1932

PictureCharles Lindbergh Jr.
"I am absolutely innocent of the crime with which I am burdened."

These were Richard Hauptmann's last words, spoken to his spiritual advisor, before he was taken from his cell and strapped into the electric chair "Old Sparky", in the New Jersey State Prison. His funeral service was attended by the maximum 6 people allowed by New Jersey laws of an executed criminal, but more than two thousand people gathered outside the cemetery.

Hauptmann, 36, had been arrested, trialled and found guilty of the murder of 20 month old Charles Lindbergh Junior, son of Charles Lindbergh, who flew “The Spirit of St. Louis” across the Atlantic Ocean five years earlier.

On March 1st, 1932, Lindbergh, and his wife Anne, found their child missing and a ransom note demanding $50,000 for his return. The abductor had used a ladder to climb in through the second storey bedroom window in order to make off with Charles Jr.

The crime, which soon went to capture the intrigue of the nation, saw many people offering help to locate the son of an American Hero. Al Capone even offered his assistance (albeit from his prison cell in the Atlanta US Penitentiary).

Later a second ransom note was received, this time asking for more money. The money was delivered and instructions on where to find Charles Jr were received. Unfortunately, he was never found at the location given. A new search in the vicinity of the Lindbergh property was conducted, and it was on May 12 he was found. Charles Lindbergh's body was found less than a mile from the family home, he had been killed the night of the kidnapping.

Two years later, some of the marked money was found in circulation, and police were able to follow the trail to Bruno Richard Hauptmann, who was found in possession of $13,000 of ransom notes. Hauptmann claimed he was holding the money for a friend, and that he was innocent of any crime.

The evidence used to convict Hauptmann was the money in his possession, handwriting analysis of the ransom notes, and wood similar to the wood used to make the ladder used to break into the Lindbergh Home. The case was not particularly strong, but Hauptmann received the chair as punishment anyway.

Ashley Hall 2013
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

    The Paranormal Guide Articles

    Here you will find all of the articles written for The Paranormal Guide on all things paranormal, strange, dark, macabre, weird, strange and bizarre!

    All photos with the blog posts remain the property of their respectful owners. If one of your photos is featured here without attribution please leave a comment on the blog and full credit will be given.

    Categories

    All
    Bizarre Experiments
    Conspiracy
    Cryptozoology
    Cursed And Haunted Objects
    Curses Demons And Exorcisms
    Earth Mysteries
    Fakes Frauds And Hoaxes
    Ghosts And Hauntings
    Ghosts Ghouls And Demons
    Interesting And Inspiring People
    Investigations
    Miracles
    My Paranormal
    Paranormal Photos
    Paranormal Vocabulary
    Phobias And Philias
    Post Mortem Practices
    Psychics Predictions And Seers
    Questions And Discussions
    Reviews
    Spirituality And Miracles
    Spirituality And Miracles
    Strange And Macabre Places
    Strange And Tragic Deaths
    This Week In Dark History
    Tragedy
    True Crime And Punishment
    Ufos And Aliens
    Unsolved Mysteries
    Urban Legend Superstition And Folklore
    Weird Odd And Bizarre


    Ashley Hall -
    The Paranormal Guide

    Ashley Hall explores The Paranormal, True Crime, Strange Deaths, Dark History, The Weird, The Strange and The Bizarre! Fact or Fiction? You decide!

    Picture

    Contributors

    Picture
    Matty Sweeney
    Picture
    Peet Banks
    Picture
    Nic Hume

    Picture
    Check out The Paranormal Guide Podcast and join three paranormal investigators and researchers for honest and raw discussions on all things paranormal, strange, dark and macabre HERE!

    Archives

    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Please note that dates are from when the article was originally made.
    The Paranormal Guide does have posts all the way up to the current date.


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.