Crime
Opal Dixon, the mouthwash bank robber
Mrs. Opal Dixon decided to start robbing banks because she was "tired of living without having money."Her method was unusual. She would fill a syringe with mouthwash, enter a bank, and then brandish the syringe over her head while shouting that it was full of nitroglycerine and she would blow the place up if the teller didn't give her money.
She got away with this once and would have succeeded a second time if the police hadn't identified her later while she was walking down the street.
Decatur Herald and Review - Jan 23, 1947
Des Moines Register - Jan 23, 1947
Mansfield News Journal - Jan 23, 1947
Posted By: Alex - Thu Sep 12, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Crime, 1940s, Women
I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent
Anyone who recalls Alex's post on "Answer Songs" will enjoy this pairing.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 07, 2024 -
Comments (3)
Category: Crime, Music, Teenagers, 1950s
Woman dropped down manhole
Welcome to America!
Modesto Bee - July 2, 1972
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 17, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Crime, 1970s
Follies of the Madmen #590
Posted By: Paul - Mon Mar 18, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Crime, Hygiene, Advertising, 1980s, Europe
Ghost Evidence
Read the whole story here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 12, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Crime, Death, Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal, 1970s
The Highwaymen, “The Bird Man”
For our category of Actors Who Unwisely Attempt "Singing"
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 30, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Crime, Movies, Music, 1960s
The Murder of Vivian Gordon As Explained by Mystery Writers
You can read the true crime story details at The Smithsonian Magazine site. But for the explanations from fiction writers, see below. I think police in 2024 should adopt this tactic. "So, Stephen King, how would you solve the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft?"
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 05, 2024 -
Comments (0)
Category: Amateurs and Fans, Crime, Writers, 1930s
Attacked by rogue Brownies
A few translations may be necessary:Brownies: the British equivalent of girl scouts
The gods: "a theatrical term referring to the highest areas of a theatre such as the upper balconies"
Also, I'm puzzled by Gladys Long's comment that, "The trouble is when children are in uniform they are more noticeable than others who are not."
Wasn't the problem that the girls were violent, not that they were "more noticeable"?
Bristol Evening Post - Feb 1, 1978
Posted By: Alex - Wed Oct 25, 2023 -
Comments (5)
Category: Crime, Theater and Stage, Junk Food, 1970s
Honeymoon attack
Aug 1993: Frannie Snite was convicted of sneaking up behind her new husband as he sat watching the sunset during their honeymoon, then attacking him with a tire iron. Apparently she was hoping to get a life insurance payout. That's gotta be in the running for the worst honeymoon ever.And yet, it seems like there must be more to the story. I don't think her husband (who survived the attack) ever identified her as his attacker. Her 2013 obituary doesn't mention any of this, nor her five-year prison sentence.
More info: Seattle Times
Lancaster New Era - Aug 18, 1993
Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 09, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Crime, Wives, Marriage, 1990s
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
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |