Every American knows Harriet Tubman. Immortalized in history, in film, and potentially even on the $20 bill, the story of her role in founding the Underground Railroad is part of the American story, and rightly so.
In previous weeks on Crime Capsule, we’ve profiled police officers, detectives, investigators, and judges. Today, however, continuing our occasional series on noted men and women in law enforcement, we’re turning to a department we’ve never covered: the...
They’re all but ancient history now, but for a time, the Black Hand used to be a household name. As we’ve explored in our profile of the great detective Joe Petrosino, the Black Hand were the precursor...
“It’s not easy to beat a justice system determined not to admit it made a mistake.” So writes Mike Dennison, longtime reporter covering Montana public affairs. Dennison should know: he’s one of the most...
Looking to start some trouble? Some good trouble? Boy, do we have a story for you. 1942, Detroit. A city in the grips of a housing crisis. Fast-growing due to the war effort overseas—all...
It’s said that of all the methods of execution, the gallows is one of the more humane ways to die. Similar in some ways to the guillotine, if the procedure is properly performed (and we know that...
Cat and mouse. Hunter and hunted. Chess and—checkers? Long Island, 1937. For months, the wealthy heiress Alice Parsons has been missing from her rural estate of Long Meadow Farm ever since she got into...
The last time we visited Chicago on a cold winter’s night, a gangster lay bleeding out in a doorway—a man who had stood up to none other than Al Capone. That visit was in 1959—on this visit,...
Have a nice weekend? Have any weekend at all? Ever take a paid sick day, or receive a severance package? Ever get hurt on the job and, thanks to your benefits package, not have to pay for...
Reader, you know us. There’s nothing we love more on Crime Capsule than the story of a good solid crime. Not because we condone them, but because we’re fascinated by them: public officials turned frightfully corrupt. Heists...