Melville Dewey was born on December 10, 1851 to Joel and Eliza Dewey in Adams Center, New York. While a student at Amherst College, Melville started the Library Bureau in 1876. The company sold library supplies. The same year, he received a copyright for his system of library organization that would come to be known … Continue reading Melvil Dewey
Letchworth Village was a mental hospital that opened in Thiells, New York in 1911. Letchworth was built in response to current mental health facilities. It aimed to provide more humane treatment than the asylums before it. Those that could work grew crops and tended to livestock. By 1921, the hospital was more of a work … Continue reading Letchworth Village
Built in 1215, Dragsholm Castle is one of the oldest non-religious buildings in Denmark. It was the only castle in Zealand to survive the Count’s Feud of 1534. From 1536-1664, it was used as a prison for the highest-ranking prisoners, mostly noblemen and clergy. The former owner, Joachim Rønnow, was imprisoned there. The castle was … Continue reading James Hepburn
On April 21, 1962, Fred Young went into his back garden. There he found his wife, Molly, on the ground and in extreme pain. His 14 year old son, Graham, was close by, watching. Molly was rushed to the hospital and died that night. Her cause of death was a prolapse of the spinal bone. … Continue reading Graham Young
27 year old Elizabeth Amirian, known to friends and family as Bipsy, was a singer and piano player living in Murrieta, California at the time of her death. She was engaged to 25 year old Mickey Wagstaff. Their intended wedding date was less than a month away. Elizabeth had expressed some reservation about her upcoming … Continue reading Elizabeth Amirian
Also called The Boats, Scaphism is a form of torturous execution. The most famous account of Scaphism is the story of Mithridates. In 401 BC, Mithridates, a Persian soldier, killed Cyrus the Younger. The king was pleased by this because Cyrus had claim to the throne. Mithridates had killed a threat to the king and … Continue reading Scaphism
Before Winthrop Rockefeller became governor of Arkansas in 1966 and instituted prison reform, the Arkansas prison system was a dangerous place for inmates. It was legal to whip prisoners in Arkansas, but they were regularly beaten and tortured by guards who shot at them for fun. There were stories of prison trusties who put needles … Continue reading Tucker Telephone
Warning: This post contains images that some may find disturbing. Until it was outlawed as a form of assisted suicide, hundreds of Buddhist monks attempted to become Sokushinbutsu (Buddha in the flesh or Buddha in this body) through self-mummification. About 24 were successful. Their remains date from the 12th to the 20th century. It is … Continue reading Sokushinbutsu
During the presidency of Woodrow WIlson, suffrage was a hot topic. Women fought for their right to vote. One organization fighting for the rights of women was the National Woman’s Party formed by Alice Paul. Paul was born January 11, 1885 in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Her mother was a member of the American Woman … Continue reading The Silent Sentinels
Maurice Wilson was born April 21, 1898 in Bradford, England. The day he turned 18, he enlisted in the British Army and served in World War I. In the Battle of Passchendaele, he fought alone to protect his injured unit against the German forces. He received the Military Cross for his bravery. Shortly after, he … Continue reading Maurice Wilson
