Strange Times 176: Maniac Preacher Slain
Strange Pulp Merch? Strange Pulp Merch!
Today we have aldermaniacs and a regular maniac. Take inexplicably extreme measures on…
June 25, 1921
Although declaring themselves impressed with President Harding’s recent feat of shaking 1,500 hands during a reception, doctors at the American Institute of Homeopathists suggest that perhaps he would be better off avoiding such contact in the future.
American officials restate their theory that Bolshevist pirates are responsible for the recent disappearances of ships along the Atlantic seaboard, while the British declare themselves disinterested in the entire affair.
Police prepare to arrest Austin Newton Chamberlain Bellaris in connection to the disappearance of his wife and child, who have still not surfaced nearly a week after vanishing from the maternity home at Neuilly.
As George Dempsey celebrates his 26th birthday by forgoing cake, his challenger for the world heavyweight title, Georges Carpentier, enjoys an afternoon of jazz.
Mrs. Joseph D. Wentling and her maid both die of ptomaine poisoning after eating a jar of tainted olives.
The Weather: Fair and cooler today; Sunday partly cloudy; moderate to fresh north and northeast winds.
Perhaps I’m simply groggy, but I had to read that second sentence three times before it made anything approaching sense. Still not sure about a skirt that cover shoulder blades, but what can you do? For images of the kinds of one-piece bathing suits that our aldermen were campaigning against, click here. Children’s eyes should be shielded, naturally, lest they be subjected to the sight of a woman’s bare knees.
The General Welfare Committee of the Board of Aldermen yesterday held a public hearing on an ordinance regulating Coney Island bathing costumes. The ordinance provides that female bathers over 10 years of age shall wear costumes consisting of bloomers or tights, stockings to meet them, skirts extending to the knees and waists that cover shoulder blades.
The ordinance, if enacted, will affect all other beaches within the city, but the appeal for bathing costume regulation has come principally from residents of Coney Island. Patrick H. Loftus, a lawyer representing residents of Coney Island, told the committee that something should be done to regulate men’s bathing suits.
Male bathers at Coney Island, the lawyer said, were the worst offenders against common decency in the matter of bathing attire. He said that only one female bather in fifteen wore an immodest costume, whereas among the male bathers only one in fifteen was properly clad.
It is expected that the committee will report favorably on the ordinance.
Quite an abrupt escalation by Dr. Murphy—about whose sect I could find no information at all—who was brought in for fraud and decided that he’d prefer murder. About the resulting shootout I have nothing to say except that something that should be obvious to everyone—it should be harder for people to get guns.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., June 24.—“Dr.” D.D. Murphy, negro leader of a religious sect known as the “Live and Never Die,” barricaded on the third floor of a house at 116 Disston Avenue, this afternoon stood at bay for three hours until shot dead by Detective Frank McDowell. One policeman and Elizabeth Chappelle, 117 Disston Avenue, a negress, were wounded by the maniac. A second policeman narrowly escaped injury.
For three hours the police, aided by two companies of firemen, poured lead and water into the small frame building while a crowd of 10,000 persons blocked Arctic and Baltic Avenues to see the spectacular battle. Finally McDowell, accompanied by Detectives Eckstein and Farley, edged his way into the ground floor of the house, while policemen and detectives poured a murderous fire from their revolvers into the three windows of the third floor.
Sneaking up the stairs, McDowell saw a form in the dim light. Before he could pull the trigger there was a flash and a bullet whistled past his ear. He fired and the body of Murphy, with the revolver still clasped in his hand, fell down the steps into his arms. He had been hit in the mouth, the bullet coming out the back of his head. The body was taken to the City Hospital and thence to a morgue.
Mrs. Chappelle was struck in the back by a bullet and is in a serious condition in the hospital. She was standing in front of the house when Murphy fired several shots at a policeman standing near her. Frank Gaines, a policeman, had four bullet holes in his clothes, but escaped without a scratch, while Charles Thorogood, another policeman, received a superficial wound on his hand.
Murphy, a short man of about 50, with a long flowing beard, was arrested shortly after 12 o’clock by Special Officer Allen and taken to the office of Magistrate William Roberts for a hearing on a charge of obtaining money under false pretenses preferred by Mrs. Nettie Spencer.
After waiting a few minutes for the Magistrate to appear Murphy suddenly jumped to his feet, drew a revolver from his pocket and backed slowly out of hte door, covering Allen. Reaching the street, he continued to back for nearly a square until he reached his home. He was followed by Allen and a large crowd of residents of the section.
After his captive disappeared in his home, Allen enlisted the aid of Policeman Frank Gaines and Joseph Ford. The three men entered the Disston Avenue house when Murphy did not answer their summons. Gaines was in the lead. As he mounted the stairs Murphy fired at him rapidly five times and three of the bullets passed through his clothing.
The three men retreated. As they were passing through the yard Murphy took a shot at them from the window.
Then a riot call was sent to Police Headquarters. A half score detectives and uniformed men responded. Led by Captains Doran and Scott they led an assault on the house and were met with a hail of bullets. They retired. More policemen arrived and formed a cordon about the house. In the meantime Murphy was firing whenever a policeman appeared within range.
Two fire companies under command of Fire Chief Barnett were then called in by the police. Two lines of hose were run from a plug through the house next door. For twenty minutes the firemen poured two streams of water into the building under high pressure, but Murphy, dodging from window to window, fired at every opportunity.
After the battle, when detectives appeared carrying Murphy, there was a concerted rush by crowds who had edged past the police lines. Men and women in fashionable clothes just from the Boardwalk elbowed and pushed with negro laborers in their effort to get a glimpse of the man.
Examination of the body at the hospital showed that Murphy had been hit but once. How he managed to escape the rain of bullets fired into the building is a mystery to the police. The floor of the two rooms from which he fought was covered with empty shells, showing that he had fired more than a hundred shots before he was killed.
A "waist" is actually a shirt, not a skirt. It makes no sense to me, either, but that's English for you.