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Crime

The Tragic 1969 Shooting on 13th Street in Washington, DC and the Return of Apollo 10

February 24, 2023January 13, 2015 by ghostsofdc

On May 26th, 1969, an argument over a dog ended in tragedy with the fatal shooting of William Fields Jr. in 13th Street NW Washington, DC. On the same day, Apollo 10 returned to Earth after NASA’s final test runs for the mission to the moon.

Categories From the Crazy Vault Tags 1960s, Crime, Petworth 3 Comments

Dead Man’s Hollow: A Dark History of Rosslyn and Arlington

May 21, 2026May 15, 2014 by ghostsofdc
N. Moore & 19th - Source: rosslynva.org

Late 19th-century Rosslyn was a vice district of saloons and gambling dens. The ravine known as Dead Man’s Hollow was its most dangerous corner of all.

Categories From the Crazy Vault, Lost History Tags 1890s, 1900s, Arlington, Crime, Rosslyn 10 Comments

Uncovering the Life of White House Police Officer Roland Ford

April 27, 2026April 2, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Crack shot of White House police force. Washington, D.C., Aug. 10. Outstanding marksman of the White House police force is Roland Ford, today averaged 294 bullseyes out of a possible 300 while shooting in competition with marksmen from other agencies in the Treasury Department. Forty-eight experts competed for medals and cup for themselves and their services in the friendly matches, 8/10/37

Digging through the Library of Congress archives, we uncovered the life of Roland Ford, a White House police officer. Learn more about his life and his connection to President Roosevelt in this post.

Categories A Personal Story Tags 1930s, Crime, Eckington

Nubby Nuckols: The DC Bookmaker Who Shot Himself in 1938

May 8, 2026February 11, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Nubby Nuckols (1938)

He was forty-one, the king of bookmaking in DC, and out on bail. Two days later he was on the floor in his maroon robe.

Categories A Personal Story, Notable People & Places Tags 1920s, 1930s, Crime, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Prohibition

The Story Behind the Story: How a Photo Made a Career for Bill O’Leary

April 27, 2026February 10, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Marion Barry arrested by the FBI

Sometimes the story behind the story is almost as sensational as the original news. Learn the amazing tale of Bill O’Leary and how he captured the infamous photo of Marion Barry in handcuffs outside his home in southeast DC.

Categories From the Crazy Vault, Guest Posts, Historical Events Tags 1990s, Crime, Politics

The 1913 Washington Post Story of the Runaway Horse and Carriage

December 27, 2019February 7, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Runaway horse and carriage

A wild story from The Washington Post in 1913 about a runaway horse & carriage in Washington DC. Read the full story, plus learn more about George Bowman, the liveryman, and Harry L. McCormick, who rescued the baby.

Categories From the Crazy Vault Tags 1910s, Crime, Notable People

The McCrory Disaster: A 1929 Boiler Blast on 7th Street That Killed Six in Seconds

May 9, 2026February 3, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Aftermath of the McCrory disaster, a virtually forgotten chapter in the history of Washington, D.C.: At 1:32 p.m. on Nov. 21, 1929, a boiler in the basement of the McCrory five-and-dime store at 416 Seventh Street NW exploded, demolishing the ground floor and igniting a fire in a deafening blast whose final toll was six dead and dozens injured. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative.

On November 21, 1929, a 500-gallon boiler under the sidewalk at McCrory’s five-and-dime on 7th Street NW exploded at 1:32 in the afternoon, killing six and lifting the concrete forty feet into the air.

Categories From the Crazy Vault Tags 1920s, Crime 1 Comment

The Strange Story of the White House Secret Service Guard Who Robbed a Bank

April 27, 2026January 24, 2014 by ghostsofdc
USSS badge

Read the strange story of the White House Secret Service guard who robbed a Citizens National Bank branch in Laurel in 1981. We came across the article and the sentencing in The Baltimore Sun. Come read this bizarre story from the 1980s!

Categories From the Crazy Vault Tags 1980s, Crime

Gem Thief Holds Hundreds at Bay: A Crazy Crime Story at the Gayety Theatre

December 8, 2021January 10, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Gayety Theater on 9th St.

Explore the crazy crime story of the 1922 gem thief who held hundreds at bay in Washington, D.C. near the Gayety Theatre. Read the full story and see a 1921 map of the area.

Categories From the Crazy Vault Tags 1920s, Crime, Theaters
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