Littlejohn Collection

News file photo, 1944: "Japanese-American sisters on trial for treason"

2009-07-02T13:47:31-04:00

As it turns out, these sisters were sentenced to two years for "conspiracy to commit treason."

From this article from the Cleveland Japanese American Citizens' League (p.5, "A Case of Disloyalty" by Roy Ebihara):

During the course of the trial and hearings, the federal prosecutors presented no compelling evidences to show that the sisters committed treasonable acts since it became clear by testimonies that in escaping, the two POWS had no intention to go back to Germany to fight again. In essence, the sisters’ motive to aid the POWS was simply romantic. It can be considered a case of disloyalty and betrayal, but only to their husbands for their foolish misbehavior....
Yet because the three sisters were “born to Japanese parents and that they were adulterers”, the twelve jurors found them guilty of betraying the U.S. beyond a reasonable doubt. Thereupon the presiding judge upheld the jurors’ findings, sentenced Flo Otani, Toots Wallace, and Billie Tanigoshi to two years in the penitentiary on the conspiracy to commit treason charge, but not for treason per se.

A legal scholar named Eric Muller has written more about this case.

Wanted: John Dillinger

2009-07-02T13:37:02-04:00

With the opening of a new film about John Dillinger - "Public Enemies" starring Johnny Depp as Dillinger - this seemed an appropriate item to share.

This poster dated March 12, 1934, notes in the "Criminal Record" section that Dillinger had escaped from custody in a stolen car on March 3. According to the FBI's "Famous Cases" page, "[i]t was then that Dillinger made the mistake that would cost him his life. He stole the sheriff's car and drove across the Indiana-Illinois line, heading for Chicago. By doing that, he violated the National Motor Vehicle Theft Act, [noted on poster] which made it a Federal offense to transport a stolen motor vehicle across a state line." On March 13 - the day after the publishing date of the poster - Dillinger robbed the First National Bank in Mason City, Iowa.

On July 22, 1934 Dillinger was shot to death outside of a movie theater as he drew his pistol against the FBI agents who had been tracking him.

PBS also offers good resources on Dillinger in association with its American Experience series.

The official site for the new film is here.

John Brown's sons: a closer look

2009-04-13T11:17:48-04:00

On Friday I posted an image called "John Brown's sons at home" which, according to WorldCat, was created about 1887.

Given its subjects, two sons of John Brown, at face value I found the image interesting. But when I re-examined the digital image ("original size," available on Flickr) I became even more intrigued: with the digital image (and some basic picture-viewing software) you can see more of the picture than the naked eye. And due to the high-resolution of the original albumen print (an analog of the original scene), when you zoom in on the digital image there is virtually no distortion. As a result, we can look closely at the faces that are so small on the photograph itself.

I was fascinated to discover both of the Brown sons clearly smiling at the camera lens (and likely the photographer too). The small figures of the analog image -- bearded, modestly dressed, somber and wooden amid their domestic duties -- become human.

Medium zoom:

And up close and personal:

Photograph: "John Brown's sons at home"

2009-04-10T12:24:31-04:00

Luke Meagher

Photograph: Man seated outside house with medical advertisements on exterior wall

2009-04-10T12:20:07-04:00

Here is an interesting image from the Littlejohn Collection's ephemera collection.

The signs above the door read:

"I can cure all kinds sore throat and no questions asked can handle a case in 80 minutes give me @ trial if your baby is sick rheumatism cured

I can cure breast disease, spinal disease, diphtheria, scarlet fever, membrance, croup, rheumatism, and if you have lost your voice can bring it back again Dr Daniel Hurd No. 207 Arch Street $5 in advance notice temperance"

The photo itself contains no other identifying information -- it is unclear when or where this is. Indeed, we can not even be sure that the man in the left foreground is the proprietor of this purported medical establishment.

Letter from Mahatma Gandhi in prison

2009-03-19T11:23:07-04:00

Last week Dr. Stone published a post on his blog about a 1932 meeting of Wofford's International Relations Club. As noted, the topic for discussion that winter night was "India's Move Toward Independence." A participant in this meeting noted that "Mahatma Ghandi and several others are in jail due to their recommendation to their people to resist passively the British government." This reminded me of a curious item in the Littlejohn Collection: a 1933 letter to a man in the Bronx, composed by Gandhi while in prison:

The content is extraordinary and inspirational. It reads:

Dear friend, My whole heart goes out to you. When the conviction goes deeper than the intellect, you will brave all dangers and risks and live the true life, and you will at once find that it is its own reward. Dissatisfaction will give place to full satisfaction, because it will not depend upon external circumstances. An ever-flowing well will be opened out in your heart from which you will draw new joy and and new satisfaction from day to day. Yours sincerely, [signed] MK Ganhdi

Note the envelope, addressed to Mr. Deutch in Gandhi's own hand:

Booth and his associates

2009-03-11T16:37:16-04:00

Above is a carte de visite photograph of John Wilkes Booth's carte de visite and those of his co-conspirators. Booth, of course, was the actor that assassinated President Lincoln at Ford's Theater in April of 1865. In recalling the events of that time, Booth's co-conspirators generally garner less fanfare than Booth himself, likely due to the dramatic flourish he added to the murder -- he shouted "Sic semper tyrranis" from the stage, after firing the fatal shot -- but doubtless also due to the fact that he, Booth, was the only successful player in the much wider-ranging plot.

Clockwise from top:

George Andreas Atzerodt: This German immigrant, by trade a carriage repairman, was assigned the task of assassinating Vice President Andrew Johnson. By all accounts Atzerodt lost his courage and spent the evening of April 14 drinking. He fled to Maryland and was arrested on April 20, having been implicated in the conspiracy by the discovery of a revolver and Booth's account book in his hotel room. He was tried, found guilty, and hanged on July 7, 1865.

Edmund Spangler: This man worked behind the scenes at Ford's Theater and was acquainted with Booth. He was sentenced to 6 years hard labor for holding Booth's horse on the night of the assassination. He was pardoned in 1869 by President Johnson.

Michael O'Laughlen (O'Laughlin is erroneous): A Confederate veteran and longtime associate of Booth's, O'Laughlen was an early recruit in the kidnapping plot, though he left the conspirators' company for Baltimore in March of 1865. He returned to Washington D.C. with some companions and spent the evening of April 14 drinking with them, apparently without any knowledge of the murder plot. He turned himself in to authorities on April 17, was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor. He died in prison in 1867 during a yellow fever epidemic.

Lewis Powell, AKA Lewis Payne or Paine or Wood: Also a Confederate veteran, Powell was a large man. In undertaking his charge of assassinating Secretary of State Seward on April 14, he wounded several men who attended and tried to defend the Secretary, including Frederick Seward, the Secretary's son, who was pistol-whipped. While Powell gained access to Seward and stabbed him several times, the cabinet member was spared a mortal wound by the neck brace he wore because of a recent carriage accident. Powell was arrested on April 17 and hanged on July 7.

Samuel Bland Arnold: A friend of Booth and McLaughlen, Arnold had been involved in the original kidnapping plot until he withdrew from the conspiracy in March 1865. He was arrested on April 17and sentenced to life imprisonment, but was released under Johnson's pardon in 1869.

David Edgar Herold: A sportsman familiar with the land surrounding Washington, Booth recruited Herold to aid in the assassins' escape. Originally charged with escorting Powell out of the city after the deed, Herold apparently fled the scene of the Seward attack. He met up with Booth along a predetermined route and aided the injured assassin in his flight. He and Booth were cornered together - Herold gave himself up while Booth was shot down after refusing to lay down his arms. Herold was hanged on July 7, 1865.

Below is an actual John Wilkes Booth carte de visite. Like the one featured at the beginning of this post, it measures about 2" x 4".

Discharge of Myron Kennedy, 19 years old, after 3 years of military service

2009-02-25T14:46:10-05:00

This is a notice of a man’s discharge from the U.S. Army. Corporal Myron Kennedy, 19, of New York is discharged after nearly 3 years of military service.

Substitute soldier certificate

2009-02-25T14:27:37-05:00

This is a substitute soldier certificate, whereby a man (Siebert) has agreed to fight in the civil war for a sum of $300 in the place of another man who was drafted. This demonstrates the policy of the time whereby one could pay $300 or supply a substitute soldier to get out of going to war. During the war the Union experienced a manpower shortage and, as a result, President Lincoln signed the first conscription act in U.S. history on March 3, 1863 which drafted men between the ages of 18 and 35 into military service. For one week in July of 1863, the discontent with these laws culminated in a series of riots in New York City which resulted violence against African Americans and the destruction of P.T. Barnum’s museum of oddities. The riot was eventually quelled by Union troops.

John Sevier, first governor of Tennessee, fought at Kings Mountain

2009-02-24T15:05:36-05:00

Sevier served as the first governor of Tennessee, and as a US Representative. He was a commander during the American Revolution. In this letter, he directs the county sheriff to take George Howard if in his “bailiwick” to answer “a plea of trespass…to the damage of” John Hamilton in the amount of 1,000 pounds. Sevier signs as clerk of the court of pleas and sessions and has written out most of the document; Spruce Mackay, attorney for the plaintiff, has filled in days, months, names of parties and the offence, and signed at lower left. The document notes it is the fourth year of American Independence. Less than a year before he would be one of the heroes of the battle at Kings Mountain, S.C.