Most interesting unsolved non-serial killer cases

[Mayerling]

Forgot Jefferson - he fought for the rights of the agrarian population against Hamilton's reforms which were pro business and urban. Jefferson was opposed to the Bank of the U.S. and Madison would (unfortunately for the timing) listen to him in 1811. However on the plus side Jefferson's money conciousness led him to be the most successful President in one respect. With Albert Gallatin, his Secretary of the Treasury, he reduced the national debt far more than any other President.

By the way, Jackson was the last President to balance the National Budget. I forgot to mention that earlier.

Jeff

[sdreid]

Garfield seems to get shortchanged although he was on an 1882 Series $5 Bank Note and an 1882 Series $20 Gold Certificate. He was also on his 2011 Presidential Commemorative Dollar coin as were or will be every other President.

There are 41 people on the back of the intermittently issued $2 bill but I don't see where any were shot so apparently signing the Declaration of Independence wasn't a risky as we've been led to believe.

[Mayerling]

One of the signers on the back of the $2.00 bill was murdered - George Wythe, the best legal scholar in the United States at the time (Jefferson and Henry Clay were two men who studied with him) was poisoned with arsenic by a nephew in 1806. The nephew, his heir, needed the old man's money to pay off a large gambling debt. Wythe, although in pain, lived long enough to legally disinherit the nephew. The nephew was put on trial for the murder but released - the only witness to his using the arsenic (adding it to Wythe's coffee) was a family slave, and (at that time) the word of a slave could not be used to convict or even testify in a Virginia court.

Jeff

[Mayerling]

Honoring James Abram Garfield

Yeah, he was shortchanged on our currency, but Garfield was way overly honored on our stamps. After his death in 1881 he appeared on about five or six different series up to the Presidential series of 1989. McKinley (in comparison) was only on four (keep in mind, McKinley had four and a half years in the White House to show what he could do - and he did well; Garfield had six months, two and half in bed dying). Even JFK had less American issues (about four) than Garfield did (J.F.K. was in nearly three years, and had opportunities to show his abilities, plus his style stamped his era; there's no Garfield style). Only Lincoln beat Garfield - but as he served one full term, won re-election (as had McKinley) saved the U.S. from disunion as Commander in Chief in the Civil War, signed the Homestead Act, and ended slavery with the 13th Amendment, yeah I could see why he'd be considered more deserving of honor on our postage than Garfield!

Garfield's two achievements (as far as I can recall): breaking the back of Sen. Roscoe Conkling's political machine in New York State over who (the President or the Senator) shold have the power to name the head of the New York City Customs House and appointing Stanley Matthews to the United States Supreme Court (Matthews was a good justice, by the way). The one major reform Garfield's administration sped (by tragic means - i.e. Guiteau's bullet) was creation of the Pendleton Civil Service Act. But it was pushed by Senator Pendleton with major assist and encouragement by Garfield's Vice President and successor Chester Alan Arthur, and it came into effect in 1883, two years after Garfield died.

Jeff

[sdreid]

One of the signers on the back of the $2.00 bill was murdered - George Wythe, the best legal scholar in the United States at the time (Jefferson and Henry Clay were two men who studied with him) was poisoned with arsenic by a nephew in 1806. The nephew, his heir, needed the old man's money to pay off a large gambling debt. Wythe, although in pain, lived long enough to legally disinherit the nephew. The nephew was put on trial for the murder but released - the only witness to his using the arsenic (adding it to Wythe's coffee) was a family slave, and (at that time) the word of a slave could not be used to convict or even testify in a Virginia court.

Jeff

That's interesting Jeff but, and perhaps I'm wrong, I believe that Wythe, although he is in Trumbull's painting, is one of the four men on the extreme left that do not appear on the bill. The two men on the extreme right were also cropped out - so much for art integrity.

[Mayerling]

I forgot about the cropped figures on the bill. The only thing I recall from that Trumbull painting that came up in recent years was that the man in the back wearing a hat was supposed to be one of the Rhode Island delegation, but it turned out to be John Dickinson, who left (that's why he's wearing a hat) because he did not choose to sign the Declaration (but he did join the American Army and lived to help George Mason, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson get the Bill of Rights passed).

Jeff

[Mayerling]

One of the other signers, Button Gwinette of Georgia, did die from a gunshot wound - he lost a pistol duel with a General in Georgia while he was Govenor there in 1777. His signature is very rare if a copy is found on any document.

[sdreid]

Well, at least John Adams got on some money. I always thought he was shortchanged it that regard.

[sdreid]

His image anyway.

[sdreid]

Several of the guys on our money advocated that men, women and children be held captive and forced to work under threat of torture or death.

[sdreid]

Three guys, I think.

[sdreid]

I think Grant also very briefly had a couple of slaves that he acquired through his marriage but he immediately freed them.

[RivkahChaya]

I think Grant also very briefly had a couple of slaves that he acquired through his marriage but he immediately freed them.

Don't forget that Washington had slaves.

Also, FDR is on the dime after his promotion of the March of Dimes (fundraiser for a polio vaccine, for those outside the US). The dimes people donated to the March of Dimes would have mostly been the so-called "Mercury" dimes, and probably some Barber dimes.

[sdreid]

Hi all,

Here's my ten list of most interesting non-serial killer unsolved murders followed by number of victims, year and location.

10-The Zip-Gun Bomber (1) 1982 New York
9-The Gatton Mystery (3) 1898 Australia
8-Shirley Collins Case (1) 1953 Australia
7-Evelyn Hartley Case (1) 1953 Wisconsin
6-The Hall-Mills Case (2) 1922 New Jersey
5-George Storrs Case (1) 1909 England
4-Caroline Luard Case (1) 1908 England
3-Julia Wallace Case (1) 1931 England
2-The Tylenol Poisoner (7) 1982 Illinois
1-The Black Dahlia Case (1) 1947 California

I see the Tylenol Poisoner listed as a serial killer in various places but all indications are that the killer made all his store placements within hours (if not on a single run) so I think that's a spree killer by any definition.

[GUT]

G'day Stan

Of course there was a confession in Shirley Collins' case, but police didn't accept that he was the killer.

Of interest is that about 4 different descriptions were provided of men she was seen with over the two days!