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Crime

The Murder Trial of the Reverend Ephraim Avery at Newport (Part II of II)
9 months ago

The Murder Trial of the Reverend Ephraim Avery at Newport (Part II of II)

By  •  Crime

[From the editor: The following is the second installment of a two-part article from a chapter in a book written by Edmund Pearson, Murder at Smutty Note and Other Murders …
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The Murder of Sarah Maria Cornell in Tiverton in 1832 (Part I of II)
10 months ago

The Murder of Sarah Maria Cornell in Tiverton in 1832 (Part I of II)

By  •  Crime

[From the editor:  The following first installment of a two-part article is.” from a chapter in a book written by Edmund Pearson, Murder at Smutty Note and Other Murders (Garden …
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Corporal Punishment and Reform in the Early 19th Century in Washington County
3 years ago

Corporal Punishment and Reform in the Early 19th Century in Washington County

While Massachusetts and Connecticut by the early 1800s had instituted reforms reducing the severity of corporal punishment, Rhode Island had not. Consider the crime of perjury before a court. According …
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The Hanging of Thomas Mount for Burglary in 1791
3 years ago

The Hanging of Thomas Mount for Burglary in 1791

On May 27, 1791, Thomas Mount, a white man born in New Jersey, was hanged in the small village of Little Rest, now called Kingston, in South Kingstown. What makes …
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List of Executions in Rhode Island, 1670 to 1845
3 years ago

List of Executions in Rhode Island, 1670 to 1845

By  •  Crime

[From the Editor:  The author of this terrific piece has been a great source of assistance for many historians and researchers at the Rhode Island State Archives for decades.  Ken …
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J. Howard McGrath and the Wiretapping Case of 1939-1940
5 years ago

J. Howard McGrath and the Wiretapping Case of 1939-1940

The political scene in Rhode Island was eventful during the interwar years. Fractious competition between Democrats and Republicans throughout the 1920s and 1930s resulted in the passage of important legislation …
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The Remarkable Career of Everlin Smith, Jailkeeper
5 years ago

The Remarkable Career of Everlin Smith, Jailkeeper

By  •  Crime, Women

One of the most remarkable women in the state’s history lived and worked in East Greenwich. In fact, she spent her childhood at the Second Kent County Jail and died …
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The Execution of Thomas Mount for the Crime of Burglary
7 years ago

The Execution of Thomas Mount for the Crime of Burglary

On May 27, 1791, Thomas Mount, a white man born in New Jersey, was hanged in Little Rest (now Kingston). Hanging was never particularly common in Rhode Island. What makes …
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Jackson Was Murdered And Carter Was Hanged For It-But That Is All We’re Sure About
7 years ago

Jackson Was Murdered And Carter Was Hanged For It-But That Is All We’re Sure About

Napoleon Bonaparte said that history is the version of past events that people have decided to agree on. William Jackson was murdered in South Kingstown in 1751, and Thomas Carter …
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Extravagant Barnaby’s Castle and Murder Most Foul
7 years ago

Extravagant Barnaby’s Castle and Murder Most Foul

To our contemporary eyes the Victorian mansion at 299 Broadway in Providence is an ostentatious mash-up of architectural styles—a little bit of Gothic, a little Romanesque, with a four-story octagonal …
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