Thieves, Con Men & Murderers — Robert W. Pelton

THE PRISONER NOBODY WANTED! It all started in Wynne, Arkansas. Judge Harold Casoaer stared sternly at the lovely young defendant: "Blanche Palmer, you stand convicted of the murder of your common-law husband, Charles Turain. “Therefore it is the judgment of this court that you serve the next 21 years in the Arkansas State Penitentiary at Little Rock." Two days later, Sheriff E. L. Cooper and his comely prisoner arrived in Little Rock. They were met at the railroad station by Arkansas Gazette reporter Joe Wirges who drove them to the prison. The guard at the penitentiary gate carefully checked the court order handed him by Sheriff Cooper. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I can't accept this prisoner." "What do you mean you can't accept her! “Why not?" "Because, sir, this is a prison for men only. “She has to be taken to the State Farm at Jacksonville." The Sheriff was getting angry. "I don't care where she should go," he snapped. "The court's commitment order says the Arkansas State Penitentiary at Little Rock. “I've brought her here and here's where I leave her!" The guard shrugged and slammed the barred gate in Cooper's face. By now thoroughly frustrated, the Sheriff shouted: "Okay. “She's out here! “I've fulfilled my obligation. “She's all yours!" He promptly removed the handcuffs from the wrists of his bewildered prisoner. "What'll I do now?" the woman asked with an ambivalent voice. "I don't care what you do, madam. “They evidently don't want you in this prison. “Do as you damn well please!" She glanced at Wirges and asked: "Would you please drive me back to the station?" "Of course," he responded, "hop in." Blanche Palmer wasted no time getting in his automobile. A train was scheduled to depart soon after they arrived. Looking as radiant as would any woman from whom 21 years had just dropped, the one-time prisoner waved happily as the train left the station. That was on September 13, 1923. Blanche Palmer was never seen or heard from again. This is what Thieves, Con Men, & Murderers is all about. There are true stories about obscure unsolved murders and robberies. There are true stories about other bizarre crime capers that were solved. Learn, for example, about the millionaire murderer who was to be married and hanged on the same day. Just minutes from the gallows, he escaped by brazenly committing the "perfect crime." You can read about this in Chapter 4, He Beat the Hangman With a Perfect Crime. Read about the strange and fantastic chain of events surrounding a crime that stunned the world -- the theft of the Mona Lisa. It's all covered in Chapter 6, The Art Theft That Shocked the World. Businesses failed and banks closed, when the queen of society swindlers career of blackmail and fraud was exposed. The true tale can be found in Chapter 5, The Undisputed Queen of Society Swindlers. The Skyscraper Burglar â€" Best In the Business covered in Chapter 9 stole millions of dollars in his fantastic crime career, but a petty theft proved to be his demise. Read about most perfectly planned and executed holdup in the history of crime. It's found in Chapter 7, The Perfect Armored Truck Robbery. More than 26,000 fortune hunters became involved in an epic of perjury, forgery, stolen records and invented family skeletons in the phenomenal scramble for the Garrett fortune. This is covered in Chapter 11, The Only Good Heir is a Dead Heir. Here's the amazing story of a get-rich-quick artist who defrauded thousands and raked in more than $20-million in eight months. Read about this character in Chapter 8, Carlo Ponzi's Incredible Jackpot. Let's start out with a shocking horror tale, still clouded in mystery, of a cold-blooded killer. This heartless woman mercilessly butchered an astounding number of her lonely hearts paramours. You'll find it all in Chapter 2, "The Despicable Lonely Hearts Mass-Murderer."