What really happened when Depression Era Criminal Pretty Boy Floyd Meet His End in E. Liverpool Oh. ?

Pretty Boy Floyd the notorious Gangster  from the Depression Era was in Eastern Ohio  Robbing banks yes in fact he traveled thru Western Pa as well Thou no recorded crime by him was committed  in Pa . that I can find but during his life time he came thru the Tri-State area several times to elude the police who could not cross state lines. 

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19320104&id=56tQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LyIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6182,476015

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19470730&id=XyRPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6E4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1838,6830582

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19610417&id=HmcUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DwEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3951,276501

But how he meet his end 80 years ago  has always been called into question. Many believe he was out right executed like Bonnie and Clyde were by the FBI Agents. G Men as they where called by some that day in a farmers field in Wellsville  near E. Liverpool Ohio.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19341023&id=P7VRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LWkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3343,3201184

I became interested in his story many years back when my Brother in Law got married and they held the reception at an old bed & breakfast on the same road up to where Pretty Boy meet his end.

http://sturgishouse.com/

Seems this place was also a funeral home at one time and where they laid out Pretty Boy after they prepared his bullet ridden body.

He may have been called Pretty Boy Floyd but he sure was not leaving a trail of blood and body's of law enforcement and innocent citizens across the Midwest as he robbed banks.
 Unlike Bonnie & Clyde who where first seen as Anti heroes  taking on the big bad banks this guy was a straight out killer.His gang killing 4 law enforcement officers in what became known as the Kansas City Massacre. in 1934

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Boy_Floyd

After having committed this horrible crime the gang fled into Ohio where there car slid into a tree needing the car fixed and afraid they would be spotted Floyd and his male accomplice stayed behind as their gun molls went into town to get a tow truck and have the car repaired and as they waited along the road and lay in the grass a local farmer thought it strange and notified police who upon meeting  the 2 gangsters they took off into the fields  the accomplice was caught that day but Floyd eluded police till the next day  when he was spotted by police near a field and that's where things get muddy ,

3 different story's have emerged. a local retired cop got the first shot, the FBI  got him first and where their by themselves or locals and FBI did him in. there is also a dispute as to if Pretty boy was just wounded by locals was ready to go into custody and FBI executed him .

Either way he was very dead but I can see the FBI trying to take all the credit and I do not buy their story.  I believe the true credit goes to locals getting him first and as far as him being executed yes I see it happening because that's whats happened to Bonnie& Clyde and John Dillinger  and probably what lead to Melvin Purvis the FBI lead agent to kill him self  couple years after he gunned down John Dillinger.  

When you think of the 18 months of Rampage as it has become known around the Mid west when Bonnie & Clyde , Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger and Machine Gun Kelly   where running around the Midwest you would never think any of them ever even got close to Western Pa. but they did. in the case of Pretty Boy Floyd as a means to keep police at bay and a chance to cool their heels .

A house built in Spite of a restrictive Land Deed

As you ride by the corner of Penn Ave and  N. Homewood Ave. in Pittsburgh's trendy Point Breeze neighborhood  you will notice on one corner the magnificent former home of the black hearted  Henry Clay Frick who was a Coke and Steel Robber Baron but on the opposite corner sits a small non descriptive home built of sand stone siding.
 Out of place in a community of big imposing houses it has become known as "The Spite House  "
In other words it was built out of spite to ignore and refute those who where trying to keep the corner open and un built.
Thou one full house today this was not always the case.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19350521&id=fSUbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jksEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3849,6021968

As the city council at the time would not allow the home to be built the owner William A. Miller got around them by building 3 small basically boxes about the size of a small tourist cabin   which he lived in and could be seen running back and forth from for many years  until the entire structure was enclosed  with the current sand stone exterior some time in early 60's   The  home now appears to be empty and possibly up for sale. and is enclosed in overgrown Pine Trees.  Thousands ride by this home everyday and have no idea the battle or significance of the little non descriptive home .I would not have known either except for story's told by my parents who got to see the house when it was 3 separate buildings.

Now overgrown with trees it was once fully visible


 

A message from God ? Strange case of lightning striking a church causing damage but not causing a power surge or fire .

It was a warm summer Sunday morning when the congregants where attending services at Christian Community Church  in  a former Presbyterian church when a fierce thunder storm came up  and there was a tremendously loud noise.
The 4 point  steeple on the church was struck by lightning and one of the points  was destroyed.
 and is in the process of being removed.

Miraculously there was no fire or power surge despite the fact the lightning tore a hole thru the roof of the steeple which contained plenty of old wood inside.It appears the water pouring in during the storm prevented any thing from catching fire and there was no physical damage to the structure holding up the spire ,
 although there was significant water damage it was confined mostly to the floor areas directly below the steeple.
In a weird kind of irony a Catholic Church up the street was struck by lightning a week later and its vast pipe organ damaged.

While plenty of jokes all in fun  have gone around  that God was sending a message he was not happy a non denominational church moved into a former Presbyterian church .It appears the church has been hit before even thou its not the highest point in the block.
Needless to say the current non denominational church plans on installing lightning arrestors as they have found out this is not the first time the church has been hit and with the arrestors hopefully it will be the last.

Unsolved Arson fire of Waltmire Pharmacy in Spring Garden section of Pittsburgh leaves more questions than answers

It happened earlier this spring 2 men force open a door and then catch a local pharmacy on fire they did not take anything just burned it down.Was it revenge  was its a dispute  or some one just trying to cause a ruckus in the neighborhood ? or was it something else?  thats the questions waiting to be answered  and will not be until the suspects are caught . Local news station KDKA TV 2 have released video images of the men and Pa Crime stoppers  is offering a $1000.00 reward and is asking for help in identifying the  men involved.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/10/15/crime-stoppers-offering-reward-in-spring-garden-pharmacy-arson/

The pharmacy has operated for many years in Spring Garden Valley neighborhood of Pittsburgh's North Side  serving young and old a like  and did not deserve to have this done to them. Luckily with help from the community they are making a come back and hopefully with a tip the perpetrators will be brought to justice.