Page 17 - All About History - Issue 08-14

Crime

The Great Train Robbery
ENGLAND 1963
The Great Train Robbery saw a gang of 15 men
attack and take control of a Royal Mail train
travelling between Glasgow and London. The
gang made off with a figure just over £2.6
million ($4.3 million), the equivalent of £46
million ($75 million) today. Following the raid,
the gang hid out at a farmhouse. They were
eventually tracked down and the evidence
found there was used to hunt down and
catch the majority of the gang. However, only
around £400,000 ($650,000) was recovered. James Burke, one of the
Lufthansa heist criminals
The Whitechapel murders THE LUFTHANSA HEIST

ENGLAND 1888
USA 1978
One of history’s most infamous unsolved Reimagined in numerous gangster movies, including
series of crimes, the Whitechapel murders
by Jack the Ripper, are now legendary, with Goodfellas, the Lufthansa Heist in 1978 saw the
the killer’s identity never discovered and the collaborating Lucchese and Gambino crime families
culprit never apprehended. The Ripper killed take more than $5 million (£3.1 million) in less
five women in 1888, slitting their throats than an hour from a cash and jewel-filled vault at
before disemboweling them. Various suspects
as to who the Ripper was have since been New York’s JFK airport. None of the stolen money
American Revolution,
postulated, but with no definitive evidence and jewelry were ever recovered, although almost
Jack the Ripper discovered it remains a mystery. everyone involved with the heist were either later
was never found Ronald Arthur Biggs took part killed or captured.
in the Great Train Robbery
l Trial by Ordeal found guilty l Australia becomes
From 1215 CE onward, accused destination du jour l Electric chair switched on l Assassination of
criminals are typically tried Following the The electric chair is invented by Conservative MP
by jury rather than by Ordeal. employees of Thomas Edison Airey Neave, shadow
1215 CE Australia becomes and quickly adopted by the minister for Northern
l Torture legalised the destination for US Government as a Ireland is killed by a
While torture has been Legalised torture criminals found method of execution car bomb. The
used for centuries, in Elizabethan guilty of felonies in for criminals found Irish National
Elizabethan England England English courts, being Convicts in the leather shop guilty of murder. Liberation
institutionalises it, with the use of the rack, forcibly transported The chair is still Army claims
collar and iron maiden allowed on alleged thousands of miles to endure in use today in The electric responsibility.
criminals during interrogation. 1558 CE manual labour. 1788 CE certain US states. 1979 CE
1890 CE chair in use
1300 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 1950 2000 2013

l Hanged, drawn and l Half-hanged Smith l Murder of a l Desertion made a l Hacking criminalised
quartered English house-breaker president capital crime Owning hacking tools on
From the mid-14th century, John Smith sets the American president From the outset of World a personal computer is
the most serious crimes in record for most Abraham Lincoln is War I, desertion from made illegal for the first
England – including anything hanging survivals, shot by stage actor the army is punishable time in Europe, with
that could be classed as high walking away John Wilkes Booth on by firing squad. From those found guilty
treason – is punished by the from three gallows. April 14, towards the 1914 to 1920, 306 British punishable with
individual being hanged until This earned him the end of the American and Commonwealth jail sentences.
half-dead, cut into quarters and Hanging was just the start nickname ‘Half-hanged Civil War. 1865 CE soldiers are executed for 2007 CE
then disemboweled. 1351 CE of some punishments Smith’. 1705 CE desertion. 1914 CE

Butch Cassidy The Scream stolen Hacking is a very
modern crime
bank raid USA 1889 NORWAY 1994
The Scream is one of the world’s most
Famous US outlaw Butch Cassidy was famous and valuable paintings, which is
one of the country’s most successful why there was an international outcry
criminals, robbing trains and ranches when it was stolen from the National
at will. His biggest heist was on the Gallery of Norway in 1994. Two men, a
San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride, ladder, wire cutters and 50 seconds is
Colorado. On 24 June 1889, Cassidy all it took to whisk the painting away,
and three armed cowboys made off much to the gallery security’s horror. A
with a whopping $20,000 (£12,000), month later, the criminals offered it back
which made him one of the most in exchange for $1 million (£610,000).
wanted men in the country. Following However, this was declined and a
the heist, Cassidy took refuge in the couple of months later the painting was
now-famous ‘Hole in the Wall’ hideout recovered in a sting operation. The four
in Wyoming. The Scream was recovered © Thinkstock; Alamy; Spborthwick
Butch Cassidy (centre- men responsible were sentenced for theft
front) and his gang and handed lengthy prison sentences. in a sting operation

17