We must look to history to determine out ‘collective fate:’

 So here we are, the public is saying with all the shootings and all the wars everyone is quite angry over their ‘useless government,’ more and more people are dying for no other reason than their color of theor skin, the religion that they follow, or simply they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.  What people don’t realize is that History will teach us the importance of doing what needs to be done WHEN it needs to be done.  So, is society gone insane, are we in the worst times now, are we dragging our feet when it comes to the ‘useless’ government, and are we on the last road before we destroy ourselves?  I think not, so we look at history to bring us to our collective senses, people believe that the times we are in, again we need to look at history to make that determination for us.  Soo, 100 years ago this is what happened in May of 1918:

May 2 General Motors acquires the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware.

May 4 Yankees set record with 8 sacrifices, beat Red Sox's Babe Ruth 5-4

May 10 HMS Vindictive sunk to block entrance of Ostend Harbor

May 11 44th Kentucky Derby: William Knapp on Exterminator wins in 2:10.8

May 13 1st US airmail stamps issued (24 cents)

May 14 Sunday baseball is made legal in Washington, DC

May 15 1st regular US airmail postal service between NY, Philadelphia & Washington, D.C.

May 15 43rd Preakness: Johnny Loftus aboard War Cloud wins in 1:53.6

May 15 Greeks troops land at Smyrna

Event of interestEvent of Interest

May 15 Washington Senator Walter Johnson pitches 1-0, 18 inning game

May 15 The Finnish Civil War ends

May 16 The Sedition Act of 1918 is passed by the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government an imprisonable offense.

May 18 Dutch Indian Volksraad installed in Batavia

May 18 TNT explosion in chemical factory in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, kills 200

May 19 Wash 1st Sunday game, Senators beat Cleveland 1-0 in 18 innings

May 20 1st electrically propelled warship (New Mexico)

May 21 US House of Representatives passes amendment allowing women to vote

May 23 King Oil/Shell refinery on Curacao officially opens

May 24 Cleveland Indians Stan Coveleski sets club record for most innings pitched (19)

May 24 Cleveland beats Yankees 3-2 in 19th inning

May 24 British officer General Poole lands at Murmansk, the Russian port on the Barents Sea

May 26 Georgian Social Democratic Republic declares independence from Russia

May 26 Armenia defeats the Ottoman Army in the Battle of Sardarapat

May 27 Third Battle of Aisne: German offensive overcomes British forces (WWI)

May 28 Azerbaijan gains independence and declares itself a Democratic Republic

Famous Birthdays

May 1 Jack Paar, American television host of the Jack Paar Show (d. 2004), born in Canton, Ohio

May 1 Gersh Budker, Russian physicist (d. 1977)

May 2 Frederick Archibald Warner, British diplomat, born in Blagdon, England (d. 1995)

May 3 Ted Bates, English former footballer, born in Thetford, England (d. 2003)

May 4 Kakuei Tanaka, Japanese Prime Minister (1972-74), convicted of bribe-taking, born in Kariwa, Japan (d. 1993)

May 4 Thomas Mead, Australian politician and journalist, born in Randwick, Australia (d. 2004)

May 5 Erbie Bowser, American blues and jazz pianist, born in Davila, Texas (d. 1995)

May 6 Godfrey Ridout, composer

May 6 Sydney Chatton, England

Person of interestZayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

May 6 Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, 1st President of the United Arab Emirates, born in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, birth date disputed (d. 2004)

May 7 Argeliers León, Cuban composer, born in Pinar del Río, Cuba (d. 1991)

Person of interestMike Wallace

May 9 Mike Wallace, newscaster (Biography, 60 Minutes), born in Brookline, Massachusetts (d. 2012)

May 9 Orville Freeman, (Sen-D-Mn)/Sec of Agriculture (1961-69), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota

May 10 Dr. T Berry Brazelton, American child development paediatrician, author, TV host (What Every Baby Knows), who developed the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), born in Waco, Texas (d. 2018)

May 10 George Welch, American World War II flying ace (Medal of Honor nominee) and test pilot, born in Wawaset Park, Delaware (d. 1954)

May 11 Richard Feynman, American theoretical physicist, born in Queens, New York (d. 1988)

May 12 Oscar Beregi Jr, Hungarian actor (Young Frankenstein, Panic in City), born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (d. 1976)

Person of interestJulius Rosenberg

May 12 Julius Rosenberg, 1st US civilian executed for espionage, born in NYC, New York

May 13 John Johnston, British diplomat (Rhodesia, Malaysia)

May 13 T. Balasaraswati, Bharatanatyam dancer (d. 1984)

May 14 Arthur McIntyre, cricket wicket-keeper (England 3 times early 50's)

May 15 Eddy Arnold, Henderson TN, country singer (Cattle Call, Anytime)

May 15 Joseph Wiseman, Canadian actor (Dr No, Viva Zapata, Les Miserables), born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2009)

May 16 Edward Thomas, historian/intelligence expert

May 16 Juan Rulfo, Mexican writer (Pedro Paramo)

May 16 Kevin Skelton, Bishop (Lichfield)

May 16 Wilf Mannion, English former footballer (d. 2000)

May 17 Birgit Nilsson, Karup Sweden, operatic soprano (Elektra, Salome)

May 18 Massimo Girotti, Italian actor (Last Tango in Paris, In the Name of the Law), born in Mogliano, Marche, Italy (d. 2003)

Person of interestFlorence Chadwick

May 19 Florence Chadwick, swimmer (1st to swim English Channel both ways), born in San Diego, California (d. 1995)

May 19 Abraham Pais, Dutch-born American physicist (d. 2000)

May 20 Edward B. Lewis, American geneticist, Nobel laureate (d. 2004)

May 21 Leonard Mullens, rubber physicist

May 22 David Land, impressario

May 23 Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, band leader and record producer, born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1985)

May 23 Dennis Compton, English cricketer and footballer (5,807 runs, Arsenal), born in Middlesex, England (d. 1997)

May 24 Coleman Young, 1st African American Mayor of Detroit, born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

May 24 D V Jennings, solicitor

May 25 Peder Lunde, Norwegian yachtsman (Olympic silver 1952)

May 26 Anton Christoforidis, Greek boxer (d. 1985)

May 27 Yasuhiro Nakasone, premier of Japan (1982-87)

May 29 Herb Shriner, humorist/TV host (Herb Shriner Show)

May 29 Isabel Dean, English actress (Five Days One Summer Virgin Island, Ransom), born in Aldridge, Staffordshire (d. 1997)

May 30 Guadalupe "Pita" Amor, Mexican poet (d. 2000)

May 30 Bob Evans, American restaurateur (d. 2007)

Famous Deaths

May 3 Charlie Soong, Chinese Methodist missionary and key player in the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, dies at 55

May 9 George Coşbuc, Romanian poet (b. 1866)

May 12 Abel Hoadley, Australian confectioner (Violet Crumble), dies at 73

May 14 James Gordon Bennett, Jr., American newspaper publisher (b. 1841)

May 16 Eusapia Palladino, Italian spiritual medium, dies at 64

May 18 Toivo Kuula, Finnish composer, dies after being shot in a quarrel at 34

May 19 Gervais Raoul Lufbery, French-American World War I fighter pilot and flying ace, dies at 33

May 24 Evan Williams, American oratorio tenor

May 27 Henry Adams, US literature historian (Esther), dies at 80

May 30 Georgi V Plechanov, Russian revolutionary theorist, dies

Is our governments ‘useless,’ I think not, but society must educate them selves so that History cannot repeat itself…

As always, stay safe !

-Bird

Two cases highlighting the need for self-protection:

'Worst ever' serial rapist 'treated himself' to sex attacks every birthday raping 90 women and girls.  

Perverted Valery Makarenkov, 69, confessed to raping 90 women and underage girls but investigators believe his true tally is at least 108.

A pensioner suspected of being Russia's worst-ever serial rapist has been jailed for 18 years after he admitted he "treated himself to women on his birthday". Perverted Valery Makarenkov, 69, was convicted of 31 violent sex attacks but police are investigating allegations of many dozens of further cases. He has confessed to raping 90 women and underage girls but investigators believe his true tally is at least 108.

Wearing a black cap, he attacked his victims from behind after cycling up behind them and dragging them into bushes. His first attack was 43 years ago and Moscow detectives and criminologists checked the details of 26,000 men before he was detained in May 2014 in the city's Kuzminki Park.

Valery Makarenkov told police he liked to "treat" himself to sex attacks on his birthday. The evil attacker has been branded the "birthday sex maniac" and the "cycling rapist". He admitted to police that he "treated himself to women on his birthday" and snared victims while riding his Soviet-era Salut bicycle. "I gave myself these girls as a birthday gift", he was reported to have said. He also stole items from his victims whom he kept as souvenirs at his cramped flat - examples included a child's badge, toys, a doll and a tin of peas.

His youngest victim was believed to have been aged ten. Now divorced, he told police his first rape was a teenage girl in 1973 after his wife refused to have sex following childbirth. Working as a part-time taxi driver, he claimed he was twice "drugged" by women these incidents led to a "grudge against all women".

Makarenkov was sentenced to 18 years in prison in a maximum security penal colony but police continue to probe his alleged crimes, including fears that he murdered at least three times. "The investigation of other crimes - attacks on woman, violent assaults and murders - is on-going and Makarenkov will be checked for involvement," said a statement from Russia's Investigative Committee, equivalent of the FBI. "At night or in early morning he followed his victims on his bike in backyards and parks, attacked from behind, strangled them but not to death, then raped and stole valuable belongings.

"Usually his attacks took place from May to October when it was possible to go around on a bike. For a long time Makarenkov managed to hide well from police because he acted in different districts of Moscow.  He "almost never committed two crimes in one area. About 20,000 Muscovites were checked in connection to Makarenkov's crimes before he was caught. A source added: "In Makarenkov's case there were several factors: hyper-sexuality, along with love of risk and danger. He was often stopped for dangerous and drunk driving. He enjoyed being a hunter.”

"He had to trace his victim, to follow her, to catch. All this gave him excitement he needed, thrilled him, it was adrenaline. This is what all maniacs go hunting for. And the moment of the sexual act is their prize." Victim Maria, in her 30s, was attacked by the serial rapist in June 2013 as she walked home from work. Bravely, she returned to the scene of her rape to highlight the terror she felt for an NTV report.

"Suddenly I spotted a man behind my back, he was with a bike," she said. "I didn't pay any attention to him. I kept walking and sending a text. "One minute later, I turned around and saw him right next to me and without his bike. Next moment he attacked me and began to strangle me. I managed only a short crying sound before he squeezed my throat. And I lost consciousness within two seconds. It was like he just switched me off. Then he dragged my body through those bushes." She said: "I woke up all covered in mud, I had just one shoe on. I tried to understand what happened; honestly I did not realize I was completely naked. "I felt as if I was frozen. I understood that I had survived by a miracle."

Maria saw his face, including his eyes, and gave crucial evidence to police in drawing up an identikit picture.

***

The pizza boss who prowled streets and clubs looking for victims to rape is jailed for 20 years 

- 'Sinister' Haval Omer, who had been due to get married, had a “sense of entitlement” and still struggles to understand what he have done wrong, the court heard. Haval Omer told his victims he would take her to hospital after he found her distressed in the street but “abducted” her in his car and raped her. Then while under investigation for that offens the twisted 32-year-old attacked a second woman - and then a third three months after that.

During the second offence he plied a woman with drink after “pawing” at her in a club then subjected her to a sickening sex assault ordeal. A third victim, whose drink had been spiked in a nightclub, was “tricked” into getting into Omer’s car, taken to his home and raped.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Omer, who had been due to get married, had a “sense of entitlement” and still struggles to understand what he has done wrong. Omer, from Sunderland, was convicted of three offences of rape, on two of the women, and four of sexual assault after a trial.  Crown Judge Penny Moreland branded him “dangerous” and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment, with an eight year extension period and lifelong sex offender registration.

The judge said Omer’s behavior was “sinister” and added: “He doesn’t actually think he has done anything wrong.” Judge Moreland further told Omer: “You pose a high risk to members of the public, particularly females.”I form the view you are dangerous.”  The court heard the first victim was attacked in 2015 after she had taken an overdose of drugs and had wandered into the road while Omer was parked nearby. A recording of a 999 call made by the woman’s friend captured him offering to give her a lift to hospital for help.

Judge Moreland told him: “You were parked on up on that street and looked like you were looking for girls. “You had a bottle of vodka in your car which you used as an inducement to get her into your car. It is apparent your intention was to get her alone, which you did. Once you had done that you raped her in your car, ignoring her protests.” The court heard the woman was found by the police, unconscious, in Omer’s home the next day.

While under investigation for that offense, Omer targeted his second victim, who was on a night out in April 2016. CCTV footage from a nightclub showed him “pawing” at the young woman, then “picking up her glass and encouraging her to drink”. She was repeatedly sexually assaulted after she got her into his car. Omer targeted his third victim during another night out three months later. Judge Moreland told him: “I am quite satisfied while she was in the nightclub her drink was spiked. “She said she felt weird and unable to stand.”

The judge said Omer had “gone out looking for someone to have sex with” and had got the victim into his car once she was “incapable”. Judge Moreland added: “She didn’t want to have sex with you. You ignored her protests and you raped her.” -The court heard the attacks had a devastating impact on all three victims. One woman said she is “haunted” by what happened and said the ordeal has “messed her life up”. Another said: “How can anyone do something so vile and crude?” The women said they feared their ordeals will affect the rest of their lives.v Judge Moreland said: “Sadly, I’m afraid that might be true.”

Peter Schofield, defending, said Omer arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker in 2002, from Iraq, and worked hard to set up his business.  Mr. Schofield added: “He does, through me, recognize the seriousness of all of these offenses. “He apologizes and is contrite for the distress that has been occasioned to everyone.”

After the case, Detective Inspector Ash Hopper, from Northumbria Police's Rape Investigation Team, said: “I am pleased to be stood here today knowing that Omer is now behind bars for a long time and is unable to carry out any more appalling acts of this kind. “His offences were twisted and sickening, and he is clearly a danger to society. He will have to live knowing what he has done and the damage he has caused to the three victims and their families. “I hope this sentence brings them some sort of justice, even though it cannot take back what horrific ordeals they were put through, and I would like to thank them for their bravery. “If anybody out there has been a victim of rape or other sexual assault and fear nothing will be done, then please look at the sentence today.

“You will be taken seriously and will be offered the specialist support you need.” True in the UK and true in the USA!

As always, stay safe !

-Bird

***

[Apology is given for some of the spellings herein this article, new computer, and no two words are spelled the same ...]

Phoolan Devi , "The Bandit Queen" (born August 10, 1963 died: July 25, 2001)

In Behmai, District of Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh, India, on January 30, 1981, Phoolan Devi , popularly known as the "Bandit Queen", was an Indian dacoit (bandit) and later a politician.

Following this, she became notorious across India as a bandit. Some people believe that most of her crimes were committed seeking justice for women's suffering, particularly those in the unfortunate lowest castes; however, the Indian authorities consider this a myth. She was once falsely imprisoned for seeking those involved in her rape to be tried for their crimes. Then made a martyr for exacting this revenge independently from authority and as part of a gang. Later, she surrendered and successfully contested election as a member of the Samajwadi Party. The 1994 film Bandit Queen was loosely based on her life.

After being gang-raped by some members of her village, Phoolan Devi turned bandit, and authorized the killing of 22 upper-caste villagers in 1981, after her conviction she spent 11 years in Gwalior Central Jail in Madhya Pradesh and was released without any trial in 1994. On 25 July 2001, Phoolan Devi was shot dead by three masked gunmen outside of her Delhi bungalow.

Her Early life: Phoolan was born into the mallah (boatmen) caste, in the small village of Ghura Ka Purwa (also spelled Gorha ka Purwa) in Jalaun District, Uttar Pradesh. She was the fourth child of Devi Din and Moola.

Phoolan's father owned an acre (0.4 hectare) of land with a huge Neem tree on it. He hoped that the valuable timber of the tree would enable him to pay the dowry for his daughters' marriages. When Phoolan was eleven years old, her grandparents passed away within a short time and her uncle declared himself the head of the family. He took over the inheritance by deceit, leaving Phoolan's family to remain in poverty. Her Uncle had a son, Mayadin. He cut down the Neem tree and sold the wood, intending to keep the proceeds for himself. Although her father submitted with mild protest, Phoolan confronted her cousin. She taunted him, publicly called him a thief and attacked him. With her elder sister, she staged a sit-in on his land. Even after violence against Phoolan — knocking her out with a brick — she wouldn't relent. In an effort to rid himself of Phoolan, Mayadin arranged to have her married to a man named Putti Lal, who lived several hundred miles away. Putti Lal was in his thirties; Phoolan was eleven. Devi claimed in her autobiography that he was a man of "very bad character". Phoolan's husband raped and mistreated her, which was agonizing for her to endure, particularly due to her age and isolation. She ran away several times, and would be returned to her husband for severe punishment. She was returned to her village, being deemed too young to fulfill her duties as a wife. Three years later in 1977, she was returned back to Putti Lal's home. She protested, and was returned back to her father's home. A wife leaving her husband was a serious taboo in the rural areas, and Phoolan was marked as a social outcast. Phoolan continued to challenge her cousin Mayadin, accusing him of thievery. She took him to court for unlawfully holding her father's land, but lost the case. In 1979, Mayadin accused Phoolan of stealing small items from his house, and arranged for her arrest by the police. During the three days in jail, she was beaten and raped by the authorities. She blamed her cousin for the injustice, and developed hatred for men who routinely denigrated women. When released from prison, she was further shunned by her village and her family. Justice was elusive and she felt hurt by her helplessness.

As a dacoit: In 1979, a gang of dacoits abducted Phoolan; some also say that she was not kidnapped but "walked away from her life". The gang leader, Babu Gujjar, who was a Gujjar, wanted to rape her. However, she was protected by Vikram Mallah, the second-in-command of the gang who belonged to Phoolan's caste. One night when Babu attempted to rape Phoolan, Vikram killed him and assumed the gang leadership. Phoolan fell in love with this man who had undoubtedly protected her, and became Vikram's second wife. The gang ransacked the village where Phoolan's husband lived. Phoolan stabbed her estranged husband, and dragged him in front of the villagers. The gang left him lying almost dead by the road, with a note as a warning for older men who marry young girls. Phoolan Devi learned how to use a rifle from Vikram, and participated in the gang's activities across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The activities consisted of ransacking high-caste villages, kidnapping upper-caste landowners for ransom and train robberies. After every crime, Phoolan Devi would visit a Durga temple and thank the goddess for her protection. The gang hid out in the ravines of Chambal in Dholpur.

The Behmai incidents: Sometime later, Shri Ram and Lala Ram, two upper-caste dacoit brothers belonging to the Thanker caste, returned to the gang. They were outraged by the killing of the gang leader by a low caste gang member. Shir Ram would make sexual advances towards Phoolan. This led to tensions between Shir Ram and Vikram, who made him apologize to Phoolan. When the gang would ransack a village, Shir Ram would beat and insult the Mallah. This displeased the Mallah in the gang, many of whom left the gang. When Shir Ram got a dozen Thurstan to join the gang, Vikram suggested the gang be divided into two, but Shri Ram refused. Shortly afterwards, Shri Ram and other Thakur members in the gang attempted to kill Phoolan and Vikram, who managed to escape. However, later they successfully killed Vikram, abducted Phoolan and locked her up in the Behmai village. Phoolan Devi was beaten and raped by several men in Behmai. After three weeks, she managed to escape with two other Mallahs from Vikram's gang, helped by a low-caste villager. She gathered a gang of Mallahs, that she led with Man Singh, a member of Vikram's former gang. The gang carried out a series of violent robberies in north and central India, mainly targeting upper-caste people. Some say that Phoolan Devi targeted only the upper-caste people and shared the loot with the lower-caste people, but the Indian authorities insist that this is a myth.

17 months after her escape from Behmai, Phoolan returned to the village, to take her revenge. On 14 February 1981, Phoolan and her gang marched into the Behmai village, dressed as police officers. The Thakurs in the village were preparing for a wedding. Phoolan's gang demanded that her kidnappers be produced, along with all the valuables in the village. Details of what exactly happened are not available, but Phoolan is said to have recognized two men who earlier had sexually assaulted her and murdered her lover. When Phoolan's gang failed to find all the kidnappers after an exhaustive search, she ordered her gang members to line up all the upper-caste Thakur men in the village and shoot them. The dacoits opened fire and killed twenty-two Thakur men, most of whom were not involved in her kidnapping or rape. Later, Phoolan Devi claimed that she herself didn't kill anybody in Behmai – all the killings were carried out by her gang members. The Behmai massacre was followed by a massive police manhunt that failed to locate Phoolan Devi. V. P. Singh, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, resigned in the wake of the Behmai killings. Phoolan Devi began to be called the Bandit Queen. Dolls of Phoolan Devi dressed as Hindu goddess Durga were sold in market towns in Uttar Pradesh. She was glorified by much of the Indian media.

Her Surrender and the jail term

Two years after the Behmai massacre the police had still not captured Phoolan Devi. The Indira Gandhi Government decided to negotiate a surrender. By this time, Phoolan Devi was in poor health and most of her gang members were dead. In February 1983, she agreed to surrender to the authorities. However, she said that she didn't trust the Uttar Pradesh police and insisted that she would only surrender to the Madhya Pradesh Police. She also insisted that she would lay down her arms only before Mahatma Gandhi's picture and the Hindu goddess Durga, not to the police.

She put before four conditions:

1. Affirmation of an aversion of death penalty

2. The term for the other members should not exceed eight years.

3. A plot of land for her reconciliation, and

4. Her entire family should be escorted by the police to her surrender ceremony

An unarmed police chief met her at a hiding place in the Chambal ravines. They walked their way to Bhind, where she laid her rifle before the portraits of Gandhi and Goddess Durga. The onlookers included a crowd of around 10,000 people and 300 police and the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Arjun Singh. 300 police personnel were waiting to arrest her and other members of her gang who surrendered at the same time. Phoolan Devi was charged with 48 crimes, including 30 charges of dacoity (banditry) and kidnapping. Her trial was delayed for 11 years, which she served in the prison. During this period, she was operated on for ovarian cysts and was given an unnecessary hysterectomy. The doctor of the hospital reportedly said later that "We don't want Phoolan Devi breeding more Phoolan Devis". She was finally released on parole in 1994 after persuasion by Vishambhar Prasad Nishad, the leader of the Nishadha fishermen community. The Government of Uttar Pradesh, led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, withdrew all the cases against her.

Her Election:

In 1996, she stood for election to the 11th Lok Sabha, representing the Samajwadi Party, on a platform of helping the poor and oppressed. She was successfully elected in the constituency of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. She lost her seat in the 1998 election but was reelected in the 1999 election and was a sitting member of parliament when she was assassinated.

The Movie and Her autobiography:

Shekhar Kapur made a movie Bandit Queen (1994) about Phoolan Devi's life up to her 1983 surrender, based on Mala Sen's 1993 book India’s Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi. Although Phoolan Devi is a heroine in the film, she fiercely disputed its accuracy and fought to get it banned in India. She even threatened to immolate herself outside a theater if the film were not withdrawn. Eventually, she withdrew her objections after the producer Channel 4 paid her £40,000. The film brought her international recognition. Author-activist Arundhati Roy in her film review entitled, "The Great Indian Rape Trick", questioned the right to "re stage the rape of a living woman without her permission", and charged Shekhar Kapur with exploiting Phoolan Devi and misrepresenting both her life and its meaning.  Although she was illiterate, Phoolan composed her autobiography entitled The Bandit Queen of India: An Indian Woman's Amazing Journey From Peasant to International Legend, with the help of international authors Marie-Therese Cuny and Paul Rambali.

Her Untimely Death:

On 25 July 2001, Phoolan Devi was shot dead by three masked gunmen outside of her Delhi bungalow. She was hit five times: three shots to her head and two to her body. The gunmen fled the scene in a Maruti car. She was taken to a nearby hospital but was declared dead. The prime person accused of the murder, Sher Singh Rana alias Pankaj, later surrendered himself to the police. Rana allegedly claimed to have murdered Phoolan Devi to take revenge for the 21 upper-caste men she gunned down in the Behmai massacre. In the immediate aftermath of the murder, the police were accused of incompetence in their handling of the case. It was alleged that a party worker picked up revolvers that had been dumped by the killers and hid them. Three other people staying in her house were accused of knowing about the revolvers. The revolvers then disappeared before the police could conduct a forensic test on them.

***

As Always, stay safe !

-Bird

***

10 cold-blooded professional killers:

Now, I did this article a wee bit different, just like normal though they are listed in alphabetical order, but they are not listed by the amount of damage that they did.

1. Shread Co Clinic, between 2000 and 2003 the saloon clan was perhaps the most powerful criminal organization in southeastern Europe the group was an offshoot of the Serbian mafia with the typical gangster fondness for nicknames among their ranks were criminals known as the fool and the rat their most brutal member was Rico the Beast : ik : earned his nickname partly because of his fondness for dismembering bodies he was also willing to kill as a favor when he killed a man named Branco Heft Avec in 2004 he claimed to do so out of friendship and not for money as a revenge attack requested by another a moon clan member in 2003 there's a moon clan assassinated the Serbian Prime Minister is over on gin Jack : ik was one of the masterminds behind the attack and was sentenced in abstention to 30 years in prison finally being caught in 2010 he and another inmate tried to break out of prison in 2012 he cut through bars and leaped from the window and overpowered a guard but was caught and imprisoned once more while Prime Minister Jin Jack is undoubtedly the most famous of : expect UM's the killing of Milan Jurassic is his most infamous murder Jurassic as a moon member himself was bludgeoned to death in 2006 : ik working with two others cut the body into pieces much of the body was flushed away but some of it was ground-up cooked and eaten marking one of several cannibalistic kills with which the beast has been linked the skin from Jurassic face was cut off and used to make a mask.

2. Fred Burks nickname in the underworld was pretty straightforward people called him killer his weapon of choice was a machine gun and his hits tended to involve multiple victims he gunned down three gang members in Detroit in 1927 in an event that became known as the Miller Flores massacre it was the first ever use of a machine gun to commit homicide in the city however Burke earned his nickname from the st. Valentine's Day Massacre one of the most infamous shootings of the 1920s on February 14 1929 four men dressed as police officers gunned down seven associates of gangster bugs Moran Al Capone's biggest rival one of the victims John May got 17 bullets Burke uncertain he was dead then blew half his head off at close range with a shotgun despite being identified as a likely killer by police Burke wasn't caught immediately he was only apprehended later when he ended up in the traffic accident and killed the first policeman who arrived on the scene he was arrested in 1931 and died in 1940 while serving a life sentence for the February 14th killings

3 John Childs: John childs is one of the most prolific contract killers in British history one crime writer who interviewed child said the only time he laughs is when he talks about killing childs his first contract was in November 1974 for 1,800 pounds child's shot a businessman named George Brett with a sub machine gun he also killed Brett's 10 year old son to eliminate him as a witness child's is next victim for 4,000 pounds was a nursing home manager named Fred Sherwood Child's beat Sherwood to death with a hammer before shooting him none of the bodies of childs is victims have ever been found he claimed that he chopped up the remains passed them through an industrial mincer then burned them in his living room when child's was caught he claimed he'd been working for a man named Terry Penfold and alongside one named Harry McKenney in 1980 both men were sentenced to long prison terms based on child's testimony they spent over 20 years in prison before their convictions were quashed with a judge deciding the child's was a pathological liar

4. Rodney Collins, Australia's most prolific living hit man is suspected in nine murders though he's been convicted of only two he's earned multiple nicknames including the Duke Cherokee and the Fox from his association with nearly every major criminal in the country on July 27th 1987 Collins dressed as a police officer and used a forged warrant to access the house of drug dealer ray ABI and his wife Dorothy Abbie when Collins arrived he shut the Abbie's children in their bedrooms before shooting the married couple and slitting their throats the children were the first to find the bodies the following morning that story is almost identical to the murder of Michael Shi Vela and Heather McDonald in 1990 the couple were bound and killed by a cut to the throat their children aged 8 and 9 were trapped in their rooms and left to discover the bodies a third crime linked to Collins the murders of Terence and Christine Hudson also features a wife brutally murdered at school lateral damage the case against Collinsworth at last set of murders fell through in 2010 a key witness was gang boss Carl Williams who had hired Collins to kill the abbeys Williams was beaten to death in prison with a piece of gym equipment before he could testify bizarrely the exercise bike involved in that killing has its own Facebook page with 200 likes

5. Christopher Flannery, Australians call Christopher Dale Flannery was a lifelong criminal starting at 14 with burglary and auto theft by the end of his career he was being paid tens of thousands of dollars to kill people in 1979. Flannery got a job as a bouncer at a nightclub in Melbourne where he made the contacts necessary to move into contract killing one of his first Jobs was Roger. Wilson a lawyer who Flannery allegedly killed for $35,000 in 1980 he kidnapped and drove Wilson into the wilderness before emptying the clip into him the body was never found Flannery was put on trial and acquitted but was arrested for another murder on the way out of court Flannery obtained a fake medical certificate deeming him unfit for trial and the case eventually fell apart the doctor who issued the certificate eventually went to prison for perverting the course of justice however Flannery used his freedom to move to Sydney where he became an enforcer for a local kingpin George Freeman according to one of Freeman's sons Flannery used to have a price for an arm a price for a leg a price for a kid in the 1980s the Sydney underworld saw a five-way gang war in which Flannery killed at least 13 people he also shot an undercover police officer named Mick Drury which earned Flannery $50,000 being the most prolific and dangerous hired killer in the country made Flannery enemies however he was injured in January 1985 when someone shot at him outside his house then on May 9th of that year Flannery left his apartment after receiving a call from Freeman he was never seen again and his body still hasn't been found a skeleton found in 2013 in dunes in southern Sydney was thought to possibly belong to Flannery but DNA tests ruled otherwise

6. Bernard Hunnic some estimates reckoned that Bernard Hunnic known as Barry the bear had notched up 300 kills by 1982 even the most conservative tallies are around 100 despite that he was only convicted of a single killing and that was in 1999 he was jailed for committing one murder and for planning another an undercover FBI agent arrested him after paying him to kill a drug dealer Hunnic was married to a former Playboy bunny herself a marijuana trafficker a former employer said I've never seen anybody as tough or mean as Barry Hunnic describing how the Hit man would happily beat a person to the brink of death before getting on with whatever he'd been doing he was once recorded describing how he put broken glass into a man's mouth before beating his face the one murder honey confessed to was the killing of cocaine smuggler Richard Diego Messina who was found with his throat cut the case against him in 1982 had fallen apart because police had lied about obtaining a warrant before raiding Hun expresses to collect evidence the cops may have been under pressure as Hunnic was said to have been planning to overthrow the local mafia among the items they gathered were pistols brass knuckles a high-powered rifle a homemade Hand Grenade constructed from a beer can and a hit list honey acts going rate was around $3,000 to $5,000 per killing the botched search procedure got Hunnic another 17 years of freedom in which to ply his trade he died in 2013 having served just over a decade for his crimes

7. Abdullah Kali Turkish killer Abdullah Kali, made a name for himself as a leader of a far-right nationalist group known as the gray wolves in 1978 he and other members of the group murdered seven students whom they believed to be communist revolutionaries the students were members of the left-wing Turkish Workers Party and the gray wolves raided their apartment expecting to find weapons but the students were completely unarmed the militants tied them up and shot them anyway another member of Katla's Grey wolves was mehmet ali akka who tried to assassinate pope john Paul ii in 1981two years before that agra had been locked up for the murder of a journalist and cat Li got him out of prison some believe cat Li arranged the assassination attempt on the Pope for money after this cat Li was recruited by Turkish intelligence agency MIT he carried out attacks against the Armenian Liberation Movement for which MIT paid him in heroin smuggling drugs landed kami in prison in France in 1984 then in Switzerland in 1988 he escaped in 1990 and once again became a killer this time working for the Turkish police starting in 1993 the police began kidnapping and executing members of the Kurdistan Workers Party which fought for autonomy for the Kurd's in Turkey CAD Li not only carried out the killings he also conned money from his victims by promising to protect them before having them kidnapped and murdered CAD Lee died in a car crash in 1996 an event that caused a scandal in Turkey he was traveling with a senior police officer and a member of parliament though he was still officially wanted by the police for his murders during the 1970s the crash revealed their relationship between authorities and Turkish mafia estimates suggest Kat Lee's gang murdered 4,000 people whose activities were thought contrary to state interests

8. Mexico's teenage killers when Rosa Lee Oh Rita worked as a hit man for Mexico's Zetas drug cartel he earned between $10,000 and $50,000 each time he killed he is currently in prison suspected of killing 30 individuals it's not the pay or quantity of hits that makes Rita's story so shocking though it's his age he carried out his first killing at just 13 Rita hadn't even reached adulthood by the time he was caught yet there are even more dramatic cases than his Francisco Mogollon arrested in 2012 at 16 was connected to at least 50 killings for the lost Missoula Castro gang his nickname was ElEl Nino meaning the boy and he'd been trained to use an AK-47 and handgun among the victims he'd confessed to executing were police officers and farmers

9. Jimmy Moody, the criminal career of Jimmy moody was as long as it was dramatic he began in London in the 1960s working for the city's most notorious gangsters the Richardson's and the craze he was jailed for manslaughter in 1968 and spent four years behind bars when he came out the world was different his former employers were in prison he reacted by joining a crew that targeted Armour and drugs Moody himself wielded a chainsaw to cut his way into the vehicles and the group became known as the chainsaw gang he stole over nine hundred thousand pounds before being caught in 1980 and placed in Brixton prison to await trial he joined up with his cellmate IRA militant Gerrard toot and the men dug through the walls and escaped over the prison roof moody moved to Belfast where he allegedly became a killer for the Irish Republican Army he was soon the most notorious hired killer in the United Kingdom known for a willingness to tailor hints to requirements he would dispose of bodies if required or he'd perform executions publicly to send a message his reputation in Northern Ireland was such that the British security services were rumored to have dispatched an SAS hit squad to try to take care of him moody moved back to London in the early 1990s but he wasn't suited for the drug-fueled underworld he killed at least one member of a criminal family before deciding to forego the lifestyle altogether unfortunately it was too late On June 1st 1993 he was drinking in a local pub at around 10:00 pm. a man entered and ordered a pint of lager without drinking any he approached moody the man pulled out a gun and carefully placed four bullets and moody one in the chest one in the head and two in the back police described it as a professional execution with one odd feature the killer swore while shooting moody hired killers don't usually betray such emotional signs said a police officer on the case the identity of the killer is still unknown but there is certainly no shortage of possibilities.

10. Frank Vice, Frank the German chief ice is one of the most infamous and notorious hit men in Chicago history a former member of the city's law enforcement called him a cold-blooded tough killer who would murder anyone if ordered to he was known to tell his victims what goes around comes around before killing them despite being the prime suspect in over a dozen hits he was never convicted of a single killing his daughter Norrish vice appeared in the 2012 reality TV show Mob Wives Chicago calling her father's reputation unjust that year she had his body exhumed to ensure it was definitely him as she believed the true body may have been stolen by the FBI after he died in 2008 many people believe she is killed Marilyn Monroe for the Chicago mob but made the death look like suicide in December 1962 the body of SH wises 18-year old girlfriend was discovered one detective claimed she had been murdered after finding out about the Monroe hit from her boyfriend

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As always, stay safe !

-Bird

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Some More Crime Prevention Tips From the Mind of Birdy:

Stop the violence and promote your community at the same time. Every 17 seconds, a violent crime - murder, rape, robbery or assault - is reported to law enforcement somewhere in this country. And fewer than half the violent crimes that take place actually get reported. Nationally, more than 5,000 children are victims of violent crime each day.

Somebody's child. Maybe a child you love. Might be your neighbor. The kid down the street, you know the one, s/he is always there, always friendly and most trusting … most trusting …

People in even the toughest circumstance have turned the tables on violent crime and created

safer neighborhoods and schools.

You can, too, by protecting yourself and your children and getting involved in the community.

Violence ruins individual lives, tears apart the fabric of our communities, and makes the costs of

law enforcement and emergency care soar. Many calls to 911 can be traced back to signs of

trouble, trouble that was allowed to continue:

* the rape that could have been prevented by better street lights,

* the domestic violence that could have been deterred by family counseling,

* a child brutally bullied who could have been protected by a concerned parent;

* or that rash of burglaries that could have been prevented by an active community watch program.

Creating a community that will not tolerate violent crime means bringing together the vision or a safer community, safer for all who live there, the energy of those who want this and is willing to work with others to accomplish this goal, the confidence of all those who are involved and the willing commitment.

You need to reduce your family's risk of becoming crime victims.

In order to go to work, attend school or church, or get together with friends, with reasonable

safety, you need a neighborhood - not just a home - that's secure against crime.

Your goal must be to build a strong community in which kids can be kids and adults can freely participate in neighborhood activities.

What can you do? Here are specific ways to strengthen your community and stop the violence.

Some can be done right away. Others take time. Some don't require any help, while others

require advice or help from others.

Tips for Kids:

Settle arguments with words, not fists or weapons. Don't stand around and form an

audience when others are arguing. A group makes a good target for violence.

Learn safe routes for walking in the neighborhood, and know places to go when seeking

help. Trust your feelings, and when there's a sense of danger, get away.

Report any crimes or suspicious actions to law enforcement officers, school authorities

and parents. Be willing to testify if needed.

Never go anywhere with someone you don't know and/or trust.

If someone tries to hurt or abuse you, say no, get away, and tell a trusted adult.

Remember, violence and abuse are CRIMES, and are not the victim's fault.

Don't use alcohol or other drugs, and stay away from places and people associated with

them.

Stick with friends who are also against violence and drugs, and stay away from known

trouble spots.

Get involved to make your school safer and better - participating in crime prevention

programs, settling disputes peacefully. If there's no program, help start one!

Help younger children learn to avoid being crime victims. Set a good example, and

volunteer to help with community efforts to stop crime.

Tips for Adults:

Teach children how to reduce their risk of being victims of violent crime. Insist on

knowing at all times where your kids are, what they are doing, and who they are with.

Get involved. Volunteer to help in community anti-crime and other improvements efforts.

Encourage established groups to become involved in crime prevention efforts.

Use common-sense tips to reduce your risk of becoming a crime victim. Stay in welllighted,

busy areas; travel with a friend; walk in a confident, assured way. Avoid known

trouble spots.

Report crimes and suspicious activities to law enforcement officers. Agree to testify

when necessary. Stand up for what you believe in - maintaining a safe community.

Get to know your neighbors and agree with them to look out for one another. 

Get organized - work with law enforcement agencies - they'll welcome your interest.

Find ways to settle arguments without violence. If you resort to violence to settle

disputes, you will teach your child to do the same. Be a good role model.

The vigilant use of common courtesy helps ease tensions that can otherwise lead to

violence. Teach your children that good manners ARE important.

Don't carry a weapon illegally. You lose, whether you use the weapon, or if it's used on

you.

Don't support illegal activities, like buying stolen property or using illegal drugs. This

sends the wrong message to children, and by definition involves you and your family in

criminal activity.

Volunteer your home as a reliable source of help for kids who are scared or need

assistance.

Tips for Neighbors and Communities:

Work with public agencies and other organizations to solve common problems.

Make sure that all the youth in the neighborhood have positive ways to spend their spare

time, through organized recreation, tutoring programs, and volunteer opportunities.

Set up a Community Watch program, working with local law enforcement agencies.

Make sure your streets and homes are well-lighted.

Build a partnership with law enforcement, focused on solving ongoing problems, instead

of reacting to crises.

Take advantage of safety in numbers to show you're determined to drive out crime and

drugs.

Clean up the neighborhood! Involve everyone. Tell criminals that you do care about

where you live. Ask for assistance in cleaning up the neighborhood.

Ask local officials to use new ways to get criminals out of your community. These include

enforcing housing, health, and fire codes, and putting drug-free clauses in rental leases.

Support victims and court witnesses.

Work with schools to establish drug-free, gun-free zones.

Develop and share information with local organizations that can provide other services

that neighbors might need.

Remember that the Union County Sheriff's Office and your local police departments employ

trained crime prevention specialists. Working together with law enforcement, and combining the

citizen's knowledge of the community with the officer's professional crime prevention skills,

enormous progress can be made toward stamping out crime.

Protect Your Child From Abduction and/or Abuse

Every year thousands of children are kidnapped, by strangers, acquaintances, family

friends, or even by their own parents, beginning a tragic ordeal of life on the run, abuse,

or worse.

The following tips may help keep your child safe from abduction:

When in public, keep your child in sight at all times. When your child is away from you,

know who is with the child and where they are located.

Teach your child not to wander off, to keep you in sight at all times, and to avoid lonely

places.

Establish strict procedures for picking up your child from school, at a friend's or after a

movie. Don't let your child accept rides from anyone with whom you haven't made prior

arrangements - even if they say they're a friend of the family.

Teach your child never to go anywhere with anyone who doesn't know a family code

word. Make sure this word is something that the child is familiar with and is known only

to the family members.

Teach your child his full name, your full name, address, and telephone number. Teach

your child how to make local and long distance phone calls. Even a small child can be

taught to dial 911 for help, or 0 for operator.

Tell your child about the abduction problem in a calm and simple way - as if you were

teaching any other important coping skill.

Listen attentively when your child talks about a man or woman your child met in your

absence.

Teach your child that it's OK to run away or scream if someone makes or attempts to

make your child do something the child doesn't want to do, or that makes the child feel

uncomfortable.

Take head and shoulder photographs every six (6) months for children six (6) years and

younger, annually for older children. Make note of birthmarks and other distinguishing

features.

As a community function, invite all of the community children to a community building or

home for a safety program. McGruff, the national Crime Prevention mascot, may visit if

possible. Also, arrangements should be made for making photos of children for parents.

Some Safety Tips for Travelers

Even though trips and vacations are often opportunities for relaxation, all citizens should

practice good safety habits, even when on the road.

Don't answer the door in a hotel or motel room without verifying who it is. If a person

claims to be an employee, call the front desk and ask if someone from their staff is

supposed to have access to your room, and for what purpose. An opened door is an

invitation to enter, whether you tell the person to come in or not.

When returning to your hotel or motel late in the evening, use the main entrance of the

building. Be observant and look around before entering parking lots.

Close the door securely whenever you are in your room, and use all of the locking

devices provided.

Don't needlessly display guest room keys in public, or carelessly leave them on

restaurant tables, at the swimming pool, or in other places where the keys may be easily

stolen.

Do not draw attention to yourself by displaying large amounts of cash or expensive

jewelry. Leave a record of the credit cards that you will be taking with you on your trip.

Be careful not to needlessly display the cards, or to carelessly leave the cards at a

vendor's desk.

Don't invite strangers to your room.

Place all packages and valuables, if possible, in your vehicle's trunk. Make sure all doors

to your vehicle are locked. At night, park your vehicle, if possible, under a light, relatively

near your room.

Place all small valuables in the room safe, or in the hotel's or motel's safe deposit box.

Check to see that any sliding glass doors or windows and any connecting room doors

are locked.

When out of your room, leave the television or radio playing low. This makes your room

sound occupied. At night leave your room lights on, as well as the television or radio

playing.

If you see any suspicious activity, promptly report your observations to the management.

Guarding Against Home Improvement and Repair Fraud

There are many honest, hard-working people in the field of home improvement. 

Nevertheless, citizens should watch out for dishonest home repair firms and practices.

Some tips on how to avoid home improvement and repair fraud:

Be suspicious if someone offers to do an expensive job for an unusually low price. The

old saying, You get what you pay for, is usually quite true.

Always get several estimates for every repair job, and compare prices and terms. Check

to see if there is a charge for estimates before asking for one.

Ask your friends, neighbors, and co-workers for recommendations, or ask the firm for

references, and check them out.

Before signing any type of contract, take your time and read the contract very carefully.

After you have read the contract, invite a friend or relative to read the contract. Make

sure you understand all parts of the contract. If you feel pressured to sign the contract,

remember there are other firms that would be delighted to work with you.

Be wary of high-pressure sales tactics. When faced with such tactics, heighten your

scrutiny of the contract documents. Often the time constraints asserted by the

salesperson are relatively minor or even illusory.

Pay by check, never by cash. Arrange to make payments in installments, one-third at the

beginning of the job, one-third when the work is nearly completed, and one-third after the

work is done.

When you find a home repair firm you trust, stick with them and tell a friend! Reward

good business practices.

Make note of the employees working with the company and vehicles being driven by the

workers. Occasionally, even the best firms have difficulties with problem employees. Be

on guard.

Often, a victim does not know he has been cheated until it's too late. A few fraudulent

individuals make the rest of the business community, businesses and consumers alike, suffer.

If you don't report fraud, you're only helping the crooks, and that's just what they want.

You should report any type of business-related fraud to the Better Business Bureau.

Contact your local law enforcement agency to report the crime, and provide as many details as you can.

The two web sites below contain valuable information on personal, neighborhood and work safety as well as information on alcohol, drugs, prescription medication, gangs and many more topics that effect communities.

These web sites also provide many publications and brochures that may be printed and copied.

National Association of Town Watch: http://www.nationalnightout.org/natw/

National Night Out: http://www.nationalnightout.org/nno/.

As always, stay safe !

-Bird

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