Early American Crime

Note: This post continues “Advice from a Condemned Burglar.” Joseph Atwood and Levi Ames both participated in the burglary of Martin Bicker’s house in 1773, although the extent to which each one was involved was a matter of debate. Both said that the other was the mastermind of the burglary, and Atwood claimed that he […]

Note: This post continues “The Life of Levi Ames in Print.” On October 21, 1773 at around two o’clock in the afternoon, Levi Ames, who was convicted of burglary, emerged from the prison yard. With his arms bound and a halter looped around his neck, he followed the cart carrying his coffin to the gallows […]

On August 23, 1773, Martin Bicker took out the above newspaper advertisement in the hope that it would lead to the capture of Levi Ames’s accomplice in burglarizing his house. Tucked away in the back pages of the Boston Post-Boy, the ad marks the first time that Levi Ames was mentioned in print. Soon, however, […]