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Tag Archives: Rhode Island

Early American Criminals: John Sheehan’s Bundle

John Sheehan saw the purchase of the bundle as his ticket to independence, but what he bought was more than he bargained for. Sheehan was born in Cork, Ireland in 1763 to “reputable and honest” parents. He worked as an apprentice for seven years until his brother, who was living in America, wrote to ask […]

Early American Criminals: The Race of Johnson Green, Burglar

Johnson Green was born in Bridgewater, MA on February 7, 1757 to unmarried parents. His father was a servant who worked for Timothy Edson. His mother was a widow named Sarah Johnson. His mother’s maiden name was Green, so he was sometimes called Joseph-Johnson Green. Green’s father was African American; his mother was Irish. Green […]

Early American Criminals: The Stories of Levi Ames, Burglar

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, […]