The U.S. Marshal Service and The Supreme Court

This post was written by Katie Beaver, a student intern working with civilian records.  It is a follow-up to A few good lawmen.   The American South was a particularly tumultuous area after the Civil War and during the occupation of the U.S. Army. Slaves became freedmen and gained the rights of citizenship per the Constitution. … Continue reading The U.S. Marshal Service and The Supreme Court

Deputy Marshal v. Deputy Marshal

This post was written by Katy Berube, a student intern working in civilian processing.  It is a follow-up to the post A few good lawmen.   As guns unloaded into British subject and cattle investor, John H. Tunstall, in the dusty, remote hills of the New Mexico Territory on February 18, 1878, the grab for power … Continue reading Deputy Marshal v. Deputy Marshal

A few good lawmen

Today's post is written by Denise Henderson. A few months ago, I was asked to locate a record about Pat Garrett, the famous sheriff who killed Billy the Kid in 1881 when cowboys and cattle thieves made the West wild and dangerous and a place in serious need of law enforcement.  Understanding the index to, … Continue reading A few good lawmen

The Octopus

Today’s post is written by Alfie Paul, a processing archivist who works with civilian textual records. On an August day in 1991, the body of free-lance reporter Danny Casolaro was found dead in a Martinsburg, West Virginia motel bathtub by two maids.  Ruled a suicide, Casolaro’s death was just a small piece of a larger … Continue reading The Octopus

The gangster, the bank robber, the baby face, and a G-Man

By Denise Henderson Yesterday, I posted about Department of Justice press releases.  Today, I’d like to share a few of my favorites! One early press release, dated November 6, 1933, details the establishment of a federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, which according to the release, “is a necessary part of the Government’s campaign against predatory … Continue reading The gangster, the bank robber, the baby face, and a G-Man

You Never Know Who You’ll Meet in the Records!

By Denise Henderson What do John Dillinger, Al Capone, Bruno Hauptmann, and Frank Sinatra’s son have in common? DOJ Press Releases...ready for you to discover! You can find a press release (or in some cases, more than one!) relating to them at the National Archives!  Recently, I processed and described the series “Press Releases, Speeches, … Continue reading You Never Know Who You’ll Meet in the Records!