July 21: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

July 21, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1917, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Mrs. Hazel Blauser Carter, bride of a soldier going to France, cut her hair and, jumping into a regulation uniform, smuggled herself aboard the train taking her husband, a corporal in an infantry regiment. She managed to keep up the disguise for thirteen days and then she spoke, and her feminine voice caused her detection on board the transport. When interviewed on her arrival in New York, she said laughingly, ‘I nearly got away with being a soldier.’ Then she told her story. ‘I marched aboard the troop train at Douglas, Arizona, without my husband’s knowledge and to the port from which we sailed without being detected. If I hadn’t raised my voice when an officer was around they might not have found me at all. I begged them to let me stay over as a nurse, but they refused, so here I am back again.’ Mrs. Carter insisted that her husband knew nothing of her acts until the troop train was near Chicago, and he then urged her to return home.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (A.P.) — The government is seeking to rally the states to a fight against America’s newest narcotic menace, which lurks in a common roadside weed. The smoking of marijuana — which officials say breeds insanity and homicide — is on the increase. No federal law prohibits its use.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — The Senate receives the Hatch ‘clean politics’ bill for concurrence in minor House changes today. Then it goes to President Roosevelt for his signature or veto. Mr. Roosevelt’s position on the bill is not known. It is designed to separate politics from relief and prohibits all Federal Government employees except the President, the Vice President, cabinet officers, and other policy making officials from all political activity, including participation in Presidential nominating conventions. It could cripple a political machine. The bill was passed by the House late last night after its opponents had used every parliamentary maneuver they could think of to defeat it. The vote was 242 to 133. It had been sponsored in the Senate by Senator Carl M. Hatch (D., N.M.) and in the House by Representative John J. Dempsey (D., N.M.) but the House majority leadership and the national Democratic organization headed by Postmaster General James A. Farley opposed it vigorously. The bill was passed by the Senate in much the same form that the House approved it last night. The House Judiciary Committee had sent it to the floor yesterday in what Hatch described as ‘an emasculated form.’ Republicans and a bloc of Democrats led by Dempsey fought for the original version and won. Like many times before during this session, the Administration was handicapped by the failure of its members to remain in the Chamber to oppose a coalition of Republicans and conservative Democrats.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1943, the Eagle reported, “Brooklyn Bridge traffic to Manhattan was diverted to the Manhattan Bridge for several hours today because a fire of unknown origin burned a large area of the wooden paving blocks. The blaze was discovered at 5 a.m. It was quickly extinguished and repair work was begun at once. Traffic and passenger cars headed for the Brooklyn Bridge were turned back near the entrance and drivers were delayed for more than 20 minutes by the detour.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “Mayor [Vincent] Impellitteri was looking around for a ‘strong’ man to name to the New York City Transit Authority, in place of Brooklyn’s Ephraim E. Jeffe, whose resignation from the five-member Authority the Mayor finally accepted, to go into effect at midnight Saturday. Jeffe, president of the Kings County Lighting Company and a World War II brigadier general, had resigned because of his forceful opposition to imposing the 15-cent transit fare hastily and without first effecting economies in transit operation.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1961, the Bay Ridge Home Reporter said, “Bay Ridge’s Freedom Rider, Abraham ‘Brahm’ Bassford, of 225 74th St., was released from the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, Mississippi, this week after serving 39 days of his sentence. The 24-year-old ministerial student from Wagner College had been arrested June 6 and charged with breach of the peace in Jackson, Mississippi, after taking part in a Freedom Ride to that southern city. He was subsequently found guilty by Judge James L. Spencer, of Jackson, and sentenced to serve four months in prison, with two months suspended, and fined $200. Since he refused to pay the $200 fine, Mr. Bassford was assigned to prison to serve out 120 days. His release this week came as a result of action by the [Congress] of Racial Equality (CORE), sponsors of the Freedom Rides through the south. The rides are designed to break southern traditions of racial segregation on transportation facilities.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Moonstruck” director Norman Jewison, who was born in 1926; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Cat Stevens, who was born in 1948; “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau, who was born in 1948; The Hooters co-founder Eric Bazilian, who was born in 1953; “The Lincoln Lawyer” author Michael Connelly, who was born in 1956; former “Saturday Night Live” star Jon Lovitz, who was born in 1957; former Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin, who was born in 1961; National Soccer Hall of Famer Brandi Chastain, who was born in 1968; “The Hangover” star Justin Bartha, who was born in 1978; “Black Hawk Down” star Josh Hartnett, who was born in 1978; former N.Y. Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, who was born in 1980; rapper KB, who was born in 1988; former Brooklyn Nets center DeAndre Jordan, who was born in 1988; “Wonder Wheel” star Juno Temple, who was born in 1989; and model and actress Sara Sampaio, who was born in 1991.