February 17: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

February 17, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1842, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “A CURIOUS AFFAIR. — According to a statement in the Hartford Eagle, we are, perhaps, not yet done with the poor captive negroes of the Amistad. The total population of Connecticut, it seems, by the late census, is 310,015, of which 54 are represented as slaves. These 54 include 37 Amistad negroes, who have been declared by the United States Courts to be freemen. If the apportionment bill, allowing one representative to every 62,000, passes, the correction, which ought to be made, counting these thirty-seven not as slaves, but as freemen, will entitle the state to an additional representative.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1878, the Eagle reported, “The will of the late Theodore Roosevelt, dated November 13, 1875, was filed yesterday in the New York Surrogate’s Office. The furniture, plates, jewelry, pictures, works of art, books, vehicles, horses, harness and family stores are given as a separate estate to the widow, Martha B. Roosevelt, and also one-third of the real and personal estate for life, and at her death to the children or their issue. Four sums of $60,000 each are given to the executors in trust for the four children, Theodore, Elliott, Anna L. and Corinne, the same to be applied to their education and support, without the power of anticipation, during their life, and such sums to be inherited by their issue, and in case any of the children dies without issue, his or her share goes to the surviving children or their issue. Each of the children is to dispose of the principal sum of $60,000 or any part thereof, by last will and testament, not otherwise, to their issue or the other children. All the remainder of the estate, real and personal, is to be divided into four equal parts, one-fourth to be given to each of his two sons, to be his absolutely, the remaining two-fourths to be separately invested for his two daughters during life and the income of one share to be applied to the use of each daughter during life, principal and interest to be free from the control of their husbands. Each daughter is empowered to dispose of said part by will. James A. Roosevelt, brother of the testator, James K. Gracie and Frederick B. Elliott, and the testator’s sons, Theodore and Elliott Roosevelt, are appointed executors.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1906, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON — Miss Alice Lee Roosevelt, daughter of the President of the United States, was married at noon today to Representative Nicholas Longworth, of Ohio, in the East Room of the White House. The Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Washington, the Right Rev. Henry Yates Satterlee, performed the ceremony. In the historic room where eleven brides, prior to Miss Roosevelt, have been wedded, were gathered many distinguished guests: The vice president and Mrs. Fairbanks, the members of the President’s cabinet and their wives, the diplomats with orders blazing on their court suits and the women of their families, representing thirty-nine nations of the earth, the body of the judiciary, a large contingent from the legislative branch and resident society in spotless array as for the men, and gorgeous plumage for the women. Flowers, music, laughing voices, the throngs on the streets, the animated scenes in the mansion made a fitting environment for the most noted nuptial event of the present generation.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1909, the Eagle reported, “LAWTON, OKLAHOMA — Geronimo, the noted Indian chief, died today at Fort Sill, where he had been confined as a prisoner of war for a number of years. Geronimo died of pneumonia at the hospital at Fort Sill army post. He will be buried in the Indian cemetery near the fort tomorrow by Christian missionaries, Geronimo having professed religion three years ago.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1929, the Eagle reported, “A complete collection of autographed portraits of all the U.S. Presidents will be shown for the first time at Loeser’s tomorrow and will remain on exhibit for ten days. Several generations ago the collection was started by the family of its present owner, Dr. Hamilton Holt, former editor of the Independent and now president of Rollins College in Florida. The pictures are being shown in New York through the courtesy of Julius Levy. Every portrait bears an authentic autograph and a number of them bear comments written by the Presidents portrayed. All the portraits are framed in black wood with gold insignia of stars and arrows.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, Eagle sports columnist Ben Gold said, “George Kinkead, Kentucky business man, says he has been trying to swing a deal for the St. Louis Browns and that he is also interested in the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds were quick to deny that the club is for sale or that they have had any dealings with Kinkead. Kinkead insists he spoke to Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler recently and he quoted the latter as saying he favored transferring the Browns’ franchise to Baltimore.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “Margaret Truman, who observes her 29th birthday anniversary today, plans to make another concert tour next Fall. ‘I still want to continue my career as a singer,’ said the daughter of the former President. ‘The tour is being arranged now by my manager.’ Miss Truman returned recently from a visit with her parents in Independence, Mo., to fulfill her television contract with the National Broadcasting Company which ends in June. A proposal to star her in a television series called ‘The Cinderella Hour’ still is ‘under consideration, but there’s nothing definite yet,’ she said.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, Eagle sports columnist Jim Murray said, “So now it’s spring training again. The presumption is, it takes two months of intense training to equip an outfielder to stand up an hour a night in mid-summer. The principal beneficiaries of spring training are not a lot of spavined left-fielders, crooked-fingered catchers or barrel-bellied first basemen but the sovereign states of Florida and Arizona and the tiny desert monarchy of Palm Springs. Major league baseball dumps upwards of $10,000,000 into their eager arms each February and March, most of it going for thick steaks and bad movies and a little of it for bail here and there.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “St. Elsewhere” star Christina Pickles, who was born in 1935; Oscar-winning actress Brenda Fricker, who was born in 1945; “Major League” star Rene Russo, who was born in 1954; “Home Improvement” star Richard Karn, who was born in 1956; “The Mummers’ Dance” singer Loreena McKennitt, who was born in 1957; “La Bamba” star Lou Diamond Phillips, who was born in 1962; comedian Larry the Cable Guy, who was born in 1963; Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who was born in Brooklyn in 1963; “Armageddon” director Michael Bay, who was born in 1965; “Prison Break” star Dominic Purcell, who was born in 1970; “Wild Things” star Denise Richards, who was born in 1971; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day), who was born in 1972; “Jerry Maguire” star Jerry O’Connell, who was born in 1974; “3rd Rock from the Sun” star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was born in 1981; media personality Paris Hilton, who was born in 1981; “Shape of You” singer Ed Sheeran, who was born in 1991; and tennis player Madison Keys, who was born in 1997.