April 19: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

April 19, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1861, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The war feeling is daily increasing in Brooklyn. Upon all the public spaces the national flag is displayed; very many store-keepers have also flung out the national colors, and even the residents of private dwellings give expression to their feelings in this way. Recruiting is going on vigorously; at the Armory last evening there were hundreds of people surrounding the recruiting office of the Fourteenth Regiment, and hundreds of young men signified their intention to volunteer. Many names have already been enrolled.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1875, the Eagle reported, “BOSTON — The ceremonies at Lexington and Concord today passed off with great eclat. There were over forty thousand spectators at both places. The oration of Mr. Curtis was extremely brilliant. There was a large concourse of notable people.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1876, the Eagle reported, “APRIL 18 — Ex-Secretary [William] Belknap, accompanied by his counsel, Messrs. Carpenter, Black and Blair, entered the Senate Chamber at 12:25 and took seats at the table provided for them. At 12:30 the Senate suspended the consideration of legislative business to resume the impeachment trial, and the Secretary of the Senate was directed to notify the managers on the part of the House of Representatives, that the Senate was ready to proceed with the trial. The managers of the House appeared in answer to the notification. The Managers on the part of the House of Representatives appeared in the Senate Chamber at 12:50, and as soon as they were seated, the Secretary read the proceeding of the session of the Senate, as a Board of Impeachment on Monday last; after which, Mr. Lord, on behalf of the Board of Managers, sent to the Secretary’s desk and had read the answer adopted by the House of Representatives to the plea of Mr. Belknap to the effect that at the time of the commission of the acts charged against said Belknap he was an officer of the United States and was such officer until after the House of Representatives, by its proper committee, had completed the investigation into the charges against him and were preparing for his impeachment, a fact known to him when he resigned. Mr. Carpenter, of counsel for the accused, asked for a copy of the replication of the House of Representatives and for time until Monday next to answer the same.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1931, the Eagle reported, “Definite decision concerning Federal action against the American Bond and Mortgage Company is expected this week. Upon orders of Attorney General Mitchell, representatives from the various Federal districts in which the company has sold bonds in its various real estate promotion enterprises will gather in Washington tomorrow for a general conference. United States Attorney George Z. Medalie said last night that his chief assistant, Thomas E. Dewey, would leave for the Capitol tonight. From Chicago, Boston, Florida and other points Federal attorneys are coming to determine where criminal action be taken, if any.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “The Kings County Court, it was revealed today, is tangled up in the biggest jam of untried criminal cases in its history. The court’s records for the current week show a total of 669 defendants indicted and awaiting trial, of whom 226 are in jail and the rest out on bail or, in some cases, paroled. In addition, 113 persons are in jail awaiting action of the grand jury, while 108 are in jail after convicting and awaiting sentence. The 669 figure is the climax of a steady increase, according to court attendants, over the past two years, the figures ranging normally between 275 and 300 before April, 1937. That had risen to 520 in the week of Feb. 14 last. Each week thereafter saw a substantial increase except March 13 and April 10, when no grand juries sat and there were decreases instead. Court officials pointed out that County Judge Franklin Taylor has been ill and unable to serve for considerable periods during the past two years and, more recently, the number of effective county judges was still further reduced when Judge George W. Martin was indicted. The judges who remain to sit regularly are Peter J. Brancato, John J. Fitzgerald and Willliam O’Dwyer.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “American Telephone & Telegraph System looks forward to a record postwar construction program, Walter S. Gifford, A.T. & T. president, told the annual meeting. ‘We have many new things we expect to do,’ he said. ‘We expect to provide inter-city networks — ultimately nationwide in extent — for television. We plan to try out short-wave radio relay systems for long distance telephone service and for television. We know that coaxial cable systems — cables which are capable of carrying several hundred telephone conversations simultaneously in two metal tubes a little larger than a lead pencil with a copper wire inside each extending along its axis — work very satisfactorily, but we do not know whether radio relay systems will work better or prove more economical.’ He also said that the system expects to extend overseas radio telephone service and to reduce its cost. But, he continued, if an overseas submarine telephone cable should prove better or more economical than radio that method will be used.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Father Knows Best” star Elinor Donahue, who was born in 1937; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alan Price (The Animals), who was born in 1942; “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” star Tim Curry, who was born in 1946; former N.Y. Mets pitcher Frank Viola, who was born in 1960; race car driver Al Unser, Jr., who was born in 1962; “Kiss the Girls” star Ashley Judd, who was born in 1968; “127 Hours” star James Franco, who was born in 1978; “Almost Famous” star Kate Hudson, who was born in 1979; “Star Wars” star Hayden Christensen, who was born in 1981; Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu, who was born in 1981; incoming Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer, who was born in 1983; former WNBA forward Candace Parker, who was born in 1986; and tennis player Maria Sharapova, who was born in 1987.