#Middlebury
On Oct. 11, 1793, the death toll from a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia hits 100. By the time it ended, 5,000 people were dead. A vaccine now prevents yellow fever in much of the world, though 20,000 people still die from it every year.- On Oct. 5, 1892, the Dalton Gang attempts the simultaneous daylight robbery of two Coffeyville, Kansas, banks, but are surrounded by townspeople, who kill every gang member except for Emmett Dalton. Emmett was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Paroled after 14 years, he ended up as a screenwriter in Hollywood.
- On Oct. 8, 1918, U.S. Army Cpl. Alvin C. York reportedly kills over 20 German soldiers and captures an additional 132 in France. The exploits earned York the Congressional Medal of Honor.
- On Oct. 6, 1926, Yankee slugger Babe Ruth hits a record three home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth game of the World Series. In 1928, in the fourth game of another Yanks-Cards World Series, he knocked three more pitches out of the same park.
- On Oct. 9, 1942, Chicago bootlegger Roger “The Terrible” Touhy escapes from prison by climbing the guard’s tower. Touhy, who had been framed for kidnapping, was serving a 99-year sentence. He was recaptured months later.
- On Oct. 7, 1975, a New York State Supreme Court judge reverses a deportation order for John Lennon, allowing him to remain legally in New York City. The order against Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, was based on a 1968 marijuana conviction in England.
- On Oct. 10, 1985, the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro ends when U.S. Navy F-14 fighters intercept an Egyptian airliner attempting to fly the Palestinian hijackers to freedom. On Oct. 7, heavily armed terrorists had hijacked the ship and 400 crewmembers and passengers.
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