So, I was just sitting there, eating peanuts, pondering all those broadcasts of "I Love Lucy" that are bouncing off through space as we speak......

And the thought occurred to me... what if the first alien life form to intercept them took them to be some sort of documentary treatise on civilization here on this orb?... Which, if you think of it, wouldn't be exactly fair to us, as most of the folks I know have lives that are waaaay crazier than "Lucy".

Speaking of documentary treatises, how many of you remember "The Pine Hill Murders"? If you do, that means you are really, really old, as they took place way back in 1890. No, I was referring to the award-winning docudrama "In the Shadow of the Steeple- The Pine Hill Murders"

(click on pictures to enlarge)

that premiered a year or two ago? We had a wonderful Premiere, with both shows sold out well in advance, and garnered a good chunk of money for the Oliver Springs Historical Society do-good fund. The docudrama was entered in the Secret City Film Festival, and walked away with best documentary award. Well, in the interim, we have sold quite a boatload of dvds and videotapes of the saga. Many people have asked us if and when we would have another public showing. After much thought, it was decided to have a bigscreen showing at the Church of Christ on Tri-County Blvd. in Oliver Springs. The folks at the Church of Christ are "Putting on the Dog" for us, with a huge meal cooked "1890's" style. (not sure if that involves killing and consuming something on the premises, but I know these cooks, and I guarantee it'll be good. Everyone is welcome, regardless of affiliation... Baptist, Hindu, Seventh Day Horizontalist, it doesn't matter (editor's note... religions requiring the carrying of weaponry, as well as obscure, nonverifiable sects ala "Buddist nudist" or "church of aretha",  please call ahead for security screening and verification... ) There is a catch, and that is this.. seating is limited, so if you wish to come, PLEASE notify me well in advance. The seats are filling up fast....

Oh, the date? Almost forgot.. Monday, April 3rd, 6:00 P.M. . Admission is free ....

The Richards Sisters murders could be titled "The Murder story that Won't Go Away" (not that we want it to.. shucks, many of us in the Society are busy turning over rocks and poking the shrubbery with sharp sticks trying to glean clues that may have been overlooked in the hours and days following February 8th, 1940. There continues to be a steady groundswell of interest based on the emails and other comments I get on a regular basis. I have been intent on updating our information on this site to include what we know at this time, which is certainly much more than we did a few years ago. One thing I do NOT intend to do is to malign any person or persons based on spotty, incomplete, or otherwise dubious "facts", especially since most if not all the players, both documented and suspected, are long dead and not available for rebuttal.

Having said that, I still think there is room for a lot of discussion on the case. As I have followed the "Keystone Kops" approach to the Natalee Holloway case, I have been reminded that botched investigations are not as rare as we would like to think, and one can but imagine what Sheriff Anderson thought upon arriving at the Richards Mansion to find sisters Ann and Margaret dead along with ostensible killer Leonard "Powder" Brown, and having to retrieve the murder weapon from the gathered crowd where it had been passed about for possibly over an hour, thereby dashing any hope for fingerprint matching. I have spoken at length with many people about events of that infamous day, and most are like me... they find it hard to believe that protection of a crime scene such as this one would be so poorly understood or observed. even in 1940. By published accounts of the day, the Anderson County sherriff arrived to find not only the gun having been handled by probably half the men in town,  but the house open and persons wandering through it apparently at will. As Kay Scarpetta might say, "There go the forensics!!" Of course, we must remind ourselves that the sciences and disciplines that make up modern forensics were far less advanced in those days.. although there were many mature facets of crime scene investigation in use at that time, such as powder residue testing, ballistics testing, fingerprinting, some chemical analysis.

Talk amongst yourselves... let me know if you come up with anything.....

Coming to Oliver Springs? Be sure and stop by the Historic Depot. Inside you will find a splendid array of pictures, artifacts, displays, etc., from our proud past. Bringing a group? Let us know and we might be able to arrange for someone to guide you in your sightseeing.

contact robbieu41@comcast.net

More to come....

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