Kali Joy Cramer - Sinister Chicago

Kali Joy Cramergraduated with a B.A. in English and Communications in 2016. Out of college, she took a job as a content writer for two years before moving on to become editor-in-chief for UrbanMatter, a digital Chicago-based nightlife and entertainment guide. Kalis work has also been published through Chicago Scenemagazine.

She currently lives in Pilsen, a neighborhood that she feels fosters a strong connection to Chicago. On the weekends, Kali enjoys reading in the sunroom, exploring her neighborhood, observing art and theater, and finding little moments of peace in the midst of this busy life.

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Copyright 2020 by Kali Joy Cramer

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Cramer, Kali Joy, 1994- author.

Title: Sinister Chicago : windy city secrets, urban legends, and sordid characters / Kali Joy Cramer.

Description: Guilford, Connecticut : Globe Pequot, [2020] | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: In Sinister Chicago, author Kali Cramer examines the legends behind some of Sin Citys notorious charactersincluding H.H. Holmes, Al Capone, and John Wayne Gacyas well as infamous landmarks and devastating tragedies, like the Great Chicago Fire and the Eastland shipwreck. Equal parts true crime and tragedy, Sinister Chicago chronicles the unknown, unusual, or otherwise unexplained events that helped shape the Windy City Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020011132 (print) | LCCN 2020011133 (ebook) | ISBN 9781493045167 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781493059607 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: CrimeIllinoisChicagoHistory. | CriminalsIllinoisChicagoHistory.

Classification: LCC HV6795.C4 C73 2020 (print) | LCC HV6795.C4 (ebook) | DDC 364.109773/11dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020011132

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020011133

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

W ITHOUT THE HELP OF THE C HICAGO P UBLIC L IBRARY , the Chicago TribuneArchives, the Chicago History Museum, and the Newberry Library, I would have had quite a rough time compiling all relevant information for this book. I am endlessly grateful to live in a city where knowledge is power and accessible to the public to such a great extent.

In addition to hard research, listening to some of my favorite podcasts on the way to work every morning was extremely helpful in uncovering the spellbinding details that made this book come alive. My Favorite Murder, Female Criminals, Stuff You Missed in History Class, and Stuff You Should Knowwere all vital resources in discovering stories I had never heard before. Thank you to the hosts, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, Vanessa Richardson and Sami Nye, Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey, and Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, respectively, for your unusual fascination with the darker side of history.

Thank you also to my editor, Sarah Parke, at Globe Pequot Press, who took over for my original editor, Katherine ODell, halfway through. You both helped me cultivate the structure of these stories and gave me the guidance I needed to write my first book.