Publisher
Wide World Photos (American, active, 1914–1941)American, active, 1914–1941
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Probe Trunk Murder of Woman, Chicago, Illinois
DateJanuary 5, 1940, printed 1940
PlaceChicago, Illinois, United States
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 6 9/16 × 8 7/16 in. (16.6 × 21.5 cm)
Sheet: 6 15/16 × 9 in. (17.6 × 22.9 cm)
Sheet: 6 15/16 × 9 in. (17.6 × 22.9 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Photography Subcommittee 2022
Object number2022.467
Not on view
Explore Further
Department
PhotographyObject Type
“Man Admits Killing His Mother-In-Law. Chicago. Jan. 6 — Sam De Lao, 49, told police last night that he beat to death his mother in-law and stuffed her body in a trunk, ‘because she was always nagging me for not getting a job.’ The trunk containing the body was found in a south side alley. He said he clubbed Mrs. Nellie Sharp, 65, after an argument early Thursday and had left the body in their apartment all day. At night, he said he crammed the body into the trunk and called Natale Pantro, a junk dealer, to help him cart it away. Pantro said he had been unaware of the contents of the case.”
Provenance[World Wide Photos]; [Winter Works on Paper, Brooklyn]; purchased by MFAH, 2022.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Inscribed in black ink, verso, upper right: [illegible] // 087 [?]
Printed in black on applied label, verso, center: FROM WIDE WORLD PHOTOS PLEASE USE CREDIT. // PROBE TRUNK MURDER OF WOMAN. // CHICAGO, ILL.-Photo shows a policeman peering at the body of // an unidentified woman found stuffed in a trunk in an alley // by a trash peddler today. The body, beaten and with a bullet wound in the head, was that of a gray-haired woman, about // 50 years of age. Police believed the murder was committed // quite recently. // CHICAGO BUREAU SERV. NY & DIR. 1/5/40
Inscribed in dark blue, verso, center on top of applied label: Murders [circled] Trunk [underlined twice] // [illegible underlined]
Stamped in blue, center: [text covered by applied label]
Stamped in purple, verso, lower right: JAN 9 1940
Printed in black on applied label, verso, center: FROM WIDE WORLD PHOTOS PLEASE USE CREDIT. // PROBE TRUNK MURDER OF WOMAN. // CHICAGO, ILL.-Photo shows a policeman peering at the body of // an unidentified woman found stuffed in a trunk in an alley // by a trash peddler today. The body, beaten and with a bullet wound in the head, was that of a gray-haired woman, about // 50 years of age. Police believed the murder was committed // quite recently. // CHICAGO BUREAU SERV. NY & DIR. 1/5/40
Inscribed in dark blue, verso, center on top of applied label: Murders [circled] Trunk [underlined twice] // [illegible underlined]
Stamped in blue, center: [text covered by applied label]
Stamped in purple, verso, lower right: JAN 9 1940
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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