Podcast Episode Details

Nathan Leopold, Richard Loeb, Clarence Darrow and the Crime of the Century (Part Two)

Long before Claus Von Bulow or OJ Simpson, in 1924, two Chicago teenagers committed what was called at the time, “The Crime of the Century,” only to be spared by the efforts of the greatest defense attorney in American history.

Clarence Darrow would not begin his summation until the afternoon of August 23^rd, so anticipated throughout the city of Chicago that a mob descended on the courthouse hoping to push into the courtroom.  This throng congregated in the stairwells, common areas and hallways leading to the sixth floor chamber where Darrow was scheduled to speak.  Twice after the midday recess, the famed attorney attempted to begin his summation, only to stop, the noise of spectators emanating from the hallway outside of the court too boisterous, police and bailiffs struggling to push the crowd out of the courtroom’s proximity.  Angrily, the judge contacted the city police chief directly, demanding that order be restored.  Within minutes, additional police resorting to billy clubs eventually removed the source of this distraction. 

Leopold and Loeb would begin serving hard time at Joliet state prison, a forbidding stone edifice housing some of Illinois’ most hardened criminals.  One immediate hardship was the en

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Published on 2 years, 2 months ago