
DCS: john scott harrison

John Scott Harrison was one of ten children born to Indiana Territory Governor (and future United States President) William Henry Harrison. John was elected to and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1852 to 1857. After he was defeated for a third term, he retired to his farm in Ohio. John and his second wife Elizabeth, were the parents of ten children, including future United States President Benjamin Harrison. (John had three children with his first wife Lucretia.) John Scott Harrison is the only person to have been both a father and son of a U.S. President.
John Scott Harrison died in 1878 at the age of 73. He was buried in a family plot in North Bend, Ohio – from where his body was stolen. Grave robbing was a common practice at the time, as fresh corpses were purchased by medical schools from shady characters with no questioned asked. On the day of John Scott Harrison’s funeral, it was discovered that the body of Augustus Devlin, who was interred in an adjacent grave, was stolen. The next day, John’s son Benjamin and a colleague went — with search warrants — to Ohio Medical College in hopes of finding Devlin’s body. Their investigation brought them to a delivery chute where they discovered the naked body of John Scott Harrison hanging from a rope. Devlin’s body was later discovered preserved in a vat of brine at the University of Michigan’s medical college. The Harrison family brought charges against the Ohio Medical College. This eventually contributed to the passage of the Ohio Anatomy Law of 1881, a landmark statute, whereby medical schools were provided with unclaimed bodies in a more regulated and documented fashion, discouraging grave robbers.
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inktober52: sagittarius

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DCS: the kessler sisters

Alice and Ellen Kessler were born performers. The pretty twin blonds joined the Leipzig Opera Company in their native Germany as children. Later, they were featured performers at famed Le Lido on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. There, met even met Elvis Presley while he was on leave from the US Army.
Alice and Ellen went on to represent West Germany in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest. They moved to Italy in the 1960s and were regular performers on Italian television. They posed for the Italian version of Playboy, in what became the fastest selling issue of the European magazine. They eventually made their way to America, where their popularity blossomed on variety shows like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Red Skelton Show and The Danny Kaye Show. The sisters appeared as dancers in the 1962 film Sodom and Gomorrah and found themselves on the cover of Life magazine the same year. They moved back to Germany and continued performing for adoring crowds.
The Kessler sisters experienced declining health in their later years. Ellen suffered a stroke in October 2025. They made it very clear that they did not wish to be dependent on nursing care, and wanted to die together. They agreed upon and arranged for an assisted suicide. Alice and Ellen Kessler were born on August 20, 1936. They died on November 17, 2025.
Together.
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inktober52: goose

Abe Saperstein, the founder of the world famous barnstorming basketball team The Harlem Globetrotters, discovered one of his biggest stars in a very unlikely place — a baseball field.
Goose Tatum was playing for Birmingham Black Barons, a professional baseball team in the Negro League. Saperstein thought the athletic fielder’s 6-foot-plus frame and 6-foot-plus arm span would translate perfectly on the basketball court. Goose was signed to a contact with the Globetrotters and spent the next eleven years as the original “Clown Prince of Basketball.”
Goose loved to make people laugh and a lot of the “shtick” he invented still shows up during Harlem Globetrotters’ exhibitions today. Goose is also credited with inventing and perfecting the hook shot, still used in professional basketball. At the top of his game, in 1955, Goose was making a reported $55,000 per year — an unheard-of salary at the time.
His fame went to his head, however, and Saperstein released Goose from his contract for missing too many games and violation of team rules. Unfettered, Goose, along with Globetrotters’ teammate Marques Haynes formed a rival basketball club called The Harlem Magicians. Saperstein eventually sued Goose for trademark violation, a case that was settled out of court.
Goose fell into a state of depression after the 1966 death of his son in a car accident. He began drinking heavily and his health began to decline. He passed away in January 1967 at the age of 45.
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DCS: angela aames

Angela Aames had a handful of roles in both B pictures and Hollywood blockbusters. Relegated to roles reserved for dimwitted buxom bombshells, Angela made her big screen debut in Harry Hurwitz’s Fairy Tales, an adult take on familiar bedtime stories, as “Little Bo Peep.” She also appeared in Scarface, Bachelor Party, All The Marbles and several mindless sex romps that tried to capitalize on the success of Animal House. The most notorious of these was H.O.T.S., a favorite of Cinemax which eventually gained a loyal cult following. Angela was also cast in episodes of Cheers, Mork & Mindy, The Love Boat and Night Court.
In 1988, Angela was found dead in a friend’s San Fernando Valley home. The cause of death was determined to have been a deterioration of the heart muscle, brought on by an undetected virus. She was 32 years old.
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inktober52: sneakers

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DCS: evelyn west

Evelyn West was a pioneer… sort of a Hernando de Soto of Burlesque. In the early days of the art form theater, the emphasis for titillation was placed on sexy walks and suggestive pelvic gyrations. Evelyn, with her reputed 39 1/2 inch bust line, moved the focus upward. She employed her own style of publicity, insuring her breasts with famed Lloyd’s of London in excess of $50,000. She insisted on being billed at appearances as “Evelyn West — the $50K Treasure Chest.” She started off her career in traveling sideshows, but soon gained recognition and was playing the popular President’s Club in San Francisco.
Evelyn loved publicity. She often challenged and teased her fellow strippers. Once she spotted actress Anita Ekberg leaving the venue during a performance. The always-prepared Evelyn hurled a ripe tomato from the stage, squarely hitting Miss Ekberg. She regularly antagonized colleague Tempest Storm as well as threatened legal action against actress Jane Russell. Evelyn was very critical of Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe, making public accusations that their respective physical attributes were greatly exaggerated and — daring to hint — even fake. She loved making guest appearances at nudist colonies and even served as a bridesmaid at a nudist wedding in Denver, where she carried a sign reading “Park your Fig Leaves Upstairs.” Not leaving any media untouched, Evelyn was a popular pin-up model and often posed for noted photographer Bunny Yeager. She loved meeting her fans and would slyly inscribe pictures “Bust Wishes!”
After her husband, promoter Al Charles, passed away, Evelyn stepped out of the spotlight. She assumed her birth name — Amy Coomer Charles — and moved to Hollywood, Florida to live a quiet life. In 1981, the sixty-year old Evelyn was approached by the owners of a San Francisco strip club to come out of retirement and perform alongside fellow strippers Tempest Storm and Blaze Starr. Although flattered, she turned the offer down. She was happy with her lifestyle change — selling memorabilia on eBay and rooting heartily for the Florida Marlins.
Evelyn died in November 2004 at the age of 83.
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inktober 52: scorpio

Australian actor Tristan Rogers played the character “Robert Scorpio” on the ABC soap opera General Hospital for twelve years. His character was killed, but Rogers returned for a series of episodes in which he played Robert Scorpio’s spirit. He returned again, this time playing a very much alive Robert Scorpio in early 2006. He popped up again at the end of 2006. Two years later, Rogers reprised the role on a night time spin-off of the popular daytime soap. He finished the year playing Robert Scorpio in another series of episodes. Over the next thirteen years, Rogers showed up here and there on General Hospital, even while playing another character on another soap opera on a rival network. He appeared on the final episode of General Hospital broadcast on October 2, 2025 — recorded shortly before his death in August 2025.
By the way, Tristan Rogers was a Gemini.
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DCS: pierre robert

In 1981, I was a student attending a small but respected* art school in Philadelphia. To help pay my tuition, I worked three evenings a week at my cousin’s health food restaurant. Each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I would sneak out of class a bit early and rush to the restaurant to get there in time to begin my 4:00 shift.
One afternoon, a tall, lanky guy with a thick beard and very long hair came in for an early dinner. Seeing a guy of this description was not unusual. The clientele of a health food restaurant — one with an exclusively vegetarian menu — was chock full of characters who looked like this guy. I greeted him as he approached the service counter and allowed him time to peruse the evening’s dinner offerings on display in a hot table behind protective glass (It was cafeteria-style.) He smiled and gave the various entrees the ol’ “once-over.” I noticed his bright orange t-shirt was emblazoned with the logo of up-and-coming rockabilly band The Stray Cats. I pointed to the logo and said, “That’s a pretty cool shirt. Where would one get a shirt like that?”
He glanced down at his chest and smiled. “This?,” he replied, “I got this where I work.” His voice was deep and commanding and mellifluous. I was surprised for a moment.
“Where do you work?,” I pressed. And then I answered my own question. “What a second! I know that voice! You’re Pierre! Pierre Robert!”
His smile widened. “You know me?,” he shyly asked.
“I sure do! I listen to you nearly every night when I’m up doing homework.,” I proudly explained. At the time, Pierre was doing the dreaded 2 AM to 6 AM overnight shift and I often found myself awake at ungodly hours drawing or painting some sort of class project that was due the following day. Pierre’s mix of rock and roll and homey commentary kept me awake and aware and able to finish my school assignments. Pierre was flattered that he was recognized. Genuinely flattered. He ordered something for dinner and, after I fixed him a heathy platter, he found a quiet corner of the small dining area to enjoy his meal. Pierre came in often and we always had a nice conversation and then I always allowed him go off and eat in peace.
In the summer of 1982, WMMR — the radio station where Pierre worked — was sponsoring an exclusive premiere of the teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgmont High. At any given time, a random caller would be selected to receive two passes to the film as well as a paperback copy of the book on which the film was based. In the middle of the night, I paused my work and called Pierre on the station’s request number. He answered the phone. “Hey, Pierre,” I began, “I sure would like to see Fast Times.” He chuckled and said he’d happily add my name to the “Winners List.” He told me I could pick up the tickets the next day.
Around the time I met Pierre, I also met the future Mrs. Pincus. After a whirlwind nine months of dating, I asked Mrs. P to marry me. I felt our friendship was at a level where I could invite Pierre to our up-coming engagement party. He graciously accepted. It was amusing to see Pierre nursing a Coca-Cola at a picnic table in my future in-law’s backyard while he carried on a conversation with my family and friends.
Over the years, I saw less and less of Pierre. I finished art school. I left my cousin’s restaurant and found employment elsewhere. And I even switched my radio listening loyalties to a station that would eventually employ my son. I would run into Pierre here and there, as he grew to be a beloved and accessible celebrity in the Philadelphia area. Each time our paths would cross I would do my best to refresh his memory as to how exactly we knew each other. He’d try to fill in the blanks and I was never convinced that he fully placed me correctly in his past. But, Pierre was friendly and everyone was Pierre’s friend. He greeted everyone with a smile and a comforting arm around your shoulder and his signature salutation of “Greetings, citizen!”
This past July, Mrs. P and I ventured out to see Rod Stewart on his final tour of large-scale arenas. At the show’s conclusion, I spotted Pierre among the crowd of folks making their way up the aisle. I waved and squeezed myself between the exiting concert-goers to say a quick “hello.”
“Hey Pierre!,” I announced.
“Greetings, citizen!,” he replied.
As I got closer to him, I explained who I was and how we knew each other. He sort of followed my explanation. He called me by my cousin’s name and I corrected him. His eyes darted around as he gathered bits of internally-stored information about events that transpired between us over 40 years prior. He got some details wrong, but I think it finally hit him as to who he was talking to. He gave me a warm handshake and a friendly pat on the shoulder. He waved to Mrs. Pincus and then disappeared into the crowd.
Pierre died on Thursday, October 30, 2025. He had just turned 70.
My art school has closed.
My cousin’s restaurant has closed.
And Pierre — a voice on Philadelphia radio for 44 years — has been silenced.
Rest in peace, citizen, from that guy behind the counter… from the restaurant… you remember.
* I like to tell myself this.
