Today in Time.

October 3, 1995, O.J. Simpson found 'not guilty'

Former football player and actor O.J. Simpson was found 'not guilty' today for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. The two were found stabbed to death outside Brown's condominium on June 12, 1994. Evidence found at the crime scene pointed to Simpson, and he was arrested after a low-speed chase with police involving his white Ford Bronco.
Simpson's criminal trial began on January 24, 1995. More than eight months later, after less than four hours of jury deliberations, a 'not guilty' verdict was announced and the reaction nationwide was one of shock. "In a courtroom on the verge of exploding with emotion, a hush fell as Judge Lance Ito's clerk, Dierdre Robertson, read the two words: 'Not guilty.' Simpson smiled, mouthed the words 'Thank you' at the jury, then clasped his hands together," reported The Post Standard on October 4, 1995. "Juror Anise Aschenbach was reported as tearfully telling her daughter she believed Simpson was guilty but that police Detective Mark Fuhrman's tainted testimony could not be overcome. An estimated 150 million viewers are believed to have seen the verdict on television, making it one of the most watched events in American history. Although Simpson was acquitted of criminal charges, he was later found liable for the deaths in civil court in 1997 and was ordered to pay a fine.

O. J. Simpson Convicted of Kidnap and Armed Robbery, October 3, 2008

O. J. Simpson was found guilty Friday of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room.
The 61-year-old former football star could spend the rest of his life in prison. Sentencing was set for Dec. 5.
A weary and somber Simpson released a heavy sigh as the charges were read by the clerk in Clark County District Court. He was immediately taken into custody.

The Conviction was handed down 13 years to the day after he was acquitted of killing his former wife and her friend.



October 4th, 1918

The shell loading plant in Morgantown, New Jersey exploded, killing more than 100 people and injuring hundreds more. Over 800 including the dead, seriously injured and persons only slightly hurt by flying bits of steel. Of these 300 were hospital cases. "The explosion continued the next day,” reported The Iowa Daily Citizen on October 5, 1918
“At 7 a.m. there was a blast that shook houses and blew in windows with in a wide area,” continued the article, “Hoses near the scene of the explosion were swept from their foundations. Military authorities who took charge of the territory refused to make a statement.”
NOTE: The explosions continued for three days as ammunition continued to catch fire and explode. More than 300 buildings were destroyed, and the towns of South Amboy and Sayreville had to be rebuilt. The plant had been building artillery for the ongoing World War I – the explosion destroyed enough ammunition to last the western front of the war for six months. Unexploded ordinance is still being discovered in the area.