Burlesque, Burglary, and Betrayal: A Night to Remember in Washington, D.C.

It was a chilly winter evening in Washington, D.C. on February 13, 1902, when the city’s theatre-goers flocked to the Bijou to catch a burlesque and vaudeville show. Thomas J. Ryan and Mary Ritchie were among the stars of the night, dazzling the crowd with their performances. However, little did the audience know, a different kind of show was unfolding just a few blocks away.