The woman who called herself "Auntie Freedom" was a young suburbanite widow named Ida Jury.
Ida's husband Bob had been killed by a stray bullet during an armed robbery and she blamed television for promoting a culture of violence. She became determined to publicly denounce television through a series of symbolic gestures.
Auntie Freedom's Crusade[]
Ida donned a frock dress, white wig and veiled hat. Calling herself "Auntie Freedom", she went to an electronics store in a shopping mall and destroyed many of their TV sets with a hatchet that she hid in her handbag. Ida was then able to hide among the crowd of shoppers, removing her disguise to avoid detection.
Auntie Freedom in disguise
Auntie Freedom's next target was a sports bar, where she destroyed the big screen TV. Following this, she decided to make a more bold move. Ida borrowed a neighbor's truck and, using a long chain, pulled down a satellite dish at the local cable television provider. This disrupted service for much of the city. The police increased their efforts to locate the "vigilante", and the local television-obsessed criminal Splitscreen also took notice.
Splitscreen edited one of his store's television commercials to include an offer of $1,000 to anyone who provided information that led to Auntie Freedom's capture. Ida saw this advertisement, and decided that Splitscreen's television store would be her next target.
Crossing Paths with Splitscreen[]
Ida arrived at Splitscreen TV (in disguise) and was greeted by a salesman. She promptly began her rampage, which attracted Splitscreen's attention. While the two criminals confronted each other, Dick Tracy arrived with FBI agent Jim Trailer (who had been investigating Splitscreen), as did Johnny Adonis and Lee Ebony (who had been investigating Ida).
Before the officers could subdue her, Ida used her hatchet on a large 26" TV set that was plugged into the wall. Splitscreen had grabbed her in an attempt at restraint, and the electrical charge stunned both of them. They were subsequently taken into custody.
Ida Jury reportedly planned to mount an insanity defense.
Notes[]
- The name "Ida Jury" is apparently a play on "I, The Jury" which was the title of the first in the series of popular mystery novels featuring detective Mike Hammer, written by Mickey Spillane. Writer Max Allan Collins is a well-known fan of Spillane.
- Auntie Freedom's appearance and choice of weapon appear to be a reference to Carrie Nation, a radical temperance activist who destroyed bars with her hatchet in the early 20th Century.