Template:Did you know nominations/Harry Powers

Harry Powers
Created/expanded by Sydneyc81217 (talk), Frank (talk). Nominated by Frank (talk) at 00:14, 3 October 2011 (UTC)
 * ... that the 1931 murders Harry Powers was hanged for were the basis of the 1953 novel, The Night of the Hunter, its 1955 film adaptation, and the 2010 documentary film Romeo Must Hang?
 * ALT1 ... that murders Harry Powers was hanged for were the basis of The Night of the Hunter, its film adaptation, and the documentary Romeo Must Hang?
 * ALT2 ... that Harry Powers said that watching his victims die was more fun than a brothel?
 * ALT3 ... that Harry Powers said that watching his victims die was more fun than a "cat house"?


 * Reviewed Suryanath U. Kamath. Frank  &#124;  talk  00:37, 3 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Hook: Rather long and confusing. I've suggested a couple ALTs that I hope are clearer. I am uncomfortable with using Amazon and a movie's official website as sources.
 * Article:Long enough, new enough. Seems referenced well enough, but I disagree with the use of the two references in the lead. Paraphrasing looks fine.
 * Summary:Symbol question.svg The original and ALT1 hooks are questionably sourced. I prefer ALT2, but I would like feedback from the nominator. Crisco 1492 (talk) 16:04, 12 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Also, try and replace the Dave Tabler source if possible. The site seems to be a blog. Crisco 1492 (talk) 16:14, 12 October 2011 (UTC)


 * I'm not sure I agree with your assessment. First, I think the hook is crystal clear: it's saying the man was hanged for murders and his story has been told three times since then. Second, since when is Amazon an unreliable source? Third, the Tabler source may be a blog, but the article does not rest entirely - or even largely - on that. Frank  &#124;  talk  04:50, 13 October 2011 (UTC)


 * The hook as written can be rather difficult to parse. It appears that Amazon may be used as a last resort, but surely there are better sources to show that a movie was made based of the murders? The Blogspot source, however, should most certainly not be allowed. It is supporting a whole paragraph, essentially, since the more reliable source that I added only verifies the quote. If you would like a second opinion, please feel free to seek it, but I disagree heavily with the use of blogs and cramming mounds of information into a hook. Crisco 1492 (talk) 05:31, 13 October 2011 (UTC)
 * ALT1 works for me. Perhaps leaving the 1931 year in there would be slightly better, to give some sense of time to the hook, but it's fine as it is, too. Frank  &#124;  talk  07:14, 13 October 2011 (UTC)
 * I also think that ALT2 is not appropriate for DYK, FWIW. Yes, it's cited in the article, but it's just so....icky...and really doesn't make me want to read the article further. Just my opinion, of course. Frank  &#124;  talk  07:17, 13 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Icky is attractive, although I will ask for a third opinion at WT:DYK. Crisco 1492 (talk) 07:19, 13 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Keep it short and sweet - there is no need to include mention of the film adaptation (and perhaps also the documentary) in the hook. It's usually the case that a "film adaptation" is based on a book. On a side note, the prose is slightly ambiguous in places and could do with a mild cleanup; expressions like "gain money" sound like they were written by a non-native English-speaker. -- Ohconfucius  ¡digame! 09:55, 13 October 2011 (UTC)
 * I also don't find the hook or ALT1 all that interesting. Use ALT2, but quote him verbatim (i.e. use "cat house"). -- Ohconfucius  ¡digame! 09:58, 13 October 2011 (UTC)
 * I've put that up as ALT4. Crisco 1492 (talk) 11:04, 13 October 2011 (UTC)


 * As a side note, it seems this may be a good hook for Halloween. Crisco 1492 (talk) 01:10, 15 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Symbol question.svg What makes http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2007/02/west-virginia-bluebeard.html a reliable source? It appears to be self-published by Dave Tabler. Cunard (talk) 23:43, 15 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Noted above as well Crisco 1492 (talk) 02:53, 16 October 2011 (UTC)
 * I agree with your above concern that this dubiously reliable source should be removed from the article. I see no evidence of any editorial oversight. Cunard (talk) 03:56, 16 October 2011 (UTC)


 * ALT1 is very difficult to understand. I recommend using ALT2 for Halloween since the "ickiness" of the hook will be appropriate for that date. Cunard (talk) 23:40, 19 October 2011 (UTC)
 * I'm tempted to delete most of the confession section (cited to Tabler) and bring the quote that I've given a better citation up to the last paragraph of "Imprisonment and trial"; at the very least that would get this nom moving. Crisco 1492 (talk) 07:42, 20 October 2011 (UTC)
 * I've nuked the poorly referenced information with this edit. I think ALT2 or ALT3 are okay, but as I may have a COI I would further feedback. Crisco 1492 (talk) 13:09, 20 October 2011 (UTC)

Further comments:
 * 1) http://www.romeomusthang.com/ is not a secondary reliable source. The mention of the documentary Romeo Must Hang should be removed as non-notable if no secondary sources mention it.
 * 2) I could not find ALT3 in the article.
 * 3) I verify ALT2.
 * 4) I have not checked for copyright violations, plagiarism, and close paraphrasing, so that must be done before the hook is promoted. Cunard (talk) 22:02, 24 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Thanks Cunard. The article says "Of his crimes, Powers said 'It beat any cat house I was ever in'" and it is sourced to an encyclopedia. I've removed both the Amazon and Romeo Must Hang site from the article, meaning the original and ALT1 cannot be used. Crisco 1492 (talk) 23:05, 24 October 2011 (UTC)
 * My mistake. I meant that I could not find ALT2 in the article but verified ALT3. Thank you for removing the unreliable sources. Cunard (talk) 23:09, 24 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Cathouse is slang for brothel. I paraphrased it for ALT2 because many (including myself, to be honest) would not understand the term at the first glance. I did some paraphrasing checks (noted above), but it may be necessary for another reviewer to take another look as I seem to have adopted this nomination. Crisco 1492 (talk) 23:12, 24 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Thank you for the clarification. Both hooks work. Cunard (talk) 23:20, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

Close paraphrasing spotcheck
 * My comparison of the second paragraph of the "Murders" section with http://www.wvgazette.com/mediafiles/document/2009/03/17/Bluebeard_I090317193022.pdf returns no sign of close paraphrasing. Cunard (talk) 23:20, 24 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Symbol confirmed.svg ALT2 and ALT3 are verified. Per the comments above, I recommend running this hook on Halloween. Cunard (talk) 23:20, 24 October 2011 (UTC)