Almanac of Absurdities 12/4

On this date in 1875, Former New York Politician “Boss” Tweed escapes prison and flees to Cuba, then Spain. In 1971, Someone attending a Frank Zappa concert in Montreaux Switzerland fires a flare gun and sets fire to the Casino, which burns down, (inspiring “Smoke on the Water,” but you knew that.) Wink Martindale’s birthday.