The Shooting Showgirls Lillian Graham And Ethel ConradEpisode 414 tells the story of a pair of young vaudeville actresses who come up with a scheme to dupe an older former lover of a great sum of money. But when he calls their bluff, they choke and shoot the old fellow in the leg. Three times. It’s hard to find a hero in this tale. They’re all kinda skeezy.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

The Scoundrel Frank BadgleyEpisode 437 is dedicated to the True Crime Historian patron Kim Parkhurst, who discovered several scoundrels, including the subject of this story, on the Indiana branch of her family tree. Her people seem to be as shady as my own.Ad-Free EditionSupporters Clubhttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support

The Awful Fate of Mary Ann Rheinhardt ___This episode explores the heinous crime of the scoundrel Edward Reinhardt of Manhattan and Staten Island who got tangled up with two women, got them both in trouble, and apparently, had to pick a favorite. Yeah, that’s not gonna end well. And when they find the barrel buried on the shore of Silver Lake, all sorts of scandal comes tumbling out.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

The Trials Of Otis Clark, Etc.Episode 136 comes by the way of a request from Herrin, Illinois, where TCH listener Chris Banes wants to know more about some hometown dark history, about the time a local mining company imported fifty guys from Chicago to bust a strike--25 to ship the coal that had been dug, and 25 to stand armed guard with rifles and machine guns to make sure the work got done. Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Trial Of The Big Beef SextetEpisode 424 is not your typical heartwarming holiday story, but takes place on Thanksgiving day, 1927, when a pack of Folsom prisoners enact a long-laid plan to make a big break from the big house. Needless to say, it doesn't end particularly well for any of them when two guards and ten prisoners meet their deaths as a result.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Bosson’s Bitter Whiskey And BananasEpisode 436 comes from a request by True Crime Historian patron Marlene Resch, who wanted to hear a story from her home Lane County, Oregon. So I dug up this sordid tale of a man who stands trial for the murder of his wife, with allegations of insurance fraud and lust for his young sister-in-law, who turns out to not have the best reputation herself.Culled from the historic pages of the Eugene Guard, the Eugene Morning Register, and other newspapers of the era.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

The Murders Of Phoebe Hogg And Phoebe HoggEpisode 244 tells of a murder in Victorian London so vicious and violent and ghastly that some people believe to this day that the perpetrator was the infamous Jack the Ripper--or Jill the Ripper, as it were, for this brutal murder of a mother and her babe fell squarely upon Mary Eleanor Wheeler Percy, who will pay dearly for her crime.Ad-Free Edition

The Montgomery Grocer Murder MysteryEpisode 433 follows the investigation of a robbery gone south down South, and while the family battles over the will, police arrest many different suspects, but it takes three years before they get a confession from an unexpected place.Culled from the historic pages of the Montgomery Advertiser, the Montgomery Times, and other newspapers of the era.Ad-Free Edition

The Tragic Leggit OrdealEpisode 425 tells of the end of the road for Walter Ligget, who made his fame as a journalist who supported unions, exposed the criminal element, crusaded against graft and corruption, and dared to speak truth to power, so the powerful (whoever they may be) try and try again to get their revenge.Ad-Free Edition

The Tribulation Of Meda Dudgeon HodellEpisode 229 is a rich tale from the swamp lands of Michigan, an ever-changing story that includes a fake suicide, a pair of murders, confessions out the wazoo, as well as charges of police corruption and coersion--even a couple of ghost stories--all centered on a simple 20-year-old country girl, the bride of a much older man. Yeah, it's that kinda country.Ad-Free Edition

Mystery Of The Pyjama GirlEpisode 432 comes from a request from a listener Down Under, the story of a mysterious body found smoldering in a country culvert. It takes ten years to identify the body and name a suspect, but one interested physician claims they misidentified the victim and pinned the crime on the wrong man. Weigh the evidence yourself, and let me know your verdict.Ad-Free Edition

Kid McCoy Down For The CountEpisode 427 documents a dramatic fall from grace when a beloved American prizefighter and silent film star falls for a married woman, who seemed destined to be his ninth or tenth wife. His marital history is as complicated and murky as her business dealings, and their affair takes a tragic turn late one hot august night.Culled from the historic pages of the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers of the era.Ad-Free Edition

Life And Confession of Stephen Dee RichardsEpisode 223 takes us to the prairies of Nebraska to explore the state's first serial killer, Stephen Dee Richards. His confession and the reporting of his murder come from a sensational trial pamphlet published shortly after his death, the 19th century version of a true crime podcast.Ad-Free Edition

The Reily Mattock MurderEpisode 198 is centered on one of my favorite murder tropes, the so-called “eternal triangle,” between the cranky old farmer, his fading wife, and the handsome young farmhand. Yeah, that’s not going to end well, but they might have gotten away with it if they had just put the body across the tracks. It’s all in the details.Culled from the historic pages of the Hamilton Journal-News and other newspapers of the era.Ad-Free Edition

Jealous Husband Murders Rival, Wounds WifeEpisode 232 is really just your average love triangle gone awry, but there are mysteries to be solved here, and the real reason I like this story is that the bad girl in this case is not the instigator, but a survivor, the victim of a jealous husband, a strong Southern woman with flair and flaws of her own.Ad free edition

Case File For The Scoundrel LingoEpisode 428 describes two violent murders in the rural areas around Merchantville, New Jersey, in the 1890s. A rough farm-hand is the first suspect in the first case, but suspicion suddenly turns to the victim’s uncle/husband and attention to a trial full of courtroom theatrics. Then a nearly identical murder a year later adds a new wrinkle to the case. But that’s still not all.Culled from the historic pages of the New York Daily World, the Philadelphia Inquirer and other newspapers of the era.

A Deadly Package At Seat PleasantEpisode 430 tells of another holiday celebration ending in tragedy, when a mysterious package makes its way to the home of a young recently secretly married expectant mother. Suspicion falls at once to the family of her secret husband, and the husband himself.Ad-free edition

The Trial Of The Mother Of DollsEpisode 240 is one of those cases where you just know that somebody's off their rocker, but it's hard to figure out exactly who. Things get weird when a husband charges his wife with murdering their twin babies. That he never saw. So what was he pushing around in the stroller the last couple of months?Ad-free edition

The End Of The Skinny And Stumpy AffairEpisode 429 is our very special holiday episode, in which a disenchanted housewife pulls the trigger on her lover and claims self-defense. Let’s see how that works out for her.Culled from the historic pages of the Louisville Courier-Journal and other newspapers of the era.Ad-Free version

The Michigan School House MassacreEpisode 48 looks at the most tragic school massacre in American history, this one perpetrated by the school district’s treasurer, upset over a recent rise in his property taxes to build a new school. So he decides to blow up his own house and take the school down, too, claiming 45 lives, including his own. If not for a faulty wiring plan, it could have been worse. Much worse.Music by Chuck Wiggins

The Boston Broker Bomber's Attack on Wall StreetEpisode 238 takes an inside look at the mad business of stock trading during the boom of the late 1800s as we hear the news of a bombing attack on the offices of one of the titans of Wall Street, the second-richest man in the world. The dust is barely settled as the lawsuits begin. I think you'll get a kick out of the reason why.Ad-Free Version

The Saga Of Ruth Freed’s Itchy Trigger FingerEpisode 222 tells of the unsolved murder of a professional party girl in post-Prohibition Chicago. Well, technically it’s unsolved because no one was ever tried and convicted, but I think it’s pretty clear who the culprit is.

The Saga Of Ruth Freed’s Itchy Trigger FingerEpisode 222 tells of the unsolved murder of a professional party girl in post-Prohibition Chicago. Well, technically it’s unsolved because no one was ever tried and convicted, but I think it’s pretty clear who the culprit is.

The Real ‘Chicago’ MurdersEpisode 352 explores the two murders that inspired the hit musical “Chicago,” which was based on a play by Maurine Watkins, who did some reporting on both cases as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. I’ll be joined by my colleague Susan Ferman, whose own podcast Catastrophic Calamities, will premiere next week on the Pulpular Media network. Susan will read about the case of Beulah Annan, who became Roxy Hart on stage. I will read the case of Belva Gaertner, who became Velma Kelly.Culled from the historic pages of the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News, and other newspapers of the era.This episode includes a reference to a fellow murderess Sabela Nitti, whose story you can hear about in True Crime Historian 230, The Ugly Duckling Murderess.

Sabella Nitti Gets Almost PrettyEpisode 230 is a story that turned out to be the exception to the rule in the 1920s, because a woman not only gets convicted of murder, but also faces execution for her alleged crime. Public indignation and sympathy for the homely defendant was so inflamed that it became part of the story. Culled from the historic pages of the Chicago Tribune, this story features reporting and commentary from legendary Chicago journalist Genevieve Forbes Herrick whose contributions will be read by guest voice Susan Ferman.

A Broadway Moth, Her Overweight Date, And The Half-Pint GangsterEpisode 412 is an action-packed adventure that begins with the body of a pretty girl on a dark lonely road and includes a policeman killed in the line of duty, more than a thousand shots fired in a showdown with the villains, a couple of attempted jailbreaks, and a double-dose of lethal justice. Add in a broken-hearted mother and a moll who turns the tables, then see where it goes. The newspapers at the time compared this to a similar murder that had just taken place, the story of Vivian Gordon’s last ride.It was the subject of True Crime Historian Episode 228 and you can listen to it at www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian.Culled from the historic pages of the New York Daily News and other newspapers of the era.

The Reverend ExecutionerEpisode 239 not only gives you two executions for the price of one, but also an executioner who has to choose between his moral convictions and his duty under the law. What I like most about this story, though, is the fierce teenage daughter who shows no fear when it comes to facing down these half-witted bandits. If the final scene doesn't raise the hair on your neck, I don't know what will.

The Trial Of Rattlesnake James, The Red-Headed BluebeardEpisode 192 gets a bit epic, but it’s the story that keeps on giving, with two botched murders and moral charges to boot, and things go from crazy to crazier when they bring a pair of rattlers named Lethal and Lightning into the courtroom.

The Horror in the Slaughter GarageEpisode 243 is the sordid tale of a man who pursued women he presumed were wealthy with long distance love letters in order to swindle them of their money. Yeah, that’s a story we’ve heard before, but this one goes an extra step darker with a gruesome murder of women and children. Consider that your trigger warning. The West Virginia community was so outraged by the crime that the lingering crowds began to worry the police. And for good reason. You’ll want to join them. There are some excellent first-hand accounts of the events of this story, and because the victim was from Chicago, the Tribune sent their ace reporter Genevieve Forbes Herrick to West Virginia to interview the principals. We welcome back Susan Ferman to read Ms. Herrick’s reports. Culled from the historic pages of the Chicago Tribune, Pittsburgh Press and other newspapers of the era.

The Rosewood MassacrEpisode 284 is dedicated to True Crime Historian patron Mary Virginia Avery who lives near what used to be Rosewood, Florida, where the probably unfounded accusation of a black man for assaulting a white woman led to the destruction of the town and the banishment from Levy County of all of its citizens. Because incidents like this were numerous and under-reported, I’ve included accounts of some of the racial unrest in that area that researchers believe contributed to the rage that was exhibited that night, and also some passages from a report produced in 1993 based on interviews with survivors. Although I’ve edited the news reports to lighten the obvious racial bias, there are times when I felt it important to read them as written, so be aware that the language may be strong at times. History is not always pretty, and I don’t think it endorses the racism of the day to bring it into light. I believe that all of my stories are cautionary tales, and it’s too easy to see echoes of these events in modern America.Ad free edition

The Case of the Deadly BonbonsJust about every sensational murder case is hailed as "too strage for fiction" or "the most remarkable in history", but Episode 235 really is unique: A murder inflicted on two persons unknown to the assailant from a distance of nearly 3,000 miles. Figure that out!. Add to the mix the usual sleazy scandals of inappropriate behavior and this one is ripe for your horror and indignation.Ad-free version with subscription

Two Twists on a Classic TaleEpisode 242 explores two versions of the same case by two true crime pioneers, the first by distinguished journalist Alfred Henry Lewis and the second by True Crime Historian favorite Edmund Pearson. It's interesting how they approach the case from entirely different perspectives with completely different details. The episode ends with an obituary of the interesting life of the defendant after she leaves Bond Street.Ad free version with subscription

A Litany of HorrorEpisode 12 is a reading of the chilling confession of Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, one of the most remarkable serial killers in American History. The whole nation was shocked and outraged in the waning years of the nineteenth century by the gruesome deeds of one Herman Mudgett, the arch fiend who took on the pseudonym H.H. Holmes as he prepared his famous "Castle of Death" in downtown Chicago. He was arrested for an insurance fraud in November 1894, but his string of murders, perhaps 200 in all, were soon revealed. He was convicted of one capital crime in Philadelphia, and while he awaited execution, he penned a confession detailing 27 murders that was published in newspapers across the country. He would recant this confession before he hanged, but really, you can't make this stuff up.Ad free Patreon edition with subscription

The Tragedy of Joyce Joan ShouseEpisode 236 is a down and dirty story of a negligent mother, a sexually frustrated hunchback, and one terrible night in a hotel cafe. There's a lot of blame to go around on this one.Ad Free Edition with Patreon subscriptionPurchase single ad-free edition

Teller And His Teenage Moll Episode 215 is dedicated to True Crime Historian listener Virgil Kay, who sent me the case file on this story of a pair of bandits on the run, a 27-year-old exhibitionist and his 17-year-old moll, a tough girl who was said to be the brains behind the operation, such as it was.Listen to this and other episodes from the True Crime Historian Vault at the Safe House.

Madame Bessarabo's ExplanationEpisode 111. When the body of a missing international businessman is found in an unclaimed trunk in the train station at Nancy, France, his wife (the French dramatist and poet known as Hera Mirtel) and his stepdaughter were immediately suspected, but it took two years to end their legal ordeal. Mysteries still remain (such as how two petit women managed to truss up the body and carry it around in a trunk). Episode 111 focuses on an epistle she wrote from her jail cell as she continues to proclaim her innocence, even denying that it was her husband's body in her trunk. Featuring Emily Simer Braun reading Mme. Bessarabo's epistle from the Paris jail.Join us at the Safe House and listen to this and other episodes from the True Crime Historian Vault AD-FREE.Or purchase an AD-FREE edition of this episode from the Safe House Boutique.

The Money Was the MotiveEpisode 241 is a variation on one of our favorite tropes: The Trunk Murder. Culled from the historic pages of True Detective Magazine and the Oregon Daily Journal, this story takes place in the Pacific Northwest, when a couple of shady transients try to pull a long con on a wealthy, recently widowed rancher. Getting rid of the body is always the tricky part.

The Boy Preacher and His Teenage WifeEpisode 245 tells the scandalous tale of a young preacher with a David complex. who in order to save his wife's soul, takes her life--and the life of her mother, just so he could get away.Ad-Free Version

The El Dorado Oberst MassacreEpisode 174 begins with a family of seven found incinerated in their farm house. The only suriviving member of the family was the 17-year-old son, who was at the movies with a friend when the fire began. But his story changes so dramatically and so frequently that justice has a hard time keeping up.Ad free version

A Terrible Reign of MurderEpisode 214 digs deep into the files of the FBI and one of its early successful investigations during the tenure of J.Edgar Hoover, when the Bureau of Investigations looked into the murder of as many as 60 to 70 Osage Indians. The file includes a report by Agent Frank Smith as well as statements by informants who helped break the conspiracy. True Crime Historian welcomes guest reader Susan Ferman as Katherine Cole, one of these informants.

The Case Against Professor KaneEpisode 249 digs into the case of a college professor accused of drowning his wife for the love of another woman, but the prosecution first has trouble identifying her, then tracking her down, then getting the court to allow her testimony and love letters as evidence. I love a good fall from grace story, but what I really like about this case is the devotion shown by the professors father, a renown surgeon who lives in a small Pennsylvania town founded by his father. Stick around after the credits for a little bonus story about him.

For Episode 135 we’ve put together a double-header expanding on the theme of the past two episodes. Both of these cases were mentioned in “The Good Friday Beekman Place Bathtub Murder” and "Tears of the Weeping Willow.” The Glickstein Tragedies: The Examination Room MurderFirst is the story of how an unfortunate relationship brought tragedy upon tragedy to a physician’s family, and then we’ll explore the case of a housewife caught unaware by a burglar carrying a deadly weapon.The Battered Bride Bathtub Murder: Major Green Collared by the Collar (1:19:23)How the case was cracked by trailing the suspect's clothing.

The Kentucky ConspiracyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky was thrown into political turmoil over the election of its governor in 1899 and the winner's murder. The republican candidate, William S. Taylor, first appeared to win the election by a narrow margin, but the votes were challenged by his opponent, William Justice Goebel, who eventually won the seat by the act of the legislature. Tensions ran high in the days before his inauguration as these Kentuckians took their politics seriously. Deadly seriously.For ad-free versions of this and over 300 episodes in the True Crime Historian Vault, sign up at THE SAFE HOUSE. A buck a week gives you exclusive access to more murder than you can shake a snub-nose revoler at, and we're still finding old episodes like this one and dusting them off for future generations.http://www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian

True Crime Historian tells the story of a prominent businessman and a relationship with a young woman that gets him into all kinds of hot water. But the remarkable thing about this story is how history repeats itself and in 20 years, the business man finds himself in another fine mess.For access to the True Crime Historian Vault of more than 300 vintage tales of the scandals, scoundrels and scourges of the past, please visit www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian.

YESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told through vintage newspaper accounts from the golden age of yellow journalism...The Gillooly/Lannon AffrayEpisode 443 tells the story of the first officer to be killed in the line of duty in Kokomo, Indiana. But was the violent action against him provoked, or spurred on by a notorious local gang? The question divided the growing Indiana town.Culled from the historic pages of the Kokomo Saturday Tribune, the 1882 History of Howard County, and Jackson Morrow’s 1909 History of Howard County.We offer a special thanks to the staff at the Howard County Library’s genealogy room and listener Anthony R Jones, no relation, who saw the mobile production unit outside that library, where I was engaged in research on another matter. After I got his message telling me to look into the Mollihan gang, I dug around and came up with this episode.Residents of the Safe House can take a deeper dive into Kokomo’s criminal past in the case file posted at www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian. ***A creation Of Pulpular MediaAlso from Pulpular Media:Portals to Possibility, an improvised mock-talk show that proves you don’t have to be human to be good people. Visit pulpular.com/portals2 for a brand-new episode.Catastrophic Calamaties, Exploring the famous and forgotten disasters of the 19th and 20th centuries. What could go wrong? Everything! Some listeners choose to support this podcast by checking in at the Safe House at www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian, to get early access, exclusive content, and whatever personal services you require.Some listeners don’t want to pledge monthly support but just want to send a few bucks this way. You can do that at www.buymeacoffee.com/crimehistorian. You can also subscribe to a $5 monthly or $50 annual membership!***Musical contributors include Nico Vitesse, Lucia La Rezza, Joyie, Danielle Mo, Dave Sams, Rachel Schott and David Hisch.Some music and sound effects licensed from podcastmusic.com.Media management by Sean Miller-JonesRichard O Jones, Executive Producer

SERIAL KILLER CLIPSA reading of Yesterday’s News exploring one of History’s most prolific murderers. The Mysteries Of Belle Gunness Episode 308 examines the strange story of Belle Gunness, which came to light only after her house burned down with her body presumably inside and a dozen or so bodies buried in the yard. There’s a lot of conjecture and debate about this case still going on today. Culled from the historic pages of the Chicago Tribune, the St. Louis Post Dispatch, and other newspapers of the era. A creation Of Pulpular Media Can’t wait for the next episode to drop? Download the new podcast app Himalaya and get all new episodes a day early, and drop a buck in the tip jar for True Crime Historian. Support your favorite podcaster at www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian. Just a dollar a month reserves your bunk at the safe house and access to exclusive content and whatever personal services you require. *** Opening theme by Nico Vitesse. Some music and sound effects licensed from podcastmusic.com. Closing theme by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music. Media management by Sean R. Miller-Jones Richard O Jones, Executive Producer

YESTERDAY’S NEWS --Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism...The First Mrs. KinkeadEpisode 258 tells the sad story of a nurse who fell in love with her patient. If you can believe her story, she may have been led on a bit, maybe outright deceived by his promises of marriage. But then, he marries another and the nurse turns stalker.For your delight and indignationA creation Of Pulpular MediaZipRecruiter. The smartest way to hire.Do your hair a favor with all natural Nutrafol and get your first bottle for $10 with subscription and promotional code TRUE at Nutrafol.com.***Opening theme by Nico Vitesse.Incidental music by Nico Vitesse.Closing theme by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music.Media management by Sean R. JonesProduction assistance by Emily Simer BraunRichard O Jones, Executive Producer

Episode 256 we return to the mother of all murder mysteries, the case of Lizzie Borden in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the verdict in her sensational trial, June 20, 1893. We again turn to the godfather of American True Crime, Edmund Pearson, the librarian who wrote slyly humorous takes of famous murder cases. His landmark essay, simply titled The Borden Case, makes up the first 119 pages of Pearson’s Studies in Murder, from which this episode is adapted.Bewilderment and indignation***A creation Of Pulpular MediaOpening theme by Nico Vitesse.Incidental music by Nico Vitesse.Closing theme by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music.Media management by Sean R. JonesProduction assistance by Emily Simer BraunRichard O Jones, Executive Producer

AN EYE FOR AN EYE --A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty...The Avondale HorrorEpisode 231 is a dark, dark tale of what happens when the population doesn’t die fast enough to keep the medical schools supplied with cadavers for dissecting: The resurrectionists start hitting people over the head to hasten the process and get their points. The reporting also includes some interesting stories about the craft of the grave robber.Culled from the historic pages of the Cincinnati Enquirer and other newspapers of the era.***Hosted by Wondery. @wonderymediaIt’s time to step up your watch game. Join the MVMT!ZipRecruiter. The smartest way to hire.You can eat like a gourmet and cook like a chef in your own kitchen with Blue Apron, a better way to cook. @BlueApronBe a part of the story. Get in the game at huntakiller.com/true***Theme music performed by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music.Incidental music from podcastmusic.com and musopen.org.Media management by Sean R. JonesProduction assistance by Emily Simer BraunRichard O Jones, Executive Producer

AN EYE FOR AN EYE --A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty...A Foul Deed In Ft. ThomasIn celebration of our 200th episode, I’m going to share one of my favorite local stories. The murder itself took place a state over, but one of the convicted murderers lived for a time in my hometown, and the sad story of Pearl Bryan is well-known in the three states involved, with many dubious legends and rumors abounding, and it’s said that her spirit haunts a Northern Kentucky nightclub. But what I really like about this story is that it has one of the most remarkable descriptions of an execution that I’ve come across. Enjoy.***Hosted by Wondery. @wonderymediaMember of the BombPod Media Network. @bombpodSimple Contacts. They don’t call it simple for nothing.***Incidental music by Nico VetteseTheme music performed by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music.Media management by Sean R. JonesProduction assistance by Emily Simer Braun

UNSOLVEDA special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring one of history’s most baffling murder mysteries.The Murder Of Elizabeth ShortBy listener request, Episode 196 follows the first month of the investigation of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated murder mysteries that begins when of a 22-year-old party girl turns up tortured, murdered, and mutilated by the side of a busy boulevard. She was such a runabout that when her body was identified by fingerprints, no one had realized she hadn’t been seen in five days. But the body was fresh.***Hosted by Wondery. @wonderymediaMember of the BombPod Media Network. @bombpod***Theme music performed by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music.Some incidental music by Chuck WigginsMedia management by Sean R. JonesProduction assistance by Emily Simer Braun

The Great Borden Hearing Begun.While Lizzie Borden waits in the Taunton jail for her preliminary hearing to see if she is to go on trial for the murder of her father and stepmother, the community’s sympathy is expressed in interviews to people close to her and the appearance of “a wild-eyed man” ready to take the blame from her shoulders.We will continue “The Lizzie Edition” in June 2018, the 125th anniversary of the famous trial of Lizzie Borden.***Theme music “My Ain Countrie” by Mary Lee Demarest, 1861, performed by Davide Severi with Plava Kuca on Violin.Media Management by Sean R. JonesProduction assistance by Emily Simer BraunDedicated to Rachel Michelle Jones, whose enthusiasm for the case prompted this monumental treatment.

Still in the middle of the inquest, Fall River officials finally feel as though they have enough evidence to make an arrest for the murder of Andrew J. Borden. She is sent to the jail in Taunton, Mass., where the matron turns out to be an old family friend.

Part II: The Hunt Progresses. The surviving members of the Borden household are being held as prisoners in their own home, even while officials literally take it apart searching for clues. Yet they remain mum on the contents of the ongoing inquest, leaving ample room for speculation.Theme music “My Ain Countrie” by Mary Lee Demarest, 1861, performed by Davide Severi with Plava Kuca on Violin.Media Management by Sean R. JonesProduction assistance by Emily Simer BraunDedicated to Rachel Michelle Jones, whose enthusiasm for the case prompted this monumental treatment.

Butchered in Broad Day --Episode 166...In commemoration of the 125th anniversary of America’s greatest murder mystery, True Crime Historian brings you “The Lizzie Edition,” and in-depth look at the murder of Andrew J. Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts, on August 4, 1892, and the trial of his daughter Lizzie Borden the following June....Theme music “My Ain Countrie” by Mary Lee Demarest, 1861, performed by Davide Severi with Plava Kuca on Violin....Media Management by Sean R. Jones...Production assistance by Emily Simer Braun...Dedicated to Rachel Michelle Jones, whose enthusiasm for the case prompted this monumental treatment.

Crane Neck Nugent, Prohibition TriggerThe Gangster ChroniclesBook Two, Chapter Six__Crane Neck gets arrested in a Florida speakeasy, then is quickly in the wind again. Meanwhile, the hunt for his former partner and archenemy Bob Zwick continues. When Zwick’s reign of terror finally ends, details of their worst exploits are revealed in court.__Music by Dave Samswww.truecrimehistorian.com/1925nugent

Crane Neck Nugent, Prohibition AssassinThe Gangster Chronicles 2.5Crane Neck returns to Cincinnati to do a favor for his old boss, Fat Wrassman: Even the score for the hit on George Murphy. But it means going after his partner, Bob “The Fox” Zwick. You don’t want to miss the showdown in the streets of Cincinnati between Fat Wrassman and Detective Dutch Schafer.- Music by Dave Sams-www.truecrimehistorian.com/1925nugent

Crane Neck Nugent, Prohibition TriggerThe Gangster Chronicles 2.4-Crane Neck Nugent’s career included work with the gang of Fred “Killer” Burke of St. Louis, whom he got to know when they served together as machine gunners in World War I. While no one was ever charged with the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, it is generally agreed that Al Capone hired the Burke gang, whom he called his “American Boys,” to take down his rival Bugs Moran. In this episode, we’ll also hear about Burke’s murder of a policeman in Michigan a few months after the massacre, his capture two years later when some of this information came to light.

Crane Neck Nugent: Prohibition Trigger -The Gangster Chronicles 2.3 -With the heat turned up high in Ohio, Crane Neck retreats to Kansas City to join the gang of his Army mentor Fred “Killer” Burke, the leader of his own gang there. A Toledo job goes south on the Burke gang, and a patrolman ends up dead from machine gun fire. Meanwhile Jack Parker, Todd Messner, Breck Lutes, Rodney Ford, and Bob Zwick hold up a craps game at the Pelican Club in North College Hill, killing the town marshal who stopped in to chew the fat. Later, Jack Parker is found dead outside Lebanon, Ohio. When the state’s chief witness in the first trial for the marshal’s murder turns up charred in an abandoned barbecue shack, police enhance their search for Crane Neck and Bob the Fox, while the surviving Dumele killers face the music.- Chapter 4: The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre -Music by Dave Sams

The Gangster Chronicles 2.2.2-George "Fat" Wrassman figures heavily (so to speak) in the saga of Crane Neck Nugent. While this case doesn't bear directly on Nugent's story, it tells you the kind of man that Fat was, and will help inform some of the action in a later episode, so I offer this as a bonus to The Gangster Chronicles Book Two at no extra charge.

Crane Neck Nugent: Prohibition Trigger-The Gangster Chronicles 2.2.1-YESTERDAY'S NEWS-The murders of Gus Fitch, Bob Sollick, Glenn Hiatt, Martin Dailey and Buddy Ryan. Crane Neck Nugent was involved in four of these, and will soon avenge a fifth.

Crane Neck Nugent, Prohibition Trigger -The Gangster Chronicles 2.1-YESTERDAY'S NEWS-A reading from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalismThe second volume of The Gangster Chronicles explores one of the many side effects of the Great Experiment, America's Prohibition on alcohol.I’ve often contended that Prohibition made criminals out of a lot of ordinary people who just wanted to drink and serve drinks. But it also gave some truly bad men an opportunity to misbehave.Although he had one of the worst nicknames names ever, Raymond "Crane Neck" Nugent, was one of the most ruthless of the era's gangsters.At 25, he went to trial for the murder of a bootlegger, and when the witness who came forward right after the event changed his mind at the trial -- well, we’ll look at that here in Chapter One.Before his own demise, Nugent would be suspected in at least 15 high-profile murders, including the most famous gangland massacre of the Prohibition era. Yeah, he was probably one of the guns at the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.-Musical direction by Dave Sams

 Murder Under the Crab Apple Tree By Damon RunyonWhen a friend of mine started pitching Hall-Mills murder to me as a potential episode, I was immediately enthralled by the tale of an Episcopalian rector and his tragic affair with the choir singer, but when he told me the case hinged on the eyewitness testimony of “the pig woman,” I knew this was a story for True Crime Historian. But it gets even better. I started looking into it and discovered that the famed sportswriter Damon Runyon covered the trial with the same breezy prose he used in the short stories he wrote that inspired the musical “Guys and Dolls,” with daily dispatches drawing vivid word pictures of the trial and its participants. I felt it worthy of in depth exploration, so we’ll be doing a six episode series released on consecutive Sundays to hear all about the case and its cast of characters as told by one of America’s premier storytellers, who turns out to also be a Pioneer of True Crime. 

 Panic at the Italian HallThis episode comes from the request of a listener in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan who wanted to know more about the panic disaster that took place at the Calumet Italian Hall in 1913. We just took nice camping trip to the Keneewah Peninsula, Michigan's upper Upper Peninsula. You'd be hard pressed to find a more beautiful place in the world. The weather was sublime and Lake Superior is one of my favorite bodies of water--crystal clear, unsalted and shark-free. My girlfriend wants to move up there, at least for the summers, and I'm not opposed.While we were there, we took the time to stop at Calumet and visited the memorial to the the Italian Hall. I'm usually a pretty cynical person, but I was truly moved to tears thinking about how horrible a person it took to instigate this tragedy, especially when most of the victims were little children. I took some pictures of the memorial and that evening, dug Episode 67 out of the vault, made a few edits, enhanced some of the audio, and while listening to it, found myself with the sniffles all over again. It’s a sad story, folks, but I think it’s an important one to remember because it’s all about what happens when we lose our civility. Theme music by Dave Sams Some incidental music via musopen.org Creative Commons license 

AN EYE FOR AN EYE-A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty.-This episode comes at the request of a faithful listener in Cincinnati who wanted to hear more about Anna Marie Hahn, the first woman to be executed in Ohio's electric chair.-Although ‘Arsenic Annie’ had stoically proclaimed her innocence right up until her dying day, Anna Marie Hahn left a handwritten 20-page confession in her death row cell on December 7, 1938, when they led her to Ohio’s electric chair, literally kicking and screaming.-In the letter, she not only takes responsibility for six murders, she denies other poisoning attempts and goes into details about her life and how she began her series what the governor called cold-blooded and horrifying crimes when he made the final decision to take her to the chair.-The letter is such a remarkable and revealing self-portrait, more entertaining than her pathetic execution, that I gave it to a professional actress, my friend and colleague Emily Simer Braun, to help bring out some of the nuances in this rare insight into the mind of a mass murderer.-Music by Dave Sams-www.truecrimehistorian.com/1938hahn

THE GANGSTER CHRONICLES A special edition of Yesterday’s News focusing on the notorious scoundrels of the Prohibition and Depression eras.The Final Chapter of the Dillinger Saga-The first volume of this this series has been devoted to the exploration of newspaper accounts of the trail of terror blazed by one of America’s most famous, dare I say most beloved, gangsters, John Dillinger.-From the time he was paroled from the Michigan City prison in May, 1933, to the time he was gunned down by police on a Chicago sidewalk 14 months later, John Herbert Dillinger was one of America’s most notorious scoundrels.-In previous chapters, we read the newspaper accounts of the escape of ten convicts from the Indiana penitentiary at Michigan City and the bloody delivery of Dillinger from the Lima, Ohio, jail; how Dillinger and his new gang blazed a trail of terror across the Midwest until he was captured in Tuscon, his second daring escape using a gun he made from broomstick, and his continuing reign of terror. Last month, we heard about one more narrow escape from the clutches of the law and one final bank robbery.-The narration for this episode was recorded on the main stage of the Biograph Theatre in Chicago, where Dillinger saw his last film just minutes before meeting his fate on the sidewalks of the Windy City. It was a movie theater then, and Dillinger, his hair dyed black, came here with two women to see Clark Gable in “Manhattan Melodrama,” and on the way out… Well, listen to this episode to see how it all shakes out.-Music by Chuck Wiggins-www.truecrimehistorian.com/1934dillingers0106

YESTERDAY'S NEWSA reading from America's historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism.Luke Brannon Thwarts a Lynching-The Classic Village of Oxford, Ohio, got so riled up over a shooting in a local saloon, that they bust open the jails and drag the culprits to the local hanging tree. The tree had been  used once before, and if you go to my archives, you can hear about that tale in the episode two, "An Outrageous Murder in Oxford," in which the town got so outraged over the apparent murder of one of the town matrons that they hung a dead man. A decade later, another Oxford mob attempts another lynching, but it doesn’t really go any better for them, not when brave Deputy Luke Brannon swoops in just in the nick of time.-Music by Chuck Wiggins

THE GANGSTER CHRONICLES 1.5A special edition of Yesterday's News focusing on the notorious scoundrels of the Prohibition and Depression eras.-We're beginning this series with newspaper accounts of the trail of terror blazed by one of America's most famous, dare I say most beloved, gangsters, John Dillinger.-From the time he was paroled from the Michigan City prison in May, 1933, to the time he was gunned down by police on a Chicago sidewalk 14 months later, John Herbert Dillinger was one of America's most notorious scoundrels.-In previous chapters, we read the newspaper accounts of the escape of ten convicts from the Indiana penitentiary at Michigan City and the bloody delivery of Dillinger from the Lima, Ohio, jail; how Dillinger and his new gang blazed a trail of terror across the Midwest until he was captured in Tuscon, his second daring escape using a gun he made from broomstick, and his continuing reign of terror. In this chapter, we’ll hear about one more narrow escape from the clutches of the law and one final bank robbery.I’m pleased to announce that on Sunday, May 8, I will be recording the final chapter of the Dillinger saga from the main stage of the Biograph Theatre in Chicago, where Dillinger saw his last film just minutes before meeting his fate on the sidewalks of the Windy City. Please visit my website, www.truecrimehistorian.com, for updates on that event.-Musical Direction by Chuck Wiggins

TRUE CRIME STORY TIMEThe Sad Tale of Anna May Gamble Knapp-Around the jails and the Indiana and Ohio neighborhoods where he lived, Alfred Knapp carried the nickname “Looney” Knapp for his bizarre, often childish behavior. He spent half of his adult life in prison for petty larcenies and attacks upon young women. When he was released from the Michigan City Penitentiary in the summer of 1902, he joined his third wife, Hannah, in her hometown of Hamilton, Ohio. Three days before Christmas that year, Knapp strangled his wife in the early morning hours and put her body in a box and put the box in the Great Miami River, then told everyone that Hannah had left him. Some in his family became suspicious, and when he remarried two months later, they had him arrested for bigamy. Alfred Knapp then not only confessed to killing his wife, but four other women in Cincinnati and Indianapolis, including his second wife. Consequently, “The Strangler Knapp” became a Midwest sensation and dozens of newspapers sent reporters to cover the case.-One of the many things that makes the Knapp case a remarkable story worth telling is the intense family and courtroom drama that was chronicled in the extensive press coverage. One of the most colorful real-life characters in this tale is the young, simple-minded fourth wife, from whose bed he was arrested for bigamy at four in the morning. So I want to tell you her story in a series of excerpts from my latest book, The First Celebrity Serial Killer: Confessions of the Strangler Alfred Knapp.-I invite you to visit my website, www.truecrimehistorian.com, for source information and instructions on how you can buy an inscribed edition of “The First Celebrity Serial Killer.”

TRUE CRIME STORY TIMEThe Saga of the Scoundrel Thomas McGehanA true crime short story by Richard O Jones-On Christmas eve, 1870, three men attack a local politician with boulders and slungshots, and at least a dozen men scramble for the door while five shots pepper the faro room at the American Saloon in Hamilton, Ohio. One of bullets kills the politician, Thomas Myers, but in their haste, none of the gamblers see who fired the gun. The blame falls on the leader of the gang of thugs who attacked Myers, his political rival Thomas McGehan. At his trial the famed former Congressman, exiled Copperhead and gubernatorial candidate Clem Vallandigham, who literally gives his life to McGehan’s defense.-For a complete list of sources for this podcast, please visit www.truecrimehistorian.com, where you can also find newspaper clippings and drawings from this case, including a diagram of the layout of the American saloon, as well as more stories about the scandals, scoundrels and scourges of America’s past, along with information about my true crime books and my Two-Dollar Terror series of historical crime novellas.-Music by Chuck Wiggins

THE GANGSTER CHRONICLES 1.4-The Gangster Chronicles is a special edition of Yesterday's News focusing on the notorious scoundrels of the Prohibition and Depression eras.-We're beginning this series with newspaper accounts of the trail of terror blazed by one of America's most famous, dare I say most beloved, gangsters, John Dillinger.-From the time he was paroled from the Michigan City prison in May, 1933, to the time he was gunned down by police on a Chicago sidewalk 14 months later, John Herbert Dillinger was one of America's most notorious scoundrels.-In chapter one, we looked at the escape of ten convicts from the Indiana penitentiary at Michigan City and the bloody delivery of Dillinger from the Lima, Ohio. In Chapter Two, Dillinger and his new gang blazed a trail of terror across the Midwest. In chapter three, Dillinger gets quietly captured in Tuscon, but makes another daring escape, this time, using a gun he made from broomstick.-With Dillinger again in the wind, state and now federal police launch a desperate manhunt while the gangster continues his trail of terror.-For source information and clips related to this installment of the Gangster Chronicles, visit www.truecrimehistorian.com, where you can also find additional stories about the scandals, scoundrels and scourges of America's past, as well as information about my books and my TwoDollar Terror series of true crime novellas.-And come back here next month for Chapter 5 in the Dillinger saga when the notorious scoundrel once more narrowly escape arrest in a deadly police raid at Little Bohemia.Lodge in Wisconsin.-Musical direction by Chuck Wiggins.

THE GANGSTER CHRONICLES 1.3Yesterday's NewsA reading from America's historic newspapers-From the time he was paroled from the Michigan City prison in May, 1933, to the time he was gunned down by police on a Chicago sidewalk 14 months later, John Herbert Dillinger was one of America's most notorious scoundrels.-In chapter one, we looked at the escape of ten convicts from the Indiana penitentiary at Michigan City and the subsequent delivery of Dillinger from the Lima, Ohio, jail that led to the death of Sheriff Jesse Sarber. In Chapter Two, Dillinger and his new gang blazed a trail of terror across the Midwest.-Now, the wanted desperados have made their way to Tuscon, Arizona, to escape the heat of Chicago, but a hotel fire spells the beginning of the end for most of the outlaw gang.-Musical direction by Chuck Wiggins.-Produced by Richard O Jones

THE GANGSTER CHRONICLES 1.2A reading from America’s historic newspapers from the golden age of yellow journalism-Law enforcement officials and fellow bandits alike lose their lives in the hunt for the desperate criminals who escaped from the Michigan City prison and murdered a sheriff in getting John Dillinger out of jail. In the meantime, Dillinger and his companions continue their spree of mayhem across the Mid [...]

THE GANGSTER CHRONICLES 1.1Yesterday's NewsA Reading from America’s Historic Newspapers-In this first volume of "The Gangster Chronicles," we will follow the trail of terror blazed by one of America's most famous, perhaps most beloved, gangsters, John Dillinger. From the time he was paroled from the Michigan City prison in May, 1933, to the time he was gunned down by police on a Chicago sidewalk in front of the Biograph Theater 14 months later, John Herbert Dillinger was one of America's most notorious scoundrels. Chapter One will detail some of Dillinger's earliest known robberies and his murderous escape from the Lima jail. We plan to tell the Dillinger saga in five chapters. After this first one, you can expect a new installment at 7 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month. We're considering the options for Volume 2 and are welcome to suggestions. Please email us at truecrimehistorian@outlook.com with your thoughts.-Music by Audionautix. Theme song by Josh Woodward.