Notorious Narratives

We have all played with a Ouija board, but few of us truly think we are contacting the dead. But in mid 19th century two young girls, The Fox Sisters, were doing just that. These two women would inspire the birth of Spiritualism in the United States that would incite a national frenzy. But fame came at a price, as it always does. In this episode, Jen will tell their tale of fame, seances, alcoholism and shame. 

What happens when tens of thousands of children decide to take on a Holy Crusade? Nothing good. In this episode, Jen regales you with the legend of the Children's Crusade or well...crusades. 

As if pulled from the silver screen the legend of The Red Ghost once struck fear in the citizens of the Arizona territory. The bleeding demon that trampled the helpless to death was a legend that went as wild as a brush fire. In this episode, Jen asks to grab a seat by the campfire as she tells you a tale that is almost unbelievable, except that its all true.

No matter what you think, there are documented stories of catastrophe each time that Halley's Comet has come whizzing by. In this episode, Robin tells you the history of this visitor and the panic it caused the good citizens of Earth in 1910. 

Mother's Day, a day to give cards, flowers and breakfasts in bed, to celebrate your mother. But few now how this holiday came to be. In this episode, Robin tells you the tale of the "inventor" of the American Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis, who in the end found the holiday to be not so happy. 

In the second part of the tale, we join this infamous duo of Victorian Resurrectionists and find them in the midst of a murder spree that used the anatomy theaters of The University of Edinburgh as their dumping grounds. In this episode, Jen will tell you how this grisly group was finally brought to justice. But don't worry, if you find yourself missing Burke when we are done you can always visit him....listen to find out where!

This is a tale of supply and demand at it's darkest. As medical knowledge grew so did the field of anatomy. Courses in anatomy that offered students the opportunity to study real human specimens were highly sought after in the 19th century and were considered the highest form of medical training. But where does one procure human specimens?  In this episode, Jen will introduce to the Victorian era's most sinister duo, Burke and Hare, who met the demand for bodies by any means necessary. 

We have all seen the photo. You know the one. The one where the smiling tourist appears to be holding up or being crushed by The Leaning Tower of Pisa. But why does the tower lean? Will it ever just fall? In this episode, Robin teaches you the history of its notorious construction and the beautiful mistake that made it famous. 

If you have ever set foot on the beautiful island of Jamaica you may have heard of the White Witch. Steeped in history, legend, voodoo and slave rebellion this tale has it all. In this episode, Jen takes you on spooky island tour that is like no other. 

Prohibition was supposed to lead to an era of morality and a resurgence of American family values. But what happens when people do not comply, how do you punish an entire culture? In this episode, Robin will tell you the story of how the American government set to punish its rebellious citizens.

They say that money does't buy happiness and for The Lemp Family this saying was certainly true. Though blessed with health, wealth and success, generations of this family never found happiness. Plagued with divorce and suicide, members of the family and the media began rumors of a family curse. In this episode, Robin tells the tale of the cursed Lemp Family of St. Louis.

For every scar there is a story, and for Major Henry Rathbone the deep scar that ran along his arm told a tale of a night that changed his life forever. Rathbone and his wife, Clara, were part of DC's elite and were guests in a very infamous box at Ford's Theatre on the one of the worst nights in American history. In this episode, Jen tells the story of a life turned tragic and a story that is the loose basis for The Shining. 

Sometimes a story is so unbelievable that it must be true. That is the case for the legend of Mike Malloy. Times were tough in NYC during The Great Depression and people thought of all sorts of schemes to make money, even murder. In this episode, Jen introduces you to a band of hapless criminals and one tough Irishman who became known as The Rasputin of the Bronx.

The Dust Bowl is one of the worst manmade ecologic disasters in human history. As the Depression took hold, many Americans began fleeing the overcrowded cities of the east coast looking for a lucrative future in farming. The American Dream. But what awaited them was far more sinister. In this episode, Robin takes a look at the decade that literally changed the American landscape: The Dirty Thirties.

Today we know that it is necessary to wash your hands. Most of us know what a disease carrier is. But in the early 20th century these concepts were high science and for one Irish immigrant cook they were impossible to understand. It this episode, Jen tells you how peach ice cream became a killer dessert.