Pine Overcoat

A magician who won an Olympic gold medal and majored in exercise science at Yale ended up inventing what’s been described by some as the most dangerous children’s toy of all time. He also saved Christmas during WWI. There’s a lot to unpack here. Enjoy!

According to inmates and staff who knew Robert Stroud, the books and movies got it wrong in their portrayals of him. This is the real story of Robert Stroud, Birdman of Alcatraz.

The colonists were trying to grow a new settlement in a time when miasma theory still ruled, bloodletting was the hottest cure-all, and germ theory was nonexistent. What could go wrong? Well, a lot. Please leave a review or rating if you haven’t already done so, subscribe to the show, find us on social media, and share these episodes with friends. You can find the artifact collections mentioned in this episode at www.historicjamestowne.org

Last Friday a female corrections officer appears to have helped an inmate escape from the Lauderdale County Prison in Alabama. The inmate, Casey White, was scheduled to stand trial for murder in June. The CO, Vicky White, had turned in her retirement papers the day before. Was she threatened into this plan, or did she orchestrate it willingly? Your guess is as good as mine. But they remain at large as of this recording.

Everything from a glass dress displayed at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair to poisonous orange socks and lethal face cream. Not every idea can be a good one, right?

Imagine your loved one gets murdered, their body is put on display and down the street at the wax museum they’re recreating the person’s murder. This episode talks about how the Paris Morgue became a tourist attraction for a while, as well as why people dressed up their dead infants or other loved ones for photos.

The early 19th century was a tricky time to be alive, with the cholera, syphilis and lack of germ theory. That’s why many people looked to guys like Sylvester Graham for guidance on how to live a long healthy life, even if it meant giving up meat and masturbation.

Depending on who you ask, Dr. Crippen may have murdered his wife and dismembered her body, burying the torso in the basement. Or maybe he didn't. Maybe he killed someone else. MAYBE, he didn't kill anyone at all. Let me know what you think at the end by leaving a comment if you’re listening on Spotify. Or send an email to [email protected]

You probably know the highlight reel of Harry Houdini’s life. I’m going to give you more of a play by play. Dig into who Houdini really was, what made him tick. Learn about all the failures before he finally achieved success. You can find the two books I used for research, and many more, on ThriftBooks. One is called ‘The Great Houdini.’ The other is ‘Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls’

You probably know the highlight reel of Harry Houdini’s life. I’m going to give you more of a play by play. Dig into who Houdini really was, what made him tick. Learn about all the failures before he finally achieved success. You can find the two books I used for research, and many more, on ThriftBooks. One is called ‘The Great Houdini.’ The other is ‘Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls’

When Europeans found out about orchids, they couldn’t get enough. They were obsessed. Wealthy people started sending plant hunters on expeditions all over the world to bring back rare plants. Things got a little out of hand. People were fighting, stealing, even peeing on rival’s plant collections.

When I think of Halloween, sure, I think of ghosts and ghouls and goblins. But I also think of sugar. Candy. This got me thinking about two different stories. One is about how US Marines used Tootsie Rolls to get out of a bad situation. The other is about a mysterious soda machine that dispensed all sorts of unusual drinks, before one day vanishing into thin air (while continuing to post on social media.)

There are lots of theories about Earhart’s disappearance. Captured by the Japanese? Taken to middle earth or outer space? Or maybe, just maybe, she survived an emergency landing on a remote island, only to end up as dinner for a consortium of giant crabs.

The largest bomb detonated in space, and the largest bomb ever donated. This episode is full of Cold War fun facts. You’ll come away feeling grateful the US didn’t pursue its plan to bomb the moon. Enjoy

I figured it was probably time to do an episode related to the title of the podcast. Full disclosure, there will be a lot of talk about dead bodies in this episode. You’ve been warned.

For this episode, Jessie discusses an element of Scientology she is really not a fan of- the Purification Rundown.

Faye Schulman was born in a small town in Poland near the Soviet border. Her town was occupied by the Soviets before it was invaded by Germany during WWII. Learn about the role Schulman played during those war years. She was a brave and talented woman.

They can smell drugs, chemicals, sickness, death and time. And we should be grateful

That’s right y’all, NASA is headed back to Venus after neglecting our twin planet for three decades. And you know why? Phosphine gas.

A town created by a fake doctor with a dream and a talent for scamming.