True Crime Historian

Amos Lunsford Meets His MatchEpisode 175 comes by the way of a request from a listener in North Carolina who wanted to know more about this incident, a fight about a horse at a church revival camp that gets out of hand. There might have been whiskey involved. Go figure.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

The Scoundrel Gershon MarxEpisode 447 retains a lot of the discrepancies in the reporting of the story, so don’t be alarmed at conflicting versions of the same incidents. I can’t say for certain that they ever got some of the names right, but nothing could be more wrong in so many ways than the theatrical adaptation of the case that takes place at the denouement.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

The Bloody Record Of Henry Plummer And His GangEpisode 422 hearkens back to the wild wild West, in the days following the great gold rush. Much of the story takes place in Bannack, Montana, which is now a state park and ghost town, and follows the career of one of the most notorious gangs of the day and the rise of the citizen's committee that puts an end to it.Adapted from the books "The Story of the Outlaw" by Emerson Hough and "The Montana Vigilantes, Or Popular Justice In The Rocky Mountains" by Thomas J. Dimsdale, the first newspaperman in Montana.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

The Murder Of The Duchess Of PraslinEpisode 213 is dedicated to listener Clair Stephenson, who reached out after watching the 1940 move "All This And Heaven Too", the story of a scandalous murder in the courts of France that helped precipitate the French Revolution. Based on dispatches to London, the real story is not quite the Hollywood version, but I can definitely see Bette Davis as Henriette Deluzy.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Mrs. Peete’s Private BurialsEpisode 420 recalls one of America’s lesser-known serial killers, Louise Peete. There’s never been a book or a movie about her, yet during her murderous career, her Southern charm and polite matronly manner made her a nation-wide front page sensation, with some newspapers printing literally every word of her trial as well as fawning feature stories.Culled from the historic pages of the Los Angeles Express, the Los Angeles Times, and other newspapers from the era.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Clue Of The Antique DimesEpisode 445 is the tale of a pair of simple-minded lumberjack cousins who go to extreme and cruel measures to exact revenge against a mountain recluse. But what price will they pay?Culled from the historic pages of the Denver Post 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 Doctor's Wife And The Dumpy Little Chicken ManEpisode 186 explores another eternal triangle resulting in murder. This time, it's the young-ish wife of an elderly doctor who plots with a neighboring poultry salesman to put a deadly end to her marriage. Obviously, it doesn't end well for them, or they wouldn't be on this show.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

The Suitor V. The ShotgunEpisode 419 tells the story of a family’s downfall, precipitated by a general disdain for the 25-year-old suitor of a 17-year-old daughter. Things go particularly awry when the suitor makes a valiant last-ditch effort to win the love of the family he hoped to be his in-laws, but a shotgun blast proves more potent than true love.Culled from the historic pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer 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 Ordeal Of C. Frederick KohlEpisode 444 is the strange story of a double tragedy. On one side we have a woman apparently driven insane with the desire to avenge crimes that exist only in her own mind. Her obsession has serious consequences for an innocent man.Culled from the historic pages of the San Francisco Examiner, the San Francisco Chronicle, 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 Ordeal Of June RoblesEpisode 224 explores the sensational kidnapping for ransom of a young Tucscon girl, the favorite granddaughter of one of the city's pioneers. It's a story as frustrating as it is heartbreaking as a legion of pursuers doggedly but fruitlessly seek the kidnapper.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Teen Mother In A Murder TrialEpisode 418 concerns a robbery gone awry and features a colorful woman in the case, a teenage bigamist and mother, whose salty ways and love for her baby make her a little bit endearing, in spite of her crimes.The Tesmer case, referred to in the prologue, is the subject of Episode 234, Mrs. Carrick’s Rouge And Whiskers, available only to residents of the Safe House. Reserve your bunk at www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian where you can enjoy other treasures from the True Crime Historian vault, exclusive episodes, ad-free editions of all new episodes, and whatever personal services you require.Culled from the historic pages of the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers of the era.Ad-Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Murder In The OzarksEpisode 442 shows how a small town in Arkansas splits down the middle when the son of the local justice of the peace is accused of the brutal murder of a popular young lady.Culled from the historic pages of the Daily Arkansas Gazette, the Arkansas Democrat, 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 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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

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 EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

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.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.