Episode 27: The Belle Gunness Murders

September 12, 2022September 12, 2022 / Samantha Engel / Leave a comment

What caused a series of Norwegians to move to a small town in Indiana, never to be seen again? In this episode, Samantha and Aaron explore the murders of Belle Gunness in La Porte, Indiana and the mystery surrounding her own death. Often referred to as a female Bluebeard (which Samantha takes issue with), the pair dive into the tale of this famous serial killer and discuss a variety of issues dealing with memory, gender dynamics, and mental health.

Belle Gunness Image courtesy of allthatsinteresting.com
The Gunness Farm Image courtesy of allthatsinteresting.com
Ray Lamphere Image courtesy of allthatsinteresting.com
Belle Gunness pictured with her children Image courtesy of allthatsinteresting.com

Time Stamps

Intro- 0:21
Who was Belle?- 2:24
Her First Husband- 5:50
A Second Marriage- 10:05
Mail Order Men- 16:00
The Farm is On Fire- 31:32
But Whose Body Is It?- 36:34
Identity Crisis- 43:33
Picnic at the Crime Scene- 47:25
Ghosts on the Farm- 50:07
Female Serial Killers- 51:49

Further Reading

This article from the La Porte, Indiana library provides a thorough overview of the case.

You can find information about Cesare Lombroso here.

Episode 21: The Whitechapel Club

May 23, 2022May 22, 2022 / Samantha Engel / Leave a comment

Club? Professional networking opportunity? Secret society? In Gilded-Age Chicago, the Whitechapel Club was a little bit of all of these. Join Samantha and Aaron as they explore the origins, activities, and membership of this macabre circle of journalists. Along the way, enjoy a story from a belly dancer, phrenology, and a ritualistic funeral pyre on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Time Stamps

Introduction: Secret Societies- 1:11
Club Life in the Gilded Age- 6:40
Establishing the Whitechapel Club- 11:00
Club Activities- 14:14
Mid-way Break- 25:07
The End of the Whitechapel Club- 31:26
Who was a Member?- 33:53
The Funeral Pyre- 37:10
Professionalization, Phrenology, the Morbid, and the Occult- 42:11

The Chicago Press Club ca. 1894 Image courtesy of chipress.tripod.com
Kinney Brothers (American) Omene, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, 1890 American, Albumen photograph; Sheet: 1 7/16 × 2 1/2 in. (3.7 × 6.4 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick (63.350.220.245.1409) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/656155
The Whitechapel Club Image courtesy of chipress.tripod.com

Episode 20: The Rattle Run Murder

May 9, 2022May 8, 2022 / Samantha Engel / Leave a comment

What happens when a bloody torso is found in a small Michigan church in 1909? With no immediate identification of the body, no apparent motive for the crime, and mysterious rumors in town, investigators threw out numerous hypotheses and put out BOLOs in surrounding states and Canada. And, while this crime does end with a confession, the reasons for it are still a mystery. Check out this week’s episode to hear Samantha and Aaron share the story of the Rattle Run Murder and come up with a few hypotheses of their own!

Time Stamps:

A Body in the Church!- 2:38
Suspicions Arise- 7:17
A Blood Sacrifice- 14:43
But Where’s the Reverend?- 18:14
Midway Break- 21:46
A Letter from John Elder- 27:14
Newspaper Reactions- 32:55
Possible Motives- 35:37
Sam and Aaron Hot Takes- 41:58

For a complete transcription of one of the confession letters, see the Lost in Michigan website here.

Episode 19: Gangster Ghosts of St. Paul

April 25, 2022April 24, 2022 / Samantha Engel / Leave a comment

Haunted histories can be fun and they can allow people to explore actual history along with deeper metaphysical questions. But where is the line between haunted history and haunted attraction? In this episode Samantha and Aaron dive into the stories of two haunted locations in St. Paul, Minnesota that have connections to Prohibition and, perhaps, gangster ghosts. Perhaps? Maybe?

Timestamps:

Intro- 2:14
What’s the Deal with Prohibition? – 3:34
The Wabasha Street Caves – 12:30
Mid-Way Break- 35:32
The Schmidt Brewery- 43:17
Why do Gangsters Intrigue Us?- 52:11
Ghost Tourism, History Tourism, and Dark Tourism- 54:45
The Boundaries Between History and Legend- 55:57

Schmidt’s Brewing ca. 1905, Image courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
Wabasha Street Caves Bar, Image courtesy of
Wabasha Street Caves Exterior
Schmidt Brewery

Further Reading
Adrian Lee. Mysterious Minnesota: Digging up the Ghostly Past at 13 Haunted Sites. 2nd Edition, 2017.

Episode 15: Were There Witches in Whitewater?

February 28, 2022February 28, 2022 / Samantha Engel / 1 Comment

America’s “Second Salem,” you say? We’re on it! Aaron and Samantha dive in to explore the legends surrounding the town of Whitewater, Wisconsin. When they got down to the sources did they find evidence of witchcraft, cursed books, murder, and spiritualists? You’ll have to tune in to find out. The pair put their history skillz (yes, with a ‘z’) to the test in “Were There Witches in Whitewater?”.

Intro- 00:20
Whitewater Background- 02:15
The Legends- 04:29
Morris Pratt- 09:40
Pratt’s Spiritualist Temple- 12:27
Midway Break- 17:58
The Morris Pratt Institute- 23:26
Spiritualism 101- 26:21
Mary Worth- 38:38
Real Murder in Whitewater- 46:13
Wrapping It All Up- 52:45