A Good Night For a Murder

True crime can be disturbing to listen to. But occasionally, something good comes from the fallout. For example, before the Pharmacy Act of 1868, there were no rules for storing or dispensing of controlled substances. This story helped right that. This is the story of the Bradford Sweet poisoning.

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By the time you’re done listening to this episode, my hope is that you too will have the same one lingering question circling around in your brain about this case, as I have for weeks. And that question is: Why was no one covered in blood? Because when they make up a rhyme that goes, "Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks, When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one." Well, someone ought to be caught red handed for that crime, right? But no one ever was. This is the case of Lizzie Borden.

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While researching stories for this podcast, I realized the content was skewing heavily towards violent crimes against women. And while those are important stories to tell, I wanted to make sure I was bringing a variety of topics to the table, and that is when I came across the story of a Victorian doomsday sex cult. You heard me right! A Victorian cult whose name translates to the Abode of Love. Please settle in for the story of the Agapemonites.
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I know you’re all here for a good Victorian murder story, but buckle up for this one folks, it is not for the faint of heart. The subject of tonight’s story is sometimes referred to as “the female Sweeny Todd.” If you don’t know, Sweeny Todd is a famous fictional character who first appeared in 1846 in penny dreadful publications. The character was a barber that would slit the throats of his clients, so his partner in crime could bake their bodies into pies and sell them to the unexpecting public. 

But that is fiction! Tonight’s story is rooted in real events. This is the story of Kate Webster.

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This is a special bonus episode to celebrate Pride Month! As a show that focuses exclusively on the Victorian era and crime, we cannot gloss over the fact that many facets of LGBTQ+ lifestyles were, in fact, considered criminal during the time period. And as I share this brief history with you, you may find yourself thinking, “Wow, thank goodness things aren’t like that any more…” but do not for a second make the mistake that LGBTQ+ people are safe living in today’s society, okay? There are a lot of opportunities, this month especially, for you to learn about and support LGBTQ+ people. So with that, please enjoy this special bonus episode on the Victorians and LGBTQ+ pride!
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I know you’re all here for a good Victorian murder story, but buckle up for this one folks, it is not for the faint of heart. The subject of tonight’s story is sometimes referred to as “the female Sweeny Todd.” If you don’t know, Sweeny Todd is a famous fictional character who first appeared in 1846 in penny dreadful publications. The character was a barber that would slit the throats of his clients, so his partner in crime could bake their bodies into pies and sell them to the unexpecting public.  But that is fiction! Tonight’s story is rooted in real events. This is the story of Kate Webster.
Follow along on Instagram or TikTok @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

For our first episode, I thought we’d start with a case that has a little bit of everything. A scandal within the upper echelons of Scottish Victorian society, a salacious affair, and of course, a poisoning. This is the case of murderess Madeleine Smith.

I am excited to share tonight’s story with you because while well known locally where I live, it is not widely known. Also, it combines two of my favorite things to talk about - true crime and hauntings. If ever a murder victim had reason to haunt somewhere, this is it. This is the story of Tillie Smith.

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I want you to think back for just a second about the early days of COVID. It was a scary time! The government responded by mandating schools and businesses to close, they ordered curfews, shelter in place, and stay at home orders. And we all had to get on board too, because you could be spreading it and not even know! 

But what if the health department, and the police, showed up at your home and said, “We think you’re spreading COVID, and you need to come with us…” Absolutely no one would stand for that! Right? 

Well, in the 19th century, government officials had started to realize that public health was a thing they needed to be concerned with. Germ theory had started to take root and people were being asked to adopt all sorts of cleanliness practices that no one thought twice about before. So they were kind of starting to figure out the “why,” but what to do about it was still notfully baked.

Because in 1906, the health department and police did show up at someone’s door, take them away, and force them to quarantine for a cumulative 26 years on an island in the East River in New York City. 

This is the story of Mary Mallon, otherwise known as Typhoid Mary.

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Welcome to A Good Night for a Murder, a Victorian true crime podcast.

New episodes are released every other week and cover notorious cases like Jack the Ripper and Lizzie Borden, to lesser known (but equally fascinating) cases like Cordelia Botkins, the “death by chocolate” murderer, and con artist Cassie Chadwick who posed as the illegitimate heiress of Andrew Canegie in order to defraud banks out of millions, and so many more.

Follow along on Instagram or TikTok @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforaurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to Podcasts.