In the first half of the 19th century, there was a single murder that, having ensnared the English countryside in a web of scandal, permeated throughout society and popular culture for decades after its conclusion. Having all the elements of a story written as a gothic thriller, theso-named Red Barn murder sparked a year-long mystery, culminating in a revelation that exposed a history of darkness, hidden beneath a façade of respectability that shocked the nation to its core.

Harley, Laurence (1988) The Church And Parish of Polstead, Suffolk. BGA Print, Suffolk, UK.

McCorristine, Shane (2014) William Corder & The Red Barn Murder: Journeys of the Criminal Body. Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire, UK.

Maggs, Peter (2015) Murder in the Red Barn: The Tragic Story of Maria Martin and William Corder. Mirli Books Ltd. Essex, UK.

Foster, George (1828) An Accurate Account of the Trial of William Corder. George Foster, London, UK.

Gibbs, Dorothy & Maltby, Herbert (1949) The True Story of Maria Marten. East Anglian Magazine, UK.

Morning Chronicle (1828) Horrible Murder. Morning Chronicle, Thurs 24 April 1828, p3. London, UK.

Morning Chronicle (1828) The Mysterious Murder. Morning Chronicle, Sat 26 April 1828, p3. London, UK.

Morning Chronicle (1828) Murder At Polstead. Morning Chronicle, Mon 28 April 1828, p3. London, UK.

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

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Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

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Following the first world war, Germany, having never found its feet economically throughout the conflict, now found itself crumbling under the further weight of heavy reparations. Many of those that had survived the fighting found themselves in a desperate state, carrying out all sorts of underground, legally dubious, or just straight up illegal activities, in order to get by. There were some that thrived in the lawless environment, profiteering from others misfortune, and then there were others, a very select few, who not only thrived, but positively excelled at breaking the law, and amongst those, there were one or two who did so in some very dark ways. Friedrich Haarmann was one such individual. Trading used clothing by day, he carried out a series of brutal murders that would earn him the monikers of “The Butcher of Hanover,” “The Wolf Man,” and “The Vampire of Hanover.” Perhaps even more frightening than his nicknames, was the attitude of the man himself, who once told a shocked audience, “Oh believe me, I’m not ill, it’s only that I occasionally have funny turns.”

SOURCES

Theodor, Lessing (1925) Monsters of Weimar. Haarmann - The Story of a Werewolf. Nemesis Books, London, UK.

Daily News (1924) Behead Me! Vampire Slayer Cries, Raving, Tossing In Cell. Daily News, Sun 13 July 1924, p36. NY, USA

The Muncie Morning Star (1925) Germany To Behead Both Murderers. The Muncie Morning Star, Fri 6 Feb 1925, p1. IN, USA.

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

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Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

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Hi everyone, something a little different this week, but I'll be back as usual with next episode. Thanks as always!

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

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Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

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The ingenuity of the criminal class has rarely been criticised for lacking in imagination. One of the finer examples of this concept was put on full display in America, on the eve of the presidential election in 1876, When a group of shady crooks, who took the American Dream of making money a little too literally, decided they needed to bust one of their own from prison. The affair that unfurled led to one of the strangest stories in criminal history, featuring a small bag of relatively useless tools, an undercover secret service informant and the remains of a dead president.

Stahlman Speer, Bonnie (1997) The Great Abraham Lincoln Hijack. Reliance Press, USA.

Craughwell, Thomas J. (2009) Stealing Lincoln’s Body. Belknap Press, USA.

Rhodes, Karl (2012) The Counterfeiting Weapon. Econ Focus, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, vol. 16(1Q), pages 34-37.

Tarnoff, Ben (2011) Moneymakers: The Wicked Lives and Surprising Adventures of Three Notorious Counterfeiters. Penguin Press, London, UK.

Power, John Carroll (1875) Abraham Lincoln: His Life, Public Services, Death & Great Funeral Cortege… Edwin A. Wilson & Co. Springfield, USA.

Glaser, Lynn (1960) Counterfeiting In America. Clarkson N. Potter, USA

The Rock Island Argus (1875) The Counterfeit Plates Found. The Rock Island Argus, Wed 3 Nov 1875, p2. Illinois, USA.

Chicago Tribune (1876) Horrible - Dastardly Attempt To Despoil The Lincoln Monument. Chicago Tribune, Wed 8 Nov 1876, p5. Chicago, USA.

Chicago Tribune (1876) Lincoln - The Violators Of His Tomb Arrested In This City. Chicago Tribune, Sat 18 Nov 1876, p1. Chicago, USA.

Chicago Tribune (1876) Lincoln’s Remains. Chicago Tribune, Sun 19 Nov 1876, p8. Chicago, USA.

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

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Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

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In Victorian England, the press were never shy of calling a crime the “sensation of the century” or a murder, “the most astonishing the world had ever seen.” When the body of a young woman showed up on the beach of a popular seaside resort town, no-one would have imagined it would provoke just such proclamations. As the story unravelled, and the winding, and at times, explosive court case drew on, however, it became clear that not only would it provoke such headlines, but it would also be entirely worthy of many of them.

Majoribanks, Edward (1929) The Life of Sir Edward Marshall Hall. Victor Gollanz Ltd. London, UK.

Donovan, Kim (2024) The Mysterious Mrs Hood. Seven Dials Publishing, London, UK.

Hulme, Mike (2010) ‘Telling a different tale’ literary, historical and meteorological readings of a Norfolk heatwave. Climactic Change, UK.

Dade, Richard (2007) Photographs and information about Great Yarmouth Rows. Retrieved March 12, 2024, from http://www.ourgreatyarmouth.org.uk/page_id__54.aspx

Eastern evening News (1900) Terrible Crime At Yarmouth. Eastern Evening News, Mon 24 Sep, 1900.  P3. Norfolk, UK.

Eastern evening News (1900) Yarmouth Beach Tragedy. Eastern Evening News, Tues 25 Sep, 1900. P3. Norfolk, UK.

Eastern evening News (1900) Yarmouth Beach Tragedy. Eastern Evening News, Wed 26 Sep, 1900. P3. Norfolk, UK.

Eastern evening News (1900) Yarmouth Beach Tragedy. Eastern Evening News, Thurs 27 Sep, 1900. P3. Norfolk, UK.

Eastern evening News (1900) The Tragedy On Yarmouth Sands. Eastern Evening News, Fri 28 Sep, 1900. P3. Norfolk, UK.

East Anglian Times (1900) Funeral Of The Victim. East Anglian Times, Sat 29 Sep, 1900. P3. Norfolk, UK.

Weekly Dispatch (1900) Yarmouth Murder Mystery. Weekly Dispatch, Sun 30 Sep, 1900. P11. London, UK.

Evening Star (1900) Yarmouth Denes Murder. Evening Star, Thurs 8 Nov, 1900. P2. London, UK.

Sleaford Gazette (1900) The Yarmouth Tragedy. Sleaford Gazette, Sat 24 Nov, 1900. P7. UK.

Echo (1900) Yarmouth Mystery. Echo, Sat 10 Nov 1900, P2. London, UK.

Liverpool Echo (1901) The Yarmouth Murder. Mon 25 Feb, 1901, P3. Liverpool, UK.

Echo (1901) Bennett Trial. Echo, Tues 26 Feb 1901, P3. London, UK.

Echo (1901) Bennett On Trial. Echo, Fri 1 Mar 1901, P3. London, UK.

Echo (1901) Bennett’s Sentence. Echo, Mon 4 Mar 1901, P2. London, UK.

Norfolk News (1901) Bennett At The Old Bailey. Norfolk News, Sat 2 Mar, 1901, P6. Norfolk, UK.

Norfolk News (1901) The Convict Bennett. Norfolk News, Sat 9 Mar, 1901, P13. Norfolk, UK.

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017

Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

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“As to the divination which takes place in sleep, and is said to be based on dreams, we cannot lightly either dismiss it with contempt or give it implicit confidence.” These were the words of Aristotle, written in 350 BCE, and taken very much to heart by a British psychiatrist in the 1960’s, when he took on the monumental task of collecting and collating hundreds of premonitions from across the country, with the ultimate goal of not only researching the phenomena, but then also using the data to avert disaster and perhaps even to save the world.

Knight, Sam (2022) The Premonitions Bureau: A True Account of Death Foretold. Penguin Press, NY, USA.

Ulanowski, Krzysztof (2014) Mesopotamian Divination. Some Historical, Religious and Anthropological Remarks. Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica 2014, 15 (4): 13–28. 

Martin, Martin (1719) A description of the Western Islands of Scotland. A. Bell, London, UK.

Dunne, J. W. (1927) An Experiment With Time. A & C Black, London, UK.

Barker, John (1968) Scared To Death. Dell Publishing, London, UK.

Psychic News (1968) Doctor Who Studied Premonitions Dies. Psychic News, Thurs 31 Aug 1968, p1. London, UK.

Fairley, Peter (1966) Did Anyone Have A Genuine Premonition OF Aberfan Disaster? Evening Standard, Fri 28 Oct 1966, p13. London, UK.

Fairley, Peter (1967) If You Dream Of Disaster… . Evening Standard, Wed 4 Jan 1967, p19. London, UK.

Barnes, Michael (1966) Learning To Hate Your Bad Habits. The Daily Telegraph, Fri 30 Dec 1966, p5. London, UK.

Birmingham Evening Mail (1967) 124 Killed In Holiday Air Crash. Birmingham Evening Mail. Thurs 20 April 1967, p1. Birmingham, UK.

The Guardian (1967) As Torrey Canyon Breaks Up Oil Battle Is Extended To Strait Of Dover. Tues 28 March 1967, p1. Manchester, UK.

Evening Standard (1967) Giant Tanker On Reef. Evening Standard, Sat 18 March 1967, p9. London, UK.

Birmingham Daily Post (1968) A Bureau To Avert Disasters? Birmingham Daily Post, Fri 23 Feb 1968, p34. Birmingham, UK.

Fairley, Peter (1968) The Londoners Who Believe They Saw Disaster In Advance. Evening Standard, Mon 11 March 1968, p8. London, UK.

Fairley, Peter (1968) Did Mr Hencher Forecast The Hither Green Rail Disaster? Evening Standard, Tues 12 March 1968, p7. London, UK.

Psychic News (1968) Doctor Who Studied Premontions Dies. Psychic News, Aug 31 1968, p1. London, UK.

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017

Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

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Cases of stolen, mistaken and fraudulent identity were not an entirely uncommon thing in Victorian Britain. Somewhat more unusual was the bizarre allegation that an English aristocrat, the 5th Duke of Portland, had lived a double life and eventually faked his own death in order to escape the web of lies he had concocted over the years. It all sounded very far-fetched, but when interested parties attempted to bring the case to court, they found themselves cut off by shadowy powers that led to some deciding that the whole affair was akin to a mysterious conspiracy. In truth, it very well may have been, but perhaps not for the reasons the prosecutors originally claimed.

SOURCES

Eatwell, Piu Marie (2014) The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife & The Missing Corpse. Head of Zeus Ltd. London, UK.

Westminster Gazette (1898) An Alleged Bogus Burial. Westminster Gazette, Thur 10 March 1898, p5. Westminster, UK.

Weekly Dispatch (1898) Mrs Druce & Her Bonds. Weekly Dispatch, Sun 25 Dec 1898, p4. London, UK.

The Advertiser (1908) The Druce Grave. The Advertiser, Tues 4 Feb 1908, p4. Adelaide, Australia.

The Advertiser (1908) The Druce Drama. The Advertiser, Wed 1 Jan 1908, p7. Adelaide, Australia.

Thomason’s Weekly News (1908) Secret Of The Druce Vault Revealed. Thomason’s Weekly News, Sat 4 Jan 1908, p8. London, UK.

Morning Post (1908) Druce Shareholders To Meet. Morning Post, Tues 7 Jan 1908. London, UK.

Daily Mirror (1908) End OF Druce Perjury Case. Daily Mirror Tues 7 Jan 1908, London, UK

Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017

Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hungary during the first world war was a difficult place to live, especially if you happened to live in one of the many rural villages, far away from the grand city of Budapest, where the harsh conditions imposed on a country losing a war bit the hardest. Even if you managed to survive all the fighting, the riots, the violent occupations, or the Spanish Flu, there was always the possibility that your wife, daughter-in-law, or neighbour might decide that they had had enough of you and pay a visit to “Aunty Suzy,” the friendly local midwife. Outside of her duties as a medical practitioner, veterinary surgeon and fortune teller, Zsusanna Fazekas just so happened to run a booming business turning flypaper into poison, taking the term “pest control” to a whole new level.

SOURCES

McCracken, Patti (2023) The Angel Makers: The True Crime Story of the Most Astonishing Murder Ring in History. Mudlark, London, UK.

Kemény, István (2005) History of Roma in Hungary. Issue 123 of Atlantic studies on society in change. Social Science Monographs, Michigan, USA.

Valentiny, Pál (2020) Spanish Flu, Budapest, 1918. 

Hull Daily Mail (1929) Wholesale Exhumations. Hull Daily Mail, Fri 09 Aug 1929, p.7. Hull, UK.

Evening Chronicle (1929) Arsenic Epidemic. Evening Chronicle, Fri 09 Aug 1929, p.14. USA.

Omaha Sunday Bee (1929) One Hundred Self-Made Widows In One Jail - Husband Poisoners. Omaha Sunday Bee, Sun 24 Nov 1929, p43. Omaha, USA.

The Morning Call (1931) Woman Convicted As A Mass Poisoner Is Hanged In Hungary. Wed 14 Jan 1931, p2. Patteson, USA.

Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017

Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

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Sightings of winged creatures flying through the sky have long been a staple of folklore, mythology and legend across the world and across time and cultures. In the ancient world, Gods and monsters were depicted with enormous, scaled and feathered wings, whilst in modern times, sightings have become more and more diverse, from thunderbirds, to the mysterious Mothman. Three years before the one of the most famous sightings of a mysterious flying creature in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, there was a sighting almost 4,000 miles away, across the Atlantic in a quiet market town in the south-east of England that bore a remarkable resemblance and whilst it caused far less of a stir, it certainly drew just as much confusion.

Keel, John (1970) Strange Creatures From Time & Space. London Sphere, London, UK.

Keel, John (1975) The Mothman Prophecies. Saturday Review Press, USA.

Bowen, Charles (1974) The Humanoids. Futura Productions, London, UK

Waters, Thomas (2019) Cursed Britain: A History of Witchcraft and Black Magic in Modern Times. Yale University Press. CT, USA.

Point Pleasant Register (1966) Couples See Man Sized Bird…Creature…Something! Point Pleasant Register, 16 Nov 1966, p1. VA, USA

Tombstone Weekly Epitaph (1890) Found On The Desert. Tombstone Weekly Epitaph, 26 April 1890, p.3. Tombstone, AZ, USA.

The New York Sun (1877) Was It An Angel? The New York Sun, 21 Sep. 1877, p2. NY, USA.

The New York Times (1880) An Aerial Mystery. The New York Times, 12 Sep. 1880, p6. NY, USA

The Daily Mirror (1963) Rector Hunts Ghost Of Love Lane. The Daily Mirror, 25 Nov 1963, p25. London, UK.

The Kentish Express (1963) Rector Hunts Saltwood Ghost. The Kentish Express, 29 Nov 1963, p1. Kent, UK. 

Maidstone Telegraph (1963) Ghost Scares Teenagers. Maidstone Telegraph, 29 Nov 1963, p3. Kent, UK.

Maidstone Telegraph (1963) Was Red Ball Of Fire A Flying Saucer? Maidstone Telegraph, 13 Dec 1963, p1. Kent, UK.

The Kentish Express (1963) Ghost A Flying Saucer? The Kentish Express, 13 Dec 1963, p1. Kent, UK. 

Nottingham Evening Post (1903) Buried On An Island. Nottingham Evening Post, 27 Aug 1903, p3. Nottingham, UK.

Folkestone Express, Sandgate, Shorncliffe & Hythe Advertiser (1903) Death & Funeral of Mr W. T. Tournay. Folkestone Express, Sandgate, Shorncliffe & Hythe Advertiser, 29 Aug 1903, p5. Kent, UK.

Girvan, Waveney (1963) World Round-Up. Flying Saucer Review, Vol. 9, No. 6. Nov-Dec 1963. London, UK.

Girvan, Waveney (1964) The Saltwod Mystery. Flying Saucer Review, Vol. 10, No. 2. Mar-Apr 1964. London, UK.

Clarke, David (2016) A New Demonology: John Keel and The Mothman Prophecies. In: Hunter, Jack, (ed.) Damned Facts : Fortean Essays on Religion, Folklore and the Paranormal. Cyprus, Aporetic Press, 54-68.

Arnold, Neil (2023) The Hythe Mothman, Monster, Ghost or UFO? Fortean Times, FT439 Christmas 2023. Diamond Publishing LTD, London, UK. 

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017

Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the 1960s California has always been a place associated with alternative beliefs, countercultural movements and alternative lifestyles. The hippy movement, with it’s summer of love, fueled by the west coast psychedelic music scene will always be a highlight from the era, but the truth is, the state of California’s links to alternative beliefs go back much further and manifested in much stranger ways than a bunch of long haired students having a good time. Labour movements, civil rights activism and the gold rush era can all be associated with California’s ties to alternative living, as can its long history with cult groups who have thrived in the area throughout history. With the boom of New Thought, Eastern Spirituality and alternative religions, countless groups have emerged to furnish the world with their peculiar beliefs and practices. One group known as The Divine Order of the Royal Arms of the Great Eleven, however, trumps many with its utterly nonsensical story of animal sacrifice, ritual worship, mysterious disappearances and elusive publications.

SOURCES

Fort, Samuel (2014) Cult of the Great Eleven. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. South Carolina, USA.

The Los Angeles Times (1925) Angel Gabriel Girls Quizzed. The Los Angeles Times, Feb 7 1925, p17. LA, USA.

The Los Angeles Times (1925) Cult Leaders Face Charges. The Los Angeles Times, Oct 4 1929, p8. LA, USA.

The Los Angeles Times (1925) Police On Search At Venice Cottage For Secret Grave Of Young Cult Priestess. The Los Angeles Times, Oct 6 1929, p2. LA, USA.

Stark, Rodney. Sims Bainbridge, William & Doyle, Daniel P. (1979) Cults of America: A Reconnaissance in Space and Time. Sociological Analysis, Vol. 40, No. 4, Sects, Cults and Religious Movements (Winter, 1979), pp. 347-359. Oxford University Press. Oxford, UK.

Gordon Melton, J. (1993) Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America. Routledge, NY, USA.

Barghusen, J. D. (1998) Cults. Lucent Books, CA, USA.

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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye

Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017

Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices