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On November 20, 1885, former East St. Louis mayor John B. Bowman was gunned down as he crossed the street to his home.  Neighbors soon discovered his body.  The shooter had disappeared, and the crime remains unsolved to this day.   In this episode of Fact or Fiction, I identify potential suspects and motives.  Who and why would someone want to kill the 51-year-old prominent politician of the large riverside city?  As always, what we'll learn about the facts is stranger than fiction.  

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Fibletts are mini-episodes of Fact or Fiction that allow you to test your own skills at finding the fiction within the facts!  I'll read four paragraphs, three of which are from an article or related articles and one that is my own invention.  It's up to you to decide which one is the fiction and which ones are the facts!  I'll come clean in two weeks in the next Fiblett edition.  If you can't wait that long, you can find the truth at www.factorfictionpodcast.com or at the Fact or Fiction Facebook page.  

Listen carefully, because it's more difficult than you think to distinguish between fact or fiction.

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The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, more commonly referred to as the St. Louis World’s Fair, opened its gates on May 1, 1904 and throughout its seven months of life, entertained approximately 20 million visitors.  It was a remarkable event, and its impact on St. Louis and the world is felt to this day. Cotton candy, private automobiles, x-ray machines, and other technologies debuted at the fair.  Forest Park and Washington University in St. Louis still retain remnants of the exposition, although most of the impressively elaborate buildings were disposable and are no longer standing.  

Today’s episode starts by considering at a tragedy at the fair, the infant incubator exhibit, and then to lighten the tone we will delve into some of the crazier aspects of the 1904 Summer Olympic Games held in conjunction with the fair. 

Join me and my friend Sheri as she tries to distinguish between Fact or Fiction!

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In May 1903, a shabbily dressed old man checked himself into a St. Louis hospital claiming “the only poor thing about me is my health.” Doctors weren’t sure what to make of this unusual patient who soon died with no mourners at his bedside. Francis J. Tumblety was indeed a wealthy man, a well-known “herb doctor” who had traveled extensively, been arrested for potential involvement in Lincoln’s assassination, and was widely known to be a potential suspect in the Jack the Ripper slayings of 1888. Join us as we examine the fascinating and eccentric character of Dr. Francis J. Tumblety, whose life is truly stranger than fiction.

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In the early 1920's a group of inmates from the Jefferson City State Penitentiary, the prison's Peaceful Village Band, used their musical talents to rise to national fame.  Some of the members leveraged this notoriety to shorten their sentences.  Today's episode of Fact or Fiction looks at this group of inmates who’d been incarcerated in Missouri’s only maximum security prison for crimes varying from check fraud to murder.

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On the evening of January 31, 1912, a St. Louis police officer noted the business of The Cowperthwait Loan Company uncharacteristically had its lights on at 7:00 p.m., well after its usual closing time.  The officer entered to find a disturbing scene that would launch an investigation to find a criminal whose exploits are truly stranger than fiction.  My niece, Kaitlyn, joins me to unravel the mystery of The Single Cuff Button.

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Bertha Gifford was a matronly lady who devoted herself to her sick neighbors out of the goodness or her heart, or did she have another motive for "helping" her neighbors?  Listen carefully, because it’s more difficult than you think to distinguish between Fact or Fiction.

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Bloody Island was a sandbar located in the Mississippi River between St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois.  During the 1800’s, it technically didn’t belong to either state, so men traveled there to settle disputes without the interference of the law. Believe it or not, many of these duels were between the movers and shakers and great politicians of the era. Today, Fact or Fiction takes a look a few of the most famous of these duels. As always, the facts are stranger than the fiction, so listen carefully!

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In late June of 1887, a young wife died under mysterious circumstances. Her husband left shortly after her burial with a cryptic note indicating he couldn’t live without her.  What the authorities discovered when his employer contacted them to try to save the grieving husband’s life is almost unbelievable. 

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In my very first podcast episode ever (yeah, it's going to be a little raw), please join me, Laura, on my journey to learn more about St. Louis's seedy past and unbelievable true crime.  While you are at it, use your own detective skills to see if you have what it takes to determine what is fact and what is fiction.

One of the most infamous stories from St. Louis’s past is the trunk mystery.  A foul smelling trunk is found in a deserted hotel room in 1885.  What is inside is stranger than fiction!  Listen and decide for yourself. 

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Images and resources used in this episode can be found at factorfictionpodcast.com. If you enjoyed this show, please support the pod by giving it a five star rating, writing a complimentary review, or joining the Fact or Fiction Fan Club. Thanks for listening!