Forgotten Darkness

The tale of Clara Coffin, a well-to-do Jersey girl who in 1903 vanished - and reappeared days later, halfway across the country, telling an unbelievable tale.  Also: a man claims to have gotten married while in a hypnotic fog, another man claims to have stolen a woman's jewelry under the hypnotic command of a whiskey-drinking, gun-toting man, and a young girl claims to have cut her hair short and dressed like a boy while hypnotized.

“A sensation,” Arkansas City (KS) Daily Traveler, February 21, 1896.

“Cast spell over him,” Alton (IL) Evening Telegraph, November 27, 1900.

“Clara Coffin arrives home,” New York Sun, November 15, 1903.

“Clara Coffin's story doubted,” New York Evening World, November 7, 1903.

“Girl in boy's dress found at Coney,” New York Tribune, July 11, 1905.

“Girl tells queer story,” New York Times, November 7, 1903.

“Her eyes hypnotized,” Waterloo (IA) Courier, November 9, 1903.

“Hypnotic fog did for him,” Los Angeles Times, November 26, 1900.

“Hypnotism,” Owensboro (KY) Messenger-Inquirer, November 8, 1903.

“Is searching for a missing girl,” Richmond (IN) Item, November 6, 1903.

“Miss Coffin better,” New York Sun, November 8, 1903.

“Mother seeks missing girl,” New York Evening World, November 5, 1903.

“No trace of Miss Coffin,” New York Sun, November 6, 1903.

“Oil magnate's daughter lost,” New York Evening World, November 4, 1903.

“Other side is heard,” Daily Inter Ocean (Chicago), October 28, 1897.

“Rev. C.O. Brown's startling story,” San Francisco Examiner, January 1, 1896.

“Said she traveled alone,” Philadelphia Inquirer, November 8, 1903.

“She may be in California,” St. Louis Republic, November 6, 1903.

“Sticks to hypnotism story,” Lincoln Nebraska State Journal, November 10, 1903.

“Taken into court,” Anaconda (MT) Standard, December 31, 1895.

Bartholow, Roberts. “What is meant by nervous prostration?” Boston Medical and Surgical Journal 110:3 (January 1884).

Cobb, Ivo Beikie. A Manual of Neurasthenia (Nervous Exhaustion). London: Bailliere, Tindall and Cox, 1920.

Gunn, Selskar M. Letter to Frederick Russell, January 15, 1921.

-----. Letter to Wickliffe Rose, March 1921.

-----. Letter to Frederick Russell, November 1925.

Van Deusen, E.H. “Observations on a form of nervous prostration (neurasthenia), culminating in insanity.” American Journal of Insanity (1867).

The Blue Book for the Oranges, New Jersey. New York: Dau Publishing, 1908.

A profile of Italian anarchist Luigi Galleani and his followers, the Galleanists, who after his deportation engaged in a campaign of bombing and destruction across the country.  Also the "Palmer Raids" of 1919-1920 and a few appearances of people who became of importance later.

Sources

“Anarchists held Paterson,” Leadville (CO) Herald Democrat, June 19, 1902.

“Anarchists in bombing case under arrest,” Port Huron (MI) Times Herald, June 5, 1919.

“Arrest Boston Bolshevist in Roxbury bomb outrage,” Boston Globe, June 4, 1919.

“Arrest of bomb plot heads to be made soon,” Muncie (IN) Evening Press, June 4, 1919.

“Believe Paterson bomb meant for Fitzgerald,” Boston Globe, June 4, 1919.

“Bomb for Mr. Smoot returned to Gimbel's,” Washington Evening Star, May 1, 1919.

“Bomb is sent to Senator Overman,” Washington Evening Star, May 1, 1919.

“Central Union and the Paterson riots,” New York Times, November 3, 1902.

“Congress aroused to stamp out Red activities in U.S.,” Buffalo Enquirer, June 4, 1919.

“Cronaca Sovversiva plant is raided,” Barre (VT) Daily Times, September 5, 1918.

“Luigi Galleani on trial in N.J.,” Montpelier (VT) Journal, April 26, 1907.

“May have M'Queen,” Elmira (NY) Star-Gazette, June 27, 1902.

“Mistaken identity Galleani's defense,” Barre (VT) Daily Times, April 27, 1907.

“M'Queen here to surrender for sentence,” The Star Press (Muncie, IN), April 11, 1904.

“New York bomb trail leads to Philadelphia,” Boston Globe, June 4, 1919.

“Once helped publish Cronaca Sovversiva,” Barre (VT) Daily Times, May 5, 1920.

“Ordered deported,” Barre (VT) Daily Times, February 20, 1919.

“Palmer asks for appropriation to hunt down Reds,” El Paso Times, June 13, 1919.

“Plot to assassinate King Humbert and other monarchs was hatched in this city,” New York World, August 3, 1900.

“Police seek boy explosion spared,” Binghamton (NY) Press and Sun-Bulletin, July 6, 1904.

“Red at Niagara,” Buffalo Enquirer, September 17, 1920.

“Soldiers are sent to quell Paterson riots,” Buffalo Evening News, June 20, 1902.

“Sued for $5,000,” Montpelier (VT) Journal, December 29, 1910.

“Terrorists attack in Philadelphia, wrecking houses of judge, police head and prominent businessman by bombs,” Barre (VT) Daily Times, December 31, 1918.

“Trials of Tarrytown rioters are postponed,” Binghamton (NY) Press and Sun-Bulletin, July 6, 1904.

“U.S. hunts anarchists as May Day mail plot fails to gain victims,” Washington Evening Star, May 1, 1919.

“Work of anarchists of some other city,” Boston Globe, June 3, 1919.

Flynn, William J. “On the trail of the anarchist band,” Nashville Tennessean, March 5, 1922.

Gage, Beverly. The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in its First Age of Terror. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

The story of Charles M. Hatfield, rainmaker of California, and the 1916 flood of San Diego with which he was - maybe - connected.

Sources

“$5,000 price named,” Monroe (LA) News-Star, April 28, 1925.

“A rainmaker's claim,” Scranton (PA) Republican, April 1, 1904.

“Charles M. Hatfield, alleged rain maker, again visits here, wants $3,000 for three inches,” Oxnard Press-Courier, March 13, 1923.

“Cloud-compelling Jove has a bold competitor in Oregon,” Oregon Daily Journal, July 14, 1907.

“Destruction and death follow in wake of water,” San Bernardino County Sun, January 29, 1916.

“Dam breaks and angry flood assails Pomona,” Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1916.

“Droughts and famine needless, says 'rainmaker' Hatfield,” Bismarck (ND) Tribune, August 13, 1921.

“Fall in San Diego,” Los Angeles Times, January 16, 1916.

“Hatfield chasing elusive cloudlets,” Los Angeles Herald, October 4, 1908.

“Hatfield, good guesser, ranchers may feel assured there will be 12 inches or more of rain this season,” Oxnard Press-Courier, December 16, 1921.

“Hatfield has corner on rain,” Los Angeles Times, December 3, 1904.

“Hatfield made the sky fall (and fall), Taylor (TX) Daily Press, November 30, 1978.

“'Hatfield the rainmaker' started all this tinkering with the weather,” Oakland Tribune, February 15, 1951.

“Hocus pocus is what Ventura dubs Hatfield,” Oxnard Press-Courier, December 16, 1921.

“Making rain again,” Des Moines Daily Register, November 6, 1921.

“Morton County people interested in Hatfield,” Morton County (KS) Progress and Rolla Progress, June 18, 1925.

“Plants for rainmaking,” Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph, February 2, 1906.

“Rain promised, flood followed in 1916.” Retrieved from http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/local-history/sdut-charles-hatfield-1916-rainfall-el-nino-san-diego-2015nov21-htmlstory.html

“Rain promised for Christmas,” Los Angeles Times, December 19, 1904.

“'Rainmaker' is not re-engaged,” Vancouver Daily World, February 11, 1922.

“'Rainmaker' to get paid for rainfall,” Montreal Gazette, July 29, 1921.

“'Rainmaker' offers to break big drought,” Fresno Bee, August 12, 1934.

“'Rainmaker' wins $8,000 for breaking dry spell,” Springville (UT) Herald, April 24, 1925.

“Raining dollars into 'hat',” Vancouver Daily World, May 21, 1921.

“Rainmaker busy,” Los Angeles Times, December 13, 1904.

“Rainmaker may get $10,000 as result of floods in California,” Indianapolis News, February 10, 1916.

“Rainmaker sues,” Los Angeles Times, December 3, 1916.

“Rainmaker Hatfield in Italy in attempt to end long drought,” Bismarck (ND) Tribune, August 21, 1922.

“Rainstorms at $50 each, or your money back,” Boston Globe, March 2, 1904.

“San Bernardino county loss about a million,” Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1916.

“Six deaths and $2,000,000 loss; storm havoc in south,” Santa Ana Register, January 19, 1916.

“Steamer is embedded in silt at the harbor,” Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1916.

“Thinks he can coerce nature,” San Francisco Chronicle, Decmber 12, 1904.

“Trains by the score crawl out of floods,” Los Angeles Times, January 21, 1916.

“Wall of water rushes from hills near Claremont School,” San Bernardino Sun, January 19, 1916.

“With a grain of salt,” Redlands (CA) Daily Facts, April 16, 1958.

Brimner, Larry Dane. The Rain Wizard. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek, 2015.

A history of the Leopard Men, a murderous - sometimes - animistic cult in Central Africa.  Also other similar African groups, the Crocodile Men, Baboon Society and Lion-Men or Mbojo are dealt with.  Finally, we detour briefly to South America and take a quick look at the legends of werejaguars in the armies of an Argentine general.

Sources

Aldridge, Thomas Joshua. A Transformed Colony: Sierra Leone as it Was, and as it Is, Its Progress, Peoples, Native Customs and Undeveloped Wealth. London: Seeley & Co., 1910.

Ambrosetti, Juan. “The Legend of the Yaguarete-Aba; the Indian Tiger, and its Projections among the Guaranies, Quichuas, etc.” Annals of the Argentine Scientific Society 41 (1896).

Beatty, K.J. Human Leopards: An Account of the Trials of Human Leopards Before the Special Commission Court. London: Hugh Rees, 1915.

Fyle, Magbaily C. Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2006.

Howard, Robert E. “Man-Eaters of Zamboula.” http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600791h.html

Miller, Ivor L. “Bongo Ita: Leopard Society Music and Language in West Africa, Western Cuba, and New York City.” African and Black Diaspora: An International Journal 5:1 (January 2012). Retrieved from: http://people.bu.edu/imiller/pubs/Miller%202012.pdf

Miller, Ivor and Mathew Ojong. “Ekpe 'Leopard' Society in Africa and the Americas: Influence and Values of an Ancient Tradition.” Ethnic and Racial Studies 36:2 (2013). Retrieved from: http://www.afrocubaweb.com/ivormiller/Miller-Ojong2012-s.pdf

Pratten, David. The Man-Leopard Murders: History and Society in Colonial Nigeria. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007.

“The Influence of Islam on African Native Law – II.” In The Moslem World, Vol. 11 (S.M. Zwemer, ed.). Harrisburg, PA: Missionary Review, 1921.

Van Bockhaven, Vicky. “Leopard-men of the Congo in Literature and Popular Imagination.” Tydskrif vir Letterkunde 46:1 (January 2009). Retrieved from: http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0041-476X2009000100006

In this episode, we'll hear the story of an Irish ghost?  poltergeist?  demon?  that appeared as a large talking black cat.  Also, some history of the Hellfire Clubs, and a 1566 English witch trial in which a cat turned toad turned dog named Satan figured.

Sources

Philips, John. An Examination and Confession of Certain Witches at Chelmsford in the County of Essex, before the Queen Majesty's Judges, the 26th day of July Anno 1566. London: 1566.

Fennel, Paul. Haunted: A Guide to Paranormal Ireland. Dublin: Poolbeg, 2006.

Joyce, P.W. Origin and History of Irish Names of Places. Dublin: McGlashan & Gill, 1875.

St. John Joyce, Weston. The Neighbourhood of Dublin, its Topography, Antiquities and Historical Associations. Dublin: M.H. Gill & Son, 1921.

The Demonic Cat at Killakee House. https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC68HCE_the-demonic-cat-at-killakee-house?guid=3ca11f2d-b7ad-41ec-afee-f12ee719f345

In this episode, we'll hear the story of a violent offender in Philadelphia and Baltimore that carried a foot fetish to the next level.  Also, we'll hear about a Springheel Jack and Jersey Devil sighting that may be connected to each other and to the offender.

Sources

“Brutal attack upon young girl,” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 7, 1905.

“Excited over slasher,” Baltimore Sun, February 5, 1905.

“Is he the shoe slasher?,” Baltimore Sun, February 6, 1905.

“Jack the foot slasher,” Washington Post, February 16, 1905.

“Jack the shoe slasher,” Harrisburg (PA) Daily Independent, January 19, 1905.

“Jack the slasher again,” Washington Post, March 13, 1906.

“Jack the slasher has moved uptown,” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 23, 1905.

“Know Karolis as Burt,” Baltimore Sun, February 9, 1905.

“Mrs. Kirschner's assailant?” Baltimore Sun, February 2, 1905.

“Not the shoe slasher,” Baltimore Sun, February 22, 1905.

“Says devil forced him,” Baltimore Sun, March 24, 1909.

“Shoe slasher,” Montpelier (VT) Evening Argus, January 21, 1905.

“Shoe slasher again?,” Baltimore Sun, February 24, 1905.

“Shoe slasher is here,” Baltimore Sun, February 4, 1905.

“Shoe slasher busy in blizzard,” Wilmington (DE) Morning News, January 26, 1905.

“Slasher at it again,” Baltimore Sun, February 10, 1905.

“Think him the slasher,” Baltimore Sun, February 20, 1905.

“Was not the slasher,” Baltimore Sun, February 17, 1905.

“Wielded knife on the skirts of five women,” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 16, 1905.

Bondeson, Jan. The London Monster: A Sanguinary Tale. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000.

Oordt, Darcy. Haunted Philadelphia: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot, 2015.

Paijmans, Theo. “Philadelphia's 'Jack the Slasher' Case.” Fortean Times 279 (September 2011).

In this episode, we examine the supposed sighting of a gigantic shark in the waters off Annapolis, Maryland, some real shark encounters, visit the Calvert Cliffs, and hear of a strange religious vision the pastor who wrote the account of the monster shark had had previously. 

Sources

“10-foot shark in West River,” Baltimore Sun, August 19, 1918.

“A pest of sharks,” Baltimore Sun, August 31, 1895.

“Another appears off Annapolis,” Baltimore Sun, July 20, 1916.

“Capture of a shark,” Baltimore Sun, August 19, 1895.

“Man-eater near Easton,” Baltimore Sun, July 20, 1916.

“Man-eating sharks invade Severn,” Baltimore Sun, August 13, 1920.

“Mr. Smiley hears an angel at Annapolis singing 'peace on earth,' and awakes to find it all a dream,” Baltimore Sun, June 7, 1921.

“Precaution against sharks,” Baltimore Evening Sun, July 14, 1910.

“Sharks after rock fish,” Baltimore Sun, August 15, 1898.

“Sharks in the Chesapeake,” Baltimore Sun, July 16, 1916.

“Sharks in the Patapsco,” Baltimore Sun, August 15, 1904.

“Submarines at Annapolis,” Baltimore Sun, March 21, 1907.

“The prey of sharks' hunger,” Richmond Times, June 13, 1891.

“Two sharks captured,” Baltimore Sun, August 7, 1903.

“Was it a shark?” Baltimore Sun, August 10, 1895.

A-7 (Submarine Torpedo Boat #8).  https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/a-7.html

Anti-Vivisection Society of Maryland. Dawn: Denouncing the Pollution, and Advocating the Entire Suppression of Vivisection. Baltimore: Anti-Vivisection Society of Maryland, Incorporated, 1901-1908. 

Hadwen, Walter R. “Claim Everything.” Journal of Zoöphily 23:11 (November 1914). 

McLennan, Jeanne D. Miocene Sharks' Teeth of Calvert County. Maryland Geological Survey, 1971.

Mellin, John. “Anne Arundel vignettes: mysterious authors II,” Annapolis Capital, March 19, 1987.

In the first episode of the Forgotten Darkness podcast, we examine the brutal murder - or was it? - of David Shearer in 1915 Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and also hear a bizarre tale of a new type of phantom limb pain.

Sources

"Eyes cut out in brutal tragedy," Wilkes-Barre Evening News, June 12, 1915.

 Find a Grave: David Miles Shearer.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37990945/david-miles-shearer

 "In other counties," Altoona Tribune, June 16, 1915.

 "Man found dead a case of murder and not suicide," Lock Haven Express, June 11, 1915.

 "Probing murder," New Castle Herald, June 12, 1915.

 "Tale of a severed arm," Philadelphia Inquirer, December 2, 1896.