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In this episode of The Wild, Wild Death, we unravel how the Wild Bunch gang went from pulling off million-dollar heists to accidentally sabotaging their own careers with one ill-advised glamour shot. It’s a story of hubris, high fashion, and the dangers of being too photogenic when you’re on the run from the law.



If you'd like more information about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:

• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/butch-cassidy/
• https://truewestmagazine.com/cassidys-first-crime/
• https://www.history.com/news/butch-cassidy-sundance-kid-robberies-death
• https://pinkerton.com/our-insights/blog/the-fort-worth-five-the-iconic-photo-that-ended-the-wild-wests-most-notorious-gang

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we explore the hilariously tragic saga of Elmer McCurdy, the outlaw who was better at botching robberies than being a criminal mastermind. But Elmer’s story didn’t end with his final, drunken shootout. Instead, his mummified body embarked on a posthumous career more successful than anything he managed while alive. From sideshows to movie sets, and even a stint as a funhouse prop, Elmer’s corpse had a more eventful afterlife than anyone could’ve imagined. Tune in for the strange, darkly funny journey of the outlaw who became famous in death after failing spectacularly at life.

If you'd like more information about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:

•  https://www.cowboysindians.com/2018/10/25-mysteries-of-the-west/
•  https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2018/07/elmer-mccurdy-traveling-corpse/
• https://www.npr.org/2015/01/09/376097471/the-long-strange-60-year-trip-of-elmer-mccurdy
• https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/greater-la/halloween/elmer-mccurdy
• https://www.okterritorialmuseum.org/ELMERMC.html
• The Misadventures in Life and Afterlife of an American Outlaw (Svenvold, 2002)

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we explore the strange and tragic story of James King of William, a crusading newspaper editor who was shot in broad daylight. When a group of esteemed doctors race to save his life, their medical choice led to his doom. Tune in to hear how a sponge became the most lethal weapon in San Francisco.

Interested in the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death? Check out the links below: 

• https://history.library.ucsf.edu/sponge_case.html
• history.library.ucsf.edu/toland.html
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12715059/james-king
• https://www.jstor.org/stable/42656511
• https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p9539coll1/id/23425/
• https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/07/02/dice-roll-civilization-dawns-in-san-francisco/
• https://web.archive.org/web/20131231005303/http://www.norcalmediamuseum.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=139
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23990-subclavian-artery
• https://sfmuseum.org/hist6/hang.html

KEYWORDS:

James King of William shooting

Newspaper editor killed in San Francisco

19th-century true crime

Medical malpractice tragedy

San Francisco historical crime

Lethal sponge mishap

Wild West murder mystery

James King of William assassination

Medical choice leads to death

Crime and medical error

Strange historical murder

True crime in San Francisco

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The history of the Wild Wild West is a saga of grit, glory, endurance and independence; of the people who faced the challenge of the West head-on and survived. 

We’re here to tell the stories of those who did not.

2222 Media presents The Wild Wild Death, a history podcast about the fatal side of the Old West. Join us as we share true stories of appalling ignorance, questionable medical practices, and ridiculously poor choices. 

The Wild Wild Death: so many ways to die, its a miracle anyone survived.







KEYWORDS:

• Wild West fatalities
• True stories of Old West deaths
• 2222 Media history podcast
• Appalling ignorance in the Old West
• Old West medical mishaps
• Wild West survival and death
• Fatal mistakes in frontier history
• History of Old West tragedy
• Old West survival odds
• Ridiculous choices in history
• Frontier death stories
• The Wild Wild Death podcast series
• Fatal side of the Wild West

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we journey back to 1884 in Corsicana, Texas, when the grand opening of a Dry Goods Emporium turned into a day of tragedy. A tightrope walker, known only as “The Rope Walker,” attempts a daring feat—crossing a high wire with a 300-pound cast iron stove strapped to his back. But gravity had other plans. Over a century later, his true identity and the life that led him to that fateful day are finally uncovered. Join us as we explore the life, death, and mystery of the enigmatic Rope Walker.

Want to know more? Check out the links below:

• https://www.shapell.org/civil-war-soldier-database/soldier/3630
• https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article249868098.html
• https://travsd.wordpress.com/2022/02/06/step-right-up-and-pay-your-respects-to-the-one-legged-jewish-tightrope-walker-of-texas/
• https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2021/april/corsicana-mysterious-one-legged-jewish-rope-walker/
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-grave-of-rope-walker-corsicana-texas
• https://texascooppower.com/the-rope-walker-of-corsicana/
• https://synagogues-360.anumuseum.org.il/the-last-jew-and-the-rope-walker/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tightrope_walking

KEYWORDS:

The Rope Walker identity

Tightrope walker fatal accident

1884 Corsicana tragedy

Dry Goods Emporium grand opening disaster

High wire act gone wrong

Cast iron stove tightrope disaster

Forgotten performers of history

Tragic high wire accident story

Historical crime and mystery podcast

Gravity-defying stunt turned deadly

Uncovering the Rope Walker's life and death

Corsicana Texas historical tragedy

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we dive into the twisted tale of Eadweard Muybridge, the photography pioneer who didn’t just invent motion pictures—he also made sure his wife’s lover never moved again. Fueled by jealousy and muddled by a head injury, Muybridge took matters into his own hands, leading to a courtroom showdown that was as dramatic as any film. Tune in to learn how the Father of Motion Pictures turned a love triangle into a deadly snapshot of revenge and got away with it.

If you'd like to know more of the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, click the links below:

• https://www.mcalesternews.com/news/local_news/cathey-butterfield-route-incident-led-to-moving-motion-pictures-and-murder/article_81676afb-2d31-5ee2-bcdc-c296c1756317.html
• https://www.thebetterangelssociety.org/films/exposing-muybridge/#:~:text=Born%20Edward%20Muggeridge%20in%201830,publisher%2C%20investor%2C%20and%20banker
• https://www.wicaonline.org/blog/2020/2/2/biography-eadweard-muybridge
• https://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/11/27/eadweard-muybridge-the-photographic-pioneer-who-froze-time-and-nature
• https://americanart.si.edu/artist/eadweard-muybridge-3475
• https://moreorlessbunk.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/the-fate-of-flora-muybridge-or-why-i-want-to-be-cremated-when-im-gone/

KEYWORDS:

Eadweard Muybridge murder

Father of motion pictures crime

Love triangle murder story

Muybridge courtroom drama

Crime podcast historical murder

Photography pioneer turned murderer

Motion picture inventor's dark history

Jealousy-fueled revenge killing

Victorian love triangle crime

Muybridge's deadly love triangle

Crime of passion true story

Historical crime and photography

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we dive into the legendary duel between Jim Courtright, a former lawman who traded his badge for extortion, and Luke Short, a gambler who wasn’t about to be strong-armed. When Courtright demanded respect, Short gave him a lesson in humility—Western style. Join us to learn how a quick draw ended a long career and proved that, in Fort Worth, the house always wins.

If you'd like more information about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:

• https://hometownbyhandlebar.com/?p=31536
• https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2531&context=ethj
• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/timothy-courtright/
• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-lukeshort/
• https://www.oldwest.org/jim-courtright/
• https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/gunfighter-longhair-jim/99411
• https://www.historynet.com/fort-worths-wild-white-elephant-saloon/#:~:text=The%20Fort%20Worth%20establishment%20began,place%20was%20seized%20by%20attachment

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we delve into the curious case of Minnie Wallace Walkup, a teenage bride whose wealthy husband suddenly dropped dead just a month into their marriage. Was it the aphrodisiac he was taking, or did Minnie have a more hands-on approach to becoming a wealthy widow? With arsenic, strychnine, and a suspiciously timed death, this tale of love, poison, and courtroom drama will have you wondering if Minnie was just unlucky—or a master of the marital exit strategy.

If you'd like to learn more about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out the information below:

• https://www.grunge.com/1356474/minnie-wallace-teen-accused-of-killing-husband-1885/
• https://bayoujustice.com/2024/02/minnie-wallace-gold-digger-or-murderess/
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169506226/minnie-estelle-keating
• https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register-minnie-wallace-w/18279321/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=AhaKyRTT54I
• The Adventuress: Murder, Blackmail, and Confidence Games in the Gilded Age (McConnell, 2010)

KEYWORDS:

Minnie Wallace Walkup case

Teenage bride murder

Arsenic and strychnine poisoning

Suspicious death of a wealthy husband

Victorian crime story

Poisoning mystery in marriage

Courtroom drama and deadly romance

True crime historical podcast

Minnie Walkup murder trial

Marital exit strategy by poison

Wealthy widow mystery

Love and poison crime

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we explore how William G. Butler, a cattleman with a grudge, made sure the thriving town of Helena, Texas dried up faster than a saloon on Sunday. Join us for a tale of how one man’s vendetta wiped a town off the map without firing another shot.

Interested in the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death? Check out the links below:

• https://westwardsagas.com/helena-the-toughest-town-on-earth/
• https://authentictexan.com/helena-killed-wrong-man-price/
•  http://pacweb.alamo.edu/InteractiveHistory/projects/rhines/StudentProjects/2001/Helena/Helena.htm
•  https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-history-101-65/
• https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2012-08-17/day-trips/

KEYWORDS:

William G. Butler revenge

Helena, Texas ghost town

Cattleman’s vendetta in Texas

Old West town wiped out

True crime history podcast

Texas town revenge

Helena ghost town story

Historical vendetta in Texas

Forgotten Old West town

William G. Butler and Helena

Texas town dried up

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we dive into the bizarre and bloody tale of the Bender family, who turned their Kansas inn into the final stop for unlucky travelers in the 1870s. With a dad who muttered like a horror movie villain, a mom who could make Medusa look friendly, and a daughter who combined fortune-telling with cold-blooded murder, the Benders were a family that really knew how to keep secrets buried in their orchard. Join us as we delve into the macabre world of the Bender family and the mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

If you're interested in the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:

• https://www.humanitieskansas.org/get-involved/kansas-stories/people/true-crime-in-kansas-the-mystery-of-the-benders
• https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/31/a-mysterious-murder-site-has-a-new-owner-hes-looking-for-answers-about-the-bloody-benders/
• https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/bill-caldwell-bloody-benders-were-frontier-serial-killers/article_f6349444-0acf-11ee-974c-53c671e62b02.html
• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-benders/

KEYWORDS:

Bender family mystery

1870s Kansas inn murders

Bloody Benders true crime

Unsolved murder case

Serial killing family

Fortune-teller murderess

Macabre innkeepers

Cold-blooded family crime

Frontier crime history

Bender family orchard secrets

Gruesome family murders

True crime frontier podcast

Unsolved Bender murders