True Crime Historian
245 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★ - 635 ratingsTales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told through vintage newspaper accounts from the golden age of yellow journalism
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Austin Family Found In Cistern
July 30, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 77 MBEpisode 403 explores the story of a man who leaves his family battered and murdered in a cistern under their Austin home, and heads out of town on the midnight train.
Baby Amy & The Broadway Gigolo
July 23, 2020 23:00 - 59 minutes - 55.4 MBEpisode 402 tells the story of a discontented wife and her young paramour, who set in motion a plan to stage a robbery to get money for a quick Reno divorce.
Baby Amy & The Broadway Gigolo
July 23, 2020 23:00 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... A Fake Hold-Up Murder Plot Episode 402 tells the story of a discontented wife and her young paramour, who set in motion a plan to stage a robbery to get money for a quick Reno divorce. The victim, her husband. Yeah, that didn’t work out so well. There are some intense personalities in this story and a lot of theatrics, including a murder vi...
Petroleum, Politics, Passion
July 16, 2020 22:13 - 1 hour - 95.4 MBEpisode 401 tells the salacious story of a leading politician who shows up at a private hospital with a gunshot wound.
Interred In An Irrigation Ditch
July 09, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBEpisode 400 employs a trope we’ve seen before: the cranky old farmer whose wife takes up with the farm hand and well, it just doesn’t end well for anybody.
Sweet Singer Strangled In A Stable
July 02, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBEpisode 398 explores the tragic murder of a Chicago housewife and the subsequent confession of the simple minded young man who found the body in a refuse pile.
The Bathing Beauty's New Hammer
June 25, 2020 06:48 - 1 hour - 89.9 MBEpisode 120 tells the story of Clara Phillips, a former Hollywood bathing beauty and chorus girl, who decides she wants to have a chat with a young lady whom she believes is canoodling with her husband.
The Elm City Tragedy
June 18, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBEpisode 397 tells the story of a young girl in late 1800’s New England who falls in with a fast crowd with fatal results.
Pirates On The Penguin
June 10, 2020 23:30 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBEpisode 396 relates the puzzling story of a family apparently attacked on their cabin cruiser on an inky summer night.
Mother Chose Murder
June 05, 2020 23:00 - 2 hours - 136 MBPulp Non-Fiction: A Celebration Of The Pioneers Of True Crime The Cleveland Kaber Conspiracy By Marjorie Wilson Episode 114, remastered from the True Crime Historian Vault Back in the golden ages of newspapers, it was common for them to publish serialized novels of romance, adventure,and intrigue, but true crime serials were not quite so common. But here is a novella-length story published in nineteen chapters in five parts by newspapers in 1921 when Eva Kaber was standing trial for leading ...
What Happened To Alma Kellner
May 29, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 85.9 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Fiendish Slaughter Of An Innocent Child Episode 394 relates the tragic tale of an eight-year old girl who fell into the clutches of a degenerate murderer. The hero of this story is a Louisville, Kentucky, detective who not only pieces together the crime, but embarks on a cross-country chase for the alleged murderer, who proves to be slippery even b...
A Cowardly Blow In The Dark
May 22, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 94.6 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Barber And The Gambler’s Wife Stand Trial Episode 393 takes us back to the Gilded Age and the salacious story of a professional gambler who is fatally attacked as he leaves his house to go to the hotel where he operates. Blame falls on his barber, who confesses to the crime and implicates the gambler’s wife, accusing her of not only having an inter...
Farmer's Wife Left For Dead
May 14, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... Brothers Face Gas Chamber Together Episode 392 explores the case of two brothers charged with the murder of a Colorado farmer and his “chore boy.” The chief witness against them is the farmer’s wife, who made a miraculous getaway and recovery. Culled from the historic pages of the Fort Collins Express and other newspapers of the era. *** Binge o...
The Blue-Eyed Six
May 07, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 103 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Indiantown Creek Insurance Murder Plot Episode 390 explores what was reported to be the first murder case in the English-speaking world where six men receive a guilty verdict on one indictment, the result of a plot to murder a man in order to receive the benefits of a bunch of insurance policies. It doesn’t really end well for anyone. Culled...
Girl Buried In A Barrel
May 06, 2020 20:39 - 54 minutes - 50 MBThe Awful Fate of Mary Ann Rheinhardt Episode 109 explores the heinous crime of the scoundrel Edward Reinhardt of Manhattan and Staten Island, who got tangled up with two women, got them both in trouble, and apparently, had to pick a favorite. Yeah, that’s not gonna end well. And when they find the barrel buried on the shore of Silver Lake, all sorts of scandal comes tumbling out.
The Dim-Witted Milkman And The Gambler's Wife
April 30, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 91.5 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... Murder In The Attic With Pipe, Gun, and Knife Episode 389 details one of the clumsiest murder plots we’ve yet to encounter, and is jam-packed with some of our favorite tropes: A love triangle gone awry and a trunk murder, to name a couple, with a large dose of crowded courtroom hijinx, including a highly inappropriate kiss between defendants. Cu...
The Servant Girl's Trunk Of Horrors
April 23, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... Domestic Scandal In Sioux Falls Episode 388 is not a classic trunk murder, per se, but one of the most dramatic scenes in the narrative comes when the prosecutor opens up a dead girl’s trunk in front of witnesses to speculate on the abuses its contents portend. Two families are ripped apart in this gripping drama where evidence is thin but accusations ...
Dead Woman On Trial
April 16, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... A Hung Jury For Hazel Combs Episode 387 starts out conventionally enough: A woman murders her husband to collect the double indemnity insurance policy. But when after she cheats the hangman at the end of Act II, the story doesn’t stop there. Because of the legal technicalities of the insurance she took out, a jury still has to determine whether or not ...
The Escapes And Execution Of Elroy Kent
April 09, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Vermont Desperado Episode 386 tells the epic story of one of New England’s most persistent scoundrels. It’s the kind of story I delight in finding, that in another context would make a great Elmore Leonard or Carl Hiaasen novel, this one about a slippery but dim-witted thief, that would almost be comic if there wasn’t a tragic loss of life i...
The Count Of Gramercy Park
March 26, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 90.5 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Slippery Scoundrel Gerald Chapman Episode 384 tells the story of a so-called gentleman thief who fearlessly went for the big scores, even while the object of a nation-wide man-hunt. This is another action-packed episode loaded with gunfights, jailbreaks, courtroom breakdowns, and all kinds of shenanigans. Act III starts with a rather odd, me...
Under The Windsor Hearthstone
March 20, 2020 00:58 - 1 hour - 79.4 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Murderous Journeys Of Frederick Deeming Episode 383 is another request from a listener Down Under, the story of a man who brutally murdered his wife and buried the body inside the house, then disappeared. Although they capture him at the end of Act II, Act III reveals an even more gruesome murder on the opposite side of the globe. He’s a sli...
The Brown-Out Strangler
March 08, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 92.3 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Court Martial Of Pvt. Eddie Leonski Episode 382 is dedicated to the Australian scoundrel Philip Quinn, a dedicated listener from Down Under who wanted to hear more about the case of Eddie Leonski, an American soldier who terrorized Melbourne with a murder spree while the city was under mandated “brown-outs,” reductions in the use of lighting...
Black Bart, The PO8 Highwayman
March 02, 2020 00:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... True Tales From The Old West Remastered from the True Crime Historian Vault Episode 63 tells the story of the scoundrel Charley Bowles who took the moniker Black Bart from a villain in a dime novel, but I think he used it ironically because it didn’t really fit his gentlemanly style. He only robbed coaches carrying treasure belonging to the Wells Fargo...
Murders Of The Buncombe County Mankiller
February 24, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 68.6 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... An Incident In The Blacksmith’s Shop Episode 380 tells the story of a violent rampage and its aftermath, when a jealous man shoots a rival down in cold blood and then bashes his head with a hammer. There are enough witnesses that there’s no question his guilt, and the third act details the extremes he will take to avoid a date in the electric ch...
Florence Buzzell's Love Diary
February 17, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 100 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Implication Of Fred Wheeler Episode 379 tells the scandalous and tragic story of a young business school student who enters into an unfortunate relationship with her sponsor, a wealthy cattle dealer 30 years her senior. He’s on the scene when she turns up dead with a mysterious gunshot wound in her head, and the resulting trial is a textbook examp...
The Oklahoma Phantom Terror
February 10, 2020 18:45 - 1 hour - 95.4 MBPULP NONFICTION: A celebration of the pioneers of true crime... Face-To-Face With Pretty Boy Floyd The centerpiece of Episode 378 is a quest for an interview with the infamous bank robber and murderer Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd by Oklahoma reporter Vivian Brown. Although her reporting verges on glorifying Floyd’s celebrity, something we try to avoid, her six-part series published in the days between Floyd’s death in Ohio and his home-town burial, she also provides a deep insight into the way ...
You'll Never Hang Me!
February 03, 2020 00:00 - 2 hours - 115 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Insanity (Or Not) Of Douglas Van Vlack Episode 377 takes a deep plunge into the story of a troubled young couple in a flight from justice that ends in great double tragedies. The second act details a sensational and contentious trial as Douglas Van Vlack’s defense team try to keep him from the gallows by telling the story of his traumatic li...
The Escapes Of The Plymouth County Desperadoes
January 27, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... Bullets For Sheriff Maxwell And Family Episode 376 is an action-packed thriller with a jailbreak, a prison break, a couple of car chases, a bank robbery, and then some. At the center of it all is the law-enforcing family of Sheriff Hugh Maxwell of Plymouth County, Iowa, who make the ultimate sacrifice in their pursuit of justice. Culled from the histor...
A Bloody Family Bed
January 20, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 74.3 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Triple Confessions Of Willie Lee Episode 374 tells the story of an awful family murder in Boonville, Indiana, when a lazy young man takes an axe to his parents and brother on the eve of his wedding day. What offenses the family committed to deserve such a fate seems to be all in the mind of the accused, and it takes him a few tries to get his story...
Mystery Tour In A Buick 8
January 13, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Vanishing Of Clyde Armour Episode 373 tells the story of two young men who go on a road trip together, but only one of them makes it as far as Santa Fe, and he pretends to be the other. In the meanwhile, an Iowa family goes on a desperate hunt for their missing brother. Culled from the historic pages of the Sante Fe New Mexican and other new...
Atrocity At St. Peter Street
January 06, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 85.2 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... La Chataine Juliette And The Perverted Professor Of Magnetic Physiology Episode 372 delves into the history of one of the most hideous villains to ever stalk American streets, a predator so vile that he ranks up there with Albert Fish in his depravity. Even if you don’t believe in capital punishment, I think you’ll agree that Etienne Deschamps d...
The Main/Swayne Affair
December 29, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 77.9 MBUNSOLVED: A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring one of history’s most baffling murder mysteries. The Napavine Hatchet Murder When I started in on Episode 371, I thought it was going to be a salacious story of a seedy sexual situation gone awry. What turned out to be more interesting is the subplot of the district attorney forced to bring a half-baked case to trial in order to avoid the appearance of his own complicity in a rumored conspiracy. Culled from the historic pages of the T...
The Plymouth Sex Murder
December 22, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 60.1 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism. A Band-Aid Solution To The Mystery Episode 370 tells the story of a World War II era veteran whose mental issues earned him an honorable discharge from service, but he slips through the system, wreaking havoc among the women in the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. What does it take to get creeps like this off the street? Murder, apparently. Culled from th...
Mr. & Mrs. Bluebeard
December 16, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 66.3 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... Martha Beck’s Lonely Hearts Club Episode 368 tells the tragicomic tale of a romantic and business partnership that goes awry when a woman’s jealousy overpowers her professional detachment. It’s also a love story of a passion so profound that they take their love all the way to the electric chair. Culled from the historic pages of the New York Da...
Hard Cider And Insults
December 09, 2019 00:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... Struck By An Axe And Killed Episode 367 is a holiday tale more bone-chilling than heart-warming. It takes place the weekend after Thanksgiving, when family and friends get together for games and good times. The cautionary part of the tale here is, be aware of what topics are best to be avoided. This time, the touchy subject is not politics, but eyewear...
An Acid Bath For The Suffragist
December 02, 2019 02:00 - 1 hour - 81.6 MBUNSOLVED: A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring one of history’s most baffling murder mysteries. The Lillian Scheib Mystery Episode 366 tells the sad story of a woman found dead in a bathtub, so decomposed that police first assume it is her husband, as she is sick and convalescing somewhere. When the truth is revealed and the husband found alive, he soon becomes a suspect as officials assume murder. Is the chauffeur a murderer, or a victim of police harassment. Culled from the histo...
The Lake Bluff Furnace Girl
November 25, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Burning Love Of Elfrieda Knaak Episode 364 tells an unusual story of a broken-hearted young woman found naked and fatally burnt in the basement of a police station. Her family, the police, and the general public find it hard to believe that she could have torched herself in such a horrific manner, so the hunt is on for proof of a murder. Culled fro...
The Boy Said 'Papa Shot'
November 18, 2019 01:00 - 1 hour - 74.6 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Cuba Triple Murder Episode 363 takes place in rural Ohio, when a woman, her daughter, and her daughter’s suitor are gunned down in front of three young children. The daughter’s ex-husband says he arrived at the scene just after the shots were fired, but in her dying breath his ex-mother-in-law claims he was the culprit. The kids can’t get their sto...
Evil Plan Drunkenly Botched
November 12, 2019 06:13 - 1 hour - 82.1 MBEvil Plan Drunkenly Botched AN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Greenlease Kidnapping Tragedy Episode 362 takes on one of the most evil crimes imaginable as told from the point of view of the perpetrator. By the time police caught up with Carl Austin Hall, he had made so many mistakes in the kidnapping and murder of a six-year-old boy that he knew the game was up, so he told t...
Duchess Spinelli's Crime School
November 04, 2019 22:05 - 1 hour - 77.8 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Halfwit Gang Of Golden Gate Avenue Although there’s nothing funny about real-life murder, if Episode 361 were fictional, you could shelve it right next to Elmore Leonard or Carl Hiaisson and the wacky characters they create who walk in the realm of dark comedy. The downfall of this gang that couldn’t shoot straight begins when one of its mem...
Allegations Of Arsenic Ice Cream
October 28, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 81.8 MBUNSOLVED: A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring one of history’s most baffling murder mysteries The Father Stood Trial Episode 360 details one of the most chaotic cases I’ve yet to come across. The investigation left a lot of unanswered questions and the prosecution seems motivated by political pressure and retaliation rather than evidence. Was the youngster murdered by his father or one of his playmates? Let me know what you think. Culled from the historic pages of the Grand Rapids...
Sunday Magazine #24 (Sampler)
October 27, 2019 18:20 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBSunday Magazine #24 Women in Crime PULP NONFICTION: A celebration of the pioneers of true crime... “My Knife Cuts Deep” by Fred W. Johnson this is one example of the premium scandalous content you can find in the Safe House, whether you join through Himalaya Plus on the Himalaya app where Sunday Magazine #24 is available now with two more tales of history’s wicked women, “Bad Time For Betty” by Loy Warwick “Pour Me Another... Just Like The Other” by Stephen J. Hoyt Or you can become a scoundr...
The Largest Sheriff In Oregon
October 21, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBAN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... The Terror Of All Toughs Killed By Horse Thief Episode 358 is dedicated to the Safe House Scoundrel Marlene Resch who required a story from her home town of Eugene, Oregon, and we are happy to oblige. The victim in this story was the law enforcement officer in Episode 336, Murder On The McKenzie Trail, and together they sum up the history of cap...
The Mysterious Post Mistress Of West Palm Beach
October 14, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 89.1 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Trial Of Lena Clarke Episode 357 is a crazy blend of murder, embezzlement, and a ghost story. When a former post office clerk is found murdered in the hotel room of a woman who had been a co-worker, there are hints of either a connection the spirit world or madness, but still, a Florida courtroom is stunned the depths of the suspect’s mysticism as ...
Blinded By Murder
October 07, 2019 01:57 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Senator, The Embezzler, And The Girl They Loved Episode 356 takes a look at a scandalous murder and failed suicide attempt that leaves the perpetrator blind and a state senator defending not only his own honor, but that of the young lady who got the worst of the whole affair. Culled from the historic pages of the New York Daily News, the Brooklyn D...
The Dandy Sheriff Of Doña Ana
September 30, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBThe Dandy Sheriff Of Doña Ana YESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... Killing Billy The Kid Episode 355 takes us back to the Old West with a profile of one of the classic rivalries of the era: The lanky Sheriff Pat Garrett v. the notorious William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, including a narrative of their fateful last encounter as told by the sheriff himself. *** A creation Of Pulpular Media ...
The Duquesne Door-To-Door Killer
September 23, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 76 MBThe Duquesne Door-To-Door Killer AN EYE FOR AN EYE -- A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring the criminal justice system at its most extreme: Inflicting the Death Penalty... A Debaucher Of Children Gets His Revenge Episode 354 is a real trip to the dark side as it recounts the rampage of a local beat patrolmen the result of having his ugly perverted secrets revealed. Although he was responsible for a lot of lives lost and hurt forever, there’s some satisfaction in watching him get so...
Ready For Rope
September 16, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 70.6 MBYESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Murder Of Sheriff Rogers At Glencoe Episode 353 takes place in late 19th century Minnesota, but plays out like a classic Western tale. You know the one, where a pair of strangers come into town, shoot the sheriff, and incite the citizenry to take the law into their own hands. Culled from the historic pages of the Minneapolis Star, the St. Paul Trib...
Gin! Jazz! Guns!
September 09, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 88.6 MBGin! Jazz! Guns! YESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Real ‘Chicago’ Murders Episode 252 explores the two murders that inspired the hit musical “Chicago,” which was based on a play by Maurine Watkins, who did some reporting on both cases as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. I’ll be joined by my colleague Susan Ferman, whose own podcast Catastrophic Calamities, will premiere next wee...
Tragedy At The Trysting Place
September 01, 2019 23:00 - 1 hour - 69.7 MBTragedy At The Trysting Place YESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Ladies’ Man Lawyer & The Mysterious Blonde Episode 151 recalls a fatal shooting on a dark country road when a pair of unemployed thugs set out to rape and plunder unsuspecting couples looking for a quiet place to canoodle. They get more than they bargained for when their mark turns out to be a well-armed attorney. *** ...