Guy Gilbert was probably a little surprised when his son Gene showed up on the doorstep of his Yale, South Dakota home. While far from unwelcome, Gene hadn’t said anything about coming for a visit. Still, while surprising, it was far from unusual for Gene to just show up like this out of the …
Guy Gilbert returned to his South Dakota home to find that his visiting son had committed suicide. When the police went to notify his family of his untimely death, they had no idea of the horrors that awaited them inside their quiet house in Iowa. Sources Friend says Gilbert threatened to kill family. The …
Episode 64: The Quiet House: The Gilbert Family Slayings Read More »
Mary Schultz was a young, well-educated 20-year-old with her whole life ahead of her. When she married Henry Schultz, she thought that her future would be even brighter. Mary was wrong.
After a long, cold winter, spring had finally arrived in Pleasant Valley, Iowa. Patches of brown grass, buried for months under snow and ice, were starting to turn green again with new life. Flowers began to bloom again in a vivid array of colors, splashing hues of bright blues, oranges, and reds across a …
Another collection of short tales from Midwest history, Volume 3 deals with accidents too awful to contemplate, yet too horrible to forget. Sources Leroy Sowell is Instantly Killed Today. The Daily Democrat and Leader, 1920 Leroy Stowell. http://www.findagrave.com Woman Saves Nephew from Death by Gas. The Capital Times, 12/28/1923 p. 2 Crowd …
Episode 62: Table Scraps Short Stories, Vol. 3: Accidents Will Happen Read More »
I’ve always been fascinated by the little stories, the ones that you never hear about in the history books. While volumes have been written about the major people and big events of the world, not so much has been set down about the stories from the little people just out living their lives. So, …
Table Scraps Short Stories, Vol. 3: Accidents Will Happen Read More »
Shortly before Christmas 1946, 35-year-old Bessie Moore trip to bake cookies with a friend ended in tragedy. The events of that December day still echo 75-years later. Sources Conduct Search for Slayer Here. La Crosse Tribune, 12/18/1946, p.1 Love Theory Enters Murder of Waitress in La Crosse. The Journal Times, 12/19/1946 Still Seeking …
Episode 61: Unquiet House: The Murder of Bessie Moore Read More »
Bessie smiled to herself as she carefully wrapped her cookie dough in a large piece of wax paper. The paper made a thick crinkling sound as she manipulated it around, taking care to preserve the star shapes that she had already cut out. The afternoon light filtered through the windows of her small apartment, washing …
Heartrending events in the life of Margaretha Nehlsen had brought her to the very depths of despair. No one knew that she was about to cause an even more horrific tragedy.
Starting in about 1820 and ending at the turn of the 20th Century, cultural norms in Western Europe began to shift. At the same time, things were also changing in the United States. America began to experience an enormous influx of immigrants from the western portion of the European continent and the United Kingdom. …
Poisoned Chocolate: The Nehlsen Murder/Suicide of 1910 Read More »
