Episode 73: The Ball: A Kitchen Table Historian Short Story
In 1912, a horrific murder took place in Villisca, Iowa. Some people say the spirits of the victims still remain. After seeing the ball, I might just be a believer myself.
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The Body on the Island: The Final Days of Margaret Treese
George Whitbeck pointed to the patch of grass where he had found the body that morning. The photographer for one of the local papers had asked him to pose for a picture, indicating the place where it had been. He did his best, standing still, feet together, pointing. When he had driven onto Credit Island …
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The Stoic Farmer: The Gilbert Family Murders, Part II
Warning: This material contains content that may be sensitive for some readers. Reader discretion is strongly advised. The argument was the same. It never changed. Sell out and move to town, she said. “We’re not moving, Hazel,” Guy replied. And round and round they went. Guy was always reserved, never emotional. He didn’t …
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The Quiet House: The Gilbert Family Slayings
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 …
Episode 64: The Quiet House: The Gilbert Family Slayings
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 …
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Episode 62: Table Scraps Short Stories, Vol. 3: Accidents Will Happen
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 …
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Table Scraps Short Stories, Vol. 3: Accidents Will Happen
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, …
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‘Call Me Randy:’ The Soft-Spoken Killer
When the residents of Dunn County, Wisconsin woke up on the morning of February 15, 1974, none of them expected to hear about a murder in their area, but they did. About mid-morning, police were notified that a body had been found in a ditch along a dead-end road. When they arrived, authorities found …
Episode 54: Fancy Shoes: The Bizarre Story of Big Nose George
Stories of the American West have captivated generations of people. But beyond the tales of cowboy shootouts and outlaw exploits lies the bizarre story of Big Nose George, a notorious outlaw whose name became linked to a very special pair of shoes. Sources Weiser, Kathy. Big Nose Becomes A Pair of Shoes. http://www.legendsofamerica.com Van Pelt, …
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The Insane Doctor: Medicine, Drugs, and Murder in Small-Town Iowa
By 1930, 68-year-old George W. Appleby had practiced medicine for forty-years in the small town of Bristow, Iowa. In many ways, he was exactly what you’d expect – a white-haired elderly man who seemed to genuinely care about his patients and treated their various ailments with a healthy mixture of sage wisdom and medical knowledge. …
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