Podcasts about death index

Transcript of The First Kato, a short biography of Raymond Tokutaro Muramoto: [Play Flight of the Bumblebee from 1m27s of The Green Hornet radio episode “Citizenship Insurance Racket,” broadcast 5 May 1938.] January 31st, 1936. When the first episode of The Green Hornet aired on WXYZ radio in Detroit, the voice of Kato was Tokutaro Hayashi1. [Clip of Reid talking, followed by Kato. Citizenship Insurance Racket 13m40-14m.]The station's Dramatic Director James Jewell “renamed him Toyo.” That's according to Wyxie Wonderland: An Unauthorized 50-Year Diary of WXYZ Detroit by Dick Osgood. In ads and newspaper articles, the actor was billed as Raymond Hayashi or Raymond Toyo. Six years later, he was credited as Raymond Muramoto in this item:“Kato of the fascinating radio program, ‘Green Hornet' of Station WXYZ is here in person among us colonists. He is none other than Raymond Muramoto, a Seattlelite, formerly of Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Muramoto who portrayed Kato was brought to the limelight by Mr. James Jewel, director of the program, while managing the Parkstons Hotel. After numerous radio tests, he was selected by Mr. George Trendle, president of the station. Mr. Muramoto was the only Japanese besides Hize co-EE-kay (Koike), opera singer, who was under contract to N.B.C. for six years. He also served as assistant sound technician on The Lone Ranger program for the past four years.” That's from the May 30th, 1945 edition of Information Bulletin, published by prisoners in the Tulelake, California concentration camp where he was held during World War Two.The “Coming Marriages” column in Billboard magazine on July 29th, 1939, began with “Raymond Toyo, actor on station WXYZ, Detroit, who plays Kato in The Green Hornet, and Tsuruko Kuranishi, … of Auburn, Washington.” They were married on August 3rd in Seattle.The 1940 census lists a Ramon Hayashi, born in Japan in 1902, living on Prentiss Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. Others in Household: Tsuru Hayoshi, 27 years old, Female.What nationality was the character Kato? Why did it change over the years? My guess is that the rich, white men who created and adapted The Green Hornet didn't invest as much thought in it as later fans might have. They didn't make the hero's servant Japanese out of concern that representation matters. They were filling in blanks on a formula. WXYZ had succeeded with The Lone Ranger, a masked crime fighter in the Wild West. When they were brainstorming a name for his Native American sidekick, one of the brainstormers looked at a map of Arizona and saw the Tonto Basin1. When the same execs decided to write a modern story about a rich playboy who fought crime in a mask, they wanted a Tonto for him. According to Dick Osgood in Wyxie Wonderland, they settled on a Japanese servant as The Green Hornet's sidekick. Dramatic director James Jewell wanted a Japanese actor and ignored suggestions that they use a Chinese actor instead. Narration in the first two episodes called Kato “oriental.” In the third episode and for a few years of the series, he was introduced as [clip of narrator saying “Kato, his faithful Japanese valet” from Citizenship Insurance Racket, 2m39s-2m41s].2 The show started describing him as “Oriental” again in January 1938, presumably because Japan had begun attacking China and the US was on the side of China. A broadcast on June 21st, 1941, several months before Pearl Harbor, labeled Kato Filipino. His nationality wasn't mentioned again until January tenth, 1942: [Narrator from The Green Hornet episode “Poor Substitutes for a Prison, 40s-47s. “With his faithful Filipino valet Kato, Britt Reid, daring young publisher, matches wits with racketeers and saboteurs…”]2The timing may have led to the rumor that his Japanese nationality was dropped immediately after Pearl Harbor.In the 1940 and 1941 film serials, Kato was played by Keye Luke and described as Korean. Bruce Lee starred as Kato in The Green Hornet TV show from 1966-1967, where he was described as Chinese. And in the 2011 feature film, they joke about it, maybe using Britt Reid's ignorance as a stand-in for the historical confusion over Kato's nationality. Jay Chou as Kato says he was born in Shanghai. Reid says, “Yeah, I love Japan.”3 What else do we know about Tokutaro Hayashi, or Raymond Toyo, or Tokutaro Raymond Muramoto? He arrived in the US in 19204. He ran a restaurant when he was recruited by the Jam Handy Organization to act in commercial films. But he didn't switch careers completely. He continued to manage the restaurant. He was good at playing pool. While at WXYZ, he beat the best player in the studio and taught some of his coworkers how to play1.From Wyxie Wonderland1, quote:“Raymond had first worked in Detroit for a prominent automotive executive who had given him the financial backing for his Japanese restaurant. By the time he was sent to Jewell he was prosperous. He was having so much fun  playing Kato on the radio that he forgot to collect his paychecks. They did not amount to much, of course, but they did pile up. Finally Jewell …. forced him to take the checks.“Then, without warning, he just didn't show up. Inquiries at his restaurant revealed that he had gone to Seattle to greet some girls from Japan. One he married; the others he brought back with him to be waitresses in his restaurant.“Another actor managed to fake Kato until Raymond's return. Jewell explained firmly to the … man that actors had a responsibility to be present when required. To make amends, Raymond invited the entire cast to his restaurant and served them a Japanese dinner of many courses–with sake.” End quote.He convinced Al Hodge (the voice actor behind Britt Reid) to have his wife Tsuruko work unpaid as a maid in Hodge's two-room apartment until she could find another job. Tokutaro asked another WXYZ staffer to join him in buying a car wash. They didn't go through with it1.At some point after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Tokutaro was informed the government would send him to Japan. He asked his colleague Dick Osgood to intervene. An occasional voice actor and quiz master, Osgood had been broadcasting a series tied in with the war effort called March to Victory. Scripts for the show were supposedly vetted by six departments in Washington. Tokutaro might have thought Osgood had some influence but he couldn't help. In his book, Osgood says Tokutaro “disappeared, presumably to a concentration camp in the west. No one at WXYZ ever saw Raymond again.”1Raymond Tokutaro Muramoto is the name on a draft card registered February 15th, 1942. Place of birth is given as Kanazawa, Japan, February 11, 1900. His residence is listed as Seattle, Washington. Muramoto's father-in-law, Masaichi Kuranishi is listed as next of kin5. Muramoto arrived at the Tule Lake “War Relocation Center” in California on May 27, 19426. He was involved in theater there and put in charge of a Radio Drama Division at the camp. They presented a mock radio broadcast “to give persons practical experience in the radio field as artists, announcers, commentators and sound effects technicians.”7Muramoto left the concentration camp on October first, 19456.Information about his life after that is sparse. Raymond Muramoto lived in Seattle according to city directories from 1951, 1953 and 1982. Airplane passenger manifests show a Raymond Muramoto flying from Honolulu to LA in 1957, and from Tokyo to Seattle in 19588.A petition for naturalization, October 12, 1955 gives a snapshot of his life at that time. “My full, true and correct name is – Raymond Tokutaro Muramoto. My occupation is – truck driver. … The name of my wife is Tsuruko Muramoto. … One child, Florence Reiko, female, born October 8, 1937.” His petition was approved9.The main writer of The Lone Ranger, Fran Striker, appeared on the tv game show “To Tell the Truth” in 1960. If Muramoto had appeared on the show, we might know more about his life. Or at least his real name.After scouring databases of newspaper articles, census records, airplane passenger manifests, marriage records, and other information, the puzzle is still incomplete. The surname “Toyo” was assigned to him by James Jewell out of QUOTE convenience UNQUOTE1. When he arrived in the US at age twenty, he probably picked the common American name “Raymond.” Most official documents call him Tokutaro Muramoto. It's only the 1940 census and the promotional materials and articles about his radio work that list his last name as “Hayashi.” If his life were an episode of The Green Hornet, Britt Reid might speculate he had changed names in order to hide from the law or gangsters. Maybe he just picked Hayashi as a stage name before the radio station gave him another name.Raymond T. Muramoto died July 26, 1988 in King County, Washington, at the age of 8810.[Pause]You've been listening to “The First Kato,” a short biography of Raymond Tokutaro Muramoto, by Robert Thomas Northrup. For credits and a poorly formatted bibliography, visit http://DayjobsPodcast.blogspot.com. And go listen to my pulpy superhero podcast at https://ThisGuninMyHand.blogspot.com based on hours of listening to Raymond Muramoto and his colleagues. Thanks.References:1. Osgood, Dick (1981). Wyxie Wonderland: An Unauthorized 50-Year Diary of WXYZ Detroit. Pages 110-184.2. Mikkelson, David. Snopes.com. “Did ‘The Green Hornet' Change Kato's Nationality After Pearl Harbor?” P ublished 16 August 1999. Accessed 11 March 2022.https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/green-hornet-change-kato-after-pearl-harbor/3. Wikipedia. 2022. “Kato (The Green Hornet).” Last modified March 8, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kato_(The_Green_Hornet)4. Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., Arriving and Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006. “Tokutaro Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.5. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.  “Raymond Tokutaro Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.6. Ancestry.com. U.S., Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II, 1942-1946 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005. “Raymond T. Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.                  7. Cooperman, R. R. (1996). Nisei theater: History, context, and perspective. Pages 208-209.8. Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., Arriving and Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006. “Tokutaro Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.9. Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., Petitions for Naturalization, 1860-1991 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. “Raymond Tokutaro Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.  10. Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., Death Index, 1940-2017 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2002. “Raymond T. Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.Bibliography:Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. “Ramon Hayashi.” Accessed 11 March 2022.Ancestry.com. U.S., Final Accountability Rosters of Evacuees at Relocation Centers, 1942-1946 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. “Tokutaro Raymond Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.       Ancestry.com. U.S., Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II, 1942-1946 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005. “Raymond T. Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.                  Ancestry.com. U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. “Raymond Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.  “Raymond Tokutaro Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., Arriving and Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006. “Tokutaro Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., Death Index, 1940-2017 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2002. “Raymond T. Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., Petitions for Naturalization, 1860-1991 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. “Raymond Tokutaro Muramoto.” Accessed 11 March 2022.       Cooperman, R. R. (1996). Nisei theater: History, context, and perspective. Pages 208-209.“Green Hornet,” Information Bulletin, No. 3 (30 May 1942), Tulelake Colony. Found on Online Archive of California, Accessed 11 March 2022. https://oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=ft600006cv;NAAN=13030&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=d0e83&toc.depth=1&toc.id=&brand=oac4Merchandise-Pipes-General Outdoor: Coming Marriages. (1939, Jul 29). The Billboard (Archive: 1894-1960), 51, 71.Mikkelson, David. Snopes.com. “Did ‘The Green Hornet' Change Kato's Nationality After Pearl Harbor?” Published 16 August 1999. Accessed 11 March 2022.https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/green-hornet-change-kato-after-pearl-harbor/Osgood, Dick (1981). Wyxie Wonderland: An Unauthorized 50-Year Diary of WXYZ Detroit. Pages 110-184.Radio: RICKER PROMOTED. (1936, Jan 29). Variety (Archive: 1905-2000), 121, 38.The public domain Green Hornet radio episodes excerpted in this piece were broadcast 5 May 1938, titled “Citizenship Insurance Racket” (mentioning “Japanese valet”) and 1 Feb 1949, “Poor Substitutes for a Prison” (mentioning “Filipino valet”).

(note: time stamps are without ads & may be off a little) This week Beth and Wendy discuss the case of Tony Ables, a black man in St Petersburg, Florida, who was convicted of two murders and connected via DNA to two others. We dive into the setting (14:54), the killers early life (35:05) and the timeline (37:08).  Then, we get into the investigation & arrest (43:47), "Where are they now?" (53:38) followed by our takeaways and what we think made the perp snap (56:57).   As usual we close out the show with some tips on how not to get murdered and our shout outs (01:00:27).  Researched and scripted by Minnie Williams. Don't forget that Fruitloops is going to be at CrimeCon April 21-May 1, 2022. Use our code FRUITLOOPS to tell them that we sent you and to get 10% off your tickets! https://www.crimecon.com/cc22 Thanks for listening! This is a weekly podcast and new episodes drop every Thursday, so until next time... look alive guys, it's crazy out there! Sponsors  Better Help https://www.betterhelp.com/Fruit Best Fiends https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-fiends-puzzle-adventure/id868013618 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Seriously.BestFiends&hl=en_US&gl=US June's Journey https://apps.apple.com/us/app/junes-journey-hidden-objects/id1200391796 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?d=net.wooga.junes_journey_hidden_object_mystery_game&hl=en_US&gl=US Shout Outs Raising Dion https://www.netflix.com/title/80117803 My Grandmother's Hands (book) https://www.amazon.com/My-Grandmothers-Hands-Racialized-Pathway/dp/1942094477 The Minds of Madness Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-minds-of-madness-true-crime-stories/id1191274361 The Gilded Age Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-official-gilded-age-podcast/id1605253822 Where to find us: Our Facebook page is Fruitloopspod and our discussion group is Fruitloopspod Discussion on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/groups/fruitloopspod/ We are also on Twitter and Instagram @fruitloopspod Please send any questions or comments to fruitloopspod@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 602-935-6294.  We just might read your email or play your voicemail on the show! Want to Support the show? You can support the show by rating and reviewing Fruitloops on iTunes, or anywhere else that you get your podcasts from.  We would love it if you gave us 5 stars! You can make a donation on the Cash App https://cash.me/$fruitloopspod Or become a monthly Patron through our Podbean Patron page https://patron.podbean.com/fruitloopspod Footnotes Articles/Websites Wikipedia contributors. (01/18/2022). Tony Ables. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02/02/2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Ables Raghunathan, A. (12/06/2006). Police say DNA solves 2 murders. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 02/02/2022 from https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2006/12/06/police-say-dna-solves-2-murders/ Tampa Bay Times. (02/18/1987). Kisor, Deborah D. Retrieved 02/02/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43532361/obituary-for-deborah-d-kisor-aged-31/ Rodgers, W. (06/06/1990). Beating death called domestic violence. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 02/02/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/322377901/?terms=%22Tony%20Abels%22%20tampa&match=1 Tampa Bay Times. (06/06/1990). Roommate charged in woman's death. Retrieved 02/02/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/337944239/?terms=%22Tony%20Abels%22%20tampa&match=1 Tampa Bay Times. (06/06/1990). Woman, 48, beaten to death. Retrieved 02/02/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/337944157/?terms=%22Tony%20Abels%22%20st%20petersburg&match=1 Tampa Bay Times. (01/13/1971). Grand Jury shuns probe request. Retrieved 02/02/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56388463/tony-ables-indicted/ Tampa Bay Times. (01/15/1971). Groce. Retrieved 02/02/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56388793/obituary-for-thornton-groce/ St. Petersburg Times. (12/21/1970). Boy 15, is arrested in fatal-shooting case. Retrieved 02/03/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/317116876/?terms=%22Thornton%20Groce%22&match=1 The Tampa Tribune. (03/20/1971). Youth gets life for murder. Retrieved 02/03/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/331902371/?terms=%22Thornton%20Groce%22&match=1 Richardson, Lynda. ( 06/27/1983). Slaying at retirement hotel unnerves elderly tenants. Retrieved 02/03/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/320316468/?terms=%22Adeline%20McLaughlin%22&match=1 Richardson, Lynda. ( 06/27/1983). Slaying from 1-B. Retrieved 02/03/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38078599/slaying-at-retirement-hotel-unnerves/ Tampa Bay Times. (02/15/1987). Passer-by finds woman's body near park. Retrieved 02/02/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/321254301/?terms=%22Deborah%20Kisor%22&match=1 The Tampa Tribune. (03/02/1987). Slaying from Page 1. Retrieved 02/03/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/336729804 The Tampa Tribune. (05/12/1992). Arrest made in slaying. Retrieved 02/03/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38078783/arrest-made-in-slaying/ The Tampa Tribune. (03/07/1987). Man's sentence goes from death to life. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38079165/ans-sentence-goes-from-death-to-life/ The Orlando Sentinal. (12/07/2006). Cops: Inmate linked to 2 other killings. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38079667/cops-inmate-linked-to-2-other-killings/ Tampa Bay Times. (08/06/2015). ABLES, CLyde E.. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/364478028/?terms=ABLES%2C%20Clyde%20E.&match=1 Wikipedia contributors. (11/14/2021). Charlotte Correctional Institution. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Correctional_Institution St. Petersburg College News. (12/10/2013). St. Petersburg College to honor educators and civic leaders Cecil B. Keene, Doug Jamerson. Retrieved 02/06/2022 from https://newsspc.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/st-petersburg-college-to-honor-educators-and-civic-leaders-cecil-b-keene-doug-jamerson/?preview=true&preview_id=5033&preview_nonce=6717515a5a Ancestry.com. (n.d.). Arie Lee Reed in the Florida, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1823-1982. Retrieved 02/06/2022 from https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/901555296:61369 Ancestry.com. (n.d.). Adeline A Mclaughlin in the Florida, U.S., Death Index, 1877-1998. Retrieved 02/06/2022 from https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7338&h=2969311&tid=&pid=&queryId=d4fe5e44adc5f6e879677452d233fb80&usePUB=true&_phsrc=MMh27&_phstart=successSource Ancestry.com. (n.d.). Marlene C Burns in the Florida, U.S., Death Index, 1877-1998. Retrieved 02/06/2022 from https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7338&h=4777455&tid=&pid=&queryId=f7c698758f499bb5ef7880375128621b&usePUB=true&_phsrc=MMh28&_phstart=successSource Ancestry.com. (n.d.). Arie Lee Ables in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. Retrieved 02/06/2022 from https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/43066783:60901?tid=&pid=&queryId=6d2f71ab7f06e3271db5f2d0f4ea9c76&_phsrc=MMh32&_phstart=successSource Ancestry.com. (n.d.). Clyde Ables in the Florida, U.S., Divorce Index, 1927-2001. Retrieved 02/06/2022 from https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=8837&h=1954920&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=1732 Ancestry.com. (n.d.). Thornton Groce in the Florida, U.S., Death Index, 1877-1998. Retrieved 02/06/2022 from https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7338&h=1679244&tid=&pid=&queryId=9eb02d8ae9c48297f39cf5982bb946cd&usePUB=true&_phsrc=MMh39&_phstart=successSource History Wikipedia contributors. (12/29/2021). Indigenous peoples of Florida. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_Florida Wikipedia contributors. (01/31/2022). Florida. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida Wikipedia contributors. (01/01/2021). History of St. Petersburg, Florida. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_St._Petersburg,_Florida Wikipedia contributors. (01/17/2022). St. Petersburg, Florida. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Petersburg,_Florida Wikipedia contributors. (01/27/2022). African Americans in Florida. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans_in_Florida Stpete.org. (2022). A Walk Through History. Retrieved 02/04/2022 from https://www.stpete.org/residents/parks___recreation/african_american_heritage_trail.php Wikipedia contributors. (02/04/2022). Compromise of 1877. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02/06/2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compromise_of_1877 Video Toups, Kristin. (1/21/2022). Tony Alvin Ables- Abandonment issues, Petty Theft and Murder. YouTube. Retrieved 2/27/2022 from https://youtu.be/GJWs8Z80sE8 Music “Abyss” by Alasen: ●https://soundcloud.com/alasen●https://twitter.com/icemantrap ●https://instagram.com/icemanbass/●https://soundcloud.com/therealfrozenguy● Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License “You Have The Right” by Marlene Miller. Used with permission. Find her Facebook and Instagram under SEMNCHY or marlenemiller138@gmail.com “Death Row” by Yung Kartz https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Yung_Kartz Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License “Furious Freak” by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3791-furious-freak License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Connect with us on: Twitter @FruitLoopsPod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fruitloopspod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Fruitloopspod and https://www.facebook.com/groups/fruitloopspod  

Molly McLaren was a young university student in The UK when she met who she thought was her true love. It was her first seriously relationship, but before it even hit the year mark, her new boyfriend would show his true colors. Those true colors were murderous. This is the story of Molly McLaren. Resources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0kgNayzAUM Ancestry.com. England and Wales, Death Index, 1989-2019 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/killer-joshua-stimpsons-stalking-molly-2515805 https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/chilling-final-text-molly-mcclaren-25480775 http://themollymclarenfoundation.co.uk/about-molly/ https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/1244062/student-molly-mclaren-had-throat-slashed-and-was-stabbed-repeatedly-in-neck-and-chest-inquest-told/ https://www.facebook.com/notes/397669027909303/ Ads: Green Chef: www.greenchef.com/diaries130 Code: diaries130  Music Used: Walking with the Dead by Maia Wynne Link: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Maiah_Wynne/Live_at_KBOO_for_A_Popcalypse_11012017 License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Fretless by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3777-fretless License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Just north of Appleton, New York lies a winery with a dark past: murderous Free Masons and more than 5 deaths that occurred at 3:00pm on a Thursday.  But what is the truth?  Let's take a deep dive into the archival record to find out if Marjim Manor serves up more than just good spirits. Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to crimesandwitchdemeanors@gmail.com  Like The Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors  Episode Transcript: Available below the sources in the show notes Visit the website: https://www.crimesandwitchdemeanors.com    SOURCES: Calud, D., & O'Connor, C. (2009). Beds, "Spooks and “Spirits”: Winery at Marjim Manor. In Haunted Buffalo: Ghosts in the Queen City (Haunted America) (e-book edition, pp. 42–46). The History Press.     Daniel Klaes. (2016, August 11). Behind The Shadows—S4E41(Marjim Manor). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPVUiNhesRM&t=126s     Dr. Chas. A. Ring Dies In His Chair. (1908, February 29). Buffalo Courier. http://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/370258421/?terms=%22Charles%20A.%20Ring%22&pqsid=QV-w-sFoCwGcj6mQdP1cPw%3A1184000%3A401194203&match=1     Ghost Stories, Sightings and Experiences with our Spirits at The Winery at Marjim Manor. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://marjimmanor.com/legend_current_ghost_sightings.html     Haunted Ghost Wineries Across The United States. (2016, October 28). Uncorked: The Blog. https://www.cawineclub.com/blog/haunted-ghost-wineries-across-united-states/     History of Newfane , New York. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from http://history.rays-place.com/ny/newfame-ny.htm     History of the Winery at Marjim Manor in Appleton, NY. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2021, from https://marjimmanor.com/legend_history.html     Lewis E Merritt (1833-1865)—Find A Grave... (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114506704/lewis-e-merritt     Lewis W Merritt (1833-1863)—Find A Grave... (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157239658/lewis-w-merritt     Marjim Manor. (2018). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marjim_Manor&oldid=833048263     MARJIM MANOR: House has history of hauntings | Local News | lockportjournal.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/marjim-manor-house-has-history-of-hauntings/article_7e3938a5-6515-5654-97ff-8ec38b0a8999.html     Neighbors, J. (2012, October 3). Joy's JOY of Wine: Haunted Wineries of the Eastern U.S. Joy's JOY of Wine. http://joysjoyofwine.blogspot.com/2012/10/haunted-wineries-of-eastern-us.html     New York, U.S., Death Index, 1852-1956—AncestryLibrary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61535&h=1914175&tid=&pid=&queryId=0878014bbcbcc4dd6f5ee56dc6197304&usePUB=true&_phsrc=eBA323&_phstart=successSource     Obituary for Florella C. Morse RIPLEY. (1908, September 16). The Buffalo Enquirer, 9.     Obituary of Shubal Merritt. (1881, March 7). Buffalo Morning Express, page 6.     Our Resident Ghosts at the Winery at Marjim Manor in Appleton, NY. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2021, from https://marjimmanor.com/legend_ghosts.html     Phebe Sophia Scudder Merritt (1767-1855)—Find A... (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50872572/phebe-sophia-merritt     Shubal S Merritt (1801-1881)—Find A Grave... (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50871659/shubal-s-merritt     Shubal Scudder Merritt (1842-1918)—Find A Grave... (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82244006/shubal-scudder-merritt     Shubal Scudder Merritt—LifeStory. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/70541377/person/232126309761/story     Sophia Spencer Willson (1804-1877)—Find A Grave... (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2021, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11689097/sophia-willson     The Spirit Guide: Marjim Manor. (2020, July 8). https://spookeats.com/2020/07/08/the-spirit-guide-marjim-manor/     Winery at Marjim Manor. (n.d.). Haunted History Trail of New York State. Retrieved May 20, 2021, from https://hauntedhistorytrail.com/explore/winery-at-marjim-manor   Transcript: Hello, and welcome to another episode of Crimes & Witch-Demeanors, I'm your host, Joshua Spellman.  On Crimes and Witch-Demeanors we go further than the wikipedia page and dive into the archival record to discover the truth behind your favorite ghostly tales.   I hope everyone is doing well and that you enjoyed last week's diversion from the usual.  If you didn't, now worries!  Today I'm back to my old hijinks and looking at a really fun historic haunt that I so desperately hoped to be true.   I love wine, I truly do, and it's one of the reasons I love Western New York and Southern Ontario — we have so many great wineries — and many of them are haunted.  Today I'll be telling the alleged —and I mean alleged— tale of Marjim Manor, a haunted winery in the Hamlet of Appleton, New York.    Sounds quaint, right?  Wrong.  Tales of murderous Free Masons and a mysterious death curse plague this winery - and spoiler, a dog dies in the end.  But how much of it is true?  That's what we're here to find out.  So let's dive right in to the purported past of Marjim Manor… ___     In order to fully encapsulate the story of Marjim Manor, or at least the story of its ghosts, we must begin in 1826 with a man by the name of William Morgan.  William Morgan was a bricklayer from Virginia who moved to Batavia, New York in 1824.  Once he arrived in the small village, he attempted to join the local masonic lodge.   Morgan claimed that he had joined the Masons in another country, and his in-depth knowledge of their most secret rituals appeared to confirm this.  Despite this, his application to the lodge was rejected.  In a fury, Morgan threatened to publish a tell-all book that would expose the Free Masons and their deeply hidden secrets.  Morgan recruited a local printer, David Miller, to his cause to publish his expose.   However, before any copies could be printed, Miller's printing press and his office mysteriously burned down and Morgan was arrested for overdue bills.  Miller paid Morgan's bail but just as Morgan was released, he was locked up again for another past-due bill in the neighboring town of Canandaigua.    Unfortunately, Miller was not able to come to the rescue of Morgan this time - the loss of his business and the first set of bail had depleted what little funds he had.  Fortune was on Morgan's side, however, as a mysterious stranger paid his bail and arranged for a carriage to pick him up outside the jail.   The carriage appeared to be headed to Canada, allegedly to prevent Morgan from being arrested again on similar charges…but the carriage made an unexpected stop at Fort Niagara to pick up a few new passengers.  It was here when a handful of Masons grabbed Morgan, tied him with rope, and carried him onto a boat bound for Canada..  However…while the Masons made it safely across the Niagara River and Lake Ontario…Morgan did not.   The Masons had tied William Morgan to a large rock and tossed him overboard into the seemingly endless depths of the Great Lake.  William Morgan died just off the shore of modern-day Marjim Manor.  A large, natural stone served as a marker for the site of Morgan's death.   8 years later the parcel of land that served as William Morgan's death site was purchased by Schubal Scudder Merritt.  Merritt promptly set to work on building his dream-home, constructing a 9,500 square foot manor made of stones imported from Italy.  Gardens and orchards were planted on the surrounding land and a rock garden was artfully placed around the large stone that marked the site of William Morgan's death.  The estate was proudly deemed “Appleton Manor”, named so for the hamlet in the town of Newfane located just south of the property.   Merritt lived on the property with his wife Sophia Spencer Wilson, his son Lewis, and his two daughters Phoebe Sophia and Cordelia Marie.  They lived in bliss for quite some time until March of 1864 when Sophia passed away.  Sophias death set their fortune on its head and things only went downhill from there and marked the beginning of the curse of Marjim Manor.   The very next year, Schubal and his son Lewis returned from a hunting trip.  Lewis had gone upstairs while Schubal remained in the parlor to clean their guns.  While upstairs, Lewis had opened a letter from the University of Rochester stating that his tuition had been raised to $12 a semester.  Shocked an appalled at this, Lewis ran down stairs and burst through the French doors of the parlor to tell his father.  Unfortunately, Schubal was startled by his son's dramatic entrance and the gun he was cleaning was accidentally set off — shooting and killing Lewis on the spot.  Lewis died on the spot, at 3:00pm on Thursday.   This tragic accident sent Schubal into a spiral of guilt and anxiety.  He demanded that the French doors to the parlor be permanently sealed in order to prevent another tragedy and to help block away the memory of that tragic day.  Years passed before Schubal Merritt also died in the home on March 2, 1881…at 3:00pm.  It was also a Thursday.   After Merritt's passing his daughter Phoebe Sophia and her husband Lucius Adams moved into the family home after buying Cordelia's share of the farm.  They lived in peace,  raising their daughter Elizabeth, void of tragedy for years…until one day, while Phoebe was in the parlor with her husband — the French doors, which had been permanently sealed for years, blew wide open.  With a gasp, Phoebe fell to the floor - dead.  Again, at 3 o'clock on a Thursday afternoon.   Phoebe's husband and daughter moved out of the home shortly after and it began to rent the property.  They had rented the home to a man by the name of John Morely, who, while he had died on a Tuesday, his body wasn't found until…3:00pm that Thursday.   Fed up with the constant tragedy, and the apparent curse, the family eventually sold the property to Dr. Charles A. Ring.  Dr. Charles Ring had been the very first director of the esteemed, and very haunted, Richardson Olmsted Complex — or the Buffalo Insane Asylum.  Dr. Ring and his wife, Estelle Morse, had dreamt of escaping the city of Buffalo to begin farming.   Dr. Ring and his wife ended up being excellent farmers and were well-known in the region for their outstanding peach crops.  However, it seems that the Ring family could not escape the same fate that befell the Merritts.  On a Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock the servants in the home heard a loud bang coming from upstairs.  The servants rushed to the second floor office of Dr. Ring and found him dead at his desk from no apparent cause.  The bang they had heard was the sound of his skull smashing onto his solid oak desk.   Estelle maintained the peach farm for as long as she could before dying of old age.  Marjim Manor was then sold to the Sisters of St. Joseph to be used as a summer retreat and a camp for young girls.   The Sisters of St. Joseph had a dog named Luke, who was doted upon by both the Sisters and the children who attended camp.  One day Luke was in the parlor, curled up by the fireplace, when he abruptly sat up and ran over to the French doors.  He barked at them three times before going back to his spot by the fireplace, laying down, and dying.  It was 3:00pm on a Thursday.   The victims of this apparent curse still haunt the grounds today, making their presence known to all those who visit the grounds.  Was this land cursed by the death of the alleged freemason William Morgan or has this land always been a place of tragedy?  You can still visit Marjim Manor today, as it operates as a winery and a wedding venue.   No one has died there in quite some time…but I advise you to perhaps avoid scheduling your visit at 3 o'clock on a Thursday…just in case… _____   Oh boy.  I don't even know where to begin with this one.  I kind of what you to dump most of what I just told you out of your skull, because it's either not true or incredibly confused, but either way, like ice wine, it's cause for upset.   A lot of the initial story I obtained from a book titled Haunted Buffalo: Ghosts in the Queen City by Dwayne Claude and Cassidy O'Connor.  It's a nice place to start, but dear god.  The inaccuracies.  Even the misspellings, but these error aren't isolated to this book alone and actually plague most of the retellings on the internet and television as well.   The book started of on the wrongest of feet with citing Schubal Merritt's name as Sue-bell. Which sounds like someone who identifies as a woman and/or a cow.   But the thing that intrigued be about this particular story at Marjim Manor is what a great narrative and curse that follows the occupants of this land and it's something that could be easily verified or debunked.  Well, sort of.  You'll see.   The story of William Morgan and his attempt to swindle the Free Masons is true up until his disappearance.  No one really knows what happened to him — whether he was murdered or simply escaped to Canada.  It's actually a much more involved story in its own right and the local library in Batavia has a number of materials related to the story — but that's not what we're here for.   The story states that Schubal Merritt built his mansion as soon as he bought the land, but in fact it was actually the third house they had built on the property.  The Merritt's first built a log cabin, then a frame house, and finally, once their business was turning real profits, they built the manor in 1854.   Sophia enjoyed the house for a decade before dying of tuberculosis in 1864.  Now a year after this is when their son Lewis tragically died from a gunshot wound in the parlor…or is it?  It turns out that story is just that…a story.  Lewis wasn't shot and killed by his father, instead, like his mother, he also died of tuberculosis.   As the story goes Schubal Merritt himself died on March 2, 1881…on a Thursday at 3 just like his son.  The tale goes on to say that Phoebe inherited the home but ended up dying as the French doors blew open at 3pm on a Thursday.   Of course there are more deaths, but let's look at the Merritt family first.  I definitely had some trouble locating the records of their death because somehow in the same incredibly small town there was another Schubal Merritt and another Sophia Spencer Wilson who were not married to each other.  This sent me into a spiral.  But don't worry, I came out of it and found the right people.   Part of the confusion is the book and many other sources provide variant spellings for Merritt, either one “t” or two, as well as various spellings for the daughter Phoebe.   Adding to the confusion is that Lewis Merritt has two graves in two different cemeteries, both providing different death dates and middle initials.  One grave with the inscription of Lewis W. Merritt claimed he died on the 22nd of May in 1863 and the age of 29.  Which…would have been a Friday, not a Thursday.  The other grave, for Lewis E. Merritt claimed he died on the 22nd of May 1865 at the age of 31…the generally accepted date, which…would have been a Monday. Okay, strike one!   Well, what about Old Schubal Merritt?  Maybe he died on a Thursday, since the day of March 2, 1881 is always cited in the story.  Oh, what's that?  That was actually a Wednesday?  Yikes.  People use this date all the time and never bothered to check.  I confirmed it with his gravesite and an excerpt from the Neighborhood News section of the March 7, 1881 Buffalo Morning Express that states “Mr. Shubal Merritt, an old and much esteemed citizen of Newfane died on the 2nd”   Strikeeeeeee two!   Okay, well what about Phoebe?  Her grave states she died on April 9, 1921 which was a Saturday.  BUT according to the NY State Death Index she actually passed away on April 7th which is in fact a Thursday!  Woo!  We finally have a Thursday death in the house…right?  Well…no.  Phoebe and her husband Lucius never moved into the home after Shubal's death.  They immediately sold the property to Dr. Ring.  And Phoebe died in 1921, outliving the next tenants by over a decade.   Now, even the Dr. Ring parts of the story are sus but they also tell us how this Urban Legend began.  The story goes that Dr. Ring moved into the home with his fiancé, Estelle Morse.  No.  Dr. Ring moved in with his wife, Hannah Denelia Ripley Farwell.  How Estelle comes into the picture is…confusing.   Hannah's father, Reverend Allen Plumb Ripley had a second wife, Florella Celeste Morse…who had a half-sister Elia Estelle Morse.  Confused yet?  It gets more confusing.   Hannah, Dr. Ring's wife,  died in the home in 1907. However, in January of 1908 he named Elia Estelle Morse, his late wife's step-mother's half-sister the heir of the estate.  He mysteriously dropped dead the very next month.   What about Dr. Ring?  When did he die?  According to his grave he died on the 29th of February, 1908 but according to the Buffalo Courier he passed away the evening prior, as stated, on the 28th.  The current owner of the house states that it was the 28th and is adamant that this is the only death in the home to be on a Thursday afternoon.  However, whichever date you go with, it was either a Saturday and a Friday, respectively, and definitely not a Thursday despite the owner's claims.    Which is strange, because the owner maintains that none of the Merritt's died on a Thursday afternoon but claims that the whole of the Ring family did.  Which…you guessed it…also isn't accurate.   Estelle moved into the home promptly after Dr. Ring's death with her half-sister, Florella, who was Hannah's…Hannah's step…mother-in-law?  It's all very confusing and strange.  It was a scandal at theme that Estelle inherited the property.  She was a shrewd businesswoman so it's no surprise she managed to wrestle the property from Dr. Ring.  A shame he died only a month after he put her in the will…but I digress.   Florella died later that year on September 14, 1908.  Again, the owner claims this was one of the Thursday deaths.  I am here once again to tell you it was a Monday.    Estelle ended up marrying a farmer who was a caretaker at Marjim Manor until they left the home in 1922.  Marjim Manor went into foreclosure before being taken up by the Sisters of St. Joseph who used it has a summer home and a retreat for deaf children  from St. Mary's School of the Deaf.  The book states they had a dog named Luke who died, which is partially true.  The dog did die, as all living things do, but his name was actually Duke.  Luke would make more biblical sense, but you know, he looked more like a Duke.  There are photographs of him, but unfortunately I have no way of verifying when he died.   So how did these rumors start?  It turns out that Estelle Morse was the one to start spreading these rumors in an article in a The New York World published in 1908. This article was an interview with Estelle that praised her for being such a great businesswoman.  I'm sure she wove this tale to try and drum up some interest in her winery.  Now, while the source of this information is the owner of the manor, which seems slightly unreliable, I have no reason to doubt it — there is a framed version of it hanging in the home.   In fact, a ghostly occurrence happened with this framed article.  It was the day of Estelle's birthday.  The bartender poured a glass of a sweet red wine in honor of her and claimed that it was “A sweet red wine for a lady that may have not been so sweet” and just as the bartender had said that, the framed article flew from the wall and broke the frame's glass.  Apparently she resented that remark.   One of the most active place for ghosts in the house is the front stairs.  The Ghost Hunter's show heard someone say “Who's in my house?” Without even utilizing their EVP equipment.  A young man in Victorian dress has been seen in that very spot — could it be the ghost of Lewis?   The covered front porch is another hotspot for paranormal activity.  Estelle Morse is said to greet visitors as they come in the home.  It has also been reported on many occasions that people have seen an older gentleman upstairs who began complaining about that same front porch.  This is most likely Schubal Merritt, as that particular front porch as not a part of the home when he built it.   A former employee and her family acted as winter caretakers for Marjim Manor since they lived up the street from the property.  One day they were making their rounds and making sure the home was in order and that none of the pipes had froze.  As they were making their last passes downstairs an alarm clock started ringing upstairs.  They went upstairs to turn off the alarm clock but were shocked to find that while it was still going off…it was not plugged into the wall.   But all encounters have not been friendly. The home was also a part of the underground railroad (many orchards were in the area at the time — one of my favorites, Murphy's orchard was as well).  Sadly, even though they were part of the underground railroad, escaped slaves may have to hide for days or weeks in the dark in extremely cramped quarters, literally underground.    Because of the psychic energy and trauma, visitors experience the feeling an intense sadness in the area.  Others are instead pinched, poked, and pushed which may indicate a more aggressive or malevolent presence…but I'm willing to bet maybe the victims of these ghostly encounters were just racists and the ghosts of the escaped slaves were just having some harmless revenge.

We're making like the devil and heading on down to Georgia.  Most people's minds go straight to Savanah when picturing the haunted South, but today we're setting our sights the smaller, lesser known town of Americus.  Specifically, we're honing in on the historic Windsor Hotel.  Among the living, many denizens of the dead are said to be checked in as permanent guests-- but are the only true spirits those on the shelf in the pub?    Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to crimesandwitchdemeanors@gmail.com  Like The Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors  Episode Transcript: Available below the sources in the show notes Visit the website: https://www.crimesandwitchdemeanors.com    Sources: 1920 United States Federal Census—AncestryLibrary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2021, from https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/8354991:6061?tid=&pid=&queryId=56d4f8d41cd9be6445f55f92f41c2d2d&_phsrc=eBA312&_phstart=successSource   1940 United States Federal Census—AncestryLibrary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2021, from https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/51459890:2442?tid=&pid=&queryId=56d4f8d41cd9be6445f55f92f41c2d2d&_phsrc=eBA312&_phstart=successSource   A New Hotel. (1897, November 12). The Macon Telegraph, page 3.   An Americus Horror Story. (n.d.). Https://Www.Walb.Com. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from https://www.walb.com/story/27180029/an-americus-horror-story   Assembly, I. G. (1906). Legislative Documents.   Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel—Americus, GA. (n.d.). Yelp. Retrieved April 22, 2021, from https://www.yelp.com/biz/best-western-plus-windsor-hotel-americus-4   Bevington, R. (n.d.). Georgia Ghosts: A Mother, Daughter Haunt This Hotel. Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://www.gpb.org/news/2018/10/29/georgia-ghosts-mother-daughter-haunt-hotel   BS Paranormal Investigations. (2020, December 8). Just the Evidence: Windsor Hotel, Americus, Georgia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdlz84xuFm4   Down the Elevator Shaft. (1894, January 7). Columbus Daily Enquirer (Published as Columbus Enquierer-Sun), page 3.   Eoghanacht. (2007). Windsor Hotel in Americus, Georgia.  32°4′20″N 84°14′1″W  /  32.07222°N 84.23361°W  / 32.07222; -84.23361. Own work. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Windsor-Hotel-Americus-GA-1.jpg   Fraternity, P. U. (1917). Catalogue of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity.   Georgia, U.S., Death Index, 1919-1998—AncestryLibrary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=5426&h=2141242&tid=&pid=&queryId=103c0146dc83f8afe1a4b3f5bf750d72&usePUB=true&_phsrc=eBA297&_phstart=successSource   Haunted Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel. (n.d.). Mystery 411. Retrieved April 25, 2021, from http://www.mystery411.com/Landing_bestwesternpluswindsorhotel.html   Haunted Places In Georgia: (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://www.haunted-places-to-go.com/haunted-places-in-georgia-2.html   Historic Windsor Hotel, Americus, Georgia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://www.windsor-americus.com/   Historical Images—Americus 1. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://www.americusga.us/historical_images_americus%201.htm   History | Windsor Hotel. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://www.windsor-americus.com/history/   Hotel Spotlight: Historical Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel Americus, GA. (2017, July 27). HotMamaTravel. https://hotmamatravel.com/best-west-plus-windsor-hotel/   joshnjen010304. (2020, March 30). Ghostly Georgia. Guitars, Gear, & Ghosts. http://guitarsgearandghosts.com/ghostly-georgia/   Laura Lyn. (2014, February 17). Laura Lyn visits the historic Windsor Hotel in Americus, Georgia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_lubPaPWLU   MadeInAmerica1977. (2012, November 24). Windsor Hotel (in Americus, Georgia)—A Behind the Scenes Haunted Tour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-FHmBAfOng   Married in Haste. (1892, March 14). The Macon Telegraph. http://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/591679561/?terms=%22windsor%20hotel%22%20americus&match=1   Nothing found for Ghostreport. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2021, from http://www.windsor-americus.com/GhostReport.htm   Recollections of a Vagabonde: The Haunted Windsor Hotel in Americus, Georgia. (2009, October 22). Recollections of a Vagabonde. http://avagabonde.blogspot.com/2009/10/haunted-windsor-hotel-in-americus.html   Rev Richard Sutton Rust Sr. (1815-1906)—Find A... (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/79029702/richard-sutton-rust   Richard S. Rust. (2020). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_S._Rust&oldid=990829872   Schnur, L. M. (2014, May 31). Just the Facts. Please! The Haunted Librarian. https://thehauntedlibrarian.com/2014/05/31/just-the-facts-please/ Southwest Georgia city boasts haunts along with history. (2019, August 2). [Text.Article]. FOX 5 Atlanta; FOX 5 Atlanta. https://www.fox5atlanta.com/good-day-atlanta/southwest-georgia-city-boasts-haunts-along-with-history   The Windsor Hotel: Directors Select a Name for Americus Palatial Hotel. (1891, September 4). The Macon Telegraph, page 1.   The Windsor is a certified haunted hotel. (n.d.). Https://Www.Walb.Com. Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://www.walb.com/story/5449720/the-windsor-is-a-certified-haunted-hotel   U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995—AncestryLibrary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/690841718:2469?tid=&pid=&queryId=e8f78aa6a0edd3b8ad24b526bc678038&_phsrc=eBA302&_phstart=successSource   U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947—AncestryLibrary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2021, from https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/38590185:2238?tid=&pid=&queryId=68a411473ddd2b72490bc26cd63edd45&_phsrc=eBA313&_phstart=successSource   Windsor Hotel. (n.d.). GeorgiaHauntedHouses.Com. Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://www.georgiahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/windsor-hotel.html   Windsor Hotel—Americus, GA - Windsor Ghost Report. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2021, from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:I3dRut8YvvcJ:windsorhotel1.ipower.com/GhostReport.htm+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us   WindsorHotel101. (2009, November 30). Americus Windsor Hotel—Haunted House. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5al8YZFU0I   TRANSCRIPT: Hello, and welcome to another episode of Crimes & Witch-Demeanors, the podcast where we use historic and archival resources to investigate ghost stories and separate fact from fiction.  I'm your host, and loveable librarian, Joshua Spellman.   I wanted to take care of some housekeeping before we get into the episode: I hope the new podcast artwork didn't spook you!  I love the illustration my good Judy GiAnna Ligammari made for the podcast, and I'm still using it on the website and other branding, but I needed something that read better as a thumbnail and that is graphic and punchy for new listeners.  So…I hope you don't mind the change!  I did it as a stress doodle while waiting for updates about my mom who is in the hospital this last week and I fell in love with it…and I hope you do too!   But I digress!   On today's episode we're making like the devil and heading on down to Georgia.  Most people's minds go straight to Savanah when picturing the haunted South, but today we're setting our sights the smaller, lesser known town of Americus.  Specifically, we're honing in on the historic Windsor Hotel.  Among the living, many denizens of the dead are said to be checked in as permanent guests-- but are the only true spirits those on the shelf in the pub?  Let's find out.  But first, here is the alleged history of the ghosts at Americus Georgia's Windsor Hotel.         The Windsor Hotel, despite being located in the small city of Americus, Georgia, is a grand and opulent structure, not unlike the castle across the pond that shares its name.  Like Windsor Castle, the hotel has housed great figures of history and harbors ghosts of the past.   In August of 1888 a reporter for the Americus Recorder discovered John Sheffield and Ross Harper measuring the court square of the city.  When the reporter inquired as to why, Mr. Sheffield responded simply, “because Major Moses Speer and Papa told me to.”  Without hesitation, the reporter rushed to the Bank of Southwestern Georgia and asked to speak with the president, Major Moses Speer to get the real scoop on the story. Major Speer told the reporter that he planned on building a hotel and that “the hotel will be built and in short order.  There is no doubt about that…it will be a building worthy of the city.” And indeed it would be.   Two architects submitted plans for the hotel: W.H. Parkins and G.L. Norman.  On March 21st, 1888 the selection committee for the project, which consisted of S.H. Hawkins, John Windsor, and C.M. Wheatley, favored the design drafted by Parkins.    Parkins' plan for the hotel was to erect a square, four-story wooden structure with 120 rooms.  The front of the building would run the entire length of Jackson Street and the corner would house two additional floors.   However, G.L. Normann would not take no for an answer, and the remainder of the corporation preferred his design.  Normann described his plan as being “a more fanciful character, greatly resembling the Hotel Alcazar at St. Augustine” (which, by the way, is the modern day Ripley's Believe it or Not? Building).  Normann's design was a brick structure of three and five stories in height, contained 100 rooms, and space for ten shops on the street level.   On April 17th the committee chose Normann's proposal with an estimated budget of $80,000.  Construction began in September of 1890 and was completed on June 16, 1892.   The lavish hotel would go on to house famous guests including Presidents William Jennings Bryan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter. The hotel is the epitome of Victorian architecture.  The Windsor spans an entire city block, complete with a tower, turret, balconies, and an open three-story open atrium.    The Windsor's outlook was auspicious from the start but it immediately fall on hard times.  In 1893, two years after its construction, an economic depression swept the nation, decimating the tourism trade – the hotel's only reason for being.  By the turn of the century, the Windsor filed for bankruptcy and was sold to Charles A. Fricker, a jeweler, for $40,000, a mere fraction of what the building was worth.   In September of 1910 the hotel was completely renovated, installing electric lights, telephones, steam heat, and new elevators…the likes of which would end up being the genesis of our first pair of hotel ghosts.   There was a maid, Emily Mae, and her daughter, Abigail, who lived in the hotel in the servant's quarters.  Emily Mae served as the head housekeeper but in order to support her and her child she wasn't a stranger to offering extra services to the gentlemen of the hotel.  However, Emily Mae had a jealous lover who did not appreciate the work she did to supplement her income.   One day, while working in the third floor hallway, Emily Mae's lover angrily confronted her, apparently jealous about her conducting sex work. Things got heated.  Voiced were raised.  Little Abigail heard the commotion and rushed to her mother's side, at first cowering behind her, but then holding her hand in a show of defiance and support.  Her and her mother would no longer tolerate the abuse from this man.   “You WENCH!” the man bellowed as he shoved Emily Mae backwards into the open elevator.  However, what he didn't notice…or perhaps he did…was that the elevator doors were open, but the lift was not stopped on the third floor.  Emily Mae and Abigail tumbled hand in hand down the empty elevator shaft, landing in a mangled heap on the ground floor with their fingers still interlocked.  They were together until the very end.   Their spirits still roam the third floor.  Many people spot Abigail rushing up and down the hall, playing with her toys seemingly in good…spirits.  Sometimes Emily Mae's ghost can be spotted in the mirror, but when you turn around…there's no one there, just you and an icy chill running down your spine.   Alas, Emily Mae and Abigail's accident wasn't the only treacherous tumble at the Windsor Hotel.  As a young and beautiful bride made her way down the private bridal suite staircase to wed her beloved, she tripped on her gown, fell down the steep staircase, and broke her neck.  Her spirit now roams the hotel, her bridal gown transformed from white to black, as she mourns the married life she never had.   As time ticked on, Windsor Hotel never fully recaptured the initial success it garnered in its first two years of operation.  The property was sold once again in the 1930's to Mr. Howard Dayton, of Daytona Beach, Florida.  Mr. Dayton would operate the hotel for four decades until it closed in 1974, having been open for 82 years.    Floyd Lowery, a doorman and lift operator, worked at the Windsor Hotel for the full 40 years that Dayton owned it.  Lowery was a happy, chipper man, who loved his job, the guests, and the hotel.  Floyd always made sure that visitors were happy and comfortable.  Luckily, Floyd did not die a tragic death in the hotel.  However, despite that fact, his ghost still roams the property.   Sadly, after the hotel closed in 1974, the Windsor fell to ruin, as buildings do, without living souls to inhabit it.  The hotel was donated to the city of Americus in 1978 by Howard Dayton's family and it sat for decades.  The only visitors being the pigeons roosting in the rafters and the rodents scurrying along the rotting floors.   The city had a big decision to make: either demolish the building and replace it with a parking lot, or funnel millions of dollars into its restoration.  The residents of Americus were almost unanimous in the decision to restore the city's gem.  It cost the city a lot of money to restore the hotel.  However, since the city owned the property, they managed to save nearly have a million dollars by utilizing the prison industrial complex and exploiting inmates for slave labor.  Construction and planning took many years, but the restoration was completed in 1991.    The Windsor Hotel is once again the opulent centerpiece to the small city of Americus.  While many guests come to stay for a night, the presence of its permanent, spectral residents are strongly felt.   Guests often approach the front desk to complain about the child running around the third floor…but are disturbed to discover that there are no children currently staying at the hotel. Countless others ask to speak to the manager to complement the courteous bellhop, Floyd who carried their bags to their rooms.  However, there's only one problem…that is not a service the hotel currently offers.  Nor do they employ anyone by the name of Floyd.   Floyd's ghost brings positive and uplifting energy to the old hotel, even assisting the staff on occasion.  While his spirit may have departed, his legacy lives on as the namesake of the hotel's restaurant, Floyd's Pub.   Ghost Hunters have come to the hotel and certified it as “haunted” and there is even a plaque that boasts this fact in the hotel's lobby.  So, if you ever find yourself in Americus, book a night at the Windsor, you may be in for a ghoulish treat.  And say hello to Floyd for me.         You don't know the heaps of trash I had to wade through to scrape together enough rotted crumbs to write this episode.  I think this is the most amount of sources I have in the bibli-ahh-graphy, but not because they're good.  I just had so much garbage to sort through.  There isn't a lot to go on in these stories, even the names of the mother and daughter took a while to find…and even then they are always changing.  I had to watch so many terrible shaky-cam ghost investigator videos and awful mommy vlogs…don't get me started on Hot Mama Travel…but I did manage to find out some very interesting things.  Including the ghost report from paranormal investigators.   The Windsor's original name was going to be the “Alhambra” but this quote “struck a discordant note in the community” and instead the name Windsor was chosen for John T. Windsor who was one of the leading capitalists in Americus and the community decided the name was “more suggestive of the aristocratic qualities to which Americus aspired”   Honestly, in a city in the south, named Americus, I'm not surprised they'd rather go with a very white sounding name of a prominent capitalist because it was “more suggestive of the qualities to which  they aspired”.  Aka.  White.  Rich.  And white.  But I digress.   The first thing I want to get out of the way is the date the hotel was completed.  Many sources say that it was completed in June 1892.  The building itself was actually completed in October of 1891.  However, the hotel didn't officially open until the grand opening in June of 1892.  Minor detail…but it bothered me.   So many things bothered me, honestly.  Like the fact there is another librarian coming for my gig?!  Fricken Lesia Miller Schnur, the Haunted Librarian!  She was extremely helpful in providing some of the names applied to the mother and daughter: Emma, Abigail, and Emily Mae.  Other sources say that the little girl's name was  Sallie, Theresa, or Selina.  Lesia reveals that John T. Windsor's name was Emily Amelia so there may be a link there to this legend.   But…other than that her post didn't reveal anything I hadn't read elsewhere despite claiming “I'm the history buff, so I still did my research…apparently other groups may not have”  I have.  I have, Lesia!   The story of the mother and daughter has many holes.  The first is the date of the occurrence: either the early  1910's or in the 1920's.  Second, is the fact that these two were poor, possibly people of color, and so their murder may not have been reported in any substantial matter.  Third, is the fact there aren't actually any names to assign to it.  I spent a few hours searching and while I did not find anything on this story, as great of a ghost tale as it is, I think I found something…better?   Someone did fall down the elevator shaft.   The Columbus Enquirer published on January  7, 1894 the following story:   “Down the Elevator Shaft: Serious Accident in Americus to a Wealthy Ohioan   Mr. R.S. Rust, an aged gentleman of 78, from Cincinnati, Ohio, vice-president of the Union Central Life Insurance Company of that city, fell down the elevator shaft of the Windsor Hotel today and sustained seriously injuries.  His shoulder is fractured and his nose broken in three places.  He fell about 10 feet from the office floor to the basement.  The elevator was above but supposing it at the office floor, opened the door of the shaft and stepped into the basement below.  Owing to his advanced age, serious results are feared from the shock.”   Now this is something to go on.  He's a man?  Check.  He's white?  Check.  He's wealthy?  Check.  These make up the trifecta you need to be preserved in history as anything other than a nameless stereotype!   Now using the name from article I did find an old white man from Cincinnati born around 78 years prior to the article's publication: Reverend Richard Sutton Rust, Senior.  There was one problem though…no modern material identified that he had any involvement with the Union Central Life Insurance Company.  You would think this would be highlighted in the book passages and articles I found about him.   Instead, these articles paint a picture of a man fully dedicated to the Episcopal Church who was a staunch abolitionist.  Was this the wrong man?  Nah.  It turns out when you're rich and white you can pick and choose what parts of your legacy are propagated.    I did find an alumni catalogue of his college fraternity and legislative documents from 1905 which confirmed that the Reverend Richard Sutton Rust and R.S. Rust from the Union Central Life Insurance company were one in the same.   During the civil war, Rust helped found the Freedman's Aid Society which gave teachers from the North supplies and housing to teach freed slaves in the south.  Rust also assisted nearly 30 colleges with educating former slaves and their children.   After the war he set up the Freedman's Bureau which was a division of the United States Department of War that provided shelter and supplies to refugees, freedman, along with their wives and children.   So it seems R.S. Rust was actually a really good guy!  I kind of felt bad that I hoped he died from the elevator accident…just so we'd actually have an elevator ghost in the hotel.  Turns out he lived and died in 1906 at the age of 91.  Good for her.   Part of me wants to change his Wikipedia page to include his major involvement in the insurance company (it's how he got that Daddy Morebucks money after all) as well as his embarrassing tumble down the Windsor's elevator but I'll exhibit some self-control.   While the elevator ghost story is bunk I was happy to find out that Floyd Lowery was indeed a real person…which I would hope since the pub is named after him…and he did work at the Windsor Hotel for a very long time.  I found a variety of fantastic records that I'll put on the podcast Instagram, @crimesandwitchdemeanors for you to look at.   Census records from 1920 to 1940 list Floyd's occupation as porter at the Windsor Hotel, the 1923 Americus City Directory (which is super cool) lists Floyd Lowery as a bellman; and I also discovered Floyd's draft cards.  It appears he was drafted during the second World War.    Floyd Ardell Lowery was an African-American man and was born on February 28, 1903.  I don't believe that he ever married as multiple census records show that he lived with his mother, Mammie throughout his lifetime.  Floyd Lowery died on February 1, 1982 according to the Georgia Department of Health's Death Index.  However, in that particular document birth is listed as 1915 and that he was 67 years old at the time of his death.  However, his military records and census records corroborate another and confirm his birthdate was indeed 1903, making him almost 79 at the time of his death.   I love that Floyd is such a presence at the hotel and that his memory is able to live on through the name of the pub.  However, some the ghost stories about him make me uncomfy.  But racism is uncomfortable.   When we say racism is systemic, we mean it is systemic.  It is so insidious that it even feeds down into the ghost stories we tell our children.  Ghost stories involving marginalized people, or people of color, are often based in, and perpetuate, stereotypes.  This is most apparent in the ghost tourism of the south which exploits the tales slaves but it can be observed elsewhere as well.   These types of stories served to illustrate what would happen if you dared to misbehave, stand up for yourself, or fight for your survival.  These spirits often are left to suffer in the afterlife for their apparent misdeeds and act as a warning – or threat – to stay in your lane lest you suffer a similar fate.    Other ghost tales tell of those who led a life of “good” servitude, who's life didn't tragically end, but came instead to a graceful close.  If you act like this you can rewarded in the afterlife, to continue to dutifully serve and labor even after death (wow—what a reward). These stories perpetuate the idea of the “good black” stereotype and further dehumanize the people they are about.   I feel like this is the kind of mold that Floyd Lowery has been put into as he is often helping guests with their luggage or working in the elevator.  Never having fun, never having a drink or just kicking back to relax.  But Floyd was more than his job, he was a human being.  I could hardly believe that he would want to spend his afterlife working for no wages.  Would you?  God, no.  Some of us already make ghost wages here among the living.  But I digress.  Onwards to more ghostly tomfoolery.   The story of the bride tripping and falling down the stairs is a strange one.  I have only read about it on one article about the hotel and it's hauntings.  However, that didn't stop me from investigating it for a ridiculously long amount of time.   I did find…something?  While it doesn't match the ghost story, there is some piping hot 129-year-old tea.   This excerpt is from the March 14, 1892 issue of the Macon Telegraph in an article titled “Married in Haste: and now the bride is without a husband”   (continued below)     So, it only tangentially involved the Windsor but I thought it was some hot Victorian goss to share with y'all!   But enough about gossip.  Back to the ghosts.  The ghouls.  The ghastly gremlins.   There was a big hub-bub in 2006 about how paranormal investigators claimed the hotel as “certifiably haunted”.  A number of articles were written about it, the hotel made a page on its website for the full ghost report and even put a plaque in the lobby boasting about it.   But now…it's gone vanished.  Gone.  Disappeared.  Stricken from the internet.  The hotel, which used to brag about it's ghosts, doesn't even mention it on their website anymore.  The paranormal investigators, the Big Bend Ghost Trackers, even removed it from their website.  I have a feeling that may be because they are now owned by Best Western and they want to keep it hush-hush.   Or…maybe they're embarrassed about what this “certificate of hauntedticity” contains.   So it's been deleted from the internet.  They tried to cover it up.  But they didn't know a librarian would be on their case.   Obviously, I found it.  It's not that hard.  If you're ever looking for a page that is now a 404 there are two really easy methods to see the previous  page.  First is just paste the URL in Google and search.  When the page comes up in the search results, hit the three dots and view the cached page.  Voila!  But if their cache isn't old enough, go to the good ‘ol internet archive and use the Wayback machine, hopefully you'll find what you're looking for!   And  boy did I find what I was looking for.  This oh so legitimate report was…something.   Here are the official findings from the report:   Out of 150 digital photos 3 yielded possible anomalies 2 EMF fluctuations were documented. One between the second and third floors with a 6 degree spike, and one on the left hallway of the third floor with an 8 degree spike Several cold spots have been detected…in a 129 year old building…you don't say? Some anomalies caught on film One of the hallway light bulbs that was completely unscrewed turned on without anyone near it Through channeling one investigator picked up the names of little girls: Theresa and Sallie   Because of the above phenomena the report lists the Windsor Hotel as H-A-U-N-T-E-D.  Yes.  They spelled it out in the report.   I do have some issues with these findings.  Especially the very subjective “evidence” they found via channeling.  Which was conducted thusly:   BBGT members Betty and Lisa were in states of meditation and channeling in attempting to make contact with the ghostly inhabitants of the hotel. Betty, while stationed in an adjoining 3rd floor hallway singing in a child-like voice the old turn of the century tune "A tisket a tasket", suddenly felt a cool breeze on her right side and the digital thermometer displayed asudden 6 degree drop in temperature. While continuing to sing she was clearly able to sense the presence of a young girl. After a brief time the camera recorded what appears to be orbs bouncing a short distance down the 3rd. floor hallway. The names Sallie (with an ie) and the names Theresa were very much attached to the young girl. BBGT member Lisa was also visually picking up and sensing the strong presence of an entity with the name Adams. Later, while attempting to validate our findings it was discovered that in the early 1940's there had been an employee named Adams.   But mediums aren't…a great source of reliable information.  I watched videos where other mediums visited the hotel so you don't have to, and dear lord they were an hour and fifty minutes of shaky cam footage.  But, for example the mediums in these videos experienced “giddy feelings” outside the bar and decided the ghost was a child definitely named “Selina”  But…that's an entirely new name than the ones provided, truly a shot in the dark.  And if we're experiencing a giddy feeling outside the bar…I would like to think that's good ‘ol Floyd.  Happy to see his name in lights and people enjoying a cocktail.   I tried to look for some first-hand encounters with ghosts at the hotel and I didn't find much.  Maybe because not too many people stay at the hotel.  I found a lot of Americus locals saying they've never even been inside.  But here are two experiences I did find:   “I was staying in room 308 and smelled old fashioned women's perfume several times while in the shower”   Honestly…to me that just sounds like catching a waft of some awful hotel soaps and shampoo.  But maybe there's an old lady who fell in the shower.  The next experience…also involves a bathroom?  Lending some credence to this new hypothesis.    Why is there a bath towel in the toilet? That's what my wife asked me last Wednesday the 17th of March 2021at 2:30 AM. I was staying there on business. What a beautiful hotel. I asked the staff at Floyds if they had experienced anything. I got mixed replies. Things about the lights turning on and off occasionally. My wife who was already in GA decided to surprises me on her way back to Florida. That night she got up to use the bathroom in room 211 and quickly came back to bed asking me why a full sized folded bath towel was in the toilet. Didn't sleep well that night obviously. It wasn't till the next day that the stories of hauntings came from everyone I spoke to when I told where I was staying. Weird experience and no plausible explanation on how the towel ended up in the toilet. I slammed doors, jumped up and down and could not get a folded towel to so much as move off the rack above the toilet. If I ever go back to Americus , I surly choose the Windsor Hotel again. Magnificently strange!   So maybe investigators should spend less time singing creepy folk-tunes in the hallways at 2:30 in the morning and spend more time on the toilet.   So what do you think?  Is the Windsor Haunted?  Would you want to stay?  Personally, I don't think it's very haunted.  2 thirds of its stories aren't even true.  But I think I'd like to enjoy an Old Fashioned in Floyd's pub just for the fun of it.   Please follow the podcast Instagram to view documents, historic photos, and other scans from today's episode.  If you listen on Overcast and enjoyed the episode, be sure to hit that little star icon on today's episode – it helps with  the algorithm a lot!  And likewise, if you're an apple fiend and  you haven't left a review, please do!   So please, look before you enter an elevator, remember racism is systemic, sex work is real work, and of course, as always – stay spooky!      

Many ghosts haunt the famed Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada including that of its architect, Francis Rattenbury.  Rattenbury himself was part of a salacious love triangle that led to a murder-suicide in Bournemouth, England.  His ghost, however, haunts the Empress in Canada alongside the spirit of Lizzie McGrath and the lost soul of Margaret.   Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to crimesandwitchdemeanors@gmail.com  Like Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors  Episode Transcript: Visit the website: https://www.crimesandwitchdemeanors.com  Main podcast illustration by GiAnna Ligammari: https://gialigammari.wixsite.com/portfolio    Sources: Accidental Death is Jury's Verdict: Rider Against Contractors Recorded in Inquest on Death of Mrs. Elizabeth McGrath. (1910, August 2). The Victoria Daily Times, page 5.   Adultery, jealousy and murder: How the Rattenbury case gripped the nation. (n.d.). Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/13217933.adultery-jealousy-and-murder-how-the-rattenbury-case-gripped-the-nation/   Bournemouth's most sensational murder | Dorset Life—The Dorset Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2006/08/bournemouths-most-sensational-murder/   British Columbia, Canada, Death Index, 1872-1990—AncestryLibrary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6093&h=463325&tid=&pid=&queryId=65f42413adf181b27bd90780bad3225e&usePUB=true&_phsrc=eBA210&_phstart=successSource   Cold spots, scandals and Victoria's Empress Hotel – The Superstitious Times. (n.d.). Retrieved December 23, 2020, from http://www.superstitioustimes.com/cold-spots-scandals-and-victorias-empress-hotel/   Elizabeth B. McGrath (Unknown-1910)—Find A... (n.d.). Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/121312245/elizabeth-b.-mcgrath   Five haunted hotels with true-crime stories. - The Washington Post. (n.d.). Retrieved December 23, 2020, from https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:wA5SdAuQMGkJ:https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/like-a-good-scare-here-are-five-haunted-hotels-with-stories-fit-for-true-crime-files/2018/10/25/ddd4e70e-d3cb-11e8-b2d2-f397227b43f0_story.html+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us   Francis Rattenbury. (2020). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francis_Rattenbury&oldid=995725423   Has anyone had a ghost experience here LOL. (n.d.). Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.tripadvisor.com/FAQ_Answers-g154945-d155472-t3751444-Has_anyone_had_a_ghost_experience_here_LOL.html   Mrs. Alma Rattenbury Found Dead in a River: Man Tells of Seeing Her Fall, Knife in Hand, Vain Efforts to Save Her, Six Stab Wounds. (1935, June 5). Gloucestershire Echo, Page 1.   Murder comes with a question mark. (2011, October 30). Vernon Morning Star. https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/life/murder-comes-with-a-question-mark/   Staveley-Wadham, R. (n.d.). A Seaside Drama – The 1935 Murder of Francis Rattenbury. Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2020/03/06/the-murder-of-francis-rattenbury/   The Ghostly Guests of the Empress Hotel. (n.d.). Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://www.flightcentre.ca/blog/the-ghostly-guests-of-the-empress-hotel/   The Outrageous Life and Death of Francis Rattenbury. (2018, November 13). MONTECRISTO. https://montecristomagazine.com/community/the-outrageous-life-and-death-of-francis-rattenbury   Untitled. (1910, August 1). Victoria Daily Times, Page 3.   Villa Madeira, the home of home of Architect Francis Rattenbury and... (n.d.). Getty Images. Retrieved December 24, 2020, from https://www.gettyimages.dk/detail/news-photo/villa-madeira-the-home-of-home-of-architect-francis-news-photo/551907551   TRANSCRIPT: Hello, and welcome back to another episode of Crimes & Witch-Demeanors.  Today we're heading back to form and covering a sensational international murder with ghosts aplenty!    Our adventure begins in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and then takes us across the pond to Bournemouth, England for a scandalous depression-era murder suicide…after which we'll be headed back Victoria's Fairmont Empress hotel to talk about the spirits that rest or, don't, there…including the ones from England?  Yeah, it's a complicated ghost story where the ghosts didn't actually die on the property…or in the country…in fact they hadn't been there in over a decade prior to their death…but, hey, that's what we do here.  So grab a hot coacoa, put on your mukluks…and yes I know mukluks are Inuit and not of the Salish coast people…but, hey, I  don't know of any regional-specific waterproof clothing for this intro bit…but I digress.  We're headed on up to Victoria, Canada!       At 721 Government Street in Downtown Victoria sits an empress.  The Fairmont Empress, formerly known as the Empress is one of Victoria's historic landmarks and also happens to be the noble host of many mislaid spirits.  Her architect, Francis Rattenbury, left an indelible stamp on the architecture of British Columbia.  Originally born in Leeds, England, he skipped across the pond and a whole continent, landing in Vancouver in 1892.  He was only 25 years old but he had incredibly grand plans; not all of them architectural.   Francis planned to take advantage of the westward expansion and building boom happening in the region.  He placed an ad in the paper led him down the path that began his life.  However, little did he know, that 42 years later an ad in the paper would also pave the path leading to his dreadful end.   Rattenbury's advertisement claimed that he was a classically trained architect who studied under the world-renowned architect Henry Lockwood…but if anyone had read further than his headline it didn't show—seeing as Lockwood died when Rattenbury was only 11 years old.  Even if he had taught him anything, it couldn't have been very much.  Despite this blatant and careless lie luck happened to be on his side.   An architectural contest had been announced in order to solicit a new design to replace Victoria's detested parliament buildings.  Naturally, Rattenbury saw this opportunity and leapt at it.  Rattenbury entered the contest, signing his designs with the pseudonym ,“A.B.C. Architect”. His incredibly grand and overly-ambitious design caught the attention of the judges, with Rattenbury winning the competition out of 66 total entries from around the world.     While construction on the parliament building was still underway, Rattenbury had met and his wife, Florence Nunn.  They married and had their first child seven months later—which was quite salacious for the time.  Francis and Florence had two children together: Frank and Mary.   The construction on the parliament building was completed in 1898 and while grand and opulent, it had run $400,000 over budget…or the equivalent of 12 million dollars in the present day.  In fact, this became a pattern: Rattenbury's projects were known to be a nightmare to work on.  Rattenbury notoriously underestimated the cost of his bids, throwing the burden of the additional costs to the contractors, eventually driving one of them to bankruptcy.  Rattenbury would change his designs at the last moment, reject building materials he had selected earlier in favor a new whim, and would battle with anyone who dared to stand in the way of his designs.   Despite this reputation, Rattenbury was extraordinarily successful.  His portfolio came to include many high profile projects and he became the Canadian Pacific Railroad's western division architect.  This title with the CPR is what allowed him to design ostentatious resort hotels across Canada, ultimately leading to the commission to design the Empress in 1903.    However, in 1906 Rattenbury, in his typical fashion, grew frustrated with others working on the Empress project.  In his mind, Rattenbury believed that Walter Painter, CPR's head architect, was ruining his vision for the grand hotel.  In a rage, Rattenbury left the CPR and the Empress project.  And the losses didn't end there.  After reaching such meteoric highs it appeared to all be crashing down around him.  He lost two design contests and it was exposed that he had won others by less than honest means.  Rattenbury was being accused of money laundering and his marriage was also suffering.  One project that had the potential to save him—working on the Grand Trunk Railway—was ruined when the general manager Charles Hays died on the Titanic.   Unlike the Titanic, Rattenbury did manage to keep on enough projects to stay afloat but by the end of 1912 his marriage had hit rock bottom.  Things had gotten so bad that his daughter Mary became the middleman between him and Florence, carrying messages between the two.   In 1923, at the age of 56 Rattenbury won the bid to design Victoria's Crystal Garden and also won the heart of Alma Pakenham, a 26 year-old flapper who had a scandalous reputation for drinking and smoking in public.  Alma had been married twice before and had a son, Christopher, from a previous marriage.   Rattenbury first approached Florence for a divorce, but when she refused he decided to make his affair as public as possible and would flaunt Alma around in public before bringing her home to drink and fornicate late into the night...all the while Florence sat in her bedroom just above them.  Eventually Rattenbury moved out of his home, shutting off the electricity and heating when he did so, leaving his wife and children without utilities.  Rattenbury's scandalous and downright wicked behavior ultimately led to him being shunned by his friends, his profession, and the community.    Florence finally granted a divorce in 1925 and Rattenbury immediately married Alma and had their own son together, John.  Due to his scandal and his architectural style falling out of favor with more modern times, Rattenbury and Alma faced financial hardships.  They remained in Canada for some time and in 1929, the same year his ex-wife Florence died, they moved to Bournemouth England.   Rattenbury hoped that moving across the pond would improve their finances, however once they moved into the Villa Madeira on Manor Road things only worsened.  By 1934 Francis Rattenbury was nearly deaf, impotent, and suicidal.  Needing assistance around the house, the Rattenburys placed an ad in the Bournemouth Daily Echo seeking a “willing lad” who was “good-natured and honest”  This ad would be the beginning of the end of Francis Rattenbury.   18 year-old George Stoner responded to the advertisement and was promptly hired by Alma.  Stoner was a quiet, shy, friendless young man and was grateful for the work.  Alma was entranced by George and his youthful virility, something that her husband lacked—Alma and Francis hadn't had intercourse since the birth of John.  She was still rather young and was growing tired of her situation.  And so, after three months of his employment, Alma seduced Stoner.  Not long after the passionate affair began, George went from being their chauffeur and gardener to Alma's live-in lover, taking up residence in a spare bedroom.   It was said that Rattenbury acknowledged and silently excused the affair: he was well aware of his advancing age, ill health, and alcoholism.  However, neither Rattenbury nor Alma could anticipate the rage and violent jealously that dwelt within the quiet Stoner.  As their affair progressed, George would become exceedingly mad if Alma had spent any time with her husband, no matter how trivial.  Alma tried to break off the affair on a number of occasions, but this would also send George into a rage, at one point trying to strangle her.   Things came to a head, so to speak, on March 24, 1935.  Alma and Francis had just returned from a trip to London.  As was usual, Francis was particularly depressed and Alma had decided to arrange another trip the following week to visit a friend, in hopes of cheering him up. George was already furious that Alma had spent the weekend away with her husband and the news of yet another trip sent him over the edge.  He went to his parent's home and asked to borrow a carpenter's mallet that he said he needed to erect a fence at the Rattenbury's residence.   When George returned to the Villa Madeira he threatened to shoot Alma with a gun, but was quickly dissuaded.  Later that evening, around 10 p.m., Stoner made his way downstairs with the carpenter's mallet and bashed in the head of Francis Rattenbury.  Stoner had hit Rattenbury with such force that his false teeth fell out and half of his skull was removed by the blows.  Despite the brutal injuries, Rattenbury did not die.   When the police arrived early that Monday morning, Alma appeared sleepless, disturbed, and under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  “I've done him in, I've done him in, I've done him in” she repeated over and over to the police officers.  The police arrived the next day where she repeated this confession and she was arrested for attempted murder.   While Alma was in prison, George Stoner allegedly confessed to the housekeeper that he had been that made the attempt on Rattenbury's life.  This confession led to him also being arrested on attempted murder charges.   However, both Stoner's and Alma's charges were elevated to murder when Rattenbury succumbed to his injuries on that Thursday.  After Alma's eldest son visited her in prison, she quickly recanted her earlier confession saying she was in a state of shock at the time.   The trial was an absolute sensation, mainly due to the rumors of Stoner's cocaine addiction and the scandalous affair.  In fact, due to the local popularity of the case, the trial had to be held in London's Old Bailey instead of the Winchester.  By the time of the trial, both defendants had entered a plea of “not guilty” and had taken back their previous confessions.  Alma was acquitted and released but Stoner was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging.   The public felt an immense amount of sympathy for Stoner and villainized Alma as a temptress who seduced him into committing the crime.  As she left the Old Bailey that day, a free woman, onlookers booed her.  Awful things were said about her in the paper and people called for her death.  Distressed, Alma took a train from Waterloo to Christchurch.  She walked across the meadows to the Three Arches Railway bridge.  She sat down at the bank for a while, casually smoking a cigarette, before getting up, walking to the water's edge, pulling out a dagger, stabbing herself six times in the heart before falling into the River Stour at Christchurch.   A note in her handbag read “It has been pointed out too vividly that I cannot help him, and that is my death sentence”   Despite being initially being a villain in the media, over 3,000 individuals attended her funeral; a stark contrast to the “only a few” that attended her late husband's.  Rattenbury didn't even receive a headstone and was buried in an unmarked grave.   In a turn of fate it turns out that Stoner was saved from death.  A petition signed by over 300,000 people commuted his sentence to life imprisonment instead of hanging.  Even stranger still, Stoner only served seven years of his sentence and was released in 1942 to fight in the second World War.  After the war he married and had a daughter.  He lived a quiet and fairly uneventful life until 1990 when he was arrested for indecently exposing himself to a 12 year old boy in a public bathroom.  He received only two years' probation for this incident.   During his life he had stated that it was actually Alma who murdered her husband.   Curiously, in the year 2000 George Stoner a died in a hospital at Christchurch…less than half a mile from the scene of Alma's suicide, and on the 65th anniversary of the murder of Francis Rattenbury.      In 2007, 72 years after his death, Francis Rattenbury finally received a headstone which was paid for by a family friend.   Despite dying across the pond in England, Francis Rattnebury's ghost does not dwell in Bournemouth.  If you spend a night at the Fairmont Empress back in Victoria you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Old Man Ratz.  What better place for his ghost to dwell than his greatest pride?  An opulent structure that reminds him of a time when his life was full of elegance, opulence, and prestige.       The last thing I expected when starting my research on the ghosts of the Fairmont Empress was to wind up in Bournemouth learning about a scandalous murder suicide!  I synthesized a few sources to get the most accurate and well-rounded view of the murder.  Even shaky sources were fairly accurate except they said the murder was conducted with a croquet mallet which is…just…not true?  I guess it sounds more English, or something?   The one thing I don't understand about this haunting is…why?  Why?  WHY?   Yes, Francis Rattenbury designed the Fairmont Empress and it was one of his greatest designs…but…he left the project before it was completed.  He was known to be rotten and controlling and he abandoned the project because things weren't going his way…so why would he haunt it?  It doesn't make sense to me.   I don't have any evidence that he spent any time at the Empress after it was finished and just judging by his personality I don't think he would have.  This is obviously all conjecture but am I the only one that thinks that?  Plus, Rattenbury died 4,700 miles away in a place that he then considered to be his home.  That doesn't add up, especially since ghosts who die in traumatic circumstances typically tend to haunt the location of their death due to being trapped there.   Take Lizzie McGrath for example, whose tragic and unexpected death at the Fairmont Empress has led to her being spirit being one of the most active ghosts at the hotel.   The story goes that Lizzie McGrath was a chambermaid at the Empress Hotel and in those days, maids and other employees actually lived at the hotel.  Being an Irish immigrant she was a devout Catholic and would say the rosary on her fire escape every night.  However, one night in 1909 Lizzie McGrath opened her window and got onto the fire escape…except there was one problem…the fire escape had been removed for renovations and she plummeted to her death on the walkway below, right at the entrance of the hotel.  Her ghost is said to haunt the ___ floor and she can also be seen at the spot where she died.   I liked this story a lot and decided to investigate.  Lizzie McGrath or Elizabeth McGrath is a very common name so I knew I had to narrow it down to 1909…but I couldn't find anything—even with a limiter to the city of Victoria.  It turns out the Elizabeth died in 1910, not 1909.  I've corroborated this with Victoria's death index, her gravesite, and newspaper articles from The Victoria Daily Times.   Lizzie McGrath died on July 30, 1910 at 50 years of age.  The newspaper articles say that she was a native of Halifax, which I'm assuming would be Halifax, Nova Scotia…though there is a Halifax in England…neither of these would indicate she was an Irish immigrant.  The article also states that her family all resides in Victoria with an exception of a few “in the east” which to me would indicate Nova Scotia or thereabouts.  However, newspapers are known to be wrong quite often.  McGrath is quite an Irish name but Elizabeth was actually married so I don't know her surname so it makes it difficult to find immigration records without spending a lot of time on it.   Lizzie also didn't die at the Empress as stated in all the stories; she died at St. Joseph's hospital.  It did also seem strange that she wouldn't know that the fire escape had been removed, but there was prosecution where they were found guilty for not notifying the residents.  It seems that this story, despite some minor details, is true! Another popular ghost at the Empress is that of an elderly woman.  Her identity seems to be unknown, although she has been given the name Margaret by Ian Gibbs, the author of Victoria's Most Haunted.  Allegedly Margaret is an old woman who used to stay at the hotel every year for the winter season.  She died on the sixth floor where her residence was, seemingly of natural causes.  After her death they stopped renting out the room because of the weird things that would happen and eventually, because of this, it was chosen for the area where the new elevators would be installed.   Strange…seeing as they probably should have been installed where they would make architectural and structural sense?  Maybe.    Regardless, those staying at the hotel may receive a knock on their door in the middle of the night, and if they answer it may find an elderly woman who says that she's lost.  If you are kind enough help her find her room on the sixth floor, she'll promptly vanish at the spot of the elevator.   This story, like Lizzie's makes sense: she died in the hotel and she is lost, both spiritually and physically since her old room no longer exists.  However, I couldn't find anything to verify this information since there isn't much for me to go on.   As usual, I wanted to try and find some firsthand encounters and stories about the ghosts in the hotel.  I checked reddit and hotel reviews and I sadly came up rather emptyhanded.  Most people said that they felt that the hotel should be haunted because it looks it – the period wallpaper and the old portraits on the walls.  One particularly privileged man said his experience was haunted because he couldn't' find a king size bed and their accommodations weren't up to his standards?  Gross.   But someone did ask a question on TripAdvisor.  I wish you could read it, it just says “Has anyone had a ghost experience here LOL” No questions mark.  Lol in all caps.  It's great.   The answers are “We stayed on the sixth floor and there was an odd feeling” okay, supports the old lady.  Another says “Yes, late at night on the 6th floor near room 657” okay, Wayne Carl…care to elaborate?  Some of us have podcasts to make.  What a cliffhanger.  please feel free to elaborate.  Another says they saw “something”  They put something in quotes.  WHAT DID YOU SEE DARREN? Another kind soul lets us know he did see spirits…in his glass.  Wow, FERD, so original.  HAVEN'T HEARD THAT ONE.

In 2015, the Quality of Death Index, which rates end-of-life quality in eighty different countries, found Canada to be ranked in 11th place overall. This is a decent position to be in, but we could be offering better end-of-life care to Canadians. So, if palliative care is not where it should be in Canada, this begs the question: how do the majority of Canadians wish to die and how do they end up dying? Learn more in this week's Changing Lives Podcast.About Hospice QuinteHospice Quinte assists terminally ill individuals and their caregivers by offering them support and companionship. Visiting hospice services are offered in the person’s own home, long term care homes, retirement homes and both Belleville General and Trenton Memorial Hospitals. This care is provided by trained, experienced, and compassionate volunteers. Bereavement support groups are also offered. There are no fees for services to patients and their families. Hospice Quinte is a registered, non-profit charity whose volunteers are the heart of the organization. The Hospice Quinte service area includes Quinte West, Belleville, Deseronto, Tyendinaga Township and the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. To find out more visit HospiceQuinte.ca.Support the show (https://www.cognitoforms.com/HospiceQuinte/donatetohospicequinte)

Family Tree Magazine announced the 101 Best Genealogy Websites of 2020 and The Genealogy Guys Podcast was on the list. Thank you! The Genealogy Guys and Vivid-Pix announce two exciting programs: The Unsung Heroes Societies Grant Program will award grants to two societies each year to facilitate their digitizing, indexing, and transcribing photographs and documents. Each grantee will receive a high-quality scanner, a backup and online storage software package, and two copies of Vivid-Pix RESTORE software to improve the legibility of documents and the color/contrast of photographs, and to add image tags and other important information to the image metadata. Each grant package is valued at $500. The Unsung Heroes Awards Program continues to recognize individuals, societies, and libraries for their work in digitizing, indexing, and transcribing photographs and documents and for making that work accessible to the genealogical community. Award winners will receive a commemorative certificate, a customized mug that can include an image of their choice, and a copy of Vivid-Pix RESTORE. Individual winners will also receive a one-year subscription to Genealogy Guys Learn. Grant applications and award nominations are due by midnight EDT on 1 August 2020. Full details are available on our blog at http://blog.genealogyguys.com/2020/05/the-genealogy-guys-podcast-and-vivid.html. News You Can Use and Share MyHeritage is seeking users of their mobile app with more than 100 individuals in the app to observe their behaviors while using the Discoveries feature. Users will be interviewed while using the app. If interested in helping out, contact Keren Szabason, the Product Designer, at keren.szabason@myheritage.com. MyHeritage launched an exclusive new collection: Germany, North Rhine Westphalia, Death Index 1870-1940. MyHeritage has introduced Cross-Language Record Matches to help users locate ancestors' records in different and often unexpected languages. Joel Weintraub has been working in advance of the release of the 1950 U.S. Federal Census. He has created YouTube videos about that, as well as other topics such as immigration. Visit https://tinyurl.com/ycsg7af8 for a page showing the title of the videos, running time, and YouTube address of each of the videos Vivid-Pix brings back memories of family reunions past and makes new reunion memories for this year. See our blog post at http://blog.genealogyguys.com/2020/06/relive-past-reunions-create-this-years.html for all the details. The FamilySearch Family Tree has added support for the entry of same-sex couples. BillionGraves has launched a new feature called QualityCheck to improve the accuracy of its searchable cemetery inscriptions. The Family History Show in the UK has moved online at https://thefamilyhistoryshow.com/online. It will be held on 20 June 2020. Early-bird registration is now available. All content on British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk is currently free through 30 September 2020. See their blog at https://blog.history.ac.uk/2020/03/british-history-online-makes-all-research-content-free-to-individual-users/. Findmypast has added 1939 Register Map Search. Findmypast has added new and additional content to: British Army Service Records; Royal Engineers Journals (1939-1945); Royal Air Force, Operations Record Books (1939-1945); Royal Air Force, Combat Reports (1939-1945); England & Wales, Electoral Registers (19201932); Britain, Histories & Reference Guides; Canadian Directories & Almanacs; and Canada, Ontario, Toronto Emigrant Office Records Index. Drew recaps new record additions, updates, and indexes at FamilySearch. DNA Segment with Diahan Southard Drew and Diahan talk about why someone might not share any ethnicity with a DNA match. https://www.yourdnaguide.com/ethnicity-results Cyndi Says Cyndi Ingle discusses her own website, Cyndi's List! Our Listeners Talk to Us Lisa Tompson of the Martin County [Florida] Genealogical Society tells us what their society is doing to conduct meetings these days. Jeff shared information with Drew about Private William Boddy in the Civil War. He provided a link to Boddy's journal: http://new.webfreemanual.asia/?q=Private+william+boddys+civil+war+journal+by+william+boddy&ref=cespolora.duckdns.org&base=pdfmans. Bruce is researching the Sailors' Snug Harbor retirement home on Staten Island, New York (1833-1976) and the mariners buried there. He is compiling information and stories, and listeners are encouraged to email us if they'd like to contact Bruce about his project. Floreen wrote about Drew's interview with Diahan Southard and about her own DNA research into her great-grandfather. Judy wrote to alert people that if you are paying for someone else's DNA test, make sure you will have access to the information. The Genealogy Guys are available for webinars using Zoom, a simple-to-use online video meeting tool that handles up to 100 people logged in at a time. Our catalog of Genealogy Topics is available at https://ahaseminars.com along with information about Genealogy Webinars. Contact us to schedule a webinar for your society. Thank you again to our Patreon supporters! You can support us at https://patreon.com/genealogyguys. You can also tell your friends or your society about our free podcasts, our blog, and our Genealogy Guys Learn subscription education website. Send us email at genealogyguys@gmail.com.

Elysia talks about the origins of Ebon's Gate. Erek talks about death mechanics and utilitarian invasions. Jahadeem talks about his Death Index. Support Town Square Central on Patreon.

A retired railroad worker is murdered in his home in a classic locked door mystery.  In the following weeks and months, apparently ghostly phenomena are noticed.  But the truth was far weirder. Episode 35 Photo Gallery: https://www.facebook.com/andrew.d.gable/media_set?set=a.10216795083982977&type=3 Part of the Straight Up Strange Network: https://www.straightupstrange.com/ Opening music by Kevin MacLeod. Closing music by Soma. "Attic wraith re-enacts his murder of man he now says he knew in Denver earlier,” Greeley Daily Tribune, August 1, 1942.“Coneys pleads innocent to first degree murder,” Oshkosh (Wisconsin) Northwestern, August 24, 1942.“Convicted ghost slayer given life,” Fresno (California) Bee, November 1, 1942.“Ghost awaits murder trial,” Ogden (Utah) Standard-Examiner, October 29, 1942.“Ghost shows detectives how murder took place,” Brownsville (Texas) Herald, August 2, 1942.“Mrs. Peters recalls man who says he slew her husband as visitor at their home as music club member,” Greeley Daily Tribune, August 1, 1942.“Spider man, slayer of friend, living out days as life termer,” Panama City (Florida) News-Herald, July 4, 1954.“Two held here not wanted,” Greeley Daily Tribune, October 24, 1941.Childers, James E. “Death was a phantom lodger,” Denver Post Empire, February 7, 1960. https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/tale-denver-spider-man https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2015/10/26/stranger-than-fiction-denver-spiderman-and-his-montcreiff-place-murder/74638310/ https://history.denverlibrary.org/sites/history/files/DPL_1940_1944_Death_Index_0_0.pdf http://www.darkhistories.com/the-spider-man-of-denver-theodore-edward-coneys/  

This episode features Dr Catriona Mayland (University of Sheffield, UK).   The Quality of Death Index showed variability in the international provision of care for the dying. In order to improve care, we need to have validated outcome measures to assess the current quality of care. One method of evaluation is to use the views from the bereaved relatives to assess their own perceptions and as proxy measures for the patient. We have developed a common, core international ‘Care Of the Dying Evaluation’ (i-CODE) questionnaire, assessing both patient care and family-carer support. Engagement of patient and public representatives and bereaved relatives has informed the development process adding to the face and content validity of i-CODE. i-CODE will enable a transnational comparison of care for the dying to be conducted. Results of i-CODE can be used directly for quality improvement purposes. i-CODE may be further developed into an international standard and benchmarking tool.   Full paper available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0269216318818299   If you would like to record a podcast about your published (or accepted) Palliative Medicine paper, please contact Dr Amara Nwosu: anwosu@liverpool.ac.uk

Transistor’s mothership PRX has partnered with Outside Magazine to produce four special podcast episodes on the Science of Survival. You’ll receive them in Transistor’s podcast feed, and for even more, subscribe to the Outside Podcast. Here’s episode 4. In the spring 2001, a large group of men set out from Mexico to cross the border into Arizona through some of the harshest desert terrain anywhere. The tragic result helped researchers develop the Death Index, a new model for predicting dehydration fatalities.

The campaign to save the Social Security Death Index, an interview with Mocavo’s Chief Genealogist, a sneak peek at the Spring 2012 Virtual Conference!