In the first half of the twentieth century, John R. Brinkley was a celebrated and successful “doctor” renowned for his ability to use goat organs to help humans with infertility. In addition to his “medical” success, Brinkley was also an early adopter of radio technology, which he used to advertise his hospital and his other medicines.
In this first episode of season 3, which focuses loosely on the KC area, Fact or Fiction welcomes podcasters Cam and Jen of Our True Crime Podcast as guests who attempt to distinguish between fact and fiction. Listen carefully because it’s tricky to know if what you hear is Fact or Fiction. Ready to play?
A young Dr. Brinkley is shown here with his signature goatee and round glassesA man and woman stand on the front steps of their home.A man wearing round glasses holds a smiling baby under the heading “He’s First Goat Gland Baby.”Medical personal operate on a patientGoats graze in a penA multistory building with surrounded by trees.Advertisement for Brinkley’s station KFKB.
Today’s guest is author Jeffrey D. Simon, author of several books about terrorism and a former RAND analyst who also taught at UCLA. As a guest on Fact or Fiction, Jeff has agreed to share some of the highlights from his most recent book, The Bulldog Detective: William J. Flynn and America’s First War Against the Mafia, Spies, and Terrorists. Flynn’s career provides a fascinating glimpse into early 20th century crimes and detective methods, and his character is one of the most interesting of the era.
As always, Jeff will infuse one fictional detail into this unbelievable but factual story. Will I guess the fiction? Will you? Listen carefully, because it’stricky to know if something is fact or fiction. Ready to play?
The Bulldog Detective by Jeffrey D. SimonAdvertisement for series of short films described as being incidents in the career of William J. Flynn, who at the time was the director of the U.S. Bureau of Investigation, on page 13 of the January 3, 1920 Exhibitors Herald. Wikimedia Commons.Attorney-General Alexander Mitchell Palmer (left) with William J “Chief” Flynn (right) is head of the Bureau of investigation of the Department of Justice and Francis P. Garvan (center). Wikimedia Commons.
St. Louis was a rapidly growing frontier town in 1849. That year, the city experienced a great fire that destroyed the city’s business district, an epidemic of cholera that decimated the population, and a steady influx of would-be miners on their way to the California hills. Also, there was a sensational murder and an equally sensational trial.
Christopher Allen Gorden, author of Fire, Pestilence, and Death: St. Louis 1849, is this episode’s special guest. Listen and learn more about St. Louis in the pivotal year of 1849. Of course, since the show is called Fact or Fiction, Christopher will include one fictional detail in the story. Will I guess the fiction? Will you?
Listen carefully because it’s tricky to know if something is fact or fiction. Ready to play?
Satirical image of an independent gold hunter on his way to California. Wikimedia Commons.This daguerreotype created by Thomas Easterly in 1849 shows the devastation of the St. Louis riverfront after the Great Fire of 1849. Image courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society Collections.This 1960 watercolor by George Conroy depicts John Finn digging graves on Arsenol Island during the cholera pandemic of 1849. Image courtesy of Missouri Historical Society Collections.1940 image of the National Hotel in St. Louis where the Montesque brothers shot multiple people. Image courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society Collections.Select the image to purchase your own copy of the book and learn about St. Louis in the pivotal year of 1849.
Nicknamed “Liquor Island,” Long Island was a center for bootlegging and rumrunning for the New York metropolitan area during Prohibition. Amy Kasuga Folk’s book Rumrunners of Suffolk County: Tales from Liquor Island shares highlights from her book and inserts a fictional detail in her four choices at the end of the episode. Will you identify the fiction? Will I?
Listeners will be astonished by what they learn, and it’s mostly true!
Click on the image above to purchase Amy’s book.Illustration of Rumrunners from the Asbury Park Press, 14 Jan 1980, Mon · Page 11. Newspapers.com.
In the late nineteenth century, West was wild all the way back to the Mississippi River. Only a day’s walk from the progressive big city of St. Louis, rural Jefferson County citizens were struggling with an outbreak of thefts, arson, and more. Mack Marsden, successful livestock trader and family man, was accused of being involved. After Mack was shot and killed, there remained lingering doubts. Was he a criminal, or was he wrongly accused?
Author Joe Johnston tells the fascinating story he uncovered while researching The Mack Marsden Murder Mystery. Of course, he inserts one fiction into this unbelievable but true story.
The following images are courtesy of Joe Johnston.
Covered Bridge over Sandy CreekA side view of the Sandy Creek covered bridgeMack MarsdenSheriff WeaverRichard and Elizabeth MarsdenR. W. McMullin, the editor and publisher of the DemocratDrawing of the Hillsboro jail
Click on the title to purchase The Mack Marsden Murder Mystery.Author Joe Johnston
From 1848 to 1881, a small utopian colony in upstate New York—the Oneida Community—was known for its shocking sexual practices, from open marriage and free love to the sexual training of young boys by older women. And in 1881, a one-time member of the Oneida Community—Charles Julius Guiteau—assassinated President James Garfield in a brutal crime that shook America to its core.
Susan Wels, author of An Assassin in Utopia, shares this interwoven tale. Of course, she inserts one fiction into this unbelievable but true story. Will I recognize the fiction within the facts? Will you?
The Oneida community members lived and worked together in ways we might find shocking by today’s standards. Wikimedia CommonsJohn Humphrey Noyes was the founder of the Oneida Community. Wikimedia CommonsImage shows Charles Guiteau, the man who assassinated President James Garfield. Wikimedia CommonsThis poster advertises Horace Greeley for President. Wikimedia CommonsNewspaper owner and editor Horace Greeley sponsored Utopian communities. Wikimedia CommonsPresident James Garfield was the 20th president of the United States of America. Wikimedia CommonsThis image shows Major Pauline Cushman, Union spy and friend of future president Jame Garfield. Wikimedia CommonsThis drawing illustrates the aftermath of the assassination of President James Garfield. Wikimedia CommonsIn addition to writing An Assassin in Utopia, Susan Wels has developed a discussion guide for book clubs wishing to study An Assassin in Utopia. Click on her picture to learn more.You can click on the book cover here to learn how to purchase your own copy of An Assassin in Utopia.
For this special episode Tracy Marak, member of the Belle Toffee family, is my guest. She shares the Belle Toffee story and tries her best to distinguish fact or fiction as I tell a mostly-true story about another candy maker, Forrest E. Mars.
Although this story doesn’t fit neatly into the true crime category, Forrest Mars’ road to ownership of Mars, Inc. wasn’t a smooth one and it certainly wasn’t sweet. Today, the Mars, Inc. is one of the largest privately held companies in the world, and Forrest’s descendent are among the world’s richest citizens.
Listen to learn how Forrest Mars achieved his success, but remember that one fiction has been inserted into the story. Will Tracy guess the fiction? Will you? It’s tricky to know if something is Fact or Fiction? Ready to play?
Forrest E. Mars was the businessman behind the success of Mars, Inc. Wikimedia CommonsIn WWII, M&M’s were included in US soldiers’s mealkits. this image from 2007 shows some MREs still include them. Wikimedia CommonsFrank Mars was the father of Forrest Mars, and the original owner of Mars, Inc. in the US. Newspapers.comEthel Mars was the second wife of Frank Mars and the stepmother of Forrest Mars. Newspapers.comForrest Mars encountered Smarties when he was in Europe in the late 1930s. These chocolate disks encased in a hard-candy shell inspired him to create M&M’s. Wikimedia CommonsIn 1962, the Bridgeport Telegram ran this Halloween ad for Mars, Inc. candies.This 1951 advertisement is for converted rice, a product sold by Food Products Manufacturing, another business owned by Forrest Mars.The Mars bar was the flagship candy for Frank’s Mars, Inc. Forrest sold the same bar in Europe under the name Milky Way. Wikimedia CommonsImage of Belle Toffee
References
Cadbury, Deborah. (2010) Chocolate Wars: The 150-Year Rivalry Between the World’s Greatest Chocolate Makers. Public Affairs.
Clayman, Andrew. (n. d.) Mars Inc., est. 1911. Made in Chicago Museum. Retrieved from https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/mars-inc/
James Brockman rose from shady character to preeminent defense attorney in Houston, Texas representing clients including gang leaders, jilted spouses, wealthy storekeepers and drunken on-duty policemen. His career gained national recognition, including his involvement in the most famous American murder case of the young twentieth century, when he himself was murdered leaving a dubious legacy.
Houston historian Mike Vance’s book Getting Away with Bloody Murder examines Brockman, the criminals he defended, and the crimes they allegedly committed. In this episode, Vance shares several riveting stories from his book. As always on the show, he inserts one fictional detail. Try to identify what he made up, but be warned: it’s not easy to know if something is fact or fiction.
All images courtesy of Mike Vance.
J. B. Brockman was a successful defense attorney in Houston until he himself was murdered.Henry Kahn and J. B. Brockman were law partners in Houston, Texas in the early 1900s.Lawyer Albert Patrick, shown here after his release from prison, was convicted of murdering William Marsh Rice.Click on the book cover to purchase your copy of Mike’s book, learn more about Mike and his other projects, and check out the merchandise on his store.
In this episode, authors Victoria Cosner and Lorelie Shannon share a mostly-true story from their book Missouri’s Murderous Matrons. Emma Heppermann, a black widow killer, and Bertha Gifford, an angel of mercy killer, used arsenic to murder unsuspecting family and friends for decades. The story of how they managed to evade discovery is unbelievable. As always, these authors insert one fiction into our discussion. Try to identify what they made up, but be warned: it’s not easy to know if something is fact or fiction.
All images below are courtesy of Victoria Cosner.
Lorelei and Victoria at a book signing eventClick on the image to purchase this book.Tony Heppermann’s grave–he was not buried with Emma.Emma Heppermann, potato soup maker and poisonerCo-authors and friends Victoria Cosner and Lorelei ShannonRenz Farm prison was a working farm. Emma was incarcerated here before she was transferred to a facility in Fulton, MOClose view of the unmarked grave of Emma Hepperman in Fulton, MO.Grave next to unmarked grave of Emma Heppermann in Fulton, MO.
On Christmas Eve of 1900, someone got away with murder. Frank Richardson, wealthy business owner and family man, was shot as he entered his home. Although many people may have wanted him dead, the crime has remained unsolved to this day. Kimberly Tilley, author of Has it Come to This? The Mysterious, Unsolved Murder of Frank Richardson tells us the mostly-true story about Frank Richardson and his murder. She inserts one fiction into this unbelievable story. Try to identify what she made up, but be warned: it’s not easy to know if something is fact or fiction.
Frank Richardson was trying to turn his life around when he was murdered on Christmas Eve.Addie Richardson was an attractive woman.
Bessie worked for the Richardsons and lived in their home.Young Stewart Fife was the attractive son of Frank’s business partner.
The Richardson’s home and the scene of Frank’s murder.
Note: All of the above images are taken from Has It Come to This? by Kimberly Tilley.
