In 1900, Garrett Hedden was the most feared man in mountainous Polk County, Tennessee, a rural district in the southeast corner of the state. He was a well-known moonshiner who the local newspapers labeled a desperado and credited with killing eight men. One killing, in particular, made citizens, marshals, and revenue men reluctant to cross […]
The Meanest Moonshiner in Tennessee Read More »
I had been anxiously awaiting the 5th Annual American Revolution Symposium: State of Rebellion: South Carolina’s Place in the American Revolution, and it exceeded my expectations in every way. Two of the presentations on the agenda immediately caught my attention: Bioarchaeology of the Camden Battlefield Burials: Dr. Madeline Atwell and Dr. Bill Stevens, Richland County
State of Rebellion: South Carolina’s Place in the American Revolution Read More »
Picture it like the movie Ocean’s Eleven went country: A down-to-earth, Southern-style heist. Instead of Danny Ocean and his crew of con men, explosive and electronics specialists, and an acrobat, we have David Ghantt, his married girlfriend, her petty criminal friend from high school, that guy’s cousin, one of his high school buddies, and a
The Gang that Couldn’t Think Straight Read More »
In 1792, 100 years after the Salem witch trials in Colonial Massachusetts, a similar drama played out in Winnsboro, SC, a small community about 30 miles north of Columbia, SC. Cattle mysteriously became ill. There were reports of people being levitated or changed into animals. Some claimed to be cursed with peculiar maladies. There were
Conjuring Fear: The Forgotten South Carolina Witch Trials Read More »
Every October, Westminster, SC, a small town along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, becomes Sasquatch Central, Bigfoot Basecamp, Cryptid Corner—you get the idea. First and foremost, it’s a good time. There are sasquatch-themed activities, various vendors, many food options, and live music. And if you’d like to learn more about Bigfoot lore, well,
SC Bigfoot Festival from Footprints to Foodtrucks Read More »
In 1955, Robert Harrill left the state mental institution at Morganton, NC. He hitchhiked 260 miles (420 km) to Fort Fisher, about 20 miles (32 km) south of Wilmington, presumably traveling with only the clothes on his back. According to one account, he made a key out of a kitchen spoon and escaped into the
The Fort Fisher Hermit’s Enigmatic Life and Mysterious Death Read More »
On September 21, 1957, Perry Mason appeared for the first time on television. The crime-fighting attorney had already solved 51 cases in the pages of Erle Stanley Gardner’s novels and made his debut on movie screens and the radio. Portrayed by Raymond Burr, the legal swashbuckler used dramatic cross-examinations, legal strategies, and surprise witnesses to
23 Astonishing Perry Mason Facts Read More »
Before Bonnie and Clyde, there was Irene and Glen. On Friday, December 27, 1929, Corporal Brady Paul and Patrolman Ernest Moore of the Pennsylvania Highway Patrol left New Castle, PA, heading east on Butler Road. Paul operated the SHP motorcycle, and Moore rode in the sidecar. Walter “Glenn” Dague, Irene Schroeder, her brother, Tom Crawford,
Iron Irene’s Bold Heists and Daring Escapes Read More »
On August 31, 1888, Constable Jonas Mizen discovered the body of Mary Ann Nichols, the first canonical victim of Jack the Ripper, also known as the Whitechapel Murderer. The killer is believed to have murdered and mutilated at least five women in and around London’s Whitechapel district from August to November 1888. The name “Jack
Jack the Ripper’s 1st Murder Read More »
From Groom to Recluse to Murderer John Armstrong became a hermit in 1838, at the age of 22, on what was supposed to be his wedding day. The story goes that he was born near Wilmington, NC, and was the only son of a well-to-do farmer. For two years, he courted a young woman named
A Vengeful Hermit of North Carolina: Fact or Fiction? Read More »
