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 »
Tar Heel revenue agent bamboozles bootleggers and talks his way into the movies. This book is more or less a biography of the legendary Garland Bunting, an officer with the Halifax County A.B.C. Board for more than 30 years. The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission controls the sale, transport, manufacture, and consumption of alcohol
Moonshine: A Life in Pursuit of White Liquor by Alec Wilkinson Read More »
On December 9, 1921, John W. Oliver, a farmer, mail carrier, and Primitive Baptist preacher in Cades Cove, Tennessee, had finished supper and was getting ready for bed when he looked out the window and discovered his barn was on fire. There were five horses in there. Oliver swiftly rescued three of the horses from
Moonshiner’s December 1921 Cades Cove Crime Spree Read More »
Pocket watches date back to the 16th century. Early watches, or “pocket clocks,” only had an hour hand; the minute hand came along in the early 17th century. The second hand didn’t become common until the 18th century. Technical advances continued, and in the 1820s, watches using the lever escapement became accurate to within a
Pocket Watches that Made History Read More »
