Dark Histories

The Strange Incident of the Coogee Aquarium Shark

In the 1920’s and 30s, shark attacks off the coast of New South Wales, Australia were not an especially uncommon event. In 1935, however, Sydney’s peaceful coastal charm was shattered by a grotesque discovery at the Coogee Aquarium that was anything but normal. A captured tiger shark, put on public display, vomited up a human arm—severed, tattooed, and unmistakably out of place. What began as a curiosity quickly spiraled into a chilling murder mystery involving gangsters, betrayal, and a body that was never found.
SOURCES
Roope, Phillip & Meagher, Kevin (2020) Shark Arm. Allen & Urwin, Crow’s Nest, Australia.
Brown, Anthony M. (2020) The Shark Arm Mystery: The Million to One Murder. New Era of Communications, London, UK.
Castles, Alex (1995) The Shark Arm Murders. Wakefield Press, MA, USA.
The Sydney Morning Herald (1932) Meal For Shark At The Coogee Aquarium. The Sydney Morning Herald, Mon 11 April 1932, p12. Sydney, Australia.
The Sydney Morning Herald (1935) Shark Eats Shark. The Sydney Morning Herald Sat 20 April 1935, p11. Sydney, Australia. 
The Sydney Morning Herald (1935) Arm In Shark pool. The Sydney Morning Herald, Sat 27 April 1935, p20. Sydney, Australia.
Truth (1935) Vital Clue. Truth, Sun 28 April 1935, p20. Sydney, Australia.
Truth (1935) What Sick Shark Revealed. Truth, Sun 04 May 1935, p1. Sydney, Australia.
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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com
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The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye
Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Yesterday Today - 18/05

Hi everyone, I'm back with another mini-episode of Yesterday Today, where this week we dig into the first ever non-stop Transatlantic Flight, the first ever sightings of the Loch Ness Monster and a delightfully weird romance story from teh pages of yesterdays papers.

The Woman in Black & The Cheltenham Ghost Scare of 1886

In the quiet elegance of 1880s Cheltenham, a spectral presence stirred unease in a grand old family mansion in the centre of town. The ghost—described as a tall, veiled woman in black—appeared repeatedly to the daughters of the Despard family, moving silently through the house and vanishing without trace. Witnessed by multiple family members over several years, the haunting became one of Britain’s most documented supernatural cases, thanks to the efforts of the newly founded Society for Psychical Research, who jumped at the chance to study a haunted house, first hand.SOURCES
Morton, R.C (1892) Record of a Haunted House. Proceedings for the Society of Psychical Research, Vol VIII, 1892. London, UK.
Mackenzie, Andrew (1970) The Unexplained. Abelard-Schuman. London, UK.
Abdy Collins, B. (1948) The Cheltenham Ghost. The Psychic Press. London, UK.
Underwood, Peter (1977) Hauntings: new light on the greatest true ghost stories of the world. J.M Dent, London, UK.
Cheltenham Chronicle (1875) An Assault By An Errand Boy. Cheltenham Chronicle, 16 Nov 1875, p2. Cheltenham, UK.
Cheltenham Examiner (1875) Fooling And Its Result. Cheltenham Examiner, 17 Nov 1875, p3. Cheltenham, UK.
Cheltenham Citizen (1886) Superstition. Cheltenham Citizen, Fri 27 Aug 1886, p4. Cheltenham, UK.
Cheltenham Chronicle (1886) Solution Of The Suffolk Street Ghost Mystery. Cheltenham Chronicle, Sat 4 Sep 1886, p2. Cheltenham, UK.
Gloucester Citizen (1886) The Cheltenham Ghost. Gloucester Citizen, Sat 25 Sep 1886, p5. Gloucester, UK.
Pall Mall Gazette (1886) Ghosts And Ghosts. Pall Mall Gazette, Fri 10 Sep 1886, p4. London, UK.
Rogerson, Peter (2001) Images of Imogen. Magonia Magazine, Issue 74, April 2001. London, UK.-
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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com
Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories
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Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9
Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast
Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories
& Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/
Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com
or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf
The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye
Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Yesterday Today - 04/05

Back with another episode of Yesterday Today, the shoot off podcast for Dark Histories. 
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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com
Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories
The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories
Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9
Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast
Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories
& Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/
Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com
or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf
The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye
Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

The Strange Discovery of the Hexham Heads

In 1971, in the quiet town of Hexham, England, two small stone heads were unearthed — and with them, a series of strange and unsettling events began to unfold. Shadows moved where none should be, and visitors spoke of an unseen presence lingering in the air. Were the heads simple curiosities, ancient artifacts, or did they hold a deeper, forgotten power? Or were they simply modern toys, made by a doting father looking to entertain his young daughter? As questions grew and answers slipped further away, the mystery of the Hexham Heads only deepened, and then one day, they simply vanished, never to be seen or heard from again.SOURCES
Screeton, Paul (2012) Quest for the Hexham Heads. CFZ Press, London, UK.
Screeton, Paul (1981) Tales of the Hexham Heads. Self Published. UK.
Newcastle Journal (1972) Eerie Tale of the Two Idol Heads. Newcastle Journal, Fri 3 March 1972, p9. Newcastle, UK.
Evening Chronicle (1972) Out of the Mists of 1956…. Evening Chronicle, Mon 6 March 1972, p1. Newcastle, UK.
Sunday People (1974) Myth of the ‘Evil’ Heads. Sunday People, 13 Jan 1974, p2. London, UK
Ferrol, Stuart (2012) The Hexham heads. Fortean Times issue 294, Nov 2012. London, UK.
Ferrol, Stuart (2012) The Hexham heads. Fortean Times issue 295, Dec 2012. London, UK.
Brophy, K. (n.d.). The Hexham Heads Part 3 – The Cursed Fieldtrip. The Urban Prehistorian. https://theurbanprehistorian.wordpress.com/2019/12/06/the-hexham-heads-part-3-the-cursed-fieldtrip/
 
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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com
Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories
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Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9
Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast
Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories
& Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/
Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com
or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf
The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye
Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Yesterday Today - 20/04

Back with another episode of Yesterday Today, the shoot off podcast for Dark Histories. This week we're looking at one of the more epic boxing matches of the past, a few adverts for wind pills and hair tonics, and a couple of ghost stories dug from deep in the19th century.
 
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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com
Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories
The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories
Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9
Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast
Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories
& Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/
Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com
or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf
The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye
Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

The Poisoned Prince: The Germ Murders of the British Raj

In 1933, within the quiet corridors of the palace of the Pakur Raj, a death of the young Raja stirred more than grief—it raised suspicions. What seemed at first a tragic illness soon unraveled into one of India’s most chilling and unusual murder cases, when the Raja’s own, elder half-brother was accused of using a deadly germ as a weapon, turning modern science into a tool of silent assassination. Beneath the surface of royal decorum lay a dark tale of betrayal, ambition, and microscopic murder.SOURCES
Morrison, Dan (2024) The Prince & The Poisoner. The History Press, London, UK.
Rudrajit, Paul (2019) Bacteria as a Murder Weapon: A Tale from Colonial Calcutta. Bengal Physician Journal 2019;6(2):37-39. India.
Chicago Tribune (1935) Two Must Die For Germ Murder Of Rich Indian. Chicago Tribune, Sun 17 Feb 1935, p3. Chicago, USA. 
Lincoln Journal Star (1935) The Mystery of the Famous Germ murder. Lincoln Journal Star, Sun 16 June 1935, p35. Lincoln, USA.
The New York Times (1935) Two Germ Murderers Convicted In India. The New York TImes, Sun Feb 17 1935, p1. NY, USA
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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com
Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories
The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories
Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9
Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast
Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories
& Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/
Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com
or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf
The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye
Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Yesterday Today - 06/04

The return of Yesterday Today! For those that remember, this is a little side episode for a bit of fun, focusing on old news reports through history. In this episode, I thought I'd focus on April Fools Day and see what we had to say about that back in the day.
 
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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com
Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories
The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories
Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9
Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast
Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories
& Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/
Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com
or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf
The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye
Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Project X-Ray & The Bat Bombs of World War II

Amid the chaos of World War II, a secret project emerged from the depths of military innovation—Project X-Ray. It was an idea so strange, so deceptively simple, it bordered on madness: an army of bats, each carrying a hidden firestorm. Under the cover of night, they would infiltrate enemy cities, vanishing into eaves and rafters—silent and unseen. Without warning, flames would erupt from the shadows, consuming everything in their wake. Designed to spread fear as much as fire, the plan was as terrifying as it was eccentric and most would have been excused for believing it could surely never work. But then, if necessity was the mother of invention, bravery was surely the mother of success, and as the world found out in 1945, the war effort needed something bold. SOURCES
Couffer, Jack (1992) Bat Bomb: World War II’s Other Secret Weapon. University of Texas Press, TX, USA.
Alperovitz, Gar (1995) The Decision to use the Atomic Bomb. Harper Collins, London, UK.
Ham, Paul (2011) Hiroshima Nagasaki. Harper Collins, London, UK.
McNichols, Charles L and Carus, Clayton D. (1942) One Way to Cripple Japan: The Inflammable Cities of Osaka Bay. Harper's, June 1942, pp. 29-36. NY, USA.
Trimble, William F. & Lewis, David (1988) Lytle S. Adams, the Apostle of Nonstop Airmail Pickup. Technology and Culture, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr., 1988), pp. 247-265. The Johns Hopkins University Press, USA.
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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com
Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories
The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories
Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9
Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast
Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories
& Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/
Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com
or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf
The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye
Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

The Strange Death of Ocey Snead: The East Orange Bathtub Mystery

In 1909, the discovery of a young woman, pale and emaciated, lying lifeless in a bathtub marked the start of an investigation into what seemed like a tragic story with a bleak ending. Just beneath the surface, however, lurked something far darker. As investigators pulled back the curtain, they uncovered a twisted tale of manipulation, greed, and murder. At its heart, the eerie, calculating Wardlaw sisters - A trio of eccentric aunts who wore nothing but black.SOURCES
Zierold, Norman (1968) Three Sisters in Black: The Bizarre True Case of the Bathtub Tragedy. Open Road Media, NY, USA.
Wardlaw, Joseph G. (1928) Genealogy of the Wardlaw Family. Manuscript, SC, USA.
Brooklyn Eagle (1909) Mysterious Suicide Lived Strangely Here. Brooklyn Eagle, Tues 30 Nov 1909, p2. NY, USA.
The Brooklyn Daily Times (1909) Flatbush Mystery Turns Into A Laughable Farce. The Brooklyn Daily Times, Weds 01 Dec 1909, p1. NY, USA.
New York Times. (1909) Bathtub Mystery No Murder She Says. New York Times, Thurs 02 Dec 1909, p1. NY, USA.
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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com
Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories
The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories
Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9
Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast
Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories
& Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/
Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com
or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf
The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye
Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.