Dark Histories

Dr Buck Ruxton & The Jigsaw Murders

By the 1930s forensic police work had just begun to come into its own. The late 1920s had introduced advancements that had seen investigations using more than simple fingerprint evidence to solve crime and in America the FBI’s technical crime lab would firmly establish itself over the first half of the decade. Both in the UK and the USA experts from outside of the police or detective agencies were routinely drafted in to help on cases and in the UK there were none more qualified than the professors in the medical universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. In 1935 a grim discovery in a rural Scottish town opened a sensational case that would see the country's finest experts challenged to not only help the police to solve a murder case, but to pioneer multiple new forensic techniques along the way, creating innovative methods that would go on to be used right up to the modern day. SOURCES
Craddock, Jermey (2021) The Jigsaw Murders. The History Press, Cheltenham, UK
 
Dundee Courier (1935) Moffat Crime: Devil’s Beef Tub Searched. Dundee Courier, Mon 07 Oct 1935. Dundee, UK.
 
Aberdeen Press and Journal (1935) Grim Discovery Made in Ravine. Aberdeen Press and Journal, Mon 30 Sep 1935. Aberdeen, UK.
 
Evening Sentinel (1935) Moffat Ravine Mystery. Evening Sentinel, 01 Oct 1935. Staffordshire, UK.
 
Aberdeen Press & Journal (1935) Nurse Girl Disappears. Aberdeen Press & Journal, 09 Oct 1935, Aberdeen, UK.
 
Dundee Courier (1935) Mr Buck Ruxton Charged With Murder. Dundee Courier, 14 Oct 1935. Dundee, UK.
 
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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.

Electricity, Galvanism & The Resurrection of Thomas Weems

In 1818 Mary Shelley published her infamous novel, “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”. More than just a work of gothic fiction, it represented a host of fears and concerns that the public held after viewing experiments by the natural philosophers of the day. In the same year, in a lecture theatre in Glasgow, the dissection and supposed resurrection of an executed criminal took place. As electrodes were placed on the body, it jumped and danced, its fingers moved “nimbly, like those of a violin player,” all for the amazement of the excited audience members. It was the dawn of electricity and a period of wild experimentation in an age of divisive and dangerous theories. SOURCES
Rhys Morus, Iwan (2011) Shocking Bodies: Life, Death & Electricity in Victorian England. The History Press, UK.
 
Oxford University & City Herald (1918) Country News. Oxford University & City Herald, Sat 15 May 1918. p4. Oxford, UK.
 
Oxford University & City Herald (1918) Shocking Murder. Oxford University & City Herald, Sat 15 May 1918. p4. Oxford, UK.
 
Cambridge Chronicle & Journal (1918) Execution of Weems. Cambridge Chronicle & Journal, Fri 13 Aug 1918. p3. Cambridge, UK.
 
Cambridge Chronicle & Journal (1918) Trial For Murder. Cambridge Chronicle & Journal, Fri 6 Aug 1918. p3. Cambridge, UK.
 
Haley, Christopher D., & Archer, Mary D. (2005) The 1702 Chair of Chemistry at Cambridge: Transformation and Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
 
Mackenzie, Peter (1865) Reminiscences of Glasgow & The West of Scotland. John Tweed, Glasgow, UK.
 
Rhys Morus, Iwan (2009) Radicals, Romantics & Electrical Showmen: Placing Galvanism at the End of The English Enlightenment. Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London, Vol. 63, No. 3, Thomas Beddoes, 1760-1808 (20 September 2009), pp. 263-275. Royal Society Publishing, UK.
 
Bostock, John (1818) An account of the history and present state of galvanism. Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, London, UK
 
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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/darkhistories and get on your way to being your best self.
-------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.

Early Cinematography & The Disappearance of Louis Le Prince

In the 19th century moving images were everywhere. Illusionists cast tricks using mirrors and shadows, whilst flick books, magic lanterns and Zoopraxiscopes unveiled the hidden mysteries of motion to a wide-eyed audience. By the later part of the century, new advancements in photography had made the dream of motion pictures reachable for a few genius inventors, who toiled away in dingy workshops, setting fire to volatile chemicals as they cranked the handles of their machines, hoping to capture moments in time. Most now attribute the birth of cinema to either Thomas Edison, the famous American inventor, or the French Lumiere Brothers, whose projection of a train pulling into a station terrified its excited audience. But there was another man who had been working on the problem of moving photographs and had seemingly cracked it several years earlier. On the dawn of his machine's great unveiling, however, he disappeared, leaving those behind to question, where in the world was Louis Le Prince? Sources
Leeds Mercury (1930) Inventor Who Vanished. Leeds Mercury, Tues 09 Dec 1930. p1. Leeds, UK.
Yorkshire Evening Post (1930) Leeds Street In First Successful Moving Picture. Thurs 11 Dec 1930. p6. UK.
Fischer, Paul (2022) The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures. Faber & Faber Ltd. London, UK.
Rawlence, Christopher (1990) The Missing Reel: The Untold Story of the Lost Inventor of Moving Pictures. Atheneum. London, UK.
New York Sun (1891) The Kinetograph. New York Sun, Thurs 28 May, 1891. P1. New York, USA.
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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/darkhistories and get on your way to being your best self.
-------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 Black Dog of Bungay & Other Spectral Beasts

From ancient origins, to Churchill, who popularised the Victorian phrase “The black dog on your back”, the concept of the spectral black dog as a portent of doom, death and catastrophe is one that has maintained, with a constant slow progression throughout centuries. From musty old tomes maintained in cold damp monasteries, to the pages of Harry Potter, the Black Dog, Old Shuck, the Barghest, the Guytrash and the Skriker have haunted the stories of our rural landscapes and worked their way into the global imagination like almost nothing else in popular folklore.
 
This weeks episode was sponsored by The Art of Crime Podcast, check them out here: https://www.artofcrimepodcast.com/Sources
Chambers, Robert (1894) The Book of Days: A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities… W & R Chambers, London, UK.
 
Waldron, David & Reeve, Christopher (2010) Shock! The Black Dog of Bungay. Hidden Publishing, London, UK.
 
Waldron, George (1744) The History and Description of the Isle of Man. W.Bickerton, UK.
 
Dutt, W. A. (1901) Highways and Byways in East Anglia. Macmillan and Co. LTD. UK.
 
L’Estrange Ewen, C. (1929) Witch Hunting & Witch Trials. Routledge, London, UK.
 
E.S.T. (1850) Notes & Queries 1850-05-18: Vol 1 Iss 29. Oxford Publishing Limited, UK.
 
Brown, Theo (1978) The Black Dog in English Folklore. D. S. Brewer, UK.
 
Parkinson, Thomas (1888) Yorkshire Legends & traditions.
 
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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.

Christmas Campfire 2022 (Part 2)

Hi everyone, I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas or at least a nice bit of time off work... Here's part 2 of the 2022 Campfire episode, which should hopefully be something to help pass the time in these strange limbo days.
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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.
 
 
 

Introducing: The Last Resort

What if California seceded from the United States? If it did, what would happen?
The Last Resort is a new documentary podcast about the rise, fall, and rebirth of CAL-EXIT: the campaign for Californian Independence. Join our host Xiuhtezcatl (pronounced shoo-TEZ-kah) as the story unfolds about dreaming of a new progressive West Coast utopia, fighting for America’s future, and ending up in the middle of a still-unfolding global criminal conspiracy.
Binge all episodes of The Last Resort available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts!

Christmas Campfire 2022 (Part 1)

Hi everyone, Christmas Campfire is back for it's 6th year! A big thank you to everyone who wrote in and shared their personal stories. There were tons this year, so I've split it into two episodes and part 2 will be out next week. Until then, I hope you enjoy part 1 and have a wonderful Christmas and holiday period. My very best wishes to you and your loved ones, thanks for listening for another year and all your kind support. Merry Christmas!
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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.
 
 
 

Introducing The Evaporated: Gone with the Gods

What if someone close to you just … vanished one day? That happens to tens of thousands of families a year in Japan, and it happened to Jake Adelstein, too, back in 2018 — when his accountant disappeared, just before tax day. Adelstein, the author of Tokyo Vice, and co-host Shoko Plambeck go in search of that missing accountant, and take us on a  journey into the fascinating and bizarre world of Japan’s johatsu, or “evaporated” people.
The Evaporated: Gone With The Gods is a Campside Media & Sony Music Entertainment production.

Virginia Campbell & The Sauchie Poltergeist

Despite the number of documented cases, the poltergeist has consistently been one of the most difficult forms of paranormal phenomena to define with very little consensus over what they are actually supposed to be. Spirits, invisible, unknown energy or childish hoaxes all form the basis of the most common theories that have been presented. In England, the Enfield case is without doubt the most famous poltergeist case and has, over the decades, had all three theories put forward by those that investigated the small, London house. Hundreds of miles north and over the Scottish border in a tiny village named Sauchie is another case that has proven just as difficult to define, despite the contemporary investigator, George Owen concluding, “In my opinion the Sauchie case must be regarded as establishing beyond all reasonable doubt the objective reality of some poltergeist phenomena”.
SOURCES
Robinson, Malcolm (2020) The Sauchie Poltergeist: (And other Scottish ghostly tales). Independently Published.
Glanvill, Joseph (1872) Saducismus Triumphatus: or, full and plain evidence concerning witches and apparitions. With some account of Mr. Glanvil's life and writings. A Bettesworth & J. Batley, London, UK.
Owen, A.R.G. (1967) Can We Explain The Poltergeist. BBC, 1967.
Sims, Victor (1965) Poltergeist Terror. The Sunday Mirror, Sun 13 June, 1965. London, UK.
Sims, Victor (1965) Case Of The Haunted Schoolgirl. The Sunday Mirror, Sun 20 June, 1965. London, UK.
Sims, Victor (1965) Virginia Was Possessed By A Wild Unknown Force. The Sunday Mirror, Sun 27 June, 1965. London, UK.
The Alloa Journal (1960) Ghost - Poltergeist - Or What! The Alloa Journal, Fri Dec 2 1960, Scotland, 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
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.
 
 
 

Eliza Grimwood & The Lambeth Ripper

In 1838 a violent murder took place in the Lambeth area of London that set a trend for the stories of the Victorian penny papers for decades to come. Inspiring Charles Dickens, who paid close interest to the case, supplying him with the details he would later adapt to in several of his murder scenes, it was a grim affair that made headlines for months whilst the murderer was blindly chased across London. But was it really an isolated crime or part of something much bigger? Murder, confession and conspiracy all manage to play a role in what would become known as The Grimwood Murder.
 
SOURCES
 
Somerville, Alexander (1841) Eliza Grimwood: A Domestic Legend of the Waterloo Road. B. D. Cousins, London, UK
 
Bondeson, Jan (2017) The Ripper of Waterloo Road. The History Press, Gloucestershire, UK.
 
Bracebridge, Hemyng (1851) Prostitution in London. Griffin, Bohn & Co. London, UK.
 
Mayhew, Henry. Et al. (2005) The London Underworld In The Victorian Period. Dover Publications, USA.
 
Ion, J.L. (1838) Post Mortem Appearances of Eliza Grimwood. The Lancet, Volume 30, Issue 772, P399-400, June 16, 1838. UK.
 
Kelly, Debra & Cornick, Martyn (2013) A history of the French in london. University of London School of Advanced Study Institute of Historical Research. London, UK.
 
The Morning Chronicle (1838) Murder and Suicide. The Morning Chronicle, Mon 28 May 1838, p.3. London, UK.
 
Aberdeen Press & Journal (1840) Murder fo Lord William Russel. Aberdeen Press & Journal, Wednesday 13 May 1840, p.4. Aberdeen, UK.
 
The Globe (1840) Re-Examination of The Valet Corvoisier at Bow Street. The Globe, 14 May 1840, p.3, London, UK.
 
London Evening Standard (1840) Murder of Lord William Russel. London Evening Standard, 11 May 1840, p.3. London, UK.
 
Edinburgh Witness (1840) Confession of Courvoisier. Edinburgh Witness, 1 July 1840, p.2. Edinburgh, 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
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.