Dark Histories

Amazon Music Presents MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark, and Mysterious Stories

A hiker terrorized for days by two unknown figures… A man stalked through the woods while camping, who barely escaped with his life… two cops who quit their job at a local theater because of unexplained encounters with an alleged demon…
These are just some of the unbelievable cases you’ll hear on the MrBallen Podcast on Amazon Music. Each week you’ll get new inexplicable encounters, shocking disappearances and other strange, dark and mysterious stories.
Hey Prime Members, listen to the Amazon Music exclusive podcast, MRBALLEN PODCAST: STRANGE, DARK & MYSTERIOUS STORIES, in the Amazon Music App. Download the app today: www.amazon.com/BALL_us_pfd_AA_110122

Amazon Music Presents: I Hear Fear

Nothing is as terrifying as the sounds we hear in the dark. The slow creak of a door opening late at night... or a whisper in a room when you thought you were alone... or a distant scream in the wind. One noise at the wrong time or place can scare us for days.
Each episode of I HEAR FEAR plunges the listener into a tale inspired by real events, from a deadly dance party to a cursed film set. Join host and two-time Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan for six immersive stories designed to jangle your nerves and haunt your dreams.
Listen – if you dare. Only on Amazon Music.
Listen to I Hear Fear: www.amazon.com/IHF_us_pfd_AA_110122

Demonic Possession & Exorcism Through The Ages

According to the late Father Gabrielle Amorth, co-founder of the International Association of Exorcists, Hitler, Stalin, ISIS, Harry Potter and Yoga were all, in one way or another, touched by demonic influence, This does perhaps go some way towards explaining how he managed to rack up over 150,000 exorcisms throughout his long life. Of all of these cases, however, he admitted openly that only a small minority had been true, legitimate cases of demonic possession. Despite this, exorcism remains more popular today than in any other time in history, where it has existed as a long running ritual spanning centuries, continents and cultures. From personal demons to group possessions, humans battle with the Devil is a long, winding history of violence, perversion and projectile vomit.
SOURCES
St. Louis Globe Democrat (1949) Priest Frees Boy Reported To Be Possessed By Devil. St. Louis Globe Democrat, Sat, 20 Aug 1949, p.3. USA.
Laycock, Joseph P. (2020) The Penguin Book of Exorcisms. Penguin Random House, UK.
Foys, Martin, et al., eds. (2022) Old English Poetry in Facsimile 2.0 (Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019-): https://oepoetryfacsimile.org.
The University of Edinburgh School of History, Classics and Archaeology (2017) The Role of Psychological Distress and Social Contagion in Demonic Possession in Early Modern England. The University of Edinburgh, UK.
Baker, Ernest Edward, ed. (2009) A True And Most Dreadful Discourse Of A Woman Possessed With The Devil: At Dichet, In Sommersetshire. Kessinger Publishing, UK.
Rev. Father Sinistrari (2019) Demoniality: Incubi & Succubi. Quick Time Press, UK.
Goldsmid, Edmund (2018) The History of the Devils of Loudun. Read Books Ltd., UK
Evans, Hilary & Bartholomew, Robert (2009) Outbreak: The Encyclopedia of Extraordinary  Social behaviour. Anomalist Books, USA.
Reis, Elizabeth, ed. (1998) Spellbound: Women & Witchcraft in America. SR Books, USA.
Pitkin, Joseph (1740) The Diary of Joseph Pitkin. Connecticut State Library, USA.
Marianhill Mission Society (1927) Are There Devils Today? An Authentic Report on Two Cases of Exorcism Performed in Recent Years. Marianhill Mission Society, 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 Debosnys Ciphers

Whether it be hidden messages transmitted around the world from the hundreds of operating number stations, or the bizarre illustrations on the sheepskin pages of a medieval manuscript, unsolved ciphers and codes have been a compelling source of mystery for centuries. In the annals of true crime, cold cases like the Zodiac killer and the Somerton man have inspired people from around the world to come together and take up the challenge of solving their peculiar riddles. From national intelligence agencies, to armchair enthusiasts, breakthroughs have been made by individuals from across the spectrum of experience. One similar case has largely managed to escape the limelight, however, that of a late 19th Century man whose true identity was never known, hanged for murdering his wife, who left the world a series of unsolved ciphers that promised to unmask the whole mysterious affair.SOURCESFarnsworth, Cheri (2010) “Adirondack Enigma: The Depraved Intellect and Mysterious Life of North Country Wife Killer Henry Debosnys” The History Press, UK.
The Citizen Examiner (1882) “Debosnys the tramp…” The Citizen Examiner, Wed 15 Nov, 1882. P.4. Alabama, USA.
The Buffalo Commercial (1882) “One Debosnys, confined in Essex…” TheBuffalo Commercial, Wed 15 Nov, 1882. P.1. New York, USA.
The Tribune (1882) “A SIngular Story” The Tribune, Mon 7 Aug, 1882. P.1. Pennsylvania, USA.
The Swanton Courier (1883) “Over the Lake” The Swanton Courier, Sat 20 Jan, 1883. P.3. Vermont, USA.
St Albans Daily Messenger (1883) “A Remarkable Career” St Albans Daily Messenger, Wed 18 Apr, 1883. P.3. Vermont, USA.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1883) “Last Hours Of A Wife Murderer” The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Fri 27 Apr, 1883. P.1. New York, USA.
The Sentinel (1883) “Hangman's Day” The Sentinel, Sat 28 Apr, 1883. P.3. Pennsylvania, 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.
 

Madeleine Smith & The Dangerous Game of Dating in the 19th Century

Dating in the 21st century can be a tricky path to manoeuvre, but in reality, the difficulties pale in comparison when compared to the complex etiquette and social pressures that one was doomed to follow in the Victorian period. One couple found this out in a unique way when their romantic love affair took a hard swipe left and turned into a tale of arsenic, scandal and mystery that could probably have been avoided had ghosting been a thing.
 
SOURCES
 
MacGowan, Douglas (2021) The Strange Affair of Madeline Smith. Polygon, London, UK.
 
Phegley, Jennifer (2012) Courtship & Marriage in Victorian England. Praeger, Cambridge, UK.
 
The Globe (1857) A Strange Story. The Globe, Sat 4th March 1857, p.4. 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
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 via voicemail on: (415) 286-5072
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.
 
 
Dublin Weekly Nation (1857) The Glasgow Poisoning. Dublin Weekly nation, Sat 11th July 1857, p.13. Dublin, Ireland.

The Bizarre History of the Hollow Earth

Far from being a modern, internet crackpot idea, hollow earth theory has walked a long and winding path, many centuries old. From the mythological pits of hell, to the pseudo-scientific theories of the enlightenment, right through to modern science fiction, founding philosophies of utopian cults and even tenuous links with the Nazis, the proponents have been many and the theories varied, though whether or not they were ever anything other than crackpot is a different question altogether.
 
SOURCES
 
Standish, David (2007) Hollow Earth. Da Capo Press, IN, USA.
 
Bernard, Raymond (1963) The Hollow Earth. Fieldcrest Publishing Co., NY, USA.
 
Griffin A., Duane (2004) Hollow & Habitable Within: Symmes’s Theory of Earth’s Internal Structure & Polar Geography. Physical Geography, Sep 2004. USA.
 
Kollerstrom, Nicholas (1992) The Hollow World of Edmond Halley. Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 23 Issue 3, August 1992. USA
 
Halley, Edmond (1692) An account of the cause of the change of the variation of the magnetical needle with an hypothesis of the structure of the internal parts of the Earth. Philosophical transac­tions, xvi (1692), 563-87. UK
 
Alexandria Gazette (1818) Food For Philosophers. 13 Aug 1818, p.2. VA, USA
 
Teed, Cyrus (1899) The Illumination of Koresh: Marvelous Experiences of the Great Alchemist Thirty Years Ago, at Utica, NY. Guiding Star, Chicago, USA.
 
Goodricke-Clarke, Nicholas (2004) The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and their Influence on Nazi Ideology. Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 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 via voicemail on: (415) 286-5072
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 Thin Place: Netta Fornario & The Occult

Widely mischaracterized in popular understanding, the early 20th century world of the occult has never failed to serve up a plethora of intriguing tales. From stories of new age magic, otherworldly realms, alchemy and psychic abilities, all practised in shady back rooms of the temples belonging to secretive societies, our imaginations have often run wild, crossing victorian gothic aesthetic with the lure of a shadowy underworld. This common theme has been a driving factor in the continuing propagation of one of the 1920’s most famous mysteries, when a young woman, seeking the entrance into another realm, was found dead on an isolated Scottish island and a series of links were uncovered, tying her to some of the ages most infamous occult societies. But how much of the story is grounded in reality, and how much is the work of overactive imaginations, is perhaps as much of a mystery as the case itself.
 
SOURCES
 
Adamnan. (1874) Life of Saint Columba, Founder of Hy. edmonston & Douglas, Edinburgh, UK.
 
McNeill, F. Marion (1920) Iona: A HIstory of the Island. Lochar Publishing Ltd, Scotland.
 
Owen, Alex (2004) The Place of Enchantment: British Occultism and the Culture of the Modern. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA.
 
Tyler, Mac (1928) The Use of Imagination in Art, Science and Business. The Occult Review v48 n1 Jul 1928.
 
Fortune, Dion. (1930) Psychic Self Defence. The Classic Instruction Manual for ProtectingYourself Against Paranormal Attack. Weiser Books, UK.
 
Aberdeen Press & Journal (1929) The Iona Tragedy. Aberdeen Press & Journal, Mon 25 Nov, 1929, P.4. Scotland, UK.
 
The Scotsman (1929) Iona Mystery. The Scotsman. Wed, 27 Nov, 1929, P.10. 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 via voicemail on: (415) 286-5072
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 Haunting of Willington Mill

In England, the Tyne River, famously flowing through the centre of Newcastle on its way to the North Eastern coast, has for many centuries been a vein of industry. In the early 19th Century the banks were filled with shipbuilders, rope makers and flour, grain, textile and corn mills, creaking and grinding with the constant industrial din. On the Eastern outskirts of Newcastle stood Willington Mill, a flour mill built in 1801 with a local reputation. For decades folks had talked about the old mill house, of how a witch had once lived in an old cottage on the land and of the spirit of Old Jefferey. The stories eventually seeped out into national publications after a pair of curious locals carried out an overnight vigil which ended in chaos, earning the mill the title of “most haunted house in England”, but were the stories anything more than just local rumour and legend? SOURCES
Proctor, Edmund (1894) The Haunted House At Willington. Journal for The Society of Psychical Research, Vol 5, 1891-92. The Society’s Books, London, UK.
 
Hallowell, Michael J. & Ritson, Darren W. (2011) The Haunting of Willington Mill. The History Press, London, UK.
 
Summers, Montague (1927) The Geography of Witchcraft. A.A. Knopf; K. Paul, Trench, Trubner, London, UK.
 
Hudson, Tom (1887) The Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore and Legend. Walter Scott, Newcastle, UK
 
Richardson, M.A. (1842) Authentic Account of a Visit to The Haunted House at Willington near Newcastle Upon Tyne. M.A. Richardson, Newcastle, UK
 
Crowe, Catherine (1850) The Night Side of Nature. J.S. Redfield, New York, USA.
 
Sidgwick, Eleanor (1892) On The Evidence For Clairvoyance. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research Vol VII, 1891-92. Kegan Paul, Trench & Turner LTD. London, UK.
 
Stead, William Thomas (1897) Real Ghost Stories. G. Richards. London, UK
 
Newcastle Guardian & Tyne Mercury (1867) Local and District News. 26 January 1867, p.2. Newcastle, UK.
 
Newcastle Guardian & Tyne Mercury (1867) Local and District News. 23 February 1867, p.6. Newcastle, UK.
 
Beck, Ben. (2022) Children of Elizabeth and Joseph Procter.[online] Benbeck.co.uk. Available at:
 
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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 via voicemail on: (415) 286-5072
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 Tichborne Claimant: A Tale of Two Butchers

When Sir Roger Tichborne was shipwrecked and lost at sea in 1854, his mother fell into a deep state of mourning, both devastated by the loss of her son and insistent that he was still alive. As much as the rest of her family tried their best to convince her that Roger was not ever coming back, she just refused to stop searching. It was a stance that paid off handsomely then, when her long lost son made his triumphant return to England 12 years later with a plan to reclaim the family estate. It would be a claim that would make it to court and eventually be the longest running trial in English legal history, holding the title for over a hundred years and would light up the Victorian press with scandal, humour and class warfare that would last decades.
SOURCES
 
Annear, Robyn. (2002) The Man Who Lost Himself: The Unbelievable Story of the Tichborne Claimant. Constable & Robinson Ltd. London, UK.
 
McWilliam, Rohan (2007) The Tichborne Claimant: A Victorian Sensation. Hambledon Continuum, London, UK.
 
Kinsley, William, J. (1911) The Tichborne Case. The Yale Law Journal, Vol. 20, No. 7 (May, 1911), pp. 563-569.
 
Saunders News-Letter (1867) From Our Own Correspondent. Monday 14 January 1867, Dublin, Ireland.
 
Yorkshire Gazette (1867) Arrival of Sir Roger Tichborne Bart. Saturday 5 January 1867. Yorkshire, UK.
 
London Evening Standard (1867) The Tichborne Baronetcy. Wednesday 23 January 1867. London, UK
 
London Evening Standard (1872) A Last Appeal From The Claimant. Wednesday 27 March 1872. 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
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 via voicemail on: (415) 286-5072
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 Murder of George Little & The Broadstone Mystery

Broadstone station in Dublin, Ireland creaked, clanked and clattered with the din of everyday rail traffic. In 19th Century Ireland, it was one of the grandest buildings in the country's capital, and every day hundreds of people worked to ensure that its trains, serving over 500 miles of track from one coast of Ireland to the other, were running as efficiently as they could. It was an imposing machine that stood on the hillside of the city, pulsing away, day after day. In 1856, however, it became famous for more than just its trains and vast profits, when the cashier was found dead, locked in an office full of money. The investigation that followed struggled to solve the mystery for a full year, with a conclusion that pretty much no one who had followed the case, which was more or less the whole of Dublin, would find satisfactory.
 
SOURCES
 
Dublin Evening Post (1856) Shocking Occurence - Supposed Suicide. Dublin Evening Post, 15 Nov, 1856, p2. Dublin, Ireland.
 
London Evening Standard (1856) Murder Of The Cahsier Of The Great Midwestern Railway Company. London Evening Standard, p4. London, UK.
 
Dublin Evening Mail (1856) Terrible Tragedy At The Midland Railway. Dublin Evening Post, 17 Nov, 1856, p3. Dublin, Ireland.
 
Dublin Evening Post (1856) This Day. Dublin Evening Post, 20 Nov, 1856, p3. Dublin, Ireland.
 
London Evening Standard (1856) The Broadstone Tragedy. London Evening Standard, 12 Dec, 1856. p3. London, UK.
 
Leeds Mercury (1857) The Broadstone Tragedy. Leeds Mercury, 1 Jan, 1857. p4. Leeds, UK.
 
Saunders’s News Letter (1857) Murder Of The Late Mr Little. Saunders’s News Letter, 24 June, 1857. p1. London, UK.
 
Manchester Times (1857) The Arrest Of The Suspected Murderer Of Mr Little. Manchester Times, 27 Jun, 1857. p7. Manchester, UK.
 
Freeman’s Journal (1857) The Murder Of Mr Little. Freeman’s Journal, 29 Jun, 1857. p3. Dublin, Ireland.
 
Freeman’s Journal (1857) Trial Of Spollen For The Murder Of Mr Little. Freeman’s Journal, 10 Aug, 1857. p4. Dublin, Ireland.
 
Freeman’s Journal (1857) Trial Of Spollen For The Murder Of Mr Little. Freeman’s Journal, 12 Aug, 1857. p4. Dublin, Ireland.
 
Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette (1857) Re-Arrest Of Spollen. Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette, 26 Aug, 1857. p4. Scotland.
 
Premium.weatherweb.net (2022) Weather in History 1850 to 1899 AD. [online] Available at:
 
KBC, S. (2022) Virtual Reality Tour: Explore this grand former railway station in Dublin... with its own murder mystery. [online] TheJournal.ie. Available at:
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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 via voicemail on: (415) 286-5072
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.