In this episode of Banshees & Crackers, we explore the lore and mystery surrounding the death of Arthur Rochford Manby in Taos, NM. Was his murder linked to secret societies? Wealthy foreign investors? Or jilted neighbors? Let's dive in.

What is it about ghost towns that captivate us? Do people vanish due to unseen dark forces and visitors from beyond? Or are there much more logical reasons that cause entire communities to pack up and leave? Join me as we discuss the settling and eventual abandonment of Dudleytown, CT.

Sources for this episode:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudleytown,_Connecticut

• https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/dudleytown

• https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-stories/americas-most-haunted-east/the-curse-of-dudleytown/

• https://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/29/nyregion/the-view-from-dudleytown-a-hamlet-that-can-t-get-rid-of-its-ghosts.html

• https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-dudleytown-curse-connecticuts-village-of-the-damned/

A ghost ship, suspicious rumors, and strange behavior. Join me as I dive into the story of the Carroll A. Deering and her missing crew.

Sources:

• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/deering-ghost-ship/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_A._Deering

• https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2023/01/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-ghost-ship-carroll-a-deerings-crew/

• https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2016/01/31/carroll-deering-ghost-ship

Was there a serial killer in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1930s? Join me for the story of the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run. Trigger warning for gruesome content.

Sources:

• https://case.edu/ech/articles/t/torso-murders

• https://www.clevelandpolicemuseum.org/collections/torso-murders/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Torso_Murderer

Who was the Cinder Woman of St. Petersburg? Today I am going to tell you about spontaneous human combustion and the grisly death of Mary Reeser.

Sources:

• https://www.history.com/news/is-spontaneous-human-combustion-real

• https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/shc.htm

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_human_combustion#:~:text=%2C%22%20says%20Abrahamson.-,Notable%20examples,house's%20doorknob%20was%20unusually%20warm.

• https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2019/10/17/spontaneous-combustion-in-st-petersburg-the-curious-case-of-mary-reeser/

What do Wallingford, CT, Chicago, IL, shoes and labor protests have in common? Settle in while I tell you the gruesome tale of a still unsolved murder.

Sources for this episode:

• https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-mystery-of-the-wallingford-shoebox-murder/

• https://connecticuthistory.org/the-shoebox-murder-mystery/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair

• https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/haymarket-riot

• https://www.chicagotribune.com/hc-250-shoebox-murder-mystery-20140410-story.html

You've heard about the Salem Witch Trials, but did you know that New England was also gripped by a Vampire Panic?! Settle in to learn about the terrifying rituals carried out to protect against vampire infestations.

Sources for this episode:

• Seacoastnh.com, Real Vampires in New England?

• Smithsonianmag.com, The Great New England Vampire Panic

• History.com, When New Englanders Blamed Vampires for Tuberculosis Deaths

• VermontPublic.org Gilbert: Vampires in Vermont

• VTDigger.org, Then Again: When Vampires were to blame for a deadly wasting disease.

• VTFolklife.org, The Manchester Vampire- Legends & Lore