In 1957, three Chicago aluminum awning salesmen decided to quit the jobs and sail to Africa to join in on the lucrative illegal diamond trade. They were in for a wild ride along with a very big surprise waiting for them at the end.
41 min
127
UI #116 - The Walking Murphys
Long forgotten headline story about a family who lost everything in the Great Kansas flood of 1951. Yet, all was not as it seemed...
40 min
128
UI #115 - The Monster Crash at Crush
As a publicity stunt, W.G. Crush crashed two trains head-on near West, Texas in 1896. More than 20,000 spectators were in the audience when it all went horribly wrong.
45 min
129
UI #114 - Baby Moses
Pearl River, LA resident Effie Crawford made the most startling discovery in 1936. Moving through the brush near her home she spotted a large dog carrying an unusual package in its mouth. She grabbed the bundle and found that it contained a baby.
27 min
130
UI #113 - Mile-A-Minute Murphy
The world's fastest bicyclist in the 1890's was Charles Minthorp Murphy and he was certain that there was no locomotive on Earth that could go faster than he could. To prove this, Murphy set a goal to ride one-mile in one-minute.
40 min
131
UI #112 - A Journey to the Center of the Earth
John Cleves Symmes asked Congress to fund a voyage to the North Pole so that his crew could sail into the Earth's interior. You may be surprised to find out how many of our elected officials approved the voyage...
36 min
132
UI #111 - Dick the Dog
Pennsylvania resident Jacob Silverman made national headlines back in 1922 for the crime of owning a dog named Dick within the commonwealth. The law at the time required that Dick be killed simply because he was owned by Jacob. Could Dick's life be saved?
33 min
133
Useless Information Podcast Bonus Episode #1
Bonus episode that includes an interview that I did back in 2014 with Lene Bech Sillesen and a recording of the NBC live news report when Pearl Harbor was bombed.
25 min
134
UI #110 - Wife for Sale
In 1948, Dorothy Lawlor decided to take an ad out in the Newsday newspaper seeking a husband in exchange for $10,000. Within twenty-four hours she became a media sensation. Did she really marry one of these men? The answer may surprise you.
43 min
135
UI #109 - The Case of the Phantom Vegetable Oil
Tino De Angelis was once ran a salad oil empire. Learn about his shocking downfall, how JFK’s assassination ties into the story, and how one of the world's richest men made a good chunk of change off of everyone else’s misfortune.
43 min
136
UI #108 - The Man Who Gave Away His Birthday
When author Robert Louis Stevenson learned that young Vermont native Annie Ide hated her Christmas birthday, he decided to deed his own birthday to her. Learn how she celebrate her new birthday and what happened after she died.d
46 min
137
UI #107 - The First Transatlantic Airplane Race
In May 1929, Old Orchard Beach in Maine was the site for a race that pitted the smaller, more nimble American Green Flash against larger, more powerful French Yellow Bird. Anticipation mounted for weeks as the two planes attempted to get off the ground.
49 min
138
UI #106 - Elixir of Death
When the S.E. Massengill Co. introduced its Elixir Sulfanilamide in September 1937, there was no law in the US requiring pharmaceutical companies to test their medicines for toxicity. As a result, more than 100 people lost their lives.
33 min
139
UI #105 - Le Mars Trilogy: Part 3 - Maybelle Tr...
During desperate times some people are forced to do desperate things. The trick is to not get caught. Let's just say that Maybelle Trow Knox was not very good at that last part.
44 min
140
UI #104 - Le Mars Trilogy: Part 2 - Farmers in ...
The Great Depression was an awful time for farmers in Iowa. It culminated with the near hanging of a judge in Le Mars. This particular farm was owned by the womanless library creator T.M. Zink.
27 min
141
UI #103 - Le Mars Trilogy: Part 1 - T.M. Zink's...
Le Mars, Iowa was thrust into the national spotlight by the actions of just one man: T.M. Zink, a man who left nearly his entire estate for the establishment of a womanless library.
33 min
142
UI #102 - Dr. Mary Edwards Walker
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was one of the first female doctors in the United States and is the only woman to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, until the government rescinded her award.
30 min
143
UI #101 - Where There's a Wilby, There's a Way
In the 1940's Ralph Marshall Wilby appeared to pull off what was the perfect crime. An incredible story that has many elements of an international thriller: deception, false identities, international kidnapping, and more.
33 min
144
UI #100 - A Miracle Birth in Mexico
On March 5, 2000, Ines Ramirez Perez went into labor but was unable to get any medical care to help with the delivery. In a panic, Ines used an ordinary kitchen knife to perform a cesarean on herself.
20 min
145
UI #99 - Millionaire for a Day
What is a political party to do when they don't want their candidate on the ballot? The Democratic party in Wilkes-Barre, PA found themselves in such a predicament when John Jay "Butch" McDevitt won their primary.
40 min
146
UI #98 - The Trick-or-Treat Dentist
The Halloween episode. Learn about a reputable California dentist named William Shyne who supposedly gave the children of his neighborhood lollipops and laxative pills for Halloween.
21 min
147
UI #97 - Silent Susan
On October 6, 1946 a young woman was arrested in Palisades Park, NJ for refusing to provide a police officer with her name. She had been cooperative in every way but refused to provide that single piece of information.
27 min
148
UI #96 - The Ice Cream Wars
The everything ice cream episode! Learn about an ongoing war between ice cream vendors, which included bombings, gunfire, torching of trucks, and threats.
34 min
149
UI #95 - The Yonkers Anti-Shorts Law
Back in 1935, Yonkers, NY made international news for arresting five NYC women who wore shorts and bandana halters. At one point, a Yonkers' aldermen proposed the building of a fence around Tibbetts Brook Park to keep the undesirables out.
26 min
150
UI #94 - The Brassiere Brigade
In September of 1950, a young woman contacted Miami police to let them know that someone had stolen money from her, money that she had helped to steal from Southern Bell originally. This led to the discovery of a highly unusual theft ring.