 Anna Anderson Some historical mysteries, regardless of how persistently we might try, can never be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. As morning dawned on July 17, 1918, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, and their five children, Alexei, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia, were executed by Bolshevik revolutionaries. Just two years later, a woman calling herself Anna Anderson turned-up in Berlin claiming to be Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia, the youngest of the tsar and tsarina’s daughters. She professed that she had escaped from the basement where her family was slaughtered with help from two brothers named Tchiakovsky, and fled to Romania. She perpetrated this fraud until 1991, when the previously lost remains of the royal family were unearthed. Posthumous DNA testing proved Anna was not a member of the Romanov dynasty. Some have postulated that she was actually a Polish factory worked named Franziska Schanzkowska who had a history of mental illness.
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 Mary Jane Kelly Considering today marks the death of Mary Jane Kelly, Jack the Ripper’s presumed 5th and last victim, I thought it'd be the perfect time for a quick blogpost about the crime's female suspects, a.k.a. Jill the Ripper or The Mad Midwife.
The hypothesis Jack the Ripper was in fact Jill the Ripper was first postulated by Detective Inspector Frederick Abberline of the London Metropolitan Police. His conjecture stemmed from testimony by Mrs. Caroline Maxwell. Mrs. Maxwell claimed she'd seen Mary Jane Kelly twice after doctors presumed she was murdered. The D.I. speculated the woman she'd observed the second time was actually the killer. The suspect might have disguised herself in Mary’s clothing after disposing of her own blood-soaked garments. Though Mary was discovered partially undressed, her clothing was left at the crime scene, folded neatly on a chair. Consequently, this premise doesn’t hold-up.  A newspaper piece regarding Abe’s crime; Kichizo is pictured, too Before Abe connived to murder her lover, Kichizo Ishida theirs was just your run of the mill “married supervisor embarks on love affair with comely employee” story. Roughly two months after meeting, the couple absconded for a prolonged tryst. The money ran out two weeks later. Kichizo returned home; Abe stayed with friends. During the separation, Abe became noticeably agitated. After seeing a play during which a geisha attacks her lover using a knife, she hatched a plan.
 For my Halloween podcast and blog series, I've chronicled Lavinia Fisher-legendary highway-robber, Amelia Dyer-Victorian child murderess, and three pairs of sinister siblings. Accordingly, I had just sat down to write a post on Elizabeth Báthory, “The Blood Countess,” who supposedly bathed in her victims’ blood, when I stumbled over something even more disturbing. I've got three words for you, bitches: Nazi Bride School!
Earlier this month, researchers combing through Germany’s Federal Archive unearthed documents concerning the Reichsbräuteschule, or Reich Bride Schools. Though scholars knew of their existence, these matrimonial preparatory schools were (and remain largely still) shrouded in mystery. The recent discovery of a rulebook and certificate of completion, give historians further understanding of this shadowy facet of Hitler’s Third Reich. And y’all, it’s just as creepy as it sounds…  Everybody knows the scene; it’s iconic. Little Danny Torrance is cruising on his tricycle through the corridors of the Overlook Hotel. Then, unexpectedly, he’s stopped by the appearance of the Grady sisters. Everything about them is unsettling, from their robin’s egg blue frocks and black Mary Jane shoes, to their ghostly entreaty to “Come and play with us...” I'm creeped-out just writing about it. Nevertheless, this episode’s subjects- June and Jennifer Gibbons, Christine and Léa Papin, and Ursula and Sabina Eriksson-could give those girls a run for their money!
 The British Medical Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1577 (Mar. 21, 1891), p. 656 During the mid-late 1800s, reports like this could be regularly found inside the British Medical Journal. Baby farming, the custom of fostering or adopting-out a young child for money, was commonplace throughout Victorian England.  It’s doubtful this commonly-used portrait actually depicts Lavinia Fisher Google Lavinia Fisher and you'll likely come across references to her as America’s first woman serial killer. Though it’s not fact, the real story of Lavinia’s criminal escapades is just as scandalous. Here’s the legend: Lavinia and husband John operated a lodge, Six Mile House, outside of Charleston, South Carolina. The Fishers preyed on male customers travelling by themselves. Furtively, Lavinia would poison guests’ supper or tea using laudanum; later, when the man nodded-off, John would butcher them with his axe. Ultimately, one fortunate would-be victim named John Peoples got away; he alerted law enforcement. Searching the Fisher’s roadhouse, police unearthed many decaying corpses. Subsequently, Lavinia and John were arrested, tried for robbery and murder, and condemned to hang. In reality, Lavinia and John weren't serial killers, but highwaymen. The Fishers belonged to a gang who targeted wagons journeying to and from Charleston.  A February 19, 1820 article recounting the Fisher’s execution the previous day Though Lavinia wasn't America’s first woman serial killer, her legend was probably inspired by actual events. Check-out the podcast to hear more about Lavinia’s ghastly legend, outrageous true story, and the real-life incidents that possibly influenced the myth. Sources: The Legend of Lavinia Fisher (Murder by Gaslight) Lavinia Fisher (Wikipedia entry) Lavinia Fisher – America’s First Female Serial Killer (a superb adaptation of the legend) |
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