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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we dive into the legendary duel between Jim Courtright, a former lawman who traded his badge for extortion, and Luke Short, a gambler who wasn’t about to be strong-armed. When Courtright demanded respect, Short gave him a lesson in humility—Western style. Join us to learn how a quick draw ended a long career and proved that, in Fort Worth, the house always wins.

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we delve into the curious case of Minnie Wallace Walkup, a teenage bride whose wealthy husband suddenly dropped dead just a month into their marriage. Was it the aphrodisiac he was taking, or did Minnie have a more hands-on approach to becoming a wealthy widow? With arsenic, strychnine, and a suspiciously timed death, this tale of love, poison, and courtroom drama will have you wondering if Minnie was just unlucky—or a master of the marital exit strategy.

If you'd like to learn more about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out the information below:

• https://www.grunge.com/1356474/minnie-wallace-teen-accused-of-killing-husband-1885/
• https://bayoujustice.com/2024/02/minnie-wallace-gold-digger-or-murderess/
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169506226/minnie-estelle-keating
• https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register-minnie-wallace-w/18279321/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=AhaKyRTT54I
• The Adventuress: Murder, Blackmail, and Confidence Games in the Gilded Age (McConnell, 2010)

KEYWORDS:

Minnie Wallace Walkup case

Teenage bride murder

Arsenic and strychnine poisoning

Suspicious death of a wealthy husband

Victorian crime story

Poisoning mystery in marriage

Courtroom drama and deadly romance

True crime historical podcast

Minnie Walkup murder trial

Marital exit strategy by poison

Wealthy widow mystery

Love and poison crime

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we explore how William G. Butler, a cattleman with a grudge, made sure the thriving town of Helena, Texas dried up faster than a saloon on Sunday. Join us for a tale of how one man’s vendetta wiped a town off the map without firing another shot.

Interested in the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death? Check out the links below:

• https://westwardsagas.com/helena-the-toughest-town-on-earth/
• https://authentictexan.com/helena-killed-wrong-man-price/
• http://pacweb.alamo.edu/InteractiveHistory/projects/rhines/StudentProjects/2001/Helena/Helena.htm
• https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-history-101-65/
• https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2012-08-17/day-trips/

KEYWORDS:

William G. Butler revenge

Helena, Texas ghost town

Cattleman’s vendetta in Texas

Old West town wiped out

True crime history podcast

Texas town revenge

Helena ghost town story

Historical vendetta in Texas

Forgotten Old West town

William G. Butler and Helena

Texas town dried up

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we dive into the bizarre and bloody tale of the Bender family, who turned their Kansas inn into the final stop for unlucky travelers in the 1870s. With a dad who muttered like a horror movie villain, a mom who could make Medusa look friendly, and a daughter who combined fortune-telling with cold-blooded murder, the Benders were a family that really knew how to keep secrets buried in their orchard. Join us as we delve into the macabre world of the Bender family and the mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

If you're interested in the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:

• https://www.humanitieskansas.org/get-involved/kansas-stories/people/true-crime-in-kansas-the-mystery-of-the-benders
• https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/31/a-mysterious-murder-site-has-a-new-owner-hes-looking-for-answers-about-the-bloody-benders/
• https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/bill-caldwell-bloody-benders-were-frontier-serial-killers/article_f6349444-0acf-11ee-974c-53c671e62b02.html
• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-benders/

KEYWORDS:

Bender family mystery

1870s Kansas inn murders

Bloody Benders true crime

Unsolved murder case

Serial killing family

Fortune-teller murderess

Macabre innkeepers

Cold-blooded family crime

Frontier crime history

Bender family orchard secrets

Gruesome family murders

True crime frontier podcast

Unsolved Bender murders

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we delve into the mysterious death of Meriwether Lewis, one of America’s most celebrated explorers. After leading the legendary Lewis and Clark Expedition, Lewis met a tragic and untimely end at a remote inn on the Natchez Trace. Found with two gunshot wounds, his death was quickly ruled a suicide, but doubts have lingered for over two centuries. Was Lewis driven to despair by illness and debt, or was he the victim of foul play? We explore the theories, the evidence, and the enduring questions surrounding the untimely death of a man who helped shape America—and wound up as the subject of one of its oldest cold cases.

Want to know more? Check out the links below:

• https://www.history.nd.gov/exhibits/lewisclark/suicide.html#:~:text=When%20Lewis's%20integrity%20was%20questioned,apparently%20shot%20himself%20in%20despair
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/meriwether-lewis-mysterious-death-144006713/
• https://lewiscountymuseum.com/Meriwether-Lewis.asp
• https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/presentations/ap_transcripts/mwlewis#:~:text=Historians%20claim%20that%20Lewis%20became,and%20untreatable%20during%20his%20lifetime
• https://muse.jhu.edu/article/219490
• https://franceshunter.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/love-in-the-afternoon-syphilis-and-the-lewis-clark-expedition/

KEYWORDS:

Meriwether Lewis mysterious death

Lewis and Clark explorer death

Natchez Trace inn mystery

Cold case of Meriwether Lewis

19th-century suicide or murder

Foul play theories about Lewis

American explorer death mystery

Untimely death of Meriwether Lewis

Frontier history podcast

True crime in American history

Lewis and Clark Expedition leader’s death

Suicide or murder cold case

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we recount the spectacular disaster that was the 1896 “Crash at Crush.” What started as a publicity stunt involving two steam locomotives and a crowd of 40,000 eager onlookers quickly went off the rails—literally. With explosions, flying debris, and a photographer who paid for the perfect shot with his eye, this event was a PR nightmare. Tune in to hear how a day of planned destruction turned into an unplanned catastrophe.


If you'd like to know more about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out the links below:

• https://wacotrib.com/news/local/book-podcast-mark-train-smashing-crash-at-crush-anniversary/article_6f080ab0-a507-58e1-b9d0-96a9dacf05a6.html
• https://wacohistory.org/items/show/70
• https://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/history/the-deadly-crash-at-crush
• https://brutalsouth.substack.com/p/everyone-loves-a-good-train-wreck

KEYWORDS:

1896 Crash at Crush

Steam locomotive collision

Publicity stunt disaster

Train crash spectacle

Historical catastrophe

PR nightmare in Texas

Explosive train wreck

Railroad tragedy

Photographer injury at Crash at Crush

Planned train crash goes wrong

Texas train collision event

Crowd disaster in 1896

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we dive into the twisted story how a night at the circus turned deadly. Thirteen-year-old Willie Snyder was just trying to enjoy the show when a clown named Manuel Reys took his routine to a whole new level —and things went terribly wrong. Join us as we share the story of how a clown’s over-the-top performance turned a fun night out into a tragedy, proving that sometimes, the joke really is on you.

If you'd like more information about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:

• https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/big-bertha-heyman-the-confidence-queen/article_289d524f-7865-5b03-b344-8a7c6456ec99.html
• https://www.thedeadhistory.com/blog/killed-by-a-circus-clown
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64461187/william-bernard
• https://medium.com/marvels-of-history/who-was-the-man-known-as-oofty-goofty-f249e664d52d
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_made_from_human_corpses#:~:text=Many%20bodies%20had%20incompletely%20decomposed,turned%20into%20candles%20and%20soap
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-big-circus-spectacular-has-long-and-cherished-history-180962621/

KEYWORDS:

Circus gone wrong

Tragic clown performance

Willie Snyder tragedy

Manuel Reys clown accident

True crime podcast

Circus mishap

Dark circus history

Over-the-top performance tragedy

Night at the circus death

Clown routine turns deadly

Tragedy strikes circus

Circus accident true story

Unfortunate circus performance

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In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we explore the unfortunate fate of Tom “Black Jack” Ketchum, an outlaw whose last heist went off the rails—literally. After being caught, Tom faced the gallows, but when the big moment came, Tom’s execution made him the most infamous—and headless—outlaw in the West. Join us for the story of how one man’s life of crime ended in a way no one saw coming.

If you're interested in the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out the links below:

***Please note that this 1st link contains graphic images that may be disturbing ***

• https://www.executedtoday.com/2010/04/26/1901-black-jack-tom-ketchum-clayton-hanging/
• https://dustyoldthing.com/strange-tale-black-jack-ketchum/
• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-blackjackketchum/
• https://site-3320323-4618-2049.mystrikingly.com/blog/tom-black-jack-ketchum-last-words#tom-black-jack-ketchum-last-words

KEYWORDS:

Tom Black Jack Ketchum execution

Wild West outlaw

Crime podcast Western history

Gallows gone wrong

Infamous Wild West criminals

Outlaw life of crime

Failed heist in the West

Gruesome execution story

Headless outlaw legend

Historical true crime stories

Tom Ketchum outlaw legend

Gallows mishap in history