Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities

Episode: "Cut It Out"
Released: December 25, 2025
Host: Aaron Mahnke

Overview

This episode of Cabinet of Curiosities features two captivating, bite-sized stories that explore the curious depths of deception and international tension. The first tale unravels the remarkable exploits of Violet Charlesworth, a notorious and charismatic con artist who became a folk celebrity after faking her own death. The second recounts the deadly "Korean Axe Murder Incident" in the DMZ, highlighting how a seemingly trivial act of pruning a tree escalated into an international crisis, resolved by an audacious but non-lethal military operation.

Story 1: The Curious Case of Violet Charlesworth

(00:51 – 06:24)

Key Points and Insights

• Violet’s Grand Stage: Violet Charlesworth, posing as a young heiress, won the affections and financial backing of Dr. Edward Hughes Jones and other locals in early-1900s Wales. She flaunted wealth, jewelry, and a love for fast cars (01:20).
  • "One appraiser remarked that she had the finest collection of diamonds he had ever seen. More than anything, Violet loved fast cars." (02:00)
• High Society Deceiver: Her extravagant lifestyle, fueled by loans and deceit, ran up enormous debts — £17,000 (about $1,000,000 today). Violet was no heiress, but a skilled imposter with no soldier husband as claimed (03:10).
• Faked Death: On January 2, 1909, Violet staged a dramatic car crash into the ocean, leaving only her hat behind, hoping it would convince everyone of her demise before her fraudulent web was exposed (02:45).
• Detectives Uncover the Truth: The police grew suspicious due to lack of blood and damage at the scene, eventually uncovering her true identity as a con artist (03:30).
• National Sensation: After her disappearance, Violet became a folk anti-hero. Many women donned red cloaks in her honor — until police took notice, mistaking them for Violet herself (04:45).
• Capture and Celebrity: Found in Scotland under an alias, Violet confessed her identity. Her infamy flourished: interviews, songs, stage shows, and even a film offer followed (05:08).
  • "She could now make her own money honestly by giving interviews to the press. She wrote a song about her life. She starred in a stage show." (05:22)
• Downfall and Aftermath: Charged with fraud alongside her mother, she was sentenced to five years but served only three. Afterwards, Violet seemingly vanished—perhaps to a quiet life, perhaps to new mischief (05:45).
• Legacy: The Titanic disaster soon eclipsed her story, yet Violet’s blend of audacity and ingenuity still fascinates curious minds (06:00).
  • "Although she was a criminal, we can all sympathize with her desire to live a life among society's elites. Her schemes were always creative." (06:07)

Notable Quotes

• “But happiness is always fleeting, isn’t it? And in Violet’s case, her lavish lifestyle was destined to have an expiration date.” (02:22)
• "Violet Charlesworth, you see, was not an heiress, but a prolific con artist who had scammed dozens of people and then faked her own death." (03:47)
• “Ultimately, though, we will never know... But Violet’s story has survived to the modern day, for those curious enough to learn about it.” (06:04)

Story 2: The Korean Axe Murder Incident

(07:00 – 12:12)

Key Points and Insights

• Backdrop of Uneasy Peace: The Korean DMZ, created in 1953, remained fraught with tension and periodic clashes between North and South Korea (07:25).
  • “Perhaps one of the most tense places on Earth is the Demilitarized Zone, or the DMZ, that separates North and South Korea.” (07:01)
• The Poplar Tree: A single tree blocking the line of sight in the Joint Security Area (JSA) became the unexpected flashpoint. Multiple attempted prunings were thwarted — due to objections, rain, and, tragically, violence (07:40).
• Deadly Confrontation: On the third attempt (August 18, 1976), as American and Korean officers oversaw engineers, North Korean soldiers intervened, citing that Kim Il Sung himself had planted the tree. Violence erupted, resulting in the deaths of Captain Boniface and Lieutenant Barrett (08:30).
  • "North Korean soldiers seized the axes from the workers. In the ensuing brawl, Boniface was struck down... Neither man would survive his injuries." (08:50)
• Crisis Escalation: The U.S. administration, reeling from the recent Vietnam War loss, sought a measured—but forceful—response instead of open conflict (09:15).
  • "There had to be a response that was both adequate for the gravity of the moment, but that would stop short of inciting violence." (09:33)
• Operation Paul Bunyan: In a dramatic show of strength, U.S. and South Korean forces returned with overwhelming military force (gunships, helicopters, carriers) to finish the pruning — this time, non-lethally but unmistakably (09:45).
  • “As helicopters circled overhead, they were backed in turn by gunships and an aircraft carrier battle group... Out of the military trucks came two security platoons... each armed with chainsaws.” (10:22)
• Resolution and Legacy: North Korean forces did not intervene. The tree was reduced to a 20-foot stump—a literal and symbolic act. Assaults in the JSA dropped sharply, and a commemorative plaque honors the American victims (11:00).
• A Lesson in Restraint: The operation, while awe-inspiring, embodied restraint, drawing a line against further violence and providing a lasting lesson in measured resolve (11:23).
  • "By wielding chainsaws under the watchful eyes of a formidable yet non lethal show of force, the Allies sent a clear aggression would be met with strength, but not with renewed war. It was a measured display of resolve that turned a flashpoint of bloodshed into a lasting symbol of restraint." (11:38)

Notable Quotes

• "The event also ended a series of small but deadly clashes... Occasional deaths would still occur, but compared to the decades before the incident, they were few and far between." (11:08)
• “The poplar’s removal was more than a simple pruning job.” (11:13)

Episode Highlights & Memorable Moments

• Violet Charlesworth’s red cloak becoming a fashion statement among admirers—until police became involved (04:45).
• The surreal spectacle of Operation Paul Bunyan: chainsaws, helicopters, troops, and an aircraft carrier group, all deployed for a single tree (10:25).
• Reflections on what drives people to mythologize both criminals and incidents of international tension—blending admiration, curiosity, and caution throughout.

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:51 — Start of Story 1: Violet Charlesworth’s con artistry
• 03:30 — Discovery of Violet’s hoax and police investigation
• 05:08 — Violet’s capture and sudden celebrity
• 06:24 — End of Story 1
• 07:00 — Start of Story 2: The DMZ and the Korean axe murder
• 08:30 — The deadly incident at the poplar tree
• 09:45 — The planning and execution of Operation Paul Bunyan
• 11:08 — Impact and aftermath in the JSA
• 11:38 — Host’s concluding reflection on restraint and symbolism

Tone & Style

Aaron Mahnke’s narration is engaging, atmospheric, and subtly dark-humored, mixing factual oddity with human behavior’s peculiarities. His delivery brings empathy to the criminal audacity of Violet Charlesworth and somber narrative weight to the DMZ incident.

Final Thoughts

From the opulent masquerade of a cunning heiress to the tense choreography of military might over a humble tree, "Cut It Out" presents two remarkable vignettes. Both stories illuminate the power of illusion—whether wielded by an individual or a nation—forging history’s curiosities from moments of audacity, creativity, and the desire, in some form, to "cut it out."