Fly By Night

Summary

Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities – "Fly By Night" Episode Summary

Release Date: April 8, 2025

In the "Fly By Night" episode of Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities, listeners are treated to two enthralling tales that navigate the murky waters of historical oddities and human failings. This episode masterfully intertwines stories from different eras, showcasing the unpredictable nature of ambition and the unforeseen consequences of misguided endeavors.

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1. Daniel Sickles: A Career Marred by Failures and Infamy

Timestamp: 01:07 – 06:01

The episode opens with the story of Daniel Sickles, a man whose pursuit of honor and recognition seemingly backfired at every turn. Initially establishing himself as a competent lawyer, Sickles quickly ascended to the political arena, being elected to the House of Representatives in 1856. However, his personal life was fraught with scandal and poor judgment.

• Infamous Relationships: Sickles was notorious for his womanizing behavior. He notoriously brought sex workers into congressional chambers and even introduced a sex worker to Queen Victoria, tarnishing his reputation as a respectable congressman. His most egregious personal failure involved marrying a 15-year-old girl, Teresa, whom he impregnated. His neglectful and adulterous behavior led Teresa to seek companionship elsewhere, notably with Philip Barton Key, the son of Francis Scott Key, the author of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

• Murder and Trial: The adulterous affair between Teresa and Philip Key led Sickles to a moment of rage. Determined to assert his manhood, Sickles confronted Key and fatally shot him twice on the streets of Washington. This act of violence could have ended his career, but Sickles employed a groundbreaking legal strategy by pleading temporary insanity—a first in U.S. history. His defense portrayed him as a victim of his wife's infidelity, leading to his acquittal.

  "Daniel took it as a win and prepared to take on a new role, that of a Civil War general." (02:45)

• Civil War General: Despite lacking a formal military background, Sickles leveraged his social standing to secure a position as a major general. His leadership was, however, far from exemplary. At the Battle of Gettysburg, Sickles made the fateful decision to occupy the Peach Orchard, disregarding military orders. This move created a vulnerable gap in the Union lines, resulting in significant casualties under intense enemy assault. Sickles himself was grievously injured by a cannonball, leading to the amputation of his leg.

  "Samuel Clemens... was brought along on one of these tours. This led Twain to remark, the general valued his lost leg away above the one that is left." (05:50)

• Legacy of Failure: Despite his failures as a congressman and a general, Sickles remained undeterred, continually manipulating his circumstances to present his missteps as personal victories. His involvement in the preservation of the Gettysburg battlefield as a national park stands as a minor redeeming note amidst a career otherwise marked by controversy and incompetence.

  "Instead of being a high achiever, Daniel Sickles was a frequent failure. But he always spun his failures into personal wins." (05:30)

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2. Dr. Lytle Adams and Project X Ray: The Bats That Almost Were Weapons of War

Timestamp: 07:25 – 12:16

The second narrative transports listeners to the tumultuous days of World War II, focusing on Dr. Lytle Adams, affectionately known as "Doc." Unlike typical military inventors, Doc was a dentist whose serene vacation in the Carlsbad Caverns became the catalyst for an audacious and bizarre military project.

• Inception of an Unorthodox Idea: Witnessing millions of bats swarm from the caverns left an indelible mark on Doc Adams. Shortly after, the Pearl Harbor attack galvanized him into action. Despite his age—60 years old—Doc was determined to contribute to the war effort. His initial thoughts on military dentistry soon evolved into a revolutionary, albeit unsettling, weapon concept.

  "Imagine your neighborhood burning to the ground while winged balls of flame plummet from the sky." (11:30)

• Project X Ray: Doc's vision was to harness bats as vehicles for incendiary bombs. The idea was to capture millions of Mexican bats, equip them with tiny bombs, and disperse them over enemy territories. A parachute would deploy at 4,000 feet, releasing the bats to seek shelter in dark recesses before a timer detonated the explosives, causing widespread devastation.

• Assembling a Diverse Team: Securing immediate support from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Doc amassed a team reminiscent of a Hollywood heist crew. The eclectic group included a pilot, a former mobster, marine brothers, a biologist, teenage lab assistants, and a renowned Harvard chemist famed for inventing napalm. Their mission was codenamed Project X Ray, a top-secret endeavor housed in a secure Air Force base in New Mexico.

• Challenges and Catastrophes: The project faced numerous hurdles, from sourcing and managing volatile bomb components to dealing with the unpredictability of bat behavior. A significant setback occurred when six incomplete devices accidentally detonated, incinerating the base's new airfield. Despite these obstacles, the team persevered, eventually developing a prototype that demonstrated unprecedented destructive capability during simulated tests.

  "The village didn't just burn to the ground, it was completely immolated." (10:15)

• Demise of the Project: Just as momentum was building towards mass production, budget cuts in 1944 forced a critical decision. The military opted to fund the more promising Manhattan Project, which aimed to develop the atomic bomb, over the unconventional and ethically dubious Project X Ray. Consequently, Adams' team was disbanded, and the bat-based weapon never saw active deployment.

• Ethical Implications and Legacy: The cancellation of Project X Ray not only spared countless lives and preserved millions of bats but also steered military innovation towards a path that would forever alter the course of history. The harrowing image of incendiary-laden bats remains a testament to the lengths of wartime ingenuity and the moral quandaries that accompany such inventions.

  "Canceling Doc Adams project prevented that image from becoming a reality and spared the lives of millions of bats." (11:50)

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Conclusion

"Fly By Night" offers a compelling exploration of individuals whose ambitions led them down paths of infamy and ethical ambiguity. Through the tragic tale of Daniel Sickles and the unsettling narrative of Dr. Lytle Adams, the episode underscores the thin line between innovation and moral responsibility. Aaron Mahnke masterfully weaves these stories, inviting listeners to ponder the complexities of human nature and the unforeseen repercussions of our actions.

"Stay curious." (12:16)

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For those intrigued by these curious historical anecdotes, Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities continues to deliver thought-provoking stories that illuminate the bizarre and extraordinary facets of our past. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or visit curiositiespodcast.com to embark on more such guided tours through the Cabinet of Curiosities.

Transcript

[Host of Bone Valley]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Host of Bone Valley]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Host of Bone Valley]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 starting April 9th on the iHeartRadio app app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Aaron Manke]

Welcome to Erin Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and mild.

[Narrator]

Our world is full of the unexplainable. And if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.

[Aaron Manke]

Many high achievers excel at more than one thing. Great actors who are also karate masters or pro athletes with degrees in chemistry, for example. Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May is also an astrophysicist. It makes sense that someone with the drive to succeed at that level would be driven to achieve even more. But sometimes a driven person doesn't find success, but multiple failures. And in one curious case from the Civil War era in America, a man made a historic entire career out of being bad at everything he set out to do. Daniel began his career as a lawyer before before getting elected to the House of Representatives in 1856. Pretty good for a guy in his 30s, right? But he was also a notorious womanizer. He brought sex workers into the congressional chambers and even introduced one to Queen Victoria. So he wasn't much of a congressman. But most infamously, he married the 15 year old daughter of one of his friends after getting her pregnant. Her name was Teresa, and as you'd expect, he didn't remain faithful to Teresa. But she felt no loyalty to him either. With with Daniel often away on business or having affairs, Teresa was regularly escorted to social functions by her friend, Philip Barton Key. He was a prominent socialite, being the son of Francis Scott Key, the writer of the Star Spangled Banner. Before long, Teresa and Philip began an affair of their own. The affair was one thing. Obviously, Daniel was having affairs all the time. But Teresa's infidelity soon became known throughout Washington. Daniel couldn't be seen as someone who allowed this to go on, so he armed himself and prepared to prove his manhood to the whole town. Confronting Philip on the street, Daniel fired a shot into Philip's groin. As the wounded man crawled away, Daniel fired again, hitting Philip in the chest, killing Him. It seems that Daniel hadn't really thought past this point, though he was now a murderer, which surely must have hurt his reputation as much as his wife cheating on him. He was a terrible congressman and a terrible husband. But Daniel, for all his failures, wouldn't give up. He hired an excellent lawyer who portrayed Daniel as the victim. He told the jury a total sob story about how Daniel was completely thrown by his wife's affair, how in a moment of insanity, he set out to kill Philip, not truly in control of his own actions. And so the jury ruled that Daniel wasn't guilty, marking the first successful temporary insanity plea the in U.S. history. It's not an accomplishment to be proud of, I know. But Daniel took it as a win and prepared to take on a new role, that of a Civil War general. The war broke out in 1861 and gave Daniel the opportunity to regain his lost honor. By 1863, he was a major general leading a brigade at the battle of Gettysburg. It shows how at the time, these positions were as much about class as merit. Daniel was the only Civil War general without a military education. But because he was from the upper class, his friends were able to pull some strings and put him in a leadership position. And once again, his desire for honor and glory outpaced his actual ability. In an infamous moment from the battle, Daniel ordered his men to take the high ground in a part of the battlefield known as the Peach Orchard. This went against his own orders, and but it seemed to him that the high ground was always desirable. Only in this case, it meant that his men were leaving a gap in the line with the rest of the army, leaving them all vulnerable to a charge from the enemy. Daniel's forces were devastated, but for him, that wasn't even the worst of it. He took a cannonball to the leg, shattering his tibia and fibula. But even then, this wasn't enough to keep Daniel down. He had his leg amputated and donated the shattered bones to the Army Medical Museum. And for years afterward, he would actually take his friends to see it at the exhibit, bragging about his own bravery. At one point, none other than Samuel Clemens, the author Mark Twain, was brought along on one of these tours. This led Twain to remark, the general valued his lost leg away above the one that is left. I am perfectly sure that if he had to part with either of them, he would part with the one that he has got. Failed congressman, failed husband, and failed general. Instead of being a high achiever, Daniel Sickles was a frequent failure. But he always spun his failures into personal wins. It would be so inspiring if it weren't for the fact that people died because of his mishaps. Curiously, Daniel did go on to assist in reconstruction efforts, with mixed results. As always, although his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg were notorious, he was also instrumental in assuring that the battlefield itself became a national park.

[Host of Bone Valley]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one. I just knew him as a kid. Long, silent voices from his past came.

[Gilbert King]

Forward, and he was just staring at me.

[Host of Bone Valley]

And they had secrets of their own to share.

[Gilbert King]

I'm Gilbert King. I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott.

[Host of Bone Valley]

I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad, it's, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Host of Bone Valley]

I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

If the cops and everything would have done the job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.

[Host of Bone Valley]

I never expected to find myself in this place. Now I need to tell you how I got here.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Host of Bone Valley]

Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy, Jeremy, I.

[Gilbert King]

Want to tell you something.

[Host of Bone Valley]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content starting April 9th. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Aaron Manke]

Dr. Lytle Adams, or Doc as he was known to his friends, was not a mechanical engineer or a weapons manufacturer. He was a dentist. And In December of 1941, he was on a long overdue vacation in New Mexico. While exploring the Carlsbad Caverns one evening, Doc Adams was treated to one of the most incredible sights in the southwestern United States. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the air filled with chirps and chattering squeaks and then the thrum of tiny wings. He watched as millions of bats came pouring out of the caves, taking to the sky in a chaotic, screaming swarm. And this mesmerizing sight stuck with Doc Adams. And he was still thinking about it a few days later during his long drive home to Pennsylvania. He had just crossed out of New Mexico when the radio broadcast he was listening to was interrupted by breaking news. Japan had just launched a devastating attack on the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor. Thousands of Americans were dead or injured, and rumors were already flying that Congress was going to declare war. Doc Adams was so Overwhelmed by the announcement, he had to pull over to process the news. At 60 years old, there was no chance of being drafted himself. But nevertheless, he found himself burning with a desire to contribute. He had just started to wonder about the military's dentistry needs when he was struck by an idea. He suddenly imagined a weapon unlike anything the military had in its arsenal. A bomb that could give his country the edge against its enemies. Doc Adams sped home and penned a letter to the White House describing his planned invention. While acknowledging that the idea sounded strange, he promised that it would be practical, inexpensive and effective, in his words, and Roosevelt agreed. The President immediately greenlit the project, granting Doc Adams military status and a multi million dollar budget. With no time to waste, the former dentist got to work. His first act was to assemble an eclectic team straight out of a Hollywood heist film. There was a pilot, a former mobster, a pair of U.S. marine brothers, a biologist, two teen lab assistants, and a world famous Harvard chemist known for inventing napalm. Most of the members were skeptical when they first learned what Doc Adams had planned. But they all signed on and moved to a high security Air Force base in New Mexico. For the next two whole years they worked around the clock developing the top secret device with had been codenamed Project X Ray. Nothing like this had ever been attempted before and there were plenty of kinks to work out. From the start, the project was plagued by problems. Gathering the parts for the bomb they wanted to make was especially challenging, and their volatile nature made them difficult to work with. In one catastrophic incident, six of the unfinished devices were triggered by mistake, sparking a fire that destroyed the base's new airfield. Doc Adams team was determined though, and soon enough they had a working prototype. The team tested the weapon on a simulated Japanese village, which they had built just for this purpose. And it worked. The village didn't just burn to the ground, it was completely immolated. Based on that test, Doc Adams team estimated that their device was 12 times more destructive than the incendiary bombs the military was currently using. Despite that success, Project X Ray hit a roadblock in 1944, just as the team was getting ready to enter mass production. After two years of an expensive war, the military needed to make some cuts and Doc learned that they were about to choose between funding his device or another experimental weapons project based out of New Mexico. In the end, Project X Ray got the axe. The team was disbanded and the weapon was never used on an enemy target. Because of that, few people know how close the US came to using napalm. Equipped bats against its enemy. Yeah, that was Doc's big idea. Capture millions of Mexican hightail bats, fit them with tiny incendiary bombs, and load them by the dozen into large canisters that could be dropped from a plane. Once the shell plummeted to 4,000ft, a parachute would trigger and the shell would open. The bats would spread far and wide, seeking out dark attics and eaves to roost in, and then a timer would trigger the bombs and the bats would explode all at once. That kind of weapon could have been especially catastrophic in the wooden cities of World War II era Japan. It also would have been uniquely nightmarish. Imagine your neighborhood burning to the ground while winged balls of flame plummet from the sky. Canceling Doc Adams project prevented that image from becoming a reality and spared the lives of millions of bats. In its place, though, the world got another kind of nightmare because Project X Ray lost its funding to another project with more promise, a secret military program to develop the world's first atomic bomb, the Manhattan Project.

[Narrator]

I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting curiositiespodcast.com the show was created by me, Aaron Manke, in partnership with How Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series and television show and you can learn all about it [e-mail] and until next time, stay curious.

[Host of Bone Valley]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad, it's oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Host of Bone Valley]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Host of Bone Valley]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2, starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.