← Dark History
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- [00:00]
Bailey Sarian
We had Murder Mystery and Makeup, a live digital premiere. It happened on October 15th. And what an experience.
- [00:07]
Dr. Soper
I mean, we laughed, we cried, we shared some intimate secrets.
- [00:12]
Bailey Sarian
Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. And we did it all live. It was so much fun.
- [00:16]
Dr. Soper
And it's all thanks to you, my audience.
- [00:18]
Bailey Sarian
Thank you for joining me. But here's the thing.
- [00:21]
Dr. Soper
I know some of you missed it. I didn't see you there. Okay. Or maybe you just forgot to get tickets. Maybe you were busy, maybe you had plans. You know something? I don't know. Either way, that's okay. I got you. For the next 28 days, you can.
- [00:33]
Bailey Sarian
Still buy a ticket and experience the entire event from start to finish as if you were there with us.
- [00:39]
Dr. Soper
If this sounds like something you want to do, head on over to Moment Co. Mmm.
- [00:43]
Bailey Sarian
To buy tickets to replay the big event. This truly is your last chance to.
- [00:48]
Dr. Soper
See what Murder Mystery Makeup Live was all about.
- [00:51]
Bailey Sarian
And if you're thinking, hey, why would I buy a ticket to a live event that is no longer live?
- [00:56]
Dr. Soper
That's a great question, and I'm glad you asked. Well, this episode of Murder Mystery Makeup.
- [01:01]
Bailey Sarian
Lives only on Moment by Patreon.
- [01:03]
Dr. Soper
So once. Once that 28 day window closes, this episode is gone forever. It will not be available anywhere else, including on YouTube.
- [01:12]
Bailey Sarian
So it was just.
- [01:13]
Dr. Soper
It's truly an exclusive story. And you can get your tickets to the 28 day replay over at Moment Co. Mmm. That's Moment Co. Mmm. Now let's get into today's episode of Dark History. Earlier this year, I kept getting sick, and I ended up in the hospital, like, three times. I know, it was nuts. I'm fine. Don't worry. I was just having, like, a terrible reaction to something. It was awful. But while I was in the hospital bed, my doctor came in and he was kind of. He was giggling a little, you know, and he's like, I'm gonna start calling you Typhoid Mary. And I was, like, laying there like, what? Who's Typhoid Mary? And what can I say? I mean, I get inspiration for these episodes in the strangest of places. I got to Google in Miss Typhoid Mary, and I learned all about Miss Mary Mallon. And boy, what a wild ride. Mary was a cook in the early 1900s, and the problem was, wherever she was cooking, people started getting sick, some even dying. I don't know why my doctor called me Typhoid Mary because this is not me. But okay, for whatever reason, she just ignored the issues and she kept on cooking. And it had many thinking. Like, was Mary spreading disease on purpose? I mean, she did work in rich households as a poor immigrant. Could this be, like a reverse Robin Hood situation? Maybe she was, like, taking illness from the poor and giving it to the rich. I don't know. Or maybe she was the victim. Well, let's talk about it in today's episode of the Dark History of Typhoid Mary. Hi, friends. I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian, and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. Here we believe history does not have to be boring. I mean, it might be tragic, sometimes it's happy. But either way, it's our dark history. Before we get into it, don't forget to like and subscribe, because I'm always posting new content and, you know, the podcast airs on Wednesdays, but you can also join me over on YouTube to watch the episode on Thursdays. And while you're there, don't forget to subscribe.
- [03:39]
Bailey Sarian
Hit that button.
- [03:40]
Dr. Soper
Yeah, and also let me know what you think down below in the comment section. I love hearing from you. And at the end, you know, sometimes we read some of them.
- [03:49]
Bailey Sarian
It's fun.
- [03:50]
Dr. Soper
Okay, let's get into it. So listen, everyone came in costumes today once again, and didn't let me know. We have Joan over here. Joan, are you a germ? Are you. Are you typhoid? Okay, that's cute. You're a little too close, though. And then I'm assuming Paul. Paul dressed up as Mary Mallon, AKA Typhoid Mary. Right? Fierce. You look good. Blue is your color. No comment. All right. You guys look great. I'm just Bailey. Okay. Long before she was known as Typhoid Mary, her name was Mary Mallon. So Mary was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, on November 29, 1869. She's a SAG, a free spirit. So this actually makes a lot of sense now, but at the time, listen, where she was born, this was one of the poorest counties in Ireland. So when she was only 15 years old, Mary got on a ship and headed to the United States. And she wasn't the only one. In the mid-1840s, tons of Irish immigrants were coming to the United States. And that's because back in Ireland, the country was going through with a great hunger. Now, this is commonly known as the potato famine, where at least a million Irish people passed away, most from starvation. And those who were still alive, they were looking for a way out. Now, the population of Ireland at the time was like 9 million and of that, 9 million 6 million depended completely or almost completely on the potato crop. And a third of the population was so poor that they lived mostly on potatoes. So when a mold wiped out most of the potato crop in 1845, it was catastrophic. Of course, there was other food, but people didn't have access to it. And the wealthy English landlords, they were harvesting crops and selling food to England and other countries pretty much everywhere but Ireland. It was up. A million Irish people died of starvation, and over 2 million people left Ireland just altogether looking for a better life. So Ireland ended up losing a third of its population. In total, 75% of immigrants ended up in the United states. And by 1855, 80% of New York City's domestic workers were Irish immigrants. And pretty much anytime there's, like, a big group of people from another country moving into a city, people just assume that, like, the immigrants are here to take jobs and, like, ruin things. So when this was all happening, like, most Americans were not very welcoming. In fact, if you were Irish, most people really disliked you, like, automatically at the time. People would make jokes about the Irish being stupid, ugly, and dirty. There were. I'm not saying that that's what they were saying back then. There were political cartoons about it, like, just tearing them apart. It was ugly. Like, many Irish men found work doing labor, while the Irish women mostly got work as domestic servants. When I say servant, it's like exactly what you're picturing. If you were working as a domestic servant, I mean, it was grueling work. You'd be. It'd be like 14 hour days. You'd be working, and they, you know, they would be like the first ones up in the morning and the last ones to go to bed. And that was the world that Mary entered into as a teenager. Mary got a job working as a cook, which was great for her because it was like one of the highest paying servant jobs that you could get. And Mary was really good at it. I mean, she landed a ton of different jobs working in multiple households for decades. By 1906, when Mary was in her 30s, the Warren family hired her as their cook. Now she lived in their house in Oyster Bay in Long island, and she would work there, like, over the summer. But by the end of the summer, the Warren's young daughter became ill with what was diagnosed as typhoid fever. Then that same week, five more people within the household began showing symptoms.
- [08:05]
Bailey Sarian
Today's episode is brought to you by Liquid iv. As soon as November hits, my calendar fills up with a bunch of different parties. Suddenly I'm way more worried about making a perfect charcuterie board for Thanksgiving than like actually taking care of myself. That's why I'm happy to have liquid iv. You know, it helps me stay hydrated in between glasses of mulled wine or eggnog or you know what other weird spiced alcohol we get pressure to drink. Packets of their hydration multiplier all come with eight vitamins and nutrients, plus three times the electrolytes of the leading sports drink. It's designed to hydrate you better than just water alone. Not to mention they're non gmo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and soy free. I mean, it's perfect for when I'm nutmeg'd out and just want something refreshing. Personally, I'm all about their sugar free raspberry melon flavor.
- [09:00]
Dr. Soper
Mmm.
- [09:01]
Bailey Sarian
That's why I always like keep some nearby. I throw it in my bag or my purse, whatever. You know, they're so easy. You just like add a packet to water. You just add one stick of liquid IV to 16 ounces of water and get ready to be hydrated and rejuvenate. Exactly what everyone needs to make it through whatever the holiday season throws at you. Tear, pour, live more. Stay hydrated through the holidays with Liquid IV. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid IV when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code DARKHISTORY at checkout. That's 20% off your first order when you shop. Better hydration today using promo code darkhistoryquidiv.com so typhoid fever.
- [09:44]
Dr. Soper
What is it? I don't know. Well, let me tell you. It's an infection that's caused by bacteria. It's usually spread by water or food that's contaminated by fecal matter. And I know it sounds gross, but look, it's real. And it can hide like under your fingernails, on your hands or your skin. And then, you know, you like wipe your nose. Next thing you know, it's in your body. The disease would begin with like a headache, you would get fever and then you would get like bloody foul smelling diarrhea. Then usually like a rash would form followed by a high fever, which for some could lead to like death. Now at the time, typhoid was terrifying because there was no cure and a vaccine wasn't discovered until 1911. Plus like antibiotics, they weren't even discovered until 1949. So if you got this, you just had to like hope for the best and wait it out, you know. Now of the 11 people that were staying at that summer home. Six of them got sick. It was like, mainly the workers, but not Mary. She never got it. And in fact, she appeared quite healthy. Like, she showed no symptoms related to typhoid, which is kind of weird because, like, everyone around her got it. Now it's said that Mary was a stout woman with a robust, healthy appearance. She had dark hair, often pulled back or styled in a simple manner with a round face and a strong, determined expression. Now, at the time, typhoid fever was really associated with poverty and filth. So, you know, this town, Oyster Bay, it was very affluent and they never had like an outbreak of typhoid before. So when the wealthy Warren family home had typhoid going around, it made no sense to them. They're like, we're rich. This hasn't happened to us. You know, and like, not only was it deadly, it was low key, embarrassing. They're like, oh, my God, we are not poor. This is not okay. When the owners of the house found out about the outbreak, I mean, they freaked out. The owner of the house was worried that none of the well to do people would want to rent this fancy home if they knew people, like, got typhoid there. So he hired people to come and inspect where the typhoid may have come from. Before word got out, apparently the house had been a wedding present. And if they couldn't locate the source of the outbreak, it's possible that the house would be declared a health hazard and then burned. So eventually the homeowner was introduced to Dr. Soper, who technically wasn't a doctor, but he was a sanitary engineer. One newspaper described him as, he, quote, a doctor to sick cities, end quote. Oh, yeah. I don't know how he got. He got the doctor title, but he did, but whatever. So they call him up. So Dr. Soper, he comes out to the Warren home and he gets to work. He's like, I'm gonna figure out where this typhoid came from. They check every corner, the water, the peep, they check everywhere. So he does, you know, he does a little digging. And then Dr. Soper finds out that the Warrens had recently changed cooks. The most recent cook was Mary Mallon. And it was on because now she was missing. She was nowhere to be found, and she had left with, like, no notice or explanation. I mean, she was just gone. It was like, oh, that's. That's weird. Now Dr. Soper is like, putting the pieces together and he's like, you know, the cook was really the only new thing that was introduced into the household. And this cook handled food, which all the people who got sick had eaten this food. So Dr. Soper, after some time, it took him a while, he believed he had found the culprit. It was this Mary Mallon person. Now, after this, he was determined to find her before she got anyone else. So meanwhile, Mary was bouncing from job to job around New York. She was usually getting hired for like a few weeks or months, then moving on to like the next gig. At one point, Mary started working for a family on Park Avenue in New York City. And pretty soon two cases of typhoid were reported. A maid and the daughter for the family Mary worked for. Now, the girl, the daughter, she would end up dying within just a few days. And word gets back to Dr. Soper. Now when he hears about this death, most people would be like, oh, that's sad. But he was like, oh my God, what typoid? Where he knew in his head that this was probably mary's doing. So Dr. Soper, he hops in his little car. I don't know what he does, but he gets his butt over to that family home on Park Avenue as soon as he could. So he just shows up, like out of the blue, knocks on the door and asks to speak to Mary Mallon. So she answers the door, and right off the bat, Dr. Soper is like accusing Mary of causing the typhoid, getting people sick, and even killing someone. I don't know, maybe Dr. Soper thought like, she would just cooperate or like apologize. I don't know what he thought. But to his surprise, Mary was actually. She was pissed. She was pissed off. I mean, could you imagine? You're working, you're working at your place of work, and then someone shows up and starts making wild accusations that you killed someone in front of your employer. You're like, hey, whoa, whoa, now is not the time. You know, she'll shoes match. She's like, what the fuck? So this guy just like making wild accusations, calling her a killer. And then he was demanding samples of her urine, feces and blood. Again, I'd be like, excuse me, who are you? Like, I don't, I don't know you. So Mary, she doesn't like, say anything. She instead grabs a carving fork and then lunges at Soper, who I guess just like turns right around and he just gets the fuck out of there. So, I mean, Dr. Soper, he left the meeting empty handed. And Mary was now feeling angry, scared, paranoid, and probably like a little suspicious of the whole situation.
- [16:06]
Bailey Sarian
We're starting the Holiday season, which means things are about to get wild. You know, there's just so much planning and shopping and so many gatherings and things to go to.
- [16:17]
Dr. Soper
It can be overwhelming.
- [16:18]
Bailey Sarian
Plus, on top of all that, I'm supposed to be worrying about my meals day to day.
- [16:23]
Dr. Soper
What am I going to eat?
- [16:25]
Bailey Sarian
Luckily, HelloFresh is there to make meals as hassle free and delicious as possible. They're all delivered right to your home, but without all the annoying extra fees that come with takeout. You can skip the packed grocery stores and enjoy chef crafted recipes all at once. These new recipes can help you get.
- [16:45]
Dr. Soper
Out of, like your food rut.
- [16:46]
Bailey Sarian
You know, that thing that you eat every single day and you're like, oh my God, this is so boring. HelloFresh helps you enjoy new and fun meals without having to hunt down all the specialty ingredients. One of my favorites is the French onion smothered chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans.
- [17:01]
Dr. Soper
Mmm.
- [17:02]
Bailey Sarian
It comes together super easily, but looks and tastes fancy. It's like, ooh, she went off. Joan, you look so fancy yourself. I mean, how many times have we talked about this? Joan, just because dinner looks fancy doesn't mean you need to dress fancy.
- [17:17]
Dr. Soper
Well, actually, you look nice, so maybe you should.
- [17:19]
Bailey Sarian
If you want to save yourself some stress and actually have fun cooking again, try hello Fresh, America's number one meal kit. Get 10 free meals@hellofresh.com free Dark History applied across seven boxes. New subscribers only. Varies by plan. That's 10 free hello Fresh meals. Just go to hellofresh.com free Dark History.
- [17:49]
Dr. Soper
So this first encounter really left Dr. Soper confused. I mean, he thought Mary would comply and like, hand herself over. He could not understand why she was so defensive. I mean, to him, he was only trying to offer her good medical attention. So now after this, in his opinion, Mary was a menace to society. He's, he's, he's mad and he's determined. So Mary, she continues to work at the home on Park Avenue. And Dr. Soper, he knew this. So one night he like, goes to the home and he waited outside. He's like waiting for her to get off of work so he could follow her. Yeah, okay, he's going full stalker. So Mary was walking home, whatever, and she stops at 33rd street and 3rd Avenue where her boyfriend lived. A man named August Brio. Now, Brio was a former policeman and he, honestly, you know, he didn't really have much going on in his life. I guess based off what I read. I don't know, he drank a lot, he lived In a dirty apartment, he had a dog. And then other than that, he had Mary. Mary would often bring real food and, like, take care of him. It's kind of sweet. And when Brio wasn't at home doing nothing, he would spend his days in a saloon around the corner. Now, so remember, Soper, like, followed her here, and he's watching the situation from outside like a creep. So I guess he was spying on them for a little bit because he sober, he takes notice of Brio hanging at the saloon. And he thought, sober, he thought the best way to get to Mary would be through this guy. He's like, yeah, that's my way in. So Dr. Soper, he's like, you know what? I'm going to go make friends with this guy. So one day he goes to the saloon and he becomes friends with Brio. Now, Soper actually wrote about this encounter and said, quote, I got well acquainted with him. He took me to see his room. I should not care to see another place like it. It was a place of dirt and disorder, end quote. So that's really nice of him, you know. Okay, so that night, Dr. Soper went to the Briolf's home with him, and he decides, like, I'm just gonna wait here until Mary shows up. Well, finally, Mary walks in, and right away she was pissed. She was angry when she saw Soper waiting there for her. I mean, what was he doing? Like, stalking her? Like, leave me alone. She's like, what is this? So once again, like, Soper tried to explain to Mary that he believed that she was giving people typhoid. But Mary, like, refused to hear him out. She never had typhoid. How could she be giving it to people? You know, like, he was incorrect. She had been in perfect health, and she would not allow anyone to come to her home and make such wild accusations about her. So once again, she, I guess, chased Dr. Soper out. So Dr. Soper, he felt like he had no other choice but to take the case to the New York City Health Department. He called Mary a, quote, living culture tube and chronic typhoid germ producer, end quote. That's so sweet. Wow. I mean, like, he doesn't really know for sure, but he was really. He really went for it, you know, he was quick to tell everyone how big and strong Mary was. And it was almost like he wanted to have an excuse for, like, letting this woman chase him away multiple times. Here's how he described her to other people. Mary had a good figure and might have been called athletic had she not Been a little too heavy. She prided herself on her strength and endurance. That's okay. Mary was about 5 foot 6. So that's the monster of an athlete we're talking about here. I didn't look up how tall sober was. He must have been, you know, you know, a little bit, maybe shorter, I don't know. But the New York City Health Department decided to send another doctor to help sober, a woman named Dr. S. Josephine Baker. I know, I was like, what crossover episode? But no, there's no relation to the American born French dancer, singer and actress Josephine Baker, who we've done a dark history episode on. No relation. Not the same person, just same name. What are the odds, huh? But they thought, the Health Department, they thought that, like, maybe sending a woman might get through to Mary more so than a man. If a woman came up to you and was like, hey, I want to talk, you might listen. A man, you're like, get the fuck away from me. But they failed to mention to Dr. Baker that Mary might be a little difficult, you can say. So Dr. Baker, she's very excited. She's like, I'm going to Park Avenue to, you know, collect some samples from this Mary woman. So she goes to the home, and right off the bat, Mary once again slammed the door in her face. So the next day, a horse drawn ambulance from the Health Department was sent to Mary's workplace. Very traumatic. Then I guess, like, three policemen, they show up, you know, and they surround the house and they're trying to, like, block any of the possible escape routes. So they're doing that. And Dr. Baker, she rang the doorbell. Mary, once again, she answers, she sees them again, you know, and she tried to slam the door, but the cop, there was a cop with Dr. Baker. The cop, like, put his foot inside the door so she couldn't shut it. You know what I'm saying? So I guess at this point, Mary had turned around, she bolted to the kitchen and, like, disappeared. She was gone. So Dr. Baker and the officer, they run into the house, they're chasing after her. They are asking the other workers in the home, like, where'd she go? Where'd she take off to? But they had no answers. So they're looking around, they search the closets, the basement, the living quarters, but they just, like, could not find her. They would continue searching for three hours, calling for backup, but they got nowhere. So I guess Ms. Mary, she had, like, run out the door. She hopped a fence and she hid in an outside water closet in the backyard of a neighboring house. And she was just hiding in there. Well, the police and Dr. Baker, they eventually find her, and she was, like, trapped in this room. She had nowhere else to go, you know. So they got her cornered. And according to Dr. Baker, Mary had fought, she struggled, and she cursed while she tried to explain that Dr. Baker was trying to explain that she only wanted specimens, and then she can go back home, like, that's all we need. So Mary, again, is refusing to comply with these people. So a policeman just ends up picking her up, and they put her in the ambulance. And it was said that Dr. Baker, like, sat on top of her the whole way to the hospital so she wouldn't escape. So once they got Mary to the Willard Parker Hospital, the doctors for the New York City Health Department finally got what they wanted. Mary's stool samples. So according to the first analysis of Mary's stool samples, they revealed a pure culture of typhoid. So it was true. Typhoid seemed to follow her. And she couldn't argue that. The health officials, they called her dirty, and now they were calling her a murderer. The doctors told her that she carried the sickness inside of her body and she was spreading it with her dirty. But this was, like, I guess, very, very insulting to Mary. You know, she was proud of the work she had done to her. She's thinking, like, if I'm so sick, like, why did it take so many policemen to, like, take me down? You know, like, if I'm so sick, how come I don't have any typhoid symptoms? What do you mean, I'm sick? I mean, to her, they were the sick ones coming after her like this. I mean, they were obsessed with her. She's minding her business one day and then the next, like, she's locked up in a hospital with random people coming in and out, making wild accusations. You're the sick ones. So with Mary being restrained at the hospital, Dr. Soper decided to pay her a visit. Oh, yes. He's like, ah, they got her. So he goes and he sees her, and once again, he's trying to explain, like, what they were doing and that nobody wanted to harm her. But also, in my personal opinion, Opinion. It kind of seemed like he wanted, like, you were right, Dr. Soper, from her. You know, he wanted to. You're right, but she didn't give that to him. Dr. Soper told her that these germs were most likely growing in her gallbladder. And the best way to, like, get rid of the germs would be to get rid of her gallbladder. Now when she hears that she didn't have anything to say, he then told her that he wanted to write a book, a book about her case. But first she would need to answer his questions. And most of all, he wanted to know, like, how many times she had caused a typhoid outbreak. And Mary's listening to this and she's like, now is not the time to talk about a fucking book deal, okay? Like, I'm locked up in a hospital. Like, what? Like, come on. No, she, she's just mad. So instead she just gets up, she doesn't say anything, and she locked herself in the bathroom. She didn't say a word to Dr. Soper. So between March 20 and November 16, Mary was tested three times a week while staying in the hospital. Now, a few of those tests, they did come back negative. And nobody could figure out why. Like, it wasn't consistent. So Mary claimed that because some of these tests were negative, she, she like, couldn't be the one infecting all these people, right? She's like, it's negative, it's not me. And she wanted to leave. She was still at the hospital, so she didn't understand, like, why she was still being locked up if these tests were coming back negative. Well, Dr. Soper blamed Mary for her circumstances. He told her that since she had refused to help him or like any of the other doctors, she had to be kept in this tiny room. I mean, they didn't trust her. She's probably gonna run off and kill more people. So again, Dr. Soper, he tells Mary, like, there are a few things that she could do to stop spreading the disease. Like, for starters, she should wash her hands after using the bathroom. Now to you and I, we're like, yeah, you should do that maybe. And maybe she was, we don't know. But he assumed that she wasn't. To be fair, it would have been like extremely difficult for Mary to fully remove all of the bacteria from her hands, even if she was washing them often. Why, you ask? Well, in order to rid any of the typhoid bacteria she was, she was allegedly carrying, she would have to scrub her hands under hot water for at least 30 seconds. And when I say like hot, I mean scalding hot water. Because the typhoid bacteria can't be killed in less than 150 degree water. And washing your hands in 150 degree water isn't something that you can just do. You can't do it because you would get like third degree burns in a matter of seconds. So gloves anyways, so even if she was washing her hands, you know, I don't even know why he was recommending it if she can't even wash her hands in 150 degree water. So kind of like shit advice, but okay, whatever. But Mary wasn't doing that. You know, she wasn't burning her hands off. So Dr. Soper kept recommending that Mary have surgery to remove her gallbladder because again, they believed like it was living in there. But she didn't want to have her gallbladder removed. I mean, she didn't trust Soper, she didn't trust these medical doctors. She didn't trust, trust the medicine. And at this time, like most people didn't. So you can't really blame her. And again, these people had stalked and like kidnapped her. She's like, you're not going to have my gallbladder. Is this like a black market plan or something? I don't know. So Mary did not want to cooperate. So once she refused to not do the surgery and not help Dr. Soper with his book, this is when things were taken to a whole new level.
- [30:36]
Bailey Sarian
I love reading.
- [30:38]
Dr. Soper
I buy a lot of books.
- [30:40]
Bailey Sarian
Many, many books. Way too many books. I have big plans to read all of them, of course, but sometimes, you know, you're busy, life gets crazy, whatever, and finding time to sit down and read can feel. It's like when, when, you know. That's why I love Audible. Audible is an app that offers an amazing selection of audio books. That way I can read a book while I'm getting other things done, like cleaning, working out, driving, sometimes just laying on the couch and listening. You know, no matter what I'm doing, I can listen to a great audiobook or even one of their exclusive Audible originals. They've got everything from bestsellers, new releases to amazing podcasts. And they're adding so much more content all of the time. So no matter whose turn it is.
- [31:23]
Dr. Soper
To choose a book for your book.
- [31:25]
Bailey Sarian
Club, Audible will always have you covered. Listening to a great audiobook can change your whole mood. You know, great stories help inspire your imagination and can create new ways of thinking. So don't miss out on that just because your life is busy. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30 day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.com darkhistory so Mary was staying.
- [31:53]
Dr. Soper
At this one hospital, right? Well, then they moved her to North Brother island to be kept in total isolation so she could no longer infect people. Now North Brother island is a Tiny little island smack dab in the middle of the east river in New York City. It's between the Bronx and Rikers Island. Now, this island was originally purchased, like, from the Dutch, by New York specifically to isolate people within infectious diseases. They built Riverside Hospital there so that patients could be contained and then also get treatment. And most people, they assumed if you were being sent to this hospital, it most likely, like, you weren't leaving alive. Now, again, Tamari, it didn't make any sense to her as to why she's being kept at the hospital. She didn't have any of these symptoms of typhoid. She is confused, really confused. So they end up putting her in this little cottage on the island, and this is, like, where she was forced to live. Now, this little cottage, it's kind of cute. It's small. Looks like a little hut. It was originally built for staff to live in, and it was nice. It had its own, like, living room, a little kitchen, and a bathroom. It also had plumbing and electricity. So she was, like, allowed to cook for herself and just hang out by herself all alone. It was a very lonely, lonely place because she couldn't, like, be around anyone. So I guess, like, every few days, she would be tested for typhoid. But other than that, Mary was just totally alone all of the time. Start to go a little crazy, I'm sure. So by 1909, two years after she was first taken into custody. Yeah, two years. Mary decided she's like, you know what? I'm gonna sue the health department. So she wrote a letter describing her treatment and living situation on the island. Now, in it, she described being tested multiple times a week and developing, like, terrible anxiety from being kept in isolation. She described it as being like a peep show for the interns. And, like, the other doctors, she'd, like, come and just look at her. She just felt like a caged animal. I guess her anxiety got so bad that one of her eyelids started to twitch and eventually became fully paralyzed. You know what I learned recently? This is a side note, has nothing to do with anything, but my eye was twitching, like, a lot. And then my doctor told me it was because I was really stressed. I just didn't know that was a thing. So I could see this happening to Mary. You know, she's probably stressed, riddled with anxiety. I didn't know it could be paralyzed, though. You know, that's really scary. Anyways, so that happened. So in her letter, Mary wrote about how she was almost released from the island until another doctor said that she could Only go if she agreed to have her gallbladder removed. But the doctors would flip flop. It was like, one week, it was the gallbladder. The next week, they would tell her the bacteria was in her intestines. Then they would say, oh, no, no, no. It's actually in the muscle of your bowels. And then they'd circle back and be like, no, actually, sorry, it's the gallbladder. You need to have that removed. So it was confusing. I mean, how could she trust what they were seeing when it changed all of the time? So Mary just kept refusing surgery. So, you know, time's passing, she's thinking a lot, and she's like, you know, I want to prove that, like, I don't have typhoid. So she's like, hey, what if I have, like, an independent lab, test my samples? You know, maybe these doctors here are, like, messing with me. Let me try a different doctor. So remember Brio, Like Mary's kind of little boyfriend? Well, he was on the job. So he would take the ferry to the island, collect Mary's samples, and then bring them to an independent lab. Now, each of her samples came back negative for typhoid. She's like, see, I don't have it. Now, there are a few reasons, like, the test could have been wrong. The samples could have been old. Someone could have, like, made a mistake in the lab. Or maybe typhoid just wasn't present in every single sample that Mary provided. But to Mary, this only confirmed what she already knew. That these doctors were making up lies to ruin her life. So she continued with her case, hoping to earn back her freedom. A little side rumor. People believe that William Randolph Hearst was the one who actually paid for Mary's attorney. But even with her negative test results and a defense attorney arguing her case, the court decided that the board of health was allowed to keep her in custody. Not to them. They were protecting the community. So Mary was sent back to the island, and she's like, shit, now what? I guess she started picking up, like, little odd jobs around the place. I mean, what else was she supposed to do to pass the time? Now, there was one job she had where she was helping, like, care for the sick children who were staying in the hospital. I know at first I was like, is that a good idea? But, I mean, they're already sick, so. But I guess the kids think they really liked her. Well, time passed, you know, and finally, after, about, like, three years of, like, fighting for her freedom, Mary was allowed to leave the island. Oh, yes. So the doctors they're like, you can leave, but we have a few conditions. They told Mary that she had to promise to never work as a cook again. I'm laughing because it's like, promise, pinky promise, okay. And then. So she can't work as a cook. And she promised in return. The health commissioner offered to help her find work. Also, she would need to check in with the health department every three months. Now, this was mostly so they could keep track of her, know where she's living, where she's at, and if there were any typhoid outbreaks in that area, they were like, they could link it to her, essentially. So Mary's like, sure, I'll do whatever, you know, and she agrees. And she was finally released back into Society in 1910. She's been through it. She's been completely isolated. Just anywho. So Mary was now 41 years old, and she was starting back at square one. She was able to find herself a job working as a laundress, but it didn't pay nearly as well as, like, being head of the kitchen, you know. So she tried to sue the board of health for keeping her prisoner and was seeking like $50,000 in damages, but the judge threw out her case. So things are bad. And, you know, when it rains, it pours. And Mary's boyfriend, Briof, he became very ill. He was having, like, heart problems, so Mary had him admitted to the hospital. Now, sadly, her one partner in this life would die. Now. This just, like, made her dislike the medical profession a little bit more. She was worn down, and she was at her last straw. She's like, look, I got nothing to lose at this point. No one is on my side f this. So Mary stopped checking in with the health department, and she completely disappeared. She changed her name, and she went back to the one thing she was good at. Cooking.
- [39:44]
Bailey Sarian
I've been trying to mix things up lately, like trying new foods, doing new experiences, and even trying out different styles. I know I'm trying to be adventurous. Except when it comes to finding a new doctor, no one wants to take a gamble on a medical provider. Well, luckily, I don't have to, thanks to Zocdoc. Zocdoc is a free app and website where you can search and compare high quality in network doctors. Choose the right one for your needs and click to instantly book an appointment. Zocdoc can filter doctors who take your insurance and even make sure all of your options are all highly rated by verified patients. I'm talking about in network appointments with more than 100,000 healthcare providers across every specialty from mental health to dental health, eye care, skin care, so much more. They have everything. Plus Zocdoc appointments happen fast, typically within just 24 to 72 hours of booking. And you can even score same day appointments. I love that you can actually see on the app or the website. Like when the there are appointment openings for yourself and you just click and you book like it's so easy, you don't have to talk to anybody. Oh, recently I needed a new therapist so I went right onto ZocDoc and I found one that takes my insurance and it's nice because it has the option to do like over video. You don't have to go in person, you know. So I booked that and I found myself a new therapist and it's been great. I love ZocDoc, highly recommend it, I really do. So stop putting off those doctor's appointments and go to Zocdoc.com dark history to find and instantly book a top rated doctor today. That's Zocdoc Z O C D O C.com DarkHistory Zocdoc.
- [41:30]
Dr. Soper
So Mary couldn't go back to work under her real name at this point. Like her name, Mary Matlin had been published in newspapers all over the country. They were all over the story. The papers talked about how dirty and diseased she was. And the name Typhoid Mary had become like a bit of a joke. It was a punchline like with my doctor. So same thing, different times. So she knew like nobody would hire Mary Mallon. So you know, she had to use different names. For five years, Mary took jobs wherever she could find work. I mean at restaurants, hotels throughout like New York and New Jersey. And eventually she ended up employed as a cook at the Sloan Maternity Hospital. Yeah, Maternity Hospital. Now In March of 1915, that hospital had an outbreak of typhoid. Oh no. Mary. Oh, what are you doing? I know now 25 people, most of them were nurses and doctors, they became ill. And then it was said that like two people had died. Now the head gynecologist at Sloan Hospital picked up the phone and made a call to someone who, who was known for being great at tracking down disease outbreaks. That's right. Dr. Soper man. So Dr. Soper, he comes into the maternity hospital and this day that he comes in, Ms. Brown or aka Mary Mallon, she wasn't working. Hmm. She was off. So Dr. Soapburn was like snooping around and I guess he saw something that was very interesting. He saw a recipe that was Written in Mary's handwriting. And I guess he immediately, like, recognized the writing as Mary's because, you know, she was like. She needed to pass the time while she was on that island, and she would write him threatening letters. So he was like, I recognize that handwriting. That's Mary. So Dr. Soper, he hung out, and he waited for her to come back to the hospital. She had to come sometime. But Mary, like, must have gotten word of, like, what was going on, because she gone. Vanished. Poof. Bye. She's like, nope. So Dr. Soper and stuff, they were able to, like, find Mary through friends, and I guess she was staying at, like, a friend's house on Long Island Island. Now, police go out there and stuff. And apparently they. They recognized her because of her distinctive walk. Dr. Soper described how she, quote, walked more like a man than a woman. He just, like, really did not like her. It's like, bro, chill. Okay? But the cops show up to this friend's house where, like, Mary was at, and, you know, they bring backup because she has a reputation for fighting. But Mary was surrounded once again, and she just didn't have that same fight in her anymore. She was 46. She was tired. They got her into custody, and then they ended up sending her back to that familiar little cottage on North Brother Island. And this time, she was there to stay. Now, at this point, whoa. Yeah. I mean, no newspapers or any. They had. Listen, they had nothing nice to say about her. You know why? Because she was working at a maternity hospital. So around babies and pregnant women, knowing that she was infected. And to them, you know, that was selfish. Other words that I can't think of. And they just, like, ripped her to shreds. Her life was, like, officially over, and I think she knew it. So Mary would end up spending the next 23 years of her life living in isolation on the island. It was said that she kept busy sewing, crocheting, baking, reading, becoming friends with the staff. I mean, she really had no choice. There are only people around. And then in 1918, the hospital would allow Mary to go on, like, day trips to New York. So she would go visit the few friends that she had left, and then she would return to the island in the evening, which is weird if you think about it, because if they think she's infecting everyone, why would. Would they let her leave still? That's weird. It's just confusing. It's like, I don't know, right? It's just like, what do they. What? Well, one of Mary's friends on the island was Dr. Alexandra Plavska. I think I got that. So she trained Mary in lab work, and the hospital gave her a job as a lab assistant. And Dr. Plavska would have, like, Mario for dinner, and it would be like, her and her daughter. Her daughter's name was Julie. And Julie described meeting Mary, saying she was a part of the family and we really loved her. Julie also described Mary as having, quote, loving eyes. And it was like, finally someone had something nice to say. Geez Louise, this whole time, it's just everyone was so mean. Julie also said that after Mary would leave, her mother would all the dishes, you know, to disinfect them, just in case, be safe. Well, one day in 1932, Mary didn't show. She didn't show up to work. And this was, like, very out of character for her. She was known to be, like, a reliable worker. She was never late. They were like, what else is she doing? You know, she can't say. She was stuck in traffic. So they go looking for her. And that day, they discover Mary on the floor of her cottage. I guess she was paralyzed after suffering from a stroke. Now, after this, she had lived in the hospital bed for, like, six years. She died in November of 1938 without ever experiencing symptoms of typhoid fever. Mary was buried in St. Raymond Cemetery in the Bronx. And you can actually go see it. If you go see it, take a picture and send it to me. Send me pictures. I'm always asking you guys to send me pictures, and I never get any. So someone do it for me. Thank you. I want to see it. So in the end, Mary was linked to the infection of at least 122people. Now, five of those people ultimately died of the disease. But here's something wild. You see, while Mary was living on North Brother island, there was another carrier of typhoid who was living and working in New York. Hmm. Yes. Now, this man, his name was Tony Labella, he was also completely symptom free. Now, Tony was a farm worker, but after he was discovered as a carrier, he was forbidden from handling food. He was linked to 87 typhoid cases, and two of them ended in death. Now, this Tony guy, he didn't listen to instructions, and he went right back to work. He left New York and he went to New Jersey. And while he was there, he caused, like, 35 more cases plus three more deaths. Now, he was held in isolation for two weeks, but then he was released, and he got to just live his life. So that was weird. And then there was also another man who worked in bakeries and restaurants, who was also a carrier, he was told not to handle food, but he did it anyway. So when he was caught making a strawberry shortcake, which is super cute, right, he was brought before a judge. That judge said that he couldn't send him to jail and he would leave it up to the Department of Health. So this guy. I'm sorry, I forget. I forgot his name. But he was not forced to live in any kind of isolation. He just got to live a normal, free life. So, you know, I mean, what I'm getting at is it turns out, like, there were typhoid johns, Typhoid Tommy's just running around the east coast, and they never had their lives ruined like Mary. So why is that? Is the question. So in some cases, I guess the Health department was more lenient with, like, these carriers because they were men, men with families to support. So they're like, it's fine. You could do whatever you want. Yeah. Talk about a double standard. By the time Mary died, research showed that hundreds of people could be carriers of the disease while remaining symptom free. And the only thing that was different was the way that she specifically was treated. Just her. Now, Mary Mallon is still known worldwide as Typhoid Mary. She was painted as a reckless and dirty woman who was either malicious or stupid in her spread of the disease. I mean, really, Mary was so much more than Typhoid Mary. You know, she took a lot of crap from a lot of different people, from the rich family she worked for to the Health department, to the doctors. Mary had plenty of reason to be angry. Now, decades after her death, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, he wrote a book about Mary Mellon. I know. I read it. Do you follow me on Goodreads? I read it and I rated it. No, whatever. It was a really good book. Oh, my God. It was really good. It was good. And in it, he relates to her as a chef. I mean, even pointing out, like, what a nightmare her job must have been. He writes, quote, had I worked in the homes of the rich and silly circa 1906, I would have murdered them in their beds with the nearest available blunt object. I was never tough enough to put up with what Mary put up with. End quote. Mary infected a. A lot of people with typhoid fever. Whether any of those she did knowingly, I doubt it. But we won't know for sure. But at the end of the day, she was locked up for it. All the same, after reading this and learning about it, every time I wash My hands now, you know, after I go to the bathroom or before I, like, make some food, I give a little nod and think of Ms. Mary Mallon. The end. Thank you. Thank you so much. Gee, what a journey, huh? But next week, guess what? We are going to be talking about a very different kind of scandal. A scandal that has to do with an item that you and I probably never think about anymore. Matches. Yeah, matches. We're going. Yeah, matches. You know, in the late 1800s, matches were found in pretty much everyone's homes. Now, people, they bought them from the store and they didn't give, like, any thought about how they were made. That is, until one journalist wrote a horrifying expose on what was really going down in the factories. Now, workers, they were suffering from a painful and deadly disease, leaving parts of their faces literally falling off. Oh, it's wild. Yeah. All of this because of matches. Oh. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. So join us next week when we talk about the Matchstick Girls. Thanks for hanging out with me today. I want to hear your thoughts on Typhoid Mary. If she should have been locked up, isolated, what is the approach with that one? I don't know. I just feel bad for her. So sad. Well, friends, thanks for hanging out with me today. You can join me over on my YouTube where you can watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs. And while you're there, you can also catch my murder mystery and makeup that's on Mondays. I love to hear your guys reactions to today's story. So make sure to leave a comment below so I can see what you guys are saying and your comment might even be featured in a future episode. Now let's read a couple of comments you guys have left me. Cheryl C2049 left me a comment saying, I love Bailey's talking style and she talks history like gossip. Being weak with Bailey. Cheryl, thank you so much. Honestly, like, so I used to hate history. Oh, my God. I think I got like a D minus in high school. Thank you so much. Because it was boring. But as I gotten older and I learned about it, I was like, oh, my God. History is basically just all hot gossip and like a lot of murder. It's wild, right? And it's so complicated in school and it doesn't have to be. They make it so complicated. So I thank you for hanging out with me and I'm glad you like my talking style. Steph Oliver left me a comment saying, I hope Bailey feels an immense sense of pride when she says things like, we covered that in the xyz episode. Remember Professor Sarian? I've learned so much. Aw. These are all so nice. Thank you, Steph. That is really so sweet of you. Honestly, we. We've covered so much here on dark history, and I've learned so much, and it. Yeah, you know what's cool? This is probably the coolest part about, like, the whole dark history thing is.
- [54:51]
Bailey Sarian
If I get invited to, like, a.
- [54:52]
Dr. Soper
Party or somewhere, the knowledge I can just drop at any moment on the most random things. I'm like, oh, you want to talk about Stalin? Listen, baby, let me tell you. Or, like, oh, dildos. Do you know the history of dildos? I could just go on and on. Corn. Corn. You want to talk about corn? It's so fun. I'm a great party favor. Whatever, you know, whatever. Yeah, but, yeah, yeah, it's cool. I love learning. It's my favorite. Honey Badger Girl 77 left us an episode suggestion. See? Oh, no. A whole episode on Helen Keller would be wild. She had an incredible life. Honey Badger Girl 77. Listen, I know, I know there has been, like, so much back and forth about Helen Keller online. She had. She. I agree. She definitely had an interesting life. What I've read so far, she met some interesting characters. She had some weird beliefs, but good ones, too. And have you seen bumper stickers lately? There's been bumper stickers in my neighborhood that say Helen Keller Denier. I wanna know more about this. What is this about? And why is it a thing? But, yeah, I think, actually that would be a good idea. I know I've told this story a million times, but I'm gonna tell you again just in case you haven't heard it, because it makes me laugh every time. I used to get Helen Keller and Lizzie Borden mixed up. You know Lizzie Borden, the one who took an ax and murdered her whole family? I thought she was blind and deaf, and I was like, what? She murdered her whole family with an axe and she's blind and deaf? And then she went on to, like, win awards and stuff. And I thought that to be true for the longest time, like, embarrassingly long, but I know now not the same person. But it's a fun thought, huh? Okay, thank you, Helen Keller. I'll write it down. There it is. I appreciate you guys so much for watching and engaging. So keep commenting because maybe you'll be featured in a future episode. And hey, if you don't know, Dark History is an Audioboom original special. Thank you to our expert, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, author of Terrible Typhoid a true story of the deadliest cook in America. And I'm your host, Bailey Sarian. I hope you have a good day. You make good choices. I'll be talking to you guys real soon. Goodbye.