Lindsey Graham (3:22)

From Noiser and Airship I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily history is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is April 10, 1834 Delphine LaLaurie's torture chamber it's summer, 1833, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Less than a year before the house fire on Royal Street, Delphine LaLaurie sits in front of a mirror in her lavish dressing room. She admires her reflection as Leah, her her enslaved 11 year old maid, carefully brushes out her long dark hair. Like most wealthy residents of Louisiana and the American South, Delphine considers black people inherently inferior to whites and believes that slavery is a natural part of society. So after Delphine's first two husbands died and she inherited a substantial fortune, she purchased several servants to work in her mansion in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The elaborate dinners and balls that Delphine hosts there have gained her a reputation as one of the city's best known socialites. Some of the most influential people in New Orleans attend her parties, and tonight is set to be no different. So Delphine wants to look her best. With her swift and delicate fingers, young Lea works the knot out of Delphine's hair, which is a difficult job because Delphine's hair is so long and she doesn't often wash it. After a few minutes, Leah hits a snag and Delphine yelps in pain. Lea instantly apologizes, but that fails to calm Delphine's anger. Instead, she snatches the hairbrush from Lea's hand and swings it at her head. Lea instinctively ducks, but that only makes Delphine even angrier and she screams out in fury. Lea bolts from the dressing room and runs down the hallway, praying that Delphine won't give chase. Lea finds a storeroom and presses herself into a dark corner, hoping Delphine won't find her until her temper has cooled a bit. But the storeroom door creaks open. Delphine has found her, and she's not got the hairbrush in her hand anymore. Instead, she's holding a whip, but there's a Small window in the storeroom. And as Delphine pulls back her whip, Lea dashes to the window and flings it open. The whip cracks through the air, just missing Leah's legs as she clambers out onto the windowsill. There's a narrow ledge outside, and Leah thinks that if she can just get out, she'll be safe. But as she tries to escape, Delphine lunges for her ankle, and Leah slips. She tumbles past the ledge and falls 20ft to the ground. She is killed instantly. Delphine peers through the window at the crumpled little body down below. She then mutters a curse under her breath. She'll need to take care of this before anyone notices. But it is already too late. A neighbor across the street heard the commotion and looked out the window just in time to see Leah's plunge. Later that day, a neighbor alerts the police. This is not the first time authorities in New Orleans have been contacted by the residents of Royal Street. Rumors have circulated for months about what goes on behind the closed doors of Delphine's mansion. Although slavery is legal in New Orleans, there are still laws governing the treatment of enslaved workers. They are meant to be fed and clothed properly. But neighbors have tipped off the police that the people living under Delphine's roof looked malnourished and ill. Now this latest report about a death on the property spurs the authorities into action. But by the time they arrive at Delphine's mansion, Leah's body has been moved. Delphine claims the neighbor must be mistaken, but the investigators soon notice that a section of the garden has recently been disturbed. There, they find Leah's corpse in a shallow, hurriedly dug grave. Delphine isn't charged with any crimes regarding the death, but a judge does give an order that her nine other slaves be removed from the mansion and sold at auction. That judgment, though, is easily subverted. Over the next few weeks, Delphine's friends and family buy back the enslaved workers and return them to Delphine's house. And afterward, at the mansion, these unfortunate workers are treated worse than ever. Anyone who displeases Delphine is now taken to the attic, to a locked room, where they are held for days or even weeks on end. Those who are eventually freed whisper of Delphine's visits to the room and the beatings and torture that followed. But they are the lucky ones. Not everyone who goes to the attic comes out alive. The terror of living in this mansion will soon become too much to bear for one enslaved cook. She will turn to desperate measures to escape, and her actions will finally reveal the truth about the House and its cruel mistress to everyone in New Orleans. History Daily is sponsored by indeed. One thing I've noticed in my business is that by the time a problem reveals itself, it's already too late. You might say we need help now, but it's more like we needed help six weeks ago, but we are only just figuring that out. And if the help you need is a new hire, well, get ready for more waiting. Unless you turn to Indeed. How fast is Indeed? Well, in the minute I've been talking to you. 23 hires were made on Indeed according to Indeed Data Worldwide. Plus with Indeed sponsored jobs there. No monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts, and you only pay for results. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. Listeners of History Daily will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@indeed.com onthisday just go to indeed.com onthisday right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com onthisday Terms and conditions apply. 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Audible Representative (9:21)

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Lindsey Graham (10:18)

10, 1834 in New Orleans, Louisiana, around nine months after the death of 11 year old Leah. In the kitchen of Delphine Lalori's mansion, a cook warily stirs a large pot of soup. It's hard work for a woman in her 70s, but what makes the job worse is that Delphine has chained the cook's ankle to the hot stove a few months ago. Ago, this cook thought her life might be changing for the better. City officials took her from Delphine's house and told her that she was going to be sold to new owners. The cook was convinced no one could be worse than Delphine, so she was relieved at the prospect. But after the auction, the cook found out that Delphine had arranged for friends to buy her and return her to the mansion. Now the cook is back in the same kitchen she worked in before. Only now Delphine has chained her up to make sure she never leaves her post. The shackles are agonizing to wear. The rough metal cuts into the old woman's skin as she moves, and her ankle is now encrusted with sores and dried blood. The servers who come to collect the food are sympathetic, but they don't dare help the cook in case they are also singled out for punishment. When the last of the soup is ladled into a china bowl for Delphine's dinner guests, the cook then moves on to the next course. But as she opens the oven, her heart sinks. The meat is burned. She tries to scrape off the charred bits, but it's no use. She can't disguise her mistake. Delphine will be furious with her and the cook knows what will happen then. But she doesn't want to go to the attic. Anything is better than the attic, even death. So the cook soaks a rag in oil and sets it alight on the stove. Then, holding it by the corner, the cook flings the rag across the kitchen. It ignites a bag of dried grains and within moments there are flames leaping up the walls. The cook then sinks to the ground and closes her eyes as smoke fills the kitchen, still chained to the oven. After a few minutes, she hears a commotion from the hall as Delphine and her dinner guests realize the house is on fire and then flee for their lives. But no one comes into the kitchen and the cook waits by the stove for the growing fire to claim her. But just as the cook is about to lose consciousness, she hears the crack of splintering wood. A man carrying an axe enters the smoke filled kitchen. This firefighter tries to pull her to safety, but the cook cries out in pain. The firefighter yanks again, but then spots the chain binding her to the stove. Telling the cook to stay still, he swings the axe above his head and brings it crashing down on the metal chain. With one blow, it snaps and the cook is free. The firefighter then pulls her to her feet and helps her out of the kitchen. And as they rush from the house, they pass other firefighters heading into the blaze. Some carry hand pumps to put out the flames. Others split up to search for anyone else who might be trapped inside. Among the rescuers is Jean Francois Canonges. Jean is a high ranking judge, but when he heard that a fire had broke out near his own home home, he rushed to see if he could help. Jean pushes through the smoke filled mansion and climbs the stairs to the attic. There he reaches a locked door, but when he bangs on it with his fist, he thinks he can hear faint voices on the other side. Jean calls for help and along with two other firefighters, he eventually breaks the door down. But what he sees inside stops him in his tracks. Seven emaciated black men and women are chained to the wall by iron collars. Dried blood covers the floor and it's difficult to tell who might be dead or alive. Jeanne and the two firefighters free the captives and help them down the stairs to safety. As a judge, Jeanne is determined to bring the woman responsible for this to justice. But when he searches the crowd that's gathered on the street to watch the fire, he can't see the woman who owns the mansion. Delphine LaLaurie is nowhere to be seen. Eventually, the flames on Royal street will be extinct. But the stories of what happened there don't die out. Instead, they'll spread across the world, becoming a testament to the cruelty of Delphine Lalori and all the evils of slavery itself.

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Lindsey Graham (15:17)

Why are there ridges on Reese's peanut butter cups? Probably so they never slip from her hands. Could you imagine I'd lose it? Luckily, Reese has thought about that. Wonder what else they think about? Probably chocolate and peanut butter. It's the summer of 1836 on Royal street in New Orleans, Louisiana. Two years after a fire revealed Delphine Lalori's torture chamber, 34 year old English writer Harriet Martineau stands in the street, taking in the surroundings. Among all the grand properties in this affluent neighborhood of New Orleans, one house stands out. The mansion belonging to Delphine Laloride. The house is in ruins. Its windows are all broken and the remaining walls are scorched and blackened. There's no trace of the attic left either. That's actually a disappointment to Harriet. As an abolitionist, Harriet wants to use Delphine's abuse as an example of the inhumanity of slavery. She hoped to see the torture chamber firsthand so she could write about it for her readers. Without it, she'll have to rely on witnesses. But Harriet soon finds that people in New Orleans are eager to talk about what happened there. And the local authorities insist Delphine's behavior is not typical of slaveholders. They claim that most treat their workers well and that enslaved people are grateful for the food, clothing, and shelter they receive. Harriet's not convinced. When she returns to England, she writes about her travels in America and includes the story of Delphine LaLaurie. This shocking tale helps expose the real cruelty of slavery and rally support for the abolitionist movement on both sides of the Atlantic. But Delphine LaLaurie herself will never answer for her crimes. After escaping her mansion during the fire, Delphine's exact whereabouts become a mystery. Many will believe she fled to France. Others will claim she stayed in New Orleans, living quietly under a false identity. But whatever her fate, Delphine will never again be the toast of Orleans society. Instead, her name will only be remembered with horror after her secret torture chamber was revealed by a fire that broke out on April 10, 1834. Next on History Daily. April 11, 1979. Brutal dictator Idi Amin is ousted from power after eight years as president of Uganda. From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammed Shazi Sound design by Gabriel Gould Supervising sound designer, Matthew Filler Music by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Owen Paul Nichols. Edited by Scott Brown Managing producer Emily Burke. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.

Meisha Brown (18:26)

Every big moment starts with a big dream. But what happens when that big dream turns out to be a big flop? From Wondery and Will Media, I'm Meisha Brown, and this is the Big Flop. Every week, comedians join me to chronicle the biggest flubs, fails and blunders of all time. Like quibbing.

Lindsey Graham (18:49)

It's kind of like when you give yourself your own nickname and you try to, like, get other people to do it.

Meisha Brown (18:53)

And the 2019 movie adaptation of Cats.

Audible Representative (18:57)

Like, if I'm watching the dancing and I'm noticing the feet aren't touching the ground, there's something wrong with the movie.

Meisha Brown (19:02)

Find out what happens when massive hype turns into major fiasco. Enjoy the Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to the Big Flop early and ad free on Wondery Plus. Get started with your free trial at wondery.com Plus.