B (7:31)

Everyone has that friend who seems kind of perfect for Patty. That friend was Desiree. Until one day I texted her and.

A (7:40)

She was not getting the text. So I went to Instagram. She has no Instagram anymore. And Facebook. No Facebook anymore.

B (7:48)

Desiree was gone. And there was one person who knew the answer.

A (7:52)

I am a spiritual person, a magical person, a witch.

B (7:57)

A gorgeous Brazilian influencer called Kat Torres. But who was hiding a secret from Wondery. Based on my smash hit podcast, From Brazil comes a new series, Don't Cross Cat, about a search that led me to a mystery in a Texas suburb.

A (8:14)

I'm calling to check on the two missing Brazilian girls. Maybe get some undercover crew there. The family are freaking out. They are lost.

B (8:22)

I'm Chico Felitti. You can listen to Don't Cross Cat on the Wondery app or wherever you get your Podcasts.

A (8:39)

It's midday on November 30, 1854, in the Colony of Victoria, Australia, a month and a half after gold miners burned down a local hotel. Peter Lawler stands on a tree stump on Bakery Hill, just above the mining town of Eureka. In his hands is a rifle, which he holds aloft as he addresses a crowd of hundreds of men. Peter tells his fellow miners that enough is enough. They can no longer stand by as corrupt officers persecute honest diggers, using the miner's license as their shield. It's time to fight back. Peter is 27 years old. He's the youngest son of a prominent Irish nationalist and a civil engineer by training. But he left home two years ago to seek his fortune in Australia. Now he's following in his father's footsteps by entering politics. But this is not the first mass meeting of miners in recent weeks. At earlier gatherings, they agreed to a set of demands to present to the colonial government. These included an end to the monthly gold license, parliamentary representation, and voting rights for all adult men. But the government rejected those petitions and instead launched another aggressive round of persecution in the gold fields. That was the final straw for Peter. So with a cry of liberty, he now stands before the crowd on Bakery Hill and calls for an armed uprising. The miners may not have many guns between them, but Peter tells them they don't need them. They can make their own weapons or even use their mining tools if it comes to it. After all, a shovel or a pick can be just as deadly in the right hands. More importantly, if there are enough of them, and if they stick together, the colonial authorities won't be able to resist them. In reply, the miners cheer and stamp their feet, acclaiming Peter as their new leader. Peter then marches his army of miners down from Bakery Hill to the town of Eureka. There, on a slight rise on the outskirts of town, they build a fortification with whatever timber they can scrounge. Long sharpened poles are thrust into the ground to defend against cavalry charges. Horse carts are turned upside down and piled high with wood to further reinforce the perimeter. But as these rebels build their fortress, news of the uprising reaches the colonial authorities. The man responsible for keeping order in the mining community is Gold Commissioner Robert Reed. And when he hears about Peter Lawlor and the stockade, he decides that a prompt show of strength is what's needed. There are tens of thousands of other miners in Victoria, and he can't allow this defiance to spread. So he gathers troops and marches on Eureka. By the early hours of December 3, 1854, Reed has nearly 200 mounted soldiers and 100 armed police officers surrounding the rebel compound. They're far more experienced fighters than the miners. But Reed worries that his enemy has numbers to make up for that. That is, until he learns that Peter Lawlor has made a critical mistake. With the enemy approaching, Peter became worried about security. Spies could be slipping into the stockade. So he insisted on the miners using a password to enter the fort. He chose the words Vinegar Hill. As an Irishman, it must have seemed like a stirring rallying cry. Vinegar Hill was the site of a famous battle between British forces and Irish republicans at the end of the 18th century. But not all the miners in Eureka shared his politics, and they disliked the idea of Irish independence becoming mixed up with their cause. So suddenly, a fight with heavily armed colonial soldiers seemed even less appealing. And overnight, hundreds of miners abandoned the stockade. Now, as dawn breaks, Commissioner Reid believes there may be as few as 100 men left inside the rebel camp. So Reed gives the order to advance. His soldiers march on the stockade to demand the surrender of the miners. But when the colonial forces are less than 200 yards from the barricades, a rogue shot rings out and a soldier falls to the ground. There won't be any negotiations today, because after months of rising violence and animosity in southern Australia, the Eureka rebellion will now be decided with blood. It's December 3, 1854, in Victoria, Australia, hours after colonial forces attack the Eureka stockade. In a miner's tent half a mile from the scene of the battle, rebel leader Peter Lawler lies on a cot, grinding his teeth in agony. Father Patrick Smith kneels beside him with a bottle of whiskey. Peter grabs it and takes a long swig. The battle at the stockade was short but bloody. Peter and his miners fought as bravely as they could, but they were hopelessly outnumbered by colonial troops. And once the rebels had run out of ammunition, they were quickly overrun. Peter himself barely made it out alive, but he didn't escape entirely unscathed. He was shot in the arm during the battle, and the bullet has shattered the now the arm requires amputation. The tent door flaps open and a local doctor steps inside. Peter grimaces because he knows what's coming. The doctor pulls out a wooden spoon and a large saw from his bag. Peter gulps more whiskey before allowing the doctor to slide the spoon between his teeth. Then Father Smith and another man hold him down as the doctor picks up the saw, begins carving through Peter's flesh. As the saw's teeth bite into his arm, Peter's eyes bulge and he clamps down hard on the spoon to stop himself from screaming, because despite the pain, Peter knows he has to be quiet. The authorities are still looking for him, and if they find him, he will lose far more than just his arm. Over the next few weeks, as Peter recovers from his operation, he's the focus of a huge manhunt. Large rewards are offered for any information about his whereabouts, but no one betrays him and Peter is able to escape into hiding. Not all his fellow rebels are so lucky though. At least 22 were killed during the battle at the stockade and over a hundred more were taken prisoner. A year later, a group of the ringleaders is put on trial for high treason. But the colonial government's heavy handed tactics backfire. The Victorian public overwhelmingly supports the arrested miners and all of them are found not guilty. That victory in court is quickly followed by even greater political triumphs. All the Eureka rebels will receive amnesty and the following summer will then see the introduction of the Gold Fields act, which will abolish the mining license and introduce protections for diggers. Most importantly of all though, a new constitution will be adopted in Victoria. It will include an elected parliament and miners will have the right to vote. One of the first men to take up a seat in this new body will be Peter Lawlor himself, the young miner who stood up to tyranny by leading the rebels in the battle of eureka Stockade on December 3, 1854. Next on History Daily, December 4, 1875. The notoriously corrupt New York City politician boss Tweet Tweed escapes from prison from Noiser and Airshift. This is History Daily Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammed Shahzi Sound design by Molly Bach Music by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Owen Paul Nichols. Edited by William Simpson Managing Producer Emily Burke Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.