My Victorian Nightmare

Ep. 77 – "Painfully Deficient in Flesh and Other Corporal Essences"

Host: Genevieve Manion
Date: January 12, 2026

Overview

In Episode 77, Genevieve Manion dives deep into bizarre, unsettling, and mysterious stories from the Victorian era—all mined from the wonderfully unreliable Illustrated Police News and other contemporary sources. Expect a macabre tour: skeletons in breweries, corpse misadventures, violent showdowns, haunted spiritualist tales, and even a scandalous princess murder. With characteristic wit, compassion, and a love for the creepily historical, Genevieve unpacks not only the factual (and not-so-factual) tales, but also the ways Victorian anxieties and fixations reflect back on us.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context & Host's Reflections on Modern Turmoil

• Genevieve opens with empathy for listeners experiencing challenging times, drawing parallels between current events and Victorian chaos.
• She recites advice from Buddhist monks:

  "In any dark time, it is of utmost importance that those capable of glowing be the light... Not to distract, not to deny the darkness, but to light the way."
  (02:15)

2. Edgar Allan Poe’s Burial Mystery

• Teases a forthcoming Poe project and shares lesser-known details of Poe’s tragic burial (13:45).
  • Poe’s original "grave marker" was a sandstone block with just the number 8.
  • A train accident destroyed the headstone ordered by his cousin.
  • Only a handful of mourners attended his funeral.
  • Possible mishap during reburial: Poe may have been replaced with another body, Philip Mosher Jr.
  • Claims the body was stolen by "French grave robbers," but evidence ultimately supports the current grave’s authenticity.
• Memorable quote:

  "It’s just another layer of possible horror added to the absolutely, almost comically tragic burial story of Edgar Allan Poe..."
  (18:30)

3. With Their Own Eyes: Victorian Paranormal Experience

• Reads a chilling account from the 1870 Sydney Journal about an apparition of a living person—what spiritualists would call a "double" or astro-projected spirit (22:10).
• Genevieve shares her personal dream synchronicity story:

  “Now she could have been lying, but that wasn’t like her at all. I was the weird one in the friendship... Have you ever had an experience like this?”
  (25:55)

4. Séance Room: Spiritualist Interview with the Dead

• Details a séance transcript where the spirit of "Miss Farnham," speaking through a medium, contradicts Christian dogma:
  • On God:

    “We are still in ignorance of what is the Great I AM... Thus do we behold God. But in no other way.” (28:10)

  • On Jesus:

    “I have never seen Jesus of Nazareth... We do not acknowledge miracles. There are nothing but natural laws...” (29:15)

  • On Soul vs. Spirit:

    “If your spirit or vital spark once left your earthly body, it would never return, but the soul might go...” (30:35)

• Genevieve ponders the effect such spiritualist answers had on Victorian Christianity and how "spirit" and "soul" were distinct.

5. Morbid & Absurd: The Illustrated Police News Collection

a. Beer Vat Skeletons in Baltimore (33:05)

• An obviously satirical tale:
  • Two fully dressed skeletons are found at the bottom of a beer vat, one holding an umbrella.
  • The humorous punchline:

    “A habitual drinker of the beer recognized the flavor of his missing father...”
    (34:00)

• Genevieve investigates and finds no credible sources, but finds a real contemporary case of a man who may have died by suicide in a beer vat.

b. Arizona’s Horrors: Violence and Revenge (37:40)

• True story: William McFarland is found mutilated; misreporting blames Apache, but likely Mexican assailants.
• This triggers retaliatory violence and military intervention.
• Context on anti-Apache sentiment and the Camp Grant Massacre (41:10).
• Quote:

  “It was just a completely lawless area full of suffering.”
  (42:40)

c. Bought a Corpse at Auction (44:00)

• Freakish tale of a grocer who unwittingly buys a chest of bones.
  • Explains the term “pig in a poke.”
  • Humorous commentary on idioms and era-specific anxieties.

d. Dental Disaster at Hyde Park (48:17)

• “O’Connell, the Celtic blunderer,” yanks the wrong tooth from Mrs. McCarty, inciting a furious attack.
• Host elaborates on horrifying Victorian dental practice:
  • Patients would sit on the floor for extractions.
  • Anesthesia was rare, and nitrous oxide was more feared than pain.

e. Bloody Saloon Fight on Mulberry Street, NYC (52:50)

• Sword and knife melee after a minor grudge at a bar winds up with severe, disturbing injuries (including a sword through the face).
• Legal outcome: The main assailant was acquitted, possibly for self-defense.

f. The Murdered Princess—Diamond-Studded Dagger (57:20)

• True-to-life mystery of Caterina Chigi, found dead with a diamond-studded dagger and a blood-inscribed note ("Vendetta").
• Investigation fizzles, likely thwarted due to her husband’s noble status.
• Quote:

  “The case remains as one of Italy's most infamous unsolved aristocratic murders of the 19th century.”
  (01:01:40)

g. Obscene Books and the Victorian Censor (01:03:30)

• Dr. John Alexander Barnes pleads guilty to circulating “obscene” materials.
• Host explains the vagueness and changing definitions of obscenity:
  • 1857: Obscene Publications Act enacted broad bans.
  • 1869: “Deprave and corrupt” standard established.
  • 1959: Loosening of obscenity laws, permitting art and literature.
• “If ever I got my hands on a publication like the Secret Friend or the Invigorator, it would probably go on my coffee table...”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On modern darkness vs. Victorian darkness:

  "All I can say at this time, as a darkness covers over us, as in any dark time, it is of utmost importance that those capable of glowing be the light." – Genevieve Manion (02:15)

• On Poe’s comically tragic fate:

  “Just another layer of possible horror added to the absolutely, almost comically tragic burial story of Edgar Allan Poe...” (18:30)

• On spiritualism and Christianity:

  “I continue to find it so fascinating that to people who were for the most part Christians, that these kinds of answers would be considered blasphemous…” (33:00)

• On dental trauma:

  “Of all the things we have to be grateful for in the modern era, innovation in dental science is up there at the tippy top. For me personally, I’m sure you would agree.” (51:40)

• Moments of host humor and self-awareness:

  • “Take a look and you’ll see why. Toby Woohoo was very concerned when I was looking at this article…” (52:25)
  • “Ring around the collar…maybe a greasy neck plague.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|--------------| | Modern context & host opening monologue | 00:00–03:45 | | Edgar Allan Poe burial mishaps | 13:45–18:45 | | With Their Own Eyes (Victorian paranormal) | 22:10–26:15 | | Spiritualism: Séance and the Dead Woman | 28:00–33:00 | | Beer vat skeletons | 33:05–36:40 | | Arizona’s Horrors (real-life violence) | 37:40–43:00 | | Bought a corpse at auction | 44:00–47:50 | | Hyde Park dental disaster | 48:17–52:45 | | Mulberry Street saloon brawl | 52:50–57:10 | | Murdered Princess, diamond dagger | 57:20–01:01:40| | Victorian "obscene" publications | 01:03:30–end |

Tone & Style

Genevieve balances empathy, sardonic humor, and historical insight. She invites listeners to ponder how the Victorians’ morbid fascinations reflect our own, consistently engaging with the material from a place of both fascination and critical distance.

For Further Listening

If you’re intrigued by morbid Victorian stories—whether fact, embellished, or outright invented—this episode is a quintessential entry into Genevieve Manion’s uniquely spooky, thoughtful, and darkly entertaining world. Consider joining the Fan Coven for ad-free episodes and even deeper dives into true crime, spiritualist weirdness, and more.

Be kind to yourselves, and as Genevieve signs off:

"I’ll see you in your nightmares."