Ep. 89 - Fluffy Black Vampire Ducks

Summary

My Victorian Nightmare

Episode 89: Fluffy Black Vampire Ducks

Host: Genevieve Manion (Daylight Media)
Release Date: April 6, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this "vacation episode," host Genevieve Manion takes a reflective journey through the most chilling, tragic, and oddly comforting “field trips” from past episodes of My Victorian Nightmare. Rather than presenting a new tale from the Victorian era, she revisits some of her most memorable virtual excursions to murder sites, cult compounds, haunted homes, and infamous graveyards—providing fresh behind-the-scenes insights and personal anecdotes. Genevieve emphasizes the emotional importance of storytelling and the podcast community to her own healing, ultimately celebrating the connections formed through sharing dark history.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Podcast’s Origin and Community Impact

• Genevieve’s motivation: Started the show to re-find her voice and feel less alone during a difficult period.
• Emotional growth: Reflects on how unexpectedly therapeutic the process and the kind messages from listeners have been.
• Audience connection: “All of you darling folks…opened doors into your own dark experiences, and shared some really touching and deeply, at times profoundly beautiful parts of yourselves with me.” (04:03)
• Listener engagement: She recognizes and thanks Patreon supporters and notes how the show has become a source of healing, not just entertainment.

2. The “Field Trip” Format

• Genevieve gives detail about her immersive technique, including personalized sound effects (like added listener footsteps), and explains that most voices on the show are performed by her with effects.
• The character "Jimmy" functions as an imaginary friend and comforting companion in episodes, a figure both for support and narrative color.
• She lovingly welcomes listeners to join these journeys, emphasizing shared experience over simple narration.

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Highlighted Trips and Stories

A. Burke and Hare’s Lodging House (Ep. 34)

Location: Scotland, October 31, 1828
Key Event Revisited: The murder of Margaret Docherty by infamous body snatchers Burke and Hare.

• Jimmy’s First Appearance: "This was the first time that we were formally introduced to Jimmy, a man that shows up from time to time in our travels." (07:06)
• Dialog with Jimmy: “Oh, I started a podcast. And a little like you, I'm rooting round in different timelines to make it more interesting.” (08:50)
• Memorable Imagery: Listeners are walked through a window into a drunken, violent party building to murder.
• Notable Quote: “One of them is laying on top of her. The other is lifting a pillow…She isn’t struggling. There was just a tiny whimper. We won’t stay, but very soon this woman will be dead.” (11:23)

B. The Abode of Love Cult Compound (Ep. 36)

Key Event Revisited: Kidnapping of Louisa Nottage by her brothers.

• Hostile Listener Feedback: Genevieve relishes controversy stirred by connecting historical cults with modern ones. "Don’t listen, she’s not a Christian. I was like, wow, did you come to my Victorian nightmare for a sermon?" (12:36)
• Dramatic Scene: “That screaming woman is Louisa Nottage…three of her brothers…are kidnapping her.” (13:23)
• Point of Reflection: Cults, religion, and dangerous groups—history repeats and provokes.

C. Kate Webster: The Richmond Murderess (Ep. 38)

Key Event Revisited: The murder and dismemberment of Julia Martha Thomas.

• Immersive Detail: Listeners hide in a closet while the crime unfolds. “It’s just another one of these damn mannequins. Like the one in the Villiska axe Murder House.” (15:29)
• Notable Quote: “Ms. Thomas is dead and we will not stay for what Kate is about to do.” (17:22)
• Personal Anecdote: Neighbor checked on Genevieve after hearing her record fighting/yelling scenes (18:07).

D. Belle Gunness’s Pig Farm (Ep. 40)

Key Event Revisited: Belle Gunness’ murder of her husband.

• Dark Humor: “I did censor the potato chip crunch this time...you can be rest assured.” (18:45)
• Atmospheric Setting: "Delicate powdery snow covers the hills and icy crystals hang in the air…This is the Gunness Hog Farm." (19:08)
• Notable Quote: “She just hit him with a meat cleaver. That is not what most sources say happened.” (20:26)
• Historical Nuance: "The reason why it's a little confusing about exactly how Belle Gunness killed her husband is because there were no witnesses." (20:49)

E. Sally Winchester’s Grave (Ep. 42)

Key Event Revisited: Emotional visit to Sally Winchester’s grave, joined by Jimmy.

• Personal Connection: “My own mother has suffered terribly with arthritis, just like Sally Winchester did...I had to do about, I'm going to say 12 takes of my saying, I'm so happy you're no longer in pain.” (23:26)
• Memorable Toast:
  • Jimmy: “To Sally.” (25:08)
  • Genevieve: “To Sally. Oh, I loved that episode.” (25:09)
• Correction of Myths: “I love correcting misconceptions…The Winchester House was something I didn’t want to cover so long because…there are just so many lies about it.” (25:41)

F. Printing House Square: Statue Stabbing (Ep. 43)

Key Event Revisited: An intoxicated sailor attacks a shrouded Benjamin Franklin statue.

• Absurd Scenario: “The person supposed to be crazy rushed down Chatham street with a huge knife…hacked the statue with the knife.” (27:01)
• Humor: “The raw recordings are a disaster. It takes me a full day to edit every episode and I was just so tickled by that last one.” (29:20)

G. Mummy Unwrapping Party (Ep. 44)

Key Event Revisited: Elite Victorians at a corpse-desecrating soiree, peppered with socialites and composer Arthur Sullivan.

• Historical Error Addressed: Victorians didn’t keep cremated relatives in urns yet.
  • “People didn’t keep cremated relatives in urns in these days. Cremation wasn’t a thing in England in those days at all.” (33:03)
• Fun Detail: “That vase contains my Auntie Millie. I don’t trust your butterfingers.” (31:09, character dialogue)
• Context: Surreal, gothic elegance tinged with black humor.

H. Essex Haunted House (Ep. 49)

Key Event Revisited: Real haunting outside the 19th century—a pyromaniac/possessed boy.

• Sound Effects: Recreated running, chaos; Genevieve physically acts out scenes.
  • “I was literally bouncing up and down in my seat to make it sound like I was running.” (37:21)
• Setting: 1970s, a rare time slip from her usual Victorian focus.

I. The Woolfork Family Massacre (Ep. 51)

Key Event Revisited: Tom Woolfork’s axe murder spree against his family.

• Atmospheric Detail:
  • Mosquitoes, fiddle music, children playing—then sudden horrific violence.
• Challenge: “The amount of crying babies, screaming women, screaming children I had to search through for this gave me nightmares for days.” (41:09)
• Notable Quote:
  • “He just cracked the axe into her head as well…He just slammed the axe down on the little baby’s skull.” (43:10)
• Host’s Reflection: “Part of the reason why I don’t cover only true crime is because it can really take a toll on you.” (44:32)

J. Mary Shelley’s Cemetery Romance (Ep. 53)

Key Event Revisited: Mary and Percy Shelley’s graveside courtship.

• Evocative Imagery: “You can see a single tear lit by the moon is rolling down her cheek upon her mother’s grave.” (46:55)
• Poetry Reading: Percy Shelley’s poem “To Mary, who died in this opinion.” (47:23)
• Jimmy’s Story:
  • “My wife lost her whole family to tuberculosis…from our separate beds on our wedding night, I read this poem to her.” (47:54)
• Reflection: “I still can’t listen to that episode without crying. Just reading her poetry is so profoundly darkly beautiful.” (49:13)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I always add an extra set of footprints in the sound effects. Those are supposed to be yours.” (05:12, Genevieve)
• “He’s like an imaginary friend. He often appears when I’m going through things…he’s a man that I feel perfectly safe with.” (07:41, on Jimmy)
• “Don’t look. I’ll explain what’s happening.” (11:23) — typical immersive, protective narration
• “Ms. Thomas is dead and we will not stay for what Kate is about to do.” (17:22)
• “I sound so cheery in this recording. And indeed, I was at the thought of visiting her one day, which I hope I really can.” (23:49, Genevieve on visiting Sally Winchester’s grave)
• “Maiden quench the glare of sorrow struggling in thine haggard eye / firmness dare to borrow from the wreck of destiny…” (47:27, Shelley’s poem)
• “Lavender marriages are making a comeback. Personally, I am taking applications myself.” (48:56, ending on a witty note)

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Additional Notes & Timestamps

• [03:47] – Genevieve recounts starting the show as self-healing
• [07:06] – The origin of Jimmy, her recurring character
• [13:00] – Pushback over Christian cult episode and modern parallels
• [18:07] – Recording murder scenes at home leads to real-world confusion
• [20:49] – Historical ambiguity in Belle Gunness’ crime
• [25:41] – On careful research: correcting Winchester House myths
• [29:10] – Story of the statue attack, balancing macabre and humor
• [33:03] – Explaining her historical slip in the mummy party episode
• [37:21] – Behind the sound design for haunted house scene
• [41:09] – Discussing the toll of sound research for true crime
• [46:55–47:55] – Emotional poetry in Mary Shelley's graveyard

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Tone & Style

Genevieve’s voice throughout is conversational, playful, empathetic, and occasionally mordant ("cozy and comforting for us because we’re about to witness something a bit intense" – 13:00). Even when discussing horrors, she leavens the presentation with dark humor, compassion for victims, and acknowledgment of her own and her listeners’ emotional experiences. The episode is both a love letter to haunted history and a meta-celebration of how creepy stories can foster genuine human connection.

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Final Reflection

Genevieve closes by reaffirming her gratitude for her audience, promising the return to "usually creepy content" soon, and reminding everyone:

“Be kind to yourselves and I will see you in your nightmares.” (Final line)

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[End of Summary]

Transcript

[A]

Hello, everyone. I am EM Schultz.

[B]

And I'm Christine Schiefer. And we are the host of the Scariest Podcast. It's called. And that's why we drink.

[A]

I handle all of the paranormal, and Christine handles everything that's real and scary. Hopefully there's a little something for everybody on our podcast. But in case you like us even more than just wanting to listen to us, you can read books that we have written.

[C]

We wrote two whole books.

[A]

Our newest book is A Haunted Road Atlas.

[C]

No. Next stop.

[A]

And if that's not enough, we're also on tour.

[B]

Yes. Okay. If you like what you hear, you can also see us live. We are currently touring the nation with some scripted live shows of actual ghost hunts that we have done, and we like to go across the world and recount them to you with video evidence. Very dramatic. Anyway, find us on your favorite podcast listening platform. Wherever you listen to podcasts, you can find tickets to our live shows at. And that's why we drink.com live. And you can see any of the troubling things we're doing on Instagram and Facebook, et cetera, at atwwdpodcast.

[C]

Hello, and welcome to My Victorian Nightmare. I'm your host, Genevieve Manion, and I'm here to talk about mysterious deaths, morbid fascinations, disturbing stories, and otherwise spooky events from the Victorian era. Because to me, there's just something especially intriguing, creepy, and oddly comforting about horror and mayhem from the 19th century. So listener discretion is advised. Hello, friends, and welcome to this, my 89th episode. It's a vacation episode. I'm taking a few days, not to

[D]

do anything cool at all, but to

[C]

get a couple of fluffy black vampire ducks in a row.

[D]

I have so many, many ducks, and

[C]

some are in ponds, some are in the bathtub.

[D]

I found one in the toilet the other day.

[C]

Suffice it to say, I've gotta get

[D]

these little guys in a single file situation.

[C]

But that does not mean that I do not have a fabulously creepy show for you today. For you today, dear listener, we will be revisiting some of the horrifying trips that we've taken together in past episodes. The murder scenes, the cult compounds, the spooky cemeteries. And I'm going to give you a little bit more information about each one. I made another vacation episode where I mentioned that taking you with me wasn't something I planned to do. When I first started the podcast, I envisioned this to be just me talking about spooky stuff, stuff like book report style. But then in episode six, about Victorian vampires. As I was writing out the script, I just stopped and wanted to go there so badly. I was seeing the whole Vampire autopsy of Mercy Brown. And not only did I want to go so badly, I wanted to take someone, anyone with me. So I got so excited about the idea of taking you with me, hoping there was someone out there who would want to come. This was so early on where only a few, maybe a few hundred folks were listening. Maybe it wasn't even that.

[D]

It might have just been a few dozen.

[C]

I literally just started this show to help me find my voice again after feeling like I had been stuffed in a box for a decade. And I hoped that talking about these topics that I love so much and this era that I love so much would help me find me again and feel less alone in my darkness.

[D]

I was in a really bad place when I started the show.

[C]

And not only did that happen slowly over time, I found you along the way. All of you darling folks who listened to my show, who have left me the kindest messages, opened doors into your own dark experiences, and shared some really touching and deeply, at times profoundly beautiful parts of yourselves with me, and some of you have been kind enough to join my patreon and enable me to keep doing this work, which is so much more than just talking about spooky stuff. To me, this show has been how I have healed. And it was about two years ago this month that I started dreaming about this. And I can't believe how different my life is. This has been such a gift. And you're just listening, coming with me, just sticking with me while I talk

[D]

about horrifying things that heal me is such a gift that you have given me.

[C]

So thank you from the bottom of my heart. So I wanted to celebrate our little trips together today. And as we go along, you may notice that in every one of these

[D]

little field trips that we go on,

[C]

I always add an extra set of

[D]

footprints in the sound effects. Those are supposed to be yours.

[C]

So won't you follow me after the break? I cannot imagine how anyone right now is living without therapy. If I didn't have an outlet to spill my concerns, untangle the spaghetti that is my thoughts, especially lately. To someone unbiased, a professional that knows

[D]

how to work with other people's brain

[C]

spaghetti, I do not know what I would do. And that's why I love Rula. Rula is a mental health care provider group that makes finding the right therapist for you easy. As someone who was diagnosed with both depression and anxiety years ago, I knew a thing or two about the nightmare that used to be finding the right therapist and the added anxiety and depression that would come from only being able to find therapists that didn't take insurance. But now with Rula, you have access to a network of over 15,000 therapists and psychiatrists that actually take insurance. RULA partners with over 100 insurance plans, making the average copay just $15 per session. And for some, depending on your plan, it could be as little as zero. You're partnered with a professional based on your goals, your preferences, and your background to ensure that your therapist is most aligned with your needs. Thousands of people are already using RULA to get affordable, high quality therapy that's actually covered by Insurance. Visit rula.comvictorian to get started. After you sign up, you'll be asked how you heard about them. Please support my show and let them know that I sent you. That's R-U-L-A.com Victorian. You deserve mental health care that works with you, not against your budget. Okay? Our first trip will be the time that we visited Burke and Hare's lodging house where they murdered Margaret Doherty.

[D]

The execution at the end of that episode was one of the most metal things I have ever researched in my life.

[C]

This was the first time that we were formally introduced to Jimmy, a man that shows up from time to time in our travels.

[D]

Anytime that you hear anyone else's voice on my show, for the most part, it's me. I perform every voice on my show

[C]

and use effects to change my voice

[D]

to be other people, waiters, killers, etc.

[C]

And I am also Jimmy.

[D]

He is me, doing my best, as best as I can do. English accent and I may have mentioned

[C]

before that he has been a very

[D]

therapeutic creation for me. He's like an imaginary friend. He often appears when I'm going through things. To be honest, he's a man that I feel perfectly safe with.

[C]

And it's so touching that folks have

[D]

actually reached out to say that that's

[C]

how he makes them feel too. So this was the very first time

[D]

that we really spoke with him in episode 34.

[C]

What do you say we take a hard left away from this information and take a little walk down this dirt road here to an establishment that looks similar to the lodging houses that we saw in Whitechapel, although the one just ahead is a little smaller than the ones that we saw there. Intended for just a small amount of nightly guests. Wait a minute. Hey. Hey, Jimmy, is that you? That's. That's Jimmy from the seance in episode 32. Around 12 minutes in Willow loves Willow.

[D]

Buddy, you remember my friend.

[C]

Yes, Hello. What are you doing in Scotland in like 53 years before the Jack the Ripper sounds happened?

[E]

Oh, I started a podcast. And a little like you, I'm rooting round in different timelines to make it more interesting.

[C]

Oh, yeah? What's the podcast about?

[E]

True crime.

[C]

Oh, are you here about the Burke and Hair murders?

[E]

No, a little known one. I'm here to find Mackie Dixon. She was sentenced to death for concealing a pregnancy and killing a newborn child. It's a real heartbreaking story.

[C]

Well, you're a real good guy, Jimmy, and I'm sure you are going to do a real sensitive job of that.

[E]

Well, thank you very much for saying so.

[C]

I can't wait to hear it when it's done. We won't keep you. We got to go see something terrible over here.

[E]

I got to go see something terrible over there.

[C]

Have a great night. Jim, me.

[E]

Lovely to see you.

[C]

Oh, safe travels. Oh, wasn't that lovely? Oh, I love running into friends. Okay, come with me. Just up this way. This house here belongs to a man named John Broggan, cousin of a man named William Burke. It's October 31, 1828. Nine o' clock in the evening and the home is lit with by gas lamps and candles inside. Come over here to the window, but do not stand too close. We really do not want the people inside to see us. There are about six people, two men and three women, having quite a party. They're dancing and singing and drinking. Looks like a pretty great time.

[D]

Spoke too soon.

[C]

Definitely looks like a bad time.

[D]

One of the guys just spilled a

[C]

drink on the other guy and it appears, yes, knuckle sandwiches were just added to the menu. They are making things very uncomfortable for the ladies inside. Whoa. Whiskey glasses through the windows. Oh, my God. Are you okay scheduling on you? Okay, good. Let's step a little further away from the windows for a bit. They will probably be at it for a while. We will come back later to see how things develop. At this point in the show, I discussed a bit more about the horrifying history of Burke and Hare and then we returned to their home. Okay, let's make our way back to that party. The guys will likely have tired themselves out by now. And yes, they're sitting down, they're talking. Everyone else has gone to bed. Walk with me around the side of the house here. Yes, there's one of the ladies. She's asleep in bed. The room is still lit with a Single candle by the bedside. The two men are stumbling through the door into her room. Don't look. I'll explain what's happening. One of them is laying on top of her. The other is lifting a pillow from the side of the bed and placing it over her face. She isn't struggling. There was just a tiny whimper. We won't stay, but very soon this woman will be dead. Goodness again. That was the death of Margaret Docherty that we witnessed in that trip. Burke and Hare were permanently made into wax figures in Madame Tussaud's chamber of horrors. They murdered at at least 16 people and sold their bodies to surgeons in the 1820s. Horrifying. I loved that episode. Okay, our next trip was to the Abode of Love cult compound.

[D]

I got some very interesting comments and emails about this one. It was episode 36.

[C]

I was talking about a truly disturbing and evil cult.

[D]

And the kinds of comments I got on like Apple podcasts were, don't listen, she's not a Christian. I was like, wow, did you come to my Victorian nightmare for a sermon? Also, I was literally talking about a death cult. Unless that's what you call Christianity. Anyway, some folks found this one rather controversial.

[C]

Folks also didn't appreciate my connecting cults of yesteryear to present day ones. That ruffled a few feathers. So let us travel back to the abode of love, culture, kidnapping, and if you would follow me along the inside of this tall brick wall of this abode of love, I want to show you something. It's 2am, November 1846. It's also a bit chilly here. I brought some hot cider because isn't that just so lovely in November? I even put a little cinnamon stick and orange slice in the thermos to make it extra cozy. Cozy and comforting for us because we're about to witness something a bit intense. Everyone is asleep. A few gas lamps light the grounds, which are tastefully adorned with manicured greenery. The boxwoods lit with moonlight. Let's nestle over here in this corner by the fountain. No one will see us over here, but we will clearly see what's about to happen. All right, get ready. That screaming woman is Louisa Nottage. At the moment, three of her brothers, who are not part of the cult are kidnapping her. And there they go. They've tied her up and they're running to the front gate. Members are starting to emerge from their cottages to rescue her. The men have already thrown her in a carriage and they're speeding off down the street. Outside the compound, other members are trying to chase them, but to no avail. They got her. And the members and Prince have no idea where they're taking her. They're taking her to an insane asylum. That gal eventually left the asylum and went right back to the cult.

[D]

That was a very disturbing story. Okay, this next trip was to the

[C]

home of Kate Webster, the Richmond murderess. Another individual made into a wax figure and displayed in the chamber of horrors. In episode 38, I discussed her murder of Julia Martha Thomas. She killed, dismembered, and boiled Miss Thomas. Such a horrendous story, and I thought it might be fun to visit her house. Let us make our way back and if you would follow me through this frozen dead garden here to the back door of number two field cottages. It is 9pm it is February in Richmond, London, 1879, and it is colder than a day old dumpling out here. We can go to the pub next door after this and maybe grab a pot pie or something real quick. Let's just make sure that your phone is turned off. Wait, is mine off? Oh, my God. I didn't even turn my phone off. I'm gonna get us killed one of these days. Okay, this back door door is unlocked and we're going inside. Be quiet as a mouse. We do not want to wake Kate, who is blacked out in a chair over there by the fire. Ms. Thomas hasn't returned from church yet, but she will be here shortly. Let's creep as creepily as we can into this closet. Oh my God. It's just another one of these damn mannequins. Like the one in the Villiska axe Murder House. Episode 14 I swear, every murder house has a mannequin propped up in the most terrifying place that they could possibly store them. There's still enough room in here for the both of us with this headless mannequin. While we wait for Ms. Thomas to get home, I'll tell you a little bit about her. At this point, I discussed how Mrs. Thomas really didn't know what she was getting herself into when she allowed Kate Webster into her home. And then we returned. Ms. Thomas left the service early to go back to the house and confronted Kate. And she's about to walk through the door. Okay, stay still. I can see through the crack in the closet. I'll just tell you what's happening. Ms. Thomas just burst through the front door and startled Kate awake. Ms. Thomas is stomping up the stairs and Kate is now angry, angrily following her. They're arguing at the top of the stairs, and Ms. Thomas is getting frighteningly close to the edge of that top step. Kate is grabbing her by the shoulders. Ms. Thomas just hit the floor, but she's not dead. She's hurt, but she's trying to get up. Kate is now rushing back down the stairs. She's grabbing her around the throat and choking her and throwing her on the floor. Ms. Thomas is dead and we will not stay for what Kate is about to do. As mentioned, just about every single time

[D]

you hear a voice on this show, it's me.

[C]

And I record in my apartment.

[D]

My walls are as thin as paper. And while recording the women fighting, in other words, like me yelling and screaming in my own apartment, my neighbor was very sweet. She texted asking if I was okay. I was like, I'm just getting murdered by Kate Webster. It's totally fine. Thank you for your concern. This next trip was to another black

[C]

widow's home, the home of Belle gunness in episode 40. I took you to the Gunness Pig Farm where she murdered one of her numerous husbands. And don't worry, I cut out the part where I chomped on a potato

[D]

chip at the end. People also got very, very mad at for that.

[C]

I did censor the potato chip crunch this time around, you can be rest assured. And if you would follow me past this large hog pen here. It's quite dark. Luckily there is a full moon tonight to light our way. Ooh, that is a stinky stink. Sorry about that. I would have taken us along the road, but I really do not want anyone to know that we are here. It's December 1900, 210pm almost Christmas. Delicate powdery snow covers the hills and icy crystals hang in the air. This is the Gunness Hog Farm. We're making our way up to the house, but we do not want to get too close. Luckily, it's easy to see inside the large lace curtain back window to the kitchen of the Gunness home from where we are standing. And it appears Mr. Gunness is cleaning a pipe inside. It seems at least that's what it looks like. Here. I brought us a thermos of whiskey hot chocolate. I even added a little Godiva chocolate liqueur to make it extra fancy. I also brought us some Doritos, but I'm worried that they'll hear our crunching. We'll have to pause on the chips for a bit. I'll open them up when we make our way back to the stinky pig pen. Okay. Bell has just entered the kitchen. Mr. Gunness just said hello. I can't see Her. Now he's still digging some old tobacco out of that pipe over the sink. Where did she go? Oh, my God. She just hit him with a meat cleaver. That is not what most sources say happened. Belle is now climbing up onto the sink and reaching up, she's carefully pulling down what looks like a pretty heavy meat grinder. Okay, that is her yelling and screaming like there was an accident. Oh, Jenny just came into the kitchen. But, like, I can see the meat cleaver on the table even from here. We can see that there's blood on. Looks like Jenny's also noticed. But Belle is now taking her by the shoulders, weeping. We know she's pretending, and Jenny is just very still. I don't think she's buying it either. Oh, poor Mr. Gunness. Here. Let's make our way back to the pig pen. And I will tell you why even I had a little confusion here. The reason why it's a little confusing about exactly how Belle Gunness killed her husband is because there were no witnesses other than her little girl who walked into the room after it had already happened. But this girl didn't believe her mother when she said she didn't kill him. And the story slowly came out of her and her story changed every time she told different people. So it's hard to tell exactly how it happened, but boy oh boy, did it happen. Wouldn't it be fabulous if edibles didn't make you unable to do anything, but just made you feel nice? Most edibles get you way too high

[D]

and any amount of high is just not for me.

[C]

That's why I love Lumi gummies. Consistent, mellow and super delicious, Lume gummies are specifically designed to make you feel good, not stoned. Whether you're looking for an end of day de stressor, a midday mood boost, or help getting the best sleep ever, Lume Gummies has the strain that's right for you. I handed out a few of their gummies to my friends at a party last weekend and told them to report back to me about which ones that they liked the best. And they all had different answers. One loved the sativa gummies, like the orange cream cookies ones. She said that she was able to get all of her spring cleaning done and didn't get distracted even though she put the movie Sinners on while she cleaned. That is very impressive. My other friend loved the sour strawberry cookies hybrid gummies because she was really stressed out about about work and just wanted to enjoy a hike that she was on. She said that was very helpful. She felt present, unstressed. And my other friend loved the indica gummies. She tried the plum berry runts to help her sleep.

[D]

She's my insomnia zombie buddy.

[C]

She was pleasantly surprised.

[D]

She got a great night's sleep.

[C]

Lumi Gummies are available nationwide. Go to lumigummies.com, that's L U M I gummies.com and use code victorian for 30% off your order. Again, that's L U M I Gummies.com, code victorian. Lumigummies.com code victorian. Oh. Our next trip is to Sally Winchester's grave, where we ran into Jimmy again. This was at the very end of episode 42, and I had to do

[D]

so many takes of this because it

[C]

just made me cry. My own mother has suffered terribly with arthritis, just like Sally Winchester did. And I couldn't help but think of her all throughout the recording of this episode. I had to do about, I'm going to say 12 takes of my saying, I'm so happy you're no longer in pain.

[D]

I sound so cheery in this recording. And indeed, I was at the thought of visiting her one day, which I hope I really can.

[C]

But there was some heartache in that episode for me. Part of the reason why I brought

[D]

Jimmy to join us in the end.

[C]

Before we go, I thought it might be nice to take a little stroll and bring Ms. Winchester some fresh flowers. If you would follow me through this simply lovely Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut. Oh, and I asked a friend to join us. Hello, Jimmy.

[E]

Hello, darlings. Oh, what a beautiful day.

[C]

Thank you so much for joining us.

[E]

My pleasure. I even packed us a little picnic basket.

[C]

Oh, perfect. I packed us some Prosecco.

[E]

I'll take that.

[C]

Oh, how nice. We can all sit near Sally when we're done. What a lovely stone. It's a cross, but inlaid into a larger stone with flowers and ivy carved into it. Oh, how divine. We brought you some flowers, dear. Just wanted to say I really hope that I've helped clear things up a bit. And I'm very happy you're no longer. Longer in pain. And would you like to join us for some. What do you have there, Jimmy?

[E]

Oh, I tried my end at a chicken salad sandwich and a little bit of potato salad as well. Enough for all four of us.

[C]

Oh, how nice.

[E]

To Sally.

[C]

To Sally. Oh, I loved that episode. Folks have told me that that's one of their favorites, too. I love correcting misconceptions, digging deep into truth about things that we've been misled about. And the Winchester House was something I didn't want to cover so long because there's just. There are just so many lies about it. And I was afraid I would have trouble getting to the truth. But luckily I found so many wonderful resources to help me out with that.

[D]

Okay, this next one was different than all the others from episode 43.

[C]

I had read an article in the

[D]

Illustrated Police News that was so absurd and I just wanted to paint it and bring you there with me. This was the guy who tried to stab us statue to death in Printing House Square.

[C]

If you will follow me to Printing House Square in New York City. It's no longer called that. It's now 154 Nassau Street. It used to be a hub for newspaper publishing in the 19th century. And we've got a little paperboy over here slinging original copies of the Illustrated Police News just yonder. Although I brought next week's edition with us so I can read out to you exactly what is about to happen. Here, sit on this bench with me. We'll have a front row seat for this. I also brought a bag of peanuts, but I won't eat them. They're just for you. People yelled at me for eating a Dorito in the Gunnis pig farm last time. I will save mine for when we get back.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

We are looking at a large American flag that has been wrapped around what is apparently, apparently a statue of Benjamin Franklin which is to be unveiled soon.

[D]

Well, sooner than the event planners planned. I will just read the article which

[C]

is called A lunatic assaults the statue of Franklin in Printing House Square, New York. And it reads, an exciting scene occurred in Printing House Square, New York at half past 12 on the 15th. It's just about that time now. The person supposed to be crazy rushed down Chatham street with a huge knife in his hand and there he goes. And climbing up the large pedestal on which the statue of Franklin is placed proceeded to tear the flag off and hack the statue with the knife. A large crowd gathered around and various means were resorted to in order to to get the man down. The police rushed to the place and endeavored to reach the man with their clubs, but he was too quick. Stones, sticks, missiles and various things were hurled at the man without any effect. He is tenacious, isn't he? He continued for several minutes cutting and tearing the flag till at last his foot slipped and he fell to the ground. He's okay. The police seized him, but he fought terribly and the police had to use their clubs which excited the wrath of the crowd to such a degree that the police stopped their clubbing for fear the crowd would attack them. He was taken to the station house followed by a large crowd, and off he goes. The person arrested for attempting to disfigure the Franklin statue was taken to Oak street station house and locked up. He gave his name as Dietrich Barr, 37 years of age, of German birth and a sailor by occupation. He stated that he was passing by and desired to know who was concealed beneath the covering of the flag and that he meant no harm. He laughed heartily over the matter, being rather slightly intoxicated and full of mischief. He was dressed in a black suit very neatly with a slouched hat. So that's what all that was about.

[D]

I could barely stop laughing while recording this one. People ask sometimes if I plan on making the show a video podcast, but I do not know how I would do it.

[C]

For every 40 minute episode, I record

[D]

about two hours of me just being me while delivering this information. I'm laughing, I'm burping so much, I'm crying so much. The raw recordings are a disaster. It takes me a full day to edit every episode and I was just so tickled by that last one. I can't even remember how long that took to finally finish.

[C]

Oh.

[D]

Our next trip was to the mummy unwrapping party in episode 44 on corpse medicine. Another one where I was giggling like a maniac between takes. Although I wonder if anyone caught this.

[C]

There was a historically inaccurate detail in this trip. Let's listen first, see if you can

[D]

catch it, and then I'll let you know how I made a little mistake.

[C]

If you would follow me up the steps to this terribly elegant Gothic revival mansion with the gingerbread house style roof. Look up there. It looks like it's just draped in lace. The year is 1860. There's a storm on the way, so we've arrived just in time to a mummy unwrapping party. Although we're a little late. After everything I just put us through, describing Corpse Medicine in detail, I didn't want to be here for the actual unwrapping. I'm sorry, but I don't think I could stomach it. I'm still kind of queasy over the purple pooh I. Dust.

[F]

Darling, you finally made it. Although you missed the unveile.

[C]

Thank you so much for inviting us. I am so sorry that we're late. Never mind.

[F]

There's plenty of gin and you can peruse what's left of that mummy in the dining room.

[C]

Fabulous.

[F]

Arthur, put down that vase.

[C]

That.

[F]

That vase Contains my Auntie Millie. I don't trust your butter fingers.

[C]

Off she goes. That was Lily Langtree, stage actress and socialite. On again, off again, sweetheart of the Prince of Wales. And this pile of flesh and fabric on the floor is Fanny Ronalds. Hello, Fanny. Do you want some help with standing up now? I'm.

[F]

I'm perfectly comfortable.

[C]

Okay.

[F]

Tell Arthur to put Lily's aunt down.

[C]

Lily's in the process of that now, my dear. Good. That's actually Arthur Sullivan manhandling Lily's aunt's ashes at the moment. Fanny's boyfriend. Let's step over, Fanny. Excuse us and pour ourselves a drink, shall we? Over here, by the desecrated remains of an Egyptian person. Hello. I will briefly explain what we missed. Surgeon Thomas Pettigrew over there, otherwise known as Mummy Pettigrew. The older gentleman waltzing over there with the cat was the very man who made mummy unwrapping parties punishment popular. He likely did the unwrapping for our friends here. As you can see, there are a number of metal symbols and amulets on the table. They were likely within the wrappings and removed and will probably be taken home by the party guests as party favors. He likely gave a mini lecture on where the body came from, did his best to guess the age and gender, remarked upon the skin and hair texture. Then they all got plastered, as was tradition at parties like these, which lasted until about the turn of the 20th century. The 1890s.

[D]

Ish.

[C]

So, yeah, just thought, frankly, we could use a drink after this episode. Oh, no. I know we just got here, but I have a feeling the party is over. Damn it, Arthur. Okay.

[D]

Did you guess the inaccuracy? People didn't keep cremated relatives in urns in these days.

[C]

Cremation.

[D]

Cremation wasn't a thing in England in those days at all.

[C]

This party would have taken place in the early 1880s when Lilly Langtree was in her 30s. And the first legal cremation in the United Kingdom didn't happen until 1885. It wasn't explicitly illegal. There were no specific laws saying that you couldn't cremate a body because it

[D]

just simply wasn't and done. There was no reason to make a

[C]

law because nobody was doing it for the same reasons. The only bodies that could be legally sold to surgeons were executed criminals. Victorians considered dead bodies as holy. They must not be cut in two, otherwise they would not rise from the dead on Judgment Day. Keeping bodies intact in death was a very serious concern for the vast majority of criminal Christian Victorians. So the idea of willfully burning, destroying entirely a corpse was right out. Not to mention, many murders in these days were poisoning murders. And the only way to tell if someone died by poison was to disinter them and check.

[D]

So if you burned a body after

[C]

death, the only reason that could possibly be considered in those days was that you were trying to cover up a murder. It was simply not done for numerous reasons. It was only when a man named William Price in 1884 attempted to cremate his infant son that people were horrified at the idea. And he was actually arrested for trying. He was a druid and wanted to give his son a druid funeral. His trial became a national spectacle, but the judge in the case sided with him because the only law on the books saying that you couldn't cremate someone was essentially a public nuisance law, burning

[D]

something you shouldn't burn, like the lowest penalty misdemeanor.

[C]

This case formally legalized cremation, although that didn't mean that people wanted to do it from that point on. It wasn't until the world wars where so many soldiers, bodies were terribly damaged, that people began to let go of the concept that a body needs to be intact to spend eternity in heaven. But it was a very slow adoption. It wasn't overnight that folks saw cremation as a perfectly fine thing to do. So that was a little truth stretching on my part.

[D]

I just thought it would be hilarious, like the idea of Arthur Sullivan drunkenly dancing with someone's dead aunt's urn. It is, because it is hilarious.

[C]

Right now, everyone that I know who runs a small business is trying to tighten their budgets, get spending under control, and find ways to just make their lives easier. And I convinced a friend who owns a fancy dog things store to use Gusto. She was spending so much time figuring out payroll, doing so many boring, time consuming tasks that I was never seeing her anymore. She's now kicking herself that she didn't try it sooner. Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It's all in one remote, friendly and incredibly easy to use, so you can pay, hire onboard and support your team from anywhere. My previous company used Gusto for everything hr. It was easy for them, easy for me to track down my W2s, get all of my tax info. It's tax season, folks. You're going to want to find all of that easily. I could download any tax form from any year that I worked there if I wanted to, which was very helpful. Helpful. I didn't have to dig through my

[D]

own terribly organized files at home.

[C]

Gusto provides automatic payroll tax filing, health benefits, workers comp, simple direct deposits, 401k info, and you get unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price with no hidden fees. You also get access to certified HR experts. To make running your business even easier, try gusto [e-mail] Victorian and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months free [e-mail] Victorian Again, Gusto.com Victorian oh, okay.

[D]

This next trip to me was one

[C]

of the trickiest and spookiest in episode 49 about England's most haunted houses.

[D]

I put so much work into the

[C]

sounds here and literally was bouncing up

[D]

and down in my seat to make it sound like I was running. Toby was very concerned while I was recording this. Come with me to one of the

[C]

most haunted houses in England. And if you would, follow me up to the door of this sweet little cottage in Essex. I want to show you something. It's actually not the 1800s we've come to. It's the early 1970s. I don't tend to travel outside the 19th century. I don't think I've ever taken you anywhere else. But tonight I am making a special exception. And I haven't brought us any drinks or snacks because we are not staying long. It's 1972, it's 10pm and luckily for us, nobody locked their doors in the 70s in this town. So we are just going to go ahead and let ourselves in. Wow.

[D]

Dig the witch Prison tangerine shag carpet.

[C]

That is astounding. Okay, follow me. We're going to pop a crouch or a kneel realistically behind this plaid tobacco infused couch. The room is lit by a single dusty lamp in the corner. They must have forgot to turn off the record player. Oh, check out this ashtray. It's one of those thick glass murder weapons. Same color as the carpet. So chic. Okay, the family is home. A mother and father are upstairs getting ready for bed. And their son is upstairs too. Okay, shh. Someone is coming down the stairs. It's a young boy. Boy, maybe 12, 13. That's him slamming himself against the walls of the stairwell every step he's taking. Something is very wrong with this boy. Okay, get down under the couch. You can still see him. He just sat down on the carpet. He's got a matchbook in his hand. Okay, get ready to run. Okay. He just lit the match and threw it on the carpet that he's sitting on. Okay, take my hand. We're getting out of here. Okay. You can see through the window. The mother just ran down and saw what's happening. She's running back up. The father is now coming down and. And he's blasting the room with a fire extinguisher. Okay, okay. Walk with me back over the street. It's okay for now. Toby was also very concerned at the

[D]

noises I was making while creating the voice of the possessed kid in that clip, like, banging himself down the stairs. I was legitimately winded too, by the way, with all the bouncing I was doing in my chair at the end there. Okay, man, this one was tough.

[C]

Episode 51, the Woolfork Family massacre. One of the very most horrifying events in all of American history. I was really challenging myself with this one.

[D]

When I say that every voice that isn't mine is mine, that's actually not 100% true. Not every single voice that you hear

[C]

on the show is me. Like crying babies, screaming crowds, I find those in my sound effects libraries.

[D]

But my God, the amount of crying babies, screaming women, screaming children I had

[C]

to search through for this gave me nightmares for days.

[D]

Enjoy.

[C]

And if you would follow me through this back gate across this patio area behind this Greek Revival home, I want to show you something. Don't get too close. Just look through the window. It's 9pm August 5, 1887, Bibb County, Georgia, and we are the home of the Woolfork family who are enjoying. Ouch. Damn it. Mosquitoes. I almost forgot. I brought us some spray. Here. Get your ankles and your elbows. These bastards will suck your elbows to the bone. Someone told me the mosquito was Georgia's state bird, so I made sure to bring the spray and some deodorant. I'm just gonna give that guy's dirty work a little smear. I swear to God, if you didn't already know, antiperspirant will erase mosquito bites. It's miraculous. All right. As I was saying, the family is enjoying a little entertainment Courtesy of Richard Jr. That's him on the fiddle there. The parlor is lit with dim lamps. Little Annie, Rosebud and Charlie are holding hands and swinging around in a circle. Maddie is 10, Rosebud seven and little Charlie is five. Maddie and Richard, Tom's stepmother and father, are fondly looking at the scene. Maddie holds a little baby in her arms. Arms. And Tom's 84 year old aunt is, I think, passed out in the corner in a rocking chair. It appears must be past her bedtime. It's already past my bedtime.

[D]

That's no Judgments.

[C]

And although the lamps are dim, you can just make out the searing rage in the eyes of Tom back there in the corner, watching them all from the shadows. His eyes have all the seemings of a demon's. That is dreaming, wouldn't you say? Oh, God. He just stormed off quite dramatically. The family looks quite startled there. They're probably often on the edge with that guy. Looks like they're all packing it in. Okay, follow me. We are not sneaking into to this house. We're just gonna go around the side where we can see into the mother and father's bedroom. They're having a tense conversation. Oh, little Maddie Junior's getting fussy. Okay, stand back. Tom just busted through the door with an axe in his hand. And he just swung at his father's head. He's fallen onto the bed. Maddie's backing away, holding the baby tightly. He just cracked the axe into her head as well. She's fallen to the floor with the baby. Turn away. Don't look. He just slammed the axe down on the little baby's skull. He's finishing off his father. His sister just ran in and. Come away with me. We are not staying for the rest of any of this.

[D]

God, that was so brutal.

[C]

Part of the reason why I don't

[D]

cover only true crime is because it can really take a toll on you.

[C]

I'm interested in true crime.

[D]

I love true crime and I want

[C]

to tell victims stories, but it can be really hard to do that every week and like dig into these kinds of stories as. As deeply as I like to. I just always hope I'm doing it with as much compassion as I can. Okay, this next one is from episode 53, about Mary Shelley. It took me a long time to do an episode on her because I had never personally heard her story told in a way that I found compelling. Even though she is such a fascinating person, I wasn't sure if I could do her justice. But this turned out to be one

[D]

of my very favorite episodes.

[C]

And in this trip, we found Mary and Percy in her mother's graveyard. If you would follow me through this cemetery gate, I believe we'll find Mary enjoying a book with her mother by lantern light. It's June 26, 1814. And the moon, moon is big and bright tonight. Mary spent a lot of time in the churchyard where her mother was buried day and night from a very young age. She would say she were, quote, going to the tomb to read in her journal. Let's just nestle behind this crypt. She shouldn't be able to Hear us from over here. Jimmy. Hello, love. You nearly scared the freckles off of me. What do you do doing here?

[E]

I've been waiting for you.

[C]

What?

[E]

You're over 50 episodes into a Victorian podcast. I knew you'd get to Mary sooner or later. I also love coming here as well. Got family in and about. Love to chat too.

[C]

Oh, that's lovely. Well, we're not going to interrupt what's about to happen, but I suppose I should warn you, the cemetery is about to get a bit steamy.

[E]

Oh la la. Is Percy on his way?

[C]

Indeed. And it appears he's right on time. Percy Shelley has just arrived to what I can only describe as my most vivid teenage goth date fantasy. Mary and Percy are on a date in a lantern lit cemetery. And it is here. Oh. That he has taken her hand. And although it is dark, you can see a single tear lit by the moon is rolling down her cheek upon her mother's grave. 16 year old Mary Godwin and 21 year old Percy Shelley have professed their love for one another. Percy is holding her hand to his heart and he is reading a poem to her. Here, I brought tissues, Jimmy.

[E]

Thank you.

[C]

The poem that he is reading is called To Mary, who died in this opinion and it reads, Maiden quench the glare of sorrow struggling in thine haggard eye firmness dare to borrow from the wreck of destiny, for the ray morn's bloom revealing can never boast so bright a hue as that which mocks concealing

[D]

and sheds its loveliest light on you.

[C]

You know this one, Jimmy?

[E]

By our.

[C]

Oh.

[E]

My wife lost her whole family to tuberculosis a while back before we were married. And although I am not of a particular persuasion, she had always been such a dear protective friend to me and I wanted to be sure she was looked after. The day after the last funeral of a mother, I offered her my aunt. And from our separate bits on our wedding night, I read this poem to her.

[C]

Oh, Jimmy, she's a very lucky lady.

[E]

My best friend she is. She calls herself my lavender lady.

[C]

Oh. Oh yes. Well, Mary and Percy are getting rather close upon her mother's grave. I think it's time we make our way back to the gate and give these crazy kids some privacy. Always wonderful to run into you, Jimmy.

[E]

And you both loves.

[C]

See you in the next cemetery. Incidentally, lavender marriages are making a comeback. Personally, I am taking applications myself.

[D]

I thought it would be fun to include Jimmy too in this one. Again, I love his protectiveness and selflessness.

[C]

I still can't listen to that episode without crying. Just reading her poetry is so profoundly darkly beautiful. It touches my soul so deeply. So those were just a few of our little trips together that I hope that you enjoyed just as much as I. I do. I will be back with our usually creepy content next week. Until then, be kind to yourselves and I will see you in your nightmares.