My Victorian Nightmare

Ep. 90 – Cheeseman Park HAUNTINGS & The Plaistow Horror

Host: Genevieve Manion
Release Date: April 13, 2026

Overview of Episode Theme

Genevieve delves into two dark corners of Victorian-era history: the lingering ghosts of Denver’s Cheeseman Park—a public space reputedly haunted by thousands of displaced Victorian spirits—and a shocking, little-known true crime from 1895 East London, known as "The Plaistow Horror." This episode explores how Victorian attitudes toward death, crime, and the supernatural continue to cast eerie shadows even today, with characteristic respect, wit, and grim fascination.

Cheeseman Park Hauntings: The Living Dead Under Denver’s Green Fields

Setting the Scene (10:00)

• Genevieve thanks listener Brianna for requesting a deep dive into Cheeseman Park.
• The park is built on the former Mount Prospect Cemetery, where thousands of bodies still lie beneath the grass.

Key Historical Points

• Origins as a Cemetery:
  • 1858: General William Larimer founds Denver; sets aside land for Mount Prospect Cemetery.
  • Early burials include executed criminals like John Stoffel.
  • Over 600 bodies buried by 1866, mostly the poor and victims of disease.

"Think about how difficult life was with just Covid. Imagine eight COVIDs at once, these poor people."
– Genevieve (15:46)

• Neglect and Decline:

  • The cemetery falls into disrepair, with cows grazing among tombstones.
  • Ownership confusion: originally Arapaho land; deeded to Denver in 1872.
  • Divided into religious/fraternal sections—Catholic, Jewish, Masonic, Civil War veterans, etc.
  • Reports of internal Mason conflicts over burial plots, possibly leading to hauntings by feuding ghostly lodges.

• Mass Graves:

  • “Pest Place” asylum hospital fills mass graves with the indigent, sick, and abandoned.

• Conversion to Park:

  • 1890: Decision made to clear cemetery for park land; families have 90 days to remove remains at personal expense. Few manage to do so; thousands are left unclaimed.

The Gruesome Removal Attempt (21:00)

• The city hires undertaker E.P. McGovern to remove bodies.
  • Paid by the coffin: $1.90 per body.
  • Provided boxes are child-sized; he hacks apart adult remains to fit, potentially to inflate the body count or as a consequence of poor planning.

"It just looks like the city cheaped out on boxes and ended up spending far more than they would have if they just gave him properly sized boxes.... Bodies were being hacked to pieces and strewn asunder to fill them in the tiny boxes..."
– Genevieve (24:10)

• Open graves and human remains are looted by souvenir hunters.
• Despite official claims, thousands of bodies remain. Modern construction occasionally uncovers skeletons—last reported in 2010.

Ongoing Hauntings & Local Lore (28:12)

• Reputed phenomena include:

  • Grass growing in grave-shaped rectangles—outlines visible in dry weather.
  • Restless, transparent children and a female apparition who vanishes if approached.
  • Notable Paranormal Anecdote: Reports of temporary paralysis when lying on the grass; possible “spirit attachment” inspired by Victorian-era séance lore.

• The ghost known as "Slackjaw":

  • Described as a pale man with a broken jaw in a bloodied hospital gown, accompanied by a boy on a vintage bicycle.
  • Slackjaw asks for a cigarette, warns about his murderers, reveals stab wounds, and disappears into the night.

"Now, to be fair, this sounds like a Wednesday in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, but I'll just take this guy's word for it—he believes that this ghost is out there looking for his killers."
– Genevieve (33:30)

The Plaistow Horror: The Murder of Emily Harrison Coombs

Introduction and Setting (36:40)

• Listener Siobhan suggests this true crime case, new even to the host.
• July 1895: In Plaistow, London, neighbors worry over Emily Coombs' absence as her two sons, Robert (13) and Nathaniel (10), are seen alone in their home.

Key Events in the Crime (38:00 onwards)

• Multiple neighbors and a relative, Emily Coombs (the aunt), sense something amiss. Despite a foul odor and evasive boys, it takes several visits before she forces entry into the house.
• After dodging questions and attempted escapes, they finally discover Emily Coombs’ decaying body locked in her bedroom—dead for over a week.

"In a later testimony about how things unfolded after she banged on the door again she said, when the door was opened, 'it was a man, I think. I could not be sure.' ...This time she didn't wait for any explanations, didn't ask any questions. Luckily she just barged right in..."
– Genevieve (41:53)

• Graphic Atmosphere: Genevieve walks listeners down a flowery Victorian street, contrasting cozy details with the house’s horrible secret.

Robert Coombs: Troubled Young Murderer (47:25)

• Robert, a forceps birth, suffered lifelong headaches and a pronounced skull injury.
• Early fascination with Jack the Ripper and “penny dreadful” murder stories.
• Missed school to attend murder trials; otherwise, neighbors labeled him only “sullen” or “morose,” not malicious.

The Killing and Aftermath (50:00)

• On July 7, 1895, after Emily allegedly beats Nathaniel, Robert sleeps in her bed, waits until she sleeps, bludgeons and stabs her in the heart.

• Stays in bed with her body; covers her up and locks the door in the morning.

• Pays the rent, lies to neighbors, attends cricket games, and covers the corpse in quicklime—likely knowledge gained from a previous murder trial.

• Solicits John Fox, a mentally challenged dock worker, to look after him.

• Attempts fraud: forges letters for money, pawns items.

"'Dear Mr. Shaw, I received your letter on last Tuesday. I think I will get hung, but I do not care as long as I get a good breakfast before they hang me. If they do not hang me, I think I will commit suicide. That will do just as well. I will strangle myself.'"
– Robert’s letter from jail (01:02:00)

Arrest and Institutionalization (01:04:00)

• Robert: admits crime to his aunt and police, exhibits strange affect, and displays wild mood swings.
• Examined by doctors; reports of “voices,” unequal pupils, emotional instability.
• Defense argues “homicidal mania” due to adolescent brain injury, not sociopathy or simple evil.
• Jury deems him not guilty by insanity; sent to Broadmoor Hospital, the youngest inmate at the time.

After Broadmoor: Unexpected Redemption (01:08:00)

• Released 17 years later, emigrates to Australia.
  • Fights for Australian forces in WWI, earns the Military Medal for bravery.
  • Lives peacefully, teaches music, adopts a son, dies at 67.

"Despite the premeditation... I can't feel anything other than sadness for this boy and his brother. These are complicated feelings. Sometimes we feel like we're not respecting victims enough if we're not condemning their killers."
– Genevieve (01:10:00)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Victorian Death Culture:

  "There's something so disquieting about a forgotten graveyard to me, like discovering that you're sitting atop someone's final resting place by noticing the outline of the dead grass around you."
  – Genevieve (19:50)

• On Listener Culture:

  "If anyone invited me for a Friday the 13th Valentine's Day seance when I was in high school, I would likely still be married to them. That is the most precious date idea I have ever heard."
  – Genevieve (08:06)

Noteworthy Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 10:00 | Introduction to Cheeseman Park Hauntings | | 16:00 | Disease and death among Denver’s poor | | 21:00 | The gruesome exhumations and undertaker ethics | | 28:12 | Modern haunting reports from park and ‘Slackjaw’ ghost story | | 36:40 | Introduction to the Plaistow Horror | | 38:00 | Discovery of the crime and Victorian attitudes | | 47:25 | Robert Coombs’ childhood, head injuries, and obsessions | | 50:00 | Details of the murder and cover-up | | 01:02:00 | Robert’s letter from prison; emotional turmoil | | 01:04:00 | Trial, verdict, and diagnosis | | 01:08:00 | Robert’s later life, heroism, and death |

Closing Reflection

Genevieve highlights the complexity of both stories: Cheeseman Park as a living reminder of Victorian-era neglect and disrespect for the marginalized dead, and the Plaistow Horror as a tragic interplay of psychological fragility, societal blind spots, and the hope that redemption can find even those deemed irredeemable by their times.

If you appreciate dark Victorian history with insight and wit, Genevieve’s invitation is to explore more on her website or join the Fan Coven for ad-free episodes, extras, and poetry.