Extra Sneak Peak!

Summary

My Victorian Nightmare – Extra Sneak Peek!
Host: Genevieve Manion
Episode Date: October 27, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this special “Extra Sneak Peek!” episode, Genevieve Manion introduces fans to a taste of the Patreon-exclusive content—delving into a dark, true crime story from Victorian-era New York. The episode explores the grisly murder of William Bachman, the subsequent sensational trial, and foiled prison escapes, all capturing the macabre curiosity and layered emotional complexities of Victorian life. Manion reads from an 1871 Buffalo Courier Express article and narrates the events with storytelling flair, focusing on morbid details and the social dynamics surrounding the crime.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Exclusive Content (09:43)

• Genevieve explains that Patreon members receive extra true crime stories weekly, including the one featured in this sneak peek: “a tale of cold blooded murder, ashes, bones, bombshell accusations in the courtroom and not one but two foiled prison escape attempts.”
• Theme: The episode emphasizes the dark, sensational, and often bizarre aspects of Victorian life and justice.

2. The Case: The Murder of William Bachman

Newspaper Account (02:47–04:39)

• Manion reads an excerpt from an 1871 newspaper detailing community fascination with the “Trial of Marlow for the murder of Bachmann.”
• Notable Quote:

  “A large crowd of people assembled in the courtroom on the morning of the opening, and the attendance on each succeeding day has been equally large... all that the prosecution have to substantiate the fearful charge against him is the chain of circumstantial evidence that appears to surround him.”
  (Buffalo Courier Express, read at 03:09–04:20)

Background & Relationships (04:53–06:10)

• Charles Marlow, a hard-working German immigrant brewer, lived at his brewery with extended family (wife, children, sister-in-law, mother-in-law).
• Another worker, Valentine Benkowski, also lived there.
• William Bachman, a stranger (or distant acquaintance), arrives at the brewery in August 1871, supposedly carrying a large sum of money.

The Day of the Murder (05:49–07:31)

• Bachman flaunted his cash in town, drawing attention.

• Charles, possibly driven by debt, brings him back for drinks.

• Valentine witnesses Charles and William go to the cellar; after a gunshot, Charles emerges bloodied.

  Notable Moment:
  “It freaked him out, and he ran out of the building... he [later] noticed that the basement was incredibly hot.”
  (07:39–08:13)

Discovery & Arrest (08:19–09:01)

• Valentine discovers a burning furnace with human remains (bones, arm).
• Charles is arrested after police uncover further remains and Bachman's personal items nearby.

3. The Sensational Trial

Testimony & Evidence (09:59–12:01)

• Valentine testifies, becoming key witness.
• The coroner’s jury (a group of local peers) investigates, leading to Marlow and his wife Augusta being charged.
• Insight: The coroner’s jury often stepped in where forensic science was lacking, blending communal judgment and legal process.

The Mother-in-Law Twist (12:15–13:40)

• Charles’s defense attorney claims Charles’s mother-in-law is the real murderer.

• Charles's daughter testifies that her grandmother killed Bachman with a hammer after an altercation, aided by her mother, and that her father was absent.

  Notable Quote:
  “I believe Charles is innocent and in fact it was you.” (Attorney to Charles’s mother at 12:46)

• The jury is deadlocked; a mistrial is declared.

4. Retrials, Escape Attempts, and Confession (13:40–15:41)

• After retrial, Charles is convicted and sentenced to hang.

• He attempts two prison escapes—once via a smuggled saw, again by attacking a guard.

• The night before execution, Charles confesses:

  • He poisoned Bachman's beer with strychnine, then killed him with an iron bar when poison failed.
  • He dismembered the body with his wife’s help and burned the remains.
  • He admits he would have also killed Valentine had he suspected anything.

  Notable Quotes:

  • “He made a full confession to the murder of William Bachman. He confessed that he brought him back to the brewery with the intention of killing him and stealing his money.” (14:50–15:02)
  • “He claimed to have given William a glass of beer that was laced with strychnine. He said William began to have seizures and spasms, but wasn’t dying, so he grabbed an iron bar and hit him over the head until he died.” (15:04–15:09)

5. Macabre Public Execution (15:36–15:53)

• The execution draws a massive public crowd; the sheriff has to arrange viewers “like in a school picture” so everyone can see.
• Charles Marlow is hanged after a 7-foot drop on March 29, 1872.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Atmosphere in Courtroom:
  “The courtroom gasp was no doubt heard around the world.” (12:54)
• On Public Spectacle:
  “There were so many people there to view it that the sheriff told folks in the front that they would have to kneel to allow others in the back to see, like in a school picture. Oh, goodness.” (15:41–15:53)
• On Coroner’s Juries:
  “These were neighbors, peers in town that would be called to assist the coroner in coming to a conclusion as to what happened.” (10:47–11:03)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 00:23 | Host begins episode, sets the mood | | 01:35 | Explains Patreon/Fan Coven exclusive content | | 02:47 | Reads 1871 newspaper article excerpt | | 04:53 | Begins narrative retelling of the crime | | 07:39 | Discovery of murder and furnace incident | | 09:59 | Coroner’s jury and early investigation | | 12:15 | Sensational trial and dramatic accusations | | 13:40 | Escape attempts and confession | | 15:41 | Public execution and aftermath |

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Summary & Takeaway

Genevieve Manion’s retelling of the William Bachman murder exemplifies the Victorian era’s lurid fascination with crime, communal justice, and public spectacle. Blending historical sources with immersive storytelling, the episode delivers both eery entertainment and insight into the dark corners of 19th-century society, making it a perfect fit for listeners spellbound by true crime and the macabre.

Transcript

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[Narrator/Host 1]

Just yesterday I was talking to a.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Friend about how much I loved the IT movies, the most recent ones, and.

[Narrator/Host 1]

How genuinely terrified I was, especially of the first one. And that's not easy with me anymore. I don't get scared of horror movies easily, but I loved every single goosebump I got from those films. And so I am so, so excited.

[Narrator/Host 2]

To announce HBO Max's Original series welcome to Derry, a whole series that explores the origins of Pennywise, set in the 60s, 27 years before the Losers Club was formed. I love no nothing more than a.

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Chilling backstory to my favorite horror characters.

[Narrator/Host 2]

So I've been waiting on bated breath.

[Narrator/Host 1]

For this series to come out and they have a companion podcast with hosts.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Mark Bernardin and Princess Weeks. Mark is a TV and comic book.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Writer, podcaster, professional nerd, his words, not mine, and journalist. Princess is a pop culture critic and horror movie lover.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Like me, I'm over the moon.

[Narrator/Host 1]

I get to watch the series, then listen to cool spooky people unpack every.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Single detail on every episode. You will hear from the creators themselves, Andy and Barbara Muschietti, as well as cast members.

[Narrator/Host 1]

This is exactly what I want for Halloween.

[Narrator/Host 2]

New episodes drop every week after every episode airs on HBO Max. Stream new episodes of HBO's It welcome to Derry Sundays on HBO Max and listen to the it welcome to Derry official podcast. Wherever you get your spooky podcasts. Hello friends. I thought that I'd share a little sneak peek of the extras included with the fan coven. Apart from witchy content, I also post these murdery little Victorian true crime stories every single week and this one is quite intriguing. Just go to myvictorianightmare.com to join if you want to hear more. Hello friends. For today's extra, I have for you a tale of cold blooded murder, ashes, bones, bombshell accusations in the courtroom and not one but two foiled prison escape attempts. This is the murder of William Bachman. First we'll read the article which comes to us from the Buffalo Courier Express from 1871 called Burned in a Furnace.

[Narrator/Host 1]

And then we will dig into the details.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Details, the article reads. The attention and deepest interest of this community have been for the past five days centered in the Trial of Marlow for the murder of Bachmann. The circumstances of this terrible crime are too well known to require another recital. A detailed account of the affair was published in the Express and the time of its occurrence. Therefore, I will merely state that the charge against the prisoner, which is a well to do brewer of this village, is of murder in the degree. Backman was a stranger in the village and visited Marlow's brewery on the 15th of last August, and it is alleged that he was there murdered, thrown into the furnace and burned up. The facts that have since transpired seem to indicate that he had a large sum of money on his person. The case, from the very first created the most intense excitement, and its peculiar phases have been the general topics of conversation since the commencement of the trial last Wednesday. A large crowd of people assembled in the courtroom on the morning of the opening, and the attendance on each succeeding day has been equally large. Charles Marlow, the accused, is a man who at first sight interests you in his favor. He is of medium height, rather slender in form, and his smooth face wears an expression by no means disagreeable or sinister. As he appeared in the courtroom on the first day of the trial, you could not find anything, anything in his demeanor indicating guilt or fear. The reputation that he has borne for years is not that of an evil doer. And all that the prosecution have to substantiate the fearful charge against him is the chain of circumstantial evidence that appears to surround him. End quote.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Goodness. This was just an excerpt of that article. It was actually quite long, detailing the trial of Charles Marlow for the ghastly.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Murder of William Bachman. Let's dig into the details.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Mr. Charles Marlow was a German immigrant.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Who operated a small brewery out of his home just outside of Jamestown, New York in 1871. He lived in the brewery with his.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Wife, two children, his wife's sister and his mother in law. He was by all accounts hard working and managed the brewery for two years.

[Narrator/Host 2]

But in 1871, the business was becoming deep debt. Another man named Valentine Benkowski, both also.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Lived and worked in the brewery, and according to his account, a Mr. William.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Bachman came to spend the night at the brewery in August of that year.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Now, it's a little unclear if William Bachman already kind of knew Charles Marlow or if the brewery was just kind of like operating as an inn and they just simply met that night. But it is likely that if they did know one another, they didn't know each other. Well.

[Narrator/Host 2]

First thing in the morning, will William.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Bachman Had a glass of beer for breakfast and skedaddled. He went out to take care of.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Some business around town.

[Narrator/Host 1]

That's when Charles sidled up to Valentine and told him that their visitor said that he had $6,000 burning a hole in his pocket and he wanted William to keep an eye on it for him while he was out. William, who again didn't even really know this guy, became pretty suspicious of him and was like, how about you go ahead and look after that rough $150,000 in today's money yourself? Not understanding why some random guy who didn't even know him that well was asking him to do this. It all just seemed a little fishy, like, where did you get that cash that you don't seem to be too protective of? Suffice it to say, Charles started rethinking a bit and realized, A, this guy might be serious, and B, maybe he didn't just, like, knock off a bank, and maybe he's just really stup. Turns out he was right on both accounts. William had come to town to buy up some pretty expensive properties and land with the cash. And he was moseying around town with a big fat wallet, pulling it out in public, slapping it on the bar in the saloon. People were really noticing him and probably thinking that he better watch his back. Charles had gone out to find him and bring him back to the brewery for a drink. Valentine Benkowski, the other guy that lived in the brewery, he saw them come back in and he was like side eyeing Charles, like, what do you have in mind here, dude?

[Narrator/Host 2]

And he noticed that they went down to the cellar.

[Narrator/Host 1]

After not too much time, he heard.

[Narrator/Host 2]

The sound of a gunshot.

[Narrator/Host 1]

It freaked him out, and he ran out of the building and stayed out of there for a little while, but he came back in and calmed down a bit. It's hard to tell if he was afraid of getting killed himself by Charles because he was a witness. But nevertheless, like I said, he went back into the house. He Charles coming back up through the cellar door covered in blood. Charles didn't give any details about what happened in Valentine, just kind of pretended he didn't see anything. And when Charles went upstairs, Valentine noticed that the stairs to the basement had been cleaned, likely by Charles. He also noticed that the basement was incredibly hot.

[Narrator/Host 2]

He went downstairs to discover that the.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Furnace was burning something big. It was then that Valentine realized it.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Must be William burning in the furnace.

[Narrator/Host 1]

So he busted a move out of there and he didn't come back. He grabbed his things quickly and took a train to Dunkirk, New York. He didn't tell police but he did tell some random dudes what happened. Enough random dudes that in not too much time the police heard about it from other people. The police came looking for him for questioning and he spilled the beans. The cops showed up on Charles doorstep and arrested him. They searched the furnace and found in.

[Narrator/Host 2]

The ashes human bone as well as a full arm.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Blood was also found all over the cellar and all over the side room in the basement. They also found a barrel full of ashes next to the house where they also found more bone, full fingers, toes and a skull. So he had already attempted to do some cleaning up, but clearly he didn't do a very thorough they also found some buttons and two ivory bosom studs that were similar to ones witnesses saw.

[Narrator/Host 2]

William waring around town.

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[Narrator/Host 1]

Learn [e-mail] Charles was charged with murder. Valentine was brought back to testify before the coroner's jury who went through the house to see everything that was found. Charles mother in law testified right there that she had suspicions about something terrible happening in the basement. Although the rest of his family refused to speak to the cops or the coroner's jury, the jury came to the conclusion that Marlow shot William Bachman and that his wife Augusta was an accomplice. How they came to that conclusion is a bit unclear, but I'm sure it didn't help that she refused to say anything while his mother in law was.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Pretty open to it.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Now real quick, I have discussed coroner's juries on the show, but just in case you're not familiar with exactly who.

[Narrator/Host 2]

These folks were, these were neighbors, peers.

[Narrator/Host 1]

In town that would be called to assist the coroner in coming to a conclusion as to what happened. In presumed murder cases, they would go to the crime scene, they would listen to witnesses there, they would work with.

[Narrator/Host 2]

The coroner to determine what really happened.

[Narrator/Host 1]

And if someone should be tried for murder. When forensic science was still very much in its infancy as it was in this time, it was helpful to have more folks than just the coroner to determine exactly what may have happened. So that was the purpose of the coroner's jury and they came to the conclusion that he should be tried for.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Murder on 12 counts along with his wife.

[Narrator/Host 1]

The counts ranged from murder by gunshot, potentially murder by stabbing, striking with a hammer, striking with an axe, burning, and a number of other potential means of murder.

[Narrator/Host 2]

And it's an interesting detail that some.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Of those charges were just like in case. In other words, if further investigation were to prove that the gun didn't actually kill him, then it must have been the axe or the hammer. But it was understood that a number of those accusations would be dismissed. They were just made in case. I find that kind of like an interesting detail.

[Narrator/Host 2]

So Marlow and his wife were arrested and their trial began on September 20, 1871. Evidence of what was found in the furnace was presented to the jury. Testimony was given by neighbors about an.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Acrid black smoke coming out of the furnace that day. But Valentine Benkowski's testimony was the most damning. He said he saw both William and.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Charles go down to the cellar.

[Narrator/Host 1]

He heard the shot, saw Charles covered in blood, etc. Charles's attorney in his defense brought in the trap door to the cellar as evidence to show that the sound of it slamming shut was indistinguishable from the.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Sound of a gunshot.

[Narrator/Host 1]

But he didn't deny that it was.

[Narrator/Host 2]

The body of William Bachman found in the furnace.

[Narrator/Host 1]

And in a startling Hollywood style courtroom bombshell accusation, he turned to Charles's mother and said, I believe Charles is innocent and in fact it was you. And the courtroom gasp was no doubt heard around the world.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Charles's daughter gave a testimony that indeed.

[Narrator/Host 1]

It was her grandmother that did it. She said that Marlow was actually not loaded with money. And in fact, when her father had stepped out for a bit after bringing William back to the house for a drink, William tried to steal money from his wife and. And when she refused to give it to him, he threw her on the ground. She said her grandmother then pulled him off of her daughter, grabbed a hammer and cracked him over the head with it.

[Narrator/Host 2]

She said both her mother and grandmother.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Dragged him to the furnace and lit it up.

[Narrator/Host 2]

She testified that her father had no.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Idea what happened to William after he returned from stepping out for a bit. This threw the jury for a loop and they were deadlocked. The judge called a mistrial and Marlow was then taken back to jail to await another trial. After his second trial, he was found guilty. They weren't buying the mother in law story at all. He was sentenced to hang. And while he was back in prison, a few days before his execution, a tiny little saw was found in his cell, and one of the bars was partially sawed through. They believed that it was his son who smuggled in an apple with a tiny little saw blade in it. They just put him in another cell. He tried to escape again, though. He. He bunched up some bedding and made it look like he was lying in bed. And when the guard came in to wake him up, because he wasn't moving, Marlow used a bedpost to club the guard over the head. He beat the man pretty terribly, but luckily other guards ran into his aid before he could kill him and before he could escape. He was put in permanent irons until his execution. He maintained his innocence right up until.

[Narrator/Host 2]

The night before his execution. He made a full confession to the murder of William Bachman. He confessed that he brought him back to the brewery with the intention of killing him and stealing his money.

[Narrator/Host 1]

He claimed to have given William a.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Glass of beer that was laced with strychnine. He said William began to have seizures.

[Narrator/Host 1]

And spasms, but wasn't dying, so he grabbed an iron bar and hit him over the head until he died. He then dismembered the body in that side room and brought the pieces to the furnace.

[Narrator/Host 2]

One by one.

[Narrator/Host 1]

He told his wife about the murder, and she helped him dispose of the ashes and bones.

[Narrator/Host 2]

He also admitted that he would have killed Valentine if he had any idea.

[Narrator/Host 1]

That he was suspicious. He genuinely thought Valentine had no idea.

[Narrator/Host 2]

What he had done.

[Narrator/Host 1]

Marlo was hanged in the jail yard.

[Narrator/Host 2]

Which was attended by the public.

[Narrator/Host 1]

And there were so many people there to view it that the sheriff told folks in the front that they would have to kneel to allow others in the back to see, like in a school picture. Oh, goodness.

[Narrator/Host 2]

He died quickly, dropping 7ft on March 29, 1872. And that was the story of the murder of William Bachman.