Southern Mysteries Podcast

• Episode 173 The Forgotten Eleven of New Orleans

  In 1891, fear and anger in New Orleans boiled over after the murder of Police Chief David Hennessy. Within months, eleven Italian immigrants were dead, their lives taken by a mob in one of the darkest and most violent moments in American history. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we revisit the events that led to the tragedy 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected]  Episode Sources New Orleans Public Library – Records of the Board of Police Commissioners, 1890–1891 (detailing Hennessy’s murder, police leadership changes, and subsequent arrests). Library of Congress – Historic photographs of New Orleans docks and immigrant labor, 1891. Smithsonian Magazine – “New Orleans Apologizes for 1891 Lynching of Italian Americans” (April 2019). History.com – “The Grisly Story of America’s Largest Lynching” (2019). American Italian Cultural Center, New Orleans – Archival material on Italian immigration and the 2019 mayoral apology. New Orleans Times-Democrat, October 1890–March 1891 coverage (contemporary reporting on Hennessy’s murder, the trial, and the mob attack). United States Department of State – Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1891 (diplomatic correspondence with Italy following the lynchings). Reimagining Migration – “The Lynching of Italian Immigrants” (educational resource on anti-immigrant violence). Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) – The 1891 New Orleans Project (materials on commemoration and memorial efforts). John V. Baiamonte Jr. – “The Mafia and the 1891 New Orleans Lynching: The Question of Criminal Conspiracy” (Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, Vol. 21, No. 3, 1980). Italian Sons and Daughters of America – “Our Darkest Hour: Anarchy, a Lynch Mob and 11 Souls Lost.” All That’s Interesting – “The Tragic Story of the 1891 New Orleans’ Lynchings of Italians.” Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

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• Episode 172 The Chillingworth Murders

  In June 1955, Judge Curtis Chillingworth and his wife Marjorie vanished from their Manalapan, Florida, beach cottage. There were haunting clues, but no bodies were ever found. Their disappearance exposed corruption in Florida’s courts and led to the downfall of a fellow judge. Curtis was known for integrity, Marjorie for her quiet strength — together, they became the heart of one of Florida’s most infamous true crime cases. Their story, and its unexpected ties to the legend of Trapper Nelson, remains one of Florida’s most haunting mysteries. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected]  Episode Sources Palm Beach Bar Association. Memorial Resolution for Judge Curtis E. Chillingworth. (1965) palmbeachbar.org Florida Memory. Justice Curtis E. Chillingworth Temporary Appointment Bio. floridamemory.com The Charley Project. Curtis Eugene Chillingworth Case File. charleyproject.org The Charley Project. Marjorie McKinley Chillingworth Case File. charleyproject.org Crime + Investigation UK. Judge Joe Peel and the Chillingworth Murders. crimeandinvestigation.co.uk The Coastal Star. Manalapan 60 Years On: Chillingworth Murders Still Shocking. thecoastalstar.com Mental Floss. What Happened to Judge Curtis Chillingworth? mentalfloss.com Town of Manalapan. History of Incorporation and Harold S. Vanderbilt. manalapan.org Wikipedia. Curtis Chillingworth. wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Chillingworth Unlikely Friends — A municipal publication from Jupiter, FL, describing the unlikely friendship between Judge Curtis Chillingworth and Vincent “Trapper” Nelson.https://www.jupiter.fl.us/DocumentCenter/View/301/Judge-Chillingworth-Murder Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

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• Episode 171 Dark Hollow - A Mississippi Murder Mystery

  In February 1922, a road crew in rural Copiah County, Mississippi, stumbled upon a horrifying scene—a woman’s charred remains hidden in a ravine known as Dark Hollow. For two days, her identity was a mystery. When a child's discovery of a burned key ring offered a name, the investigation quickly escalated into one of Mississippi’s most shocking murder cases of the 1920s. This episode of Southern Mysteries unravels the tragic life and violent death of Ada Drury Converse. From a difficult upbringing and early motherhood to a string of marriages and financial success, Ada's life was marked by struggle—and, ultimately, betrayal. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected]  Episode Sources Feb 20, 1922 – Selma Woman Killed by Husband, Uncle Charges. The Selma Times-Journal, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Feb 23, 1922 – Sons of Mrs. Ada Drury Converse Held on Questioning of Death. The Montgomery Advertiser, Page 3 – Newspapers.com Feb 23, 1922 – Converse Held in Houston in Copiah Murder. Jackson Daily News, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Feb 26, 1922 – Mrs. Converse Wrote to Son Since Arrest. The Selma Times-Journal, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Mar 01, 1922 –  Sheriff Confident Milton Drury Killed His Mother. The Selma Times-Journal, Page 1 – Newspapers.com May 13, 1922 – Milton Drury Please Guilty to Murder of Mother. The Montgomery Advertiser, Page 1 – Newspapers.com May 19, 1922 – Drury Says Pleaded Guilty to Avoid Hangman’s Noose The Winona Times, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Sep 15, 1933 – Infamous Copiah Murderer Once Again at Liberty. Clarion-Ledger, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Sep 20, 1933 – Normal People Won’t Waste Sympathy on this Convict. Clarion-Ledger, Page 6 – Newspapers.com Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.  

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• Episode 170 Vanished in Camden - The Disappearance of Maud Crawford

  In 1957, Arkansas attorney Maud Crawford vanished from her home in Camden without a trace. Her disappearance became one of the state’s most enduring mysteries. This episode of Southern Mysteries examines Maud Crawford’s life, the corruption she uncovered, and the investigation that revealed what may have led to her disappearance. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected]  Episode Sources Maud Robinson Crawford – Encyclopedia of Arkansas Clyde Falwell Crawford (1894–1969) – Find a Grave Memorial Maud Robinson Crawford (1891-1957) - Find a Grave Memorial Maud R. Crawford (1891–1957) – Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame Maud Robinson Crawford – The Charley Project Cold Case, Southwest Arkansas: A Look at Two Unsolved Cases in the Region – [Arkansas True Crime Blog or Archive Source] “The Disappearance of Maud Crawford” – YouTube Small Town’s Biggest Secret: Author Says Arkansas Woman’s 1957 Disappearance Is Full of Corruption – KLRT FOX16 The Disappearance of Maud Crawford. Beth Brickell. https://www.amazon.com/Disappearance-Maud-Crawford-Beth-Brickell/dp/1628909587 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

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• Episode 169 The Bratcher Family Murders

  In the spring of 1955, the quiet community of Warren County, Tennessee was shattered by the brutal murders of the Bratcher family. Henry Bratcher, his wife Vassie, their young daughter Lily May, and toddler granddaughter Charlotte Ann were found dead on their family farm outside McMinnville. As the investigation unfolded, it became clear the killer was not a stranger. The case would become one of the most haunting crimes in Tennessee history. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we explore the lives of the Bratcher family, the events that led to their deaths, and how their loss changed a community forever. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected]  Episode Sources Four Found Slain in Warren. The Nashville Tennessean, March 28, 1955. 4 Found Slain in Warren; Murder Suspect is Jailed. Chattanooga Daily Times, March 28, 1955. Young Tennessee Farmer Confesses Brutal Slayings. Bristol Herald Courier, March 29, 1955. Warren July Called in Death. The Nashville Tennessean. March 30, 1955.  Gibbs Indicted in Warren Deaths. The Nashville Banner. April 2, 1955. Slayer of Four is Ordered to Asylum for Observation. Chattanooga Times, April 2, 1955. Trial on May 10 for Billy Gibbs. Chattanooga Times, May 3, 1955. Gibbs Blames Four Slayings on Drinking. Nashville Banner, May 25, 1955.  Billy Gibbs Dies in Electric Chair, Confessed Slayer of 4 in Warren. Chattanooga Times, May 7, 1957 Find A Grave. Henry Bratcher. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33581745/henry-bratcher Find A Grave. Vassie Fields Bratcher. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33581724/vassie-bratcher Find A Grave. Lily May Bratcher. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33581700/lily_may-bratcher  Find a Grave. Billy Thomas Gibbs. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136592059/billy_thomas-gibbs Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

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