Mysterious Pals

Did Matilda Rooney Spontaneously Combust? Episode #14

In 1885, on Christmas Day in Seneca, Illinois, USA, the bodies of Patrick and Matilda Rooney were found. Patrick died from asphyxiation, but Matilda's demise was mysterious—only her feet remained intact. The cause: a fire perhaps, but some have linked it to spontaneous human combustion. So did Matilda Rooney spontaneously combust?
Music
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
Social Links
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
Episode Resources
Moreno, Richard. Myths and Mysteries of Illinois. Rowman & Littlefield, 6 Aug. 2013.
‌“Therapeutic Gazette.” Google Books, G. S. Davis, 1889, books.google.com/books?id=u1U_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA387&dq=%22which+came+under+my+observation+while+coroner+of+La+Salle+County. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
‌“Is Spontaneous Human Combustion Real? | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/story/is-spontaneous-human-combustion-real.
‌“The Real Case of Spontaneous Combustion That Inspired a Death in Dickens’s Bleak House.” Www.mentalfloss.com, 20 Nov. 2018, www.mentalfloss.com/article/564288/charles-dickens-bleak-house-spontaneous-combustion-death.
‌“Ball Lightning Scientists Remain in the Dark.” New Scientist, www.newscientist.com/article/dn1720-ball-lightning-scientists-remain-in-the-dark/.
‌Radford, Benjamin. “Spontaneous Human Combustion: Facts & Theories.” Livescience.com, Live Science, 19 Dec. 2013, www.livescience.com/42080-spontaneous-human-combustion.html.
‌Francis, Matthew. “The Dirty Secret behind Ball Lightning Is Dirt.” Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2014, arstechnica.com/science/2014/01/the-dirty-secret-behind-ball-lightning-is-dirt/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
‌“Spontaneous Human Combustion.” Wikipedia, 2 Apr. 2022, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_human_combustion.
Images
Episode Thumbnail: Charles Dickens' Bleak House, MacMillan and Co, New-York London 1895 page 402
Background Video by Brett Sayles from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/lighted-christmas-tree-1708601/
About the Mysterious Pals
A mysterious show about history and friendship.

What happened to the keepers of Flannan Isles Lighthouse?-Episode #13

On December 15, 1900, a ship named the Archtor reported that the Flannan Isles Lighthouse was not operational in poor weather conditions. When the relief vessel, the Hesperus, docked to resupply the lighthouse on December 26, 1900, they found no trace of the three lighthouse keepers. So, what happened to the keepers of Flannan Isles Lighthouse?
Music
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
Social Links
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
Episode Resources (MLA)
"Flannan Isles Lighthouse " Archived 26 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
 Bathurst, B. (2000) [1999]. The Lighthouse Stevensons. London: Flamingo. p. 249. ISBN 978-0-00-653076-3. OCLC 59458072.
 Ben Johnson. "The mysterious disappearance of the Eilean Mor lighthouse keepers". Historic UK. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
 "Northern Lighthouse Board – Report by Superintendent". www.nlb.org.uk.
"Transcripts from documents related to the Flannan Isles mystery." Museum of Scottish Lighthouses/Wayback.
Munro, R. W. (1979). Scottish Lighthouses. Stornoway: the Thule Press. ISBN 978-0-906191-32-3. OCLC 8795307. OL 11371942M
Nicholson, C. P. (1995). Rock Lighthouses of Britain: The End of an Era?. Dunbeath: Whittles Publishing. pp. 168–179. ISBN 978-1-870325-41-7. OCLC 34354832.
Nicholson, Christopher (1995). Rock lighthouses of Britain The end of an era?. Whittles Publishing. pp. 58–59. ISBN 1-870325-41-9.
"Lighthouse Glossary of Terms". United States Lighthouse Society.
IMAGES
Episode Thumbnail: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/past-times/2764534/vanishing-men-the-mystery-of-the-flannan-isles-lighthouse-keepers/
ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS PALS
The Mysterious Pals is a mysterious show about history and friendship.

What Happened to Walter Collins?-Episode #12

Walter Collins was a nine-year-old boy who went missing in March 1928 in Los Angeles, California. His disappearance sparked a nationwide search, with a possible link to a serial killer, but he was never found alive.
Music
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
Social Links
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
Episode Resources (MLA)
 “THE OTHER SON.” Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2008, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-19-ca-changeling19-story.html.
‌“DeKalb Played Role in “Changeling” Hoax.” Chicago Tribune, 23 Nov. 2008, www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2008-11-23-0811220025-story.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
‌The Disappearance of Walter Collins: A Mother’s Undying Hope & the Wineville Chicken Coop Case – StMU Research Scholars. stmuscholars.org/the-disappearance-of-walter-collins-a-mothers-undying-hope-the-wineville-chicken-coop-case/#. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
‌Humanities, National Endowment for the. “The Washington Times. [Volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, December 04, 1928, Image 2.” Chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, 4 Dec. 1928, p. 2, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1928-12-04/ed-1/seq-2/ Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
‌“Healdsburg Tribune 2 October 1930 — California Digital Newspaper Collection.” Cdnc.ucr.edu, cdnc.ucr.edu. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
‌“The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders.” Crime Museum, www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/wineville-chicken-coop-murders/.
‌“Wineville Chicken Coop Murders.” Wikipedia, 15 Sept. 2023, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wineville_Chicken_Coop_murders. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
Herald Pub. Co. New Britain Herald. [Microfilm Reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, December 11, 1928, Second Section, Image 19. 11 Dec. 1928, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014519/1928-12-11/ed-1/seq-19
IMAGES
Episode Thumbnail: "But the ‘Prodigal Son’ Was Not Her Own" The Des Moines Register, 4 Nov. 1928, https://www.newspapers.com/image/127771682
ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS PALS
The Mysterious Pals is a mysterious show about history and friendship.

What happened to the children of Hamlin, Germany?-Episode #11

In the year 1284, the town of Hamelin, Germany was plagued by a terrible infestation of rats. The townspeople agreed to hire a mysterious piper who had come to town. However, after completing the job the townspeople refused to pay him the agreed upon sum. In revenge the pied piper played a tune that mesmerize the town's children and led them out of town never to be seen again. So what happened to the children of Hamlin, Germany?
 
MUSIC
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
SOCIAL LINKS
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
EPISODE RESOURCES
Ashliman, D. L. (ed.). "The Pied Piper of Hamelin and related legends from other towns". University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 29 December 2017.(https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/hameln.html#grimm245)
Dirckx JH. The pied Piper of Hamelin. A medical-historical interpretation. Am J Dermatopathol. 1980 Spring;2(1):39-45. doi: 10.1097/00000372-198000210-00007. PMID: 7018287.
Kadushin, Raphael (3 September 2020). "The grim truth behind the Pied Piper". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
Mieder, Wolfgang (11 August 2015). Tradition and Innovation in Folk Literature. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-37686-6.
Hüsam, Gernot (1990). Der Koppen-Berg der Rattenfängersage von Hameln [The Koppen hill of Pied Piper of Hamelin legend]. Coppenbrügge Museum Society.
Wolfers, D. (April 1965). "A Plaguey Piper". The Lancet. 285 (7388): 756–757. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(65)92112-4. PMID 14255255.
Russell, Frederick H. (1989). "Children's Crusade". In Strayer, Joseph R. (ed.). Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Vol. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 14–15.
IMAGES
Episode Thumbnail: Browning, Robert (1910) [1888] The Pied Piper of Hamelin, London: Frederick Warne and Company, pp. p. 41 (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Pied_Piper2.jpg&oldid=424583719)
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Beginning
00:13:23  - Introduction to the Mystery
00:31:49 - Common Theories
00:49:45 - Our Theories
01:09:16 - Closing
ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS PALS
The Mysterious Pals is a mysterious show about history and friendship.

Why was an Egyptian Mummy wrapped in an Etruscan Linen Book?-Episode #10

Why was an Egyptian Mummy wrapped in an Etruscan Linen Book? The Liber Linteus is dated to the 3rd century BCE and was used as mummy wrappings in Ptolemaic Egypt. Although the Etruscans were a people who inhabited Etruria in ancient Italy, prior to the Roman Empire. The mummy was bought as a souvenir in Egypt in 1848 and taken back to the new owner's home in Vienna. However, the wrappings were not discovered to be significant until 1877. How or why would a Estrucan linen book been used to wrap a mummy and what does it say?
 
MUSIC
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
SOCIAL LINKS
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
EPISODE RESOURCES
Tom Harris "How Mummies Work" 1 January 1970. HowStuffWorks.com. <https://science.howstuffworks.com/mummy.htm> 19 November 2023 
"Liber Linteus: The Mummy Wrapped in a Mystery." Ancient Origins, [Publisher if available], [Publication Date if available], https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/liber-linteus-002690.
van der Meer, L. B. (2007) Liber linteus zagrabiensis. The Linen Book of Zagreb. A Comment on the Longest Etruscan Text. Louvain/Dudley, MA
B. van der Meer Liber linteus zagrabiensis. The Linen Book of Zagreb. A Comment on the Longest Etruscan Text. Louvain/Dudley, MA 2007 pp. 28-43 et passim
IMAGE RESOURCES
Episode Thumbnail: Author Unknow, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liber_linteus_1.jpg)
Background Video by The Instagrapher from Pexels: www.pexels.com/video/pyramid-in-egypt-7492841
 

Who Was Jack the Ripper? Part 2-Episode #09

Who Was Jack the Ripper? In 1888, during Victorian-era London, a series of murders known as the Autumn of Terror took place. The gruesome killings sparked national fear. Letters written by a “Jack the Ripper”, who had intimate knowledge of the murders, taunted the police fueling the hysteria. The fact that the culprit was never caught remains one of history’s longest-lasting unsolved mysteries.
MUSIC
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
Welcome Back Music: “Cowboy Lullaby” by JHS Pedals via Youtube
SOCIAL LINKS
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
EPISODE RESOURCES
“Victorian Era - Wikipedia.” En.m.wikipedia.org, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era.
‌“Whitechapel.” Wikipedia, 3 Feb. 2022, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitechapel.
‌“Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Main.” Www.casebook.org, www.casebook.org.
‌“Jack the Ripper.” Wikipedia, 31 Dec. 2022, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper.
‌Junghandel, Craig. “Jack the Ripper.” Whitechapel Jack, 30 Sept. 2010, whitechapeljack.com/.
‌Jones, Richard. “Jack the Ripper - History, Victims, Letters, Suspects.” Jack-The-Ripper.org, Richard Jones, 2019, www.jack-the-ripper.org/.
‌“Jack the Ripper Suspects - JackTheRipper.” JackTheRipper, 2018, thejacktherippertour.com/casebook/suspects/.
ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS PALS
The Mysterious Pals is a mysterious show about history and friendship.

Who Was Jack the Ripper? Part 1-Episode #08

In this week’s episode we ask the question: Who Was Jack the Ripper? In 1888, during Victorian-era London, a series of murders known as the Autumn of Terror took place. The gruesome killings sparked national fear. Letters written by a “Jack the Ripper”, who had intimate knowledge of the murders, taunted the police fueling the hysteria. The fact that the culprit was never caught remains one of history’s longest-lasting unsolved mysteries.
 
MUSIC
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
To Be Continued Music: “Cowboy Lullaby” by JHS Pedals via Youtube
 
SOCIAL LINKS
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
EPISODE RESOURCES
“Victorian Era - Wikipedia.” En.m.wikipedia.org, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era.
‌“Whitechapel.” Wikipedia, 3 Feb. 2022, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitechapel.
‌“Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Main.” Www.casebook.org, www.casebook.org.
‌“Jack the Ripper.” Wikipedia, 31 Dec. 2022, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper.
‌Junghandel, Craig. “Jack the Ripper.” Whitechapel Jack, 30 Sept. 2010, whitechapeljack.com/.
‌Jones, Richard. “Jack the Ripper - History, Victims, Letters, Suspects.” Jack-The-Ripper.org, Richard Jones, 2019, www.jack-the-ripper.org/.
‌“Jack the Ripper Suspects - JackTheRipper.” JackTheRipper, 2018, thejacktherippertour.com/casebook/suspects/.
 
IMAGES
Episode Thumbnail: “JacktheRipper1888.Jpg - Wikimedia Commons.” commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JacktheRipper1888.jpg#mw-jump-to-license. 
"Illustrative map of London parishes." The Commissions for Building Fifty New Churches: The Minute Books, 1711-27, A Calendar. Ed. M H Port. London: London Record Society, 1986. xxxviii-xxxix. British History Online. Web. 6 November 2023. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/london-record-soc/vol23/xxxviii-xxxix.
‌

Was King Alaric’s Treasure Buried with him Under A River?-Episode #05

EPISODE DESCRIPTION
King Alaric was the first King of the Visigoths and was used as a pawn in many of the Roman Empire’s political and military games. He led three successful sacks on the city of Rome and some say is a significant factor in the decline of the Western Roman Empire. However, in the year 410 he died suddenly after his final siege of Rome after marching to southern Italy. Legend says he was buried at the confluence of two rivers with a large deposit of treasure. So, was King Alaric buried with a cache of Roman treasure under a river?
MUSIC
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
SOCIAL LINKS
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
EPISODE RESOURCES
"Sack of Rome - 410." Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/event/Sack-of-Rome-410.
Killgrove, Kristina. "Warlord Who Caused the Fall of Rome Was Killed by Malaria, New Research Shows." Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2016/03/14/warlord-who-caused-the-fall-of-rome-was-killed-by-malaria-new-research-shows/?sh=54d9aea124e9.
"Italy to Dig for Ancient Roman Treasure Sought by Nazis." The Telegraph, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/11936505/Italy-to-dig-for-ancient-Roman-treasure-sought-by-Nazis.html.
"All You Need to Know about the Mystery of the Visigoth King Who Inspired Hitler and Reversed the Flow of a River." https://historycollection.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-mystery-of-the-visigoth-king-who-inspired-hitler-and-reversed-the-flow-of-a-river/.
"Alaric I (c. 370-410 A.D.), The Vanquisher of Rome: A Tale of Malaria and Lacking Immunity." European Journal of Internal Medicine.
The Cambridge Medieval History, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press, 1911, p. 203.
Wolfram, Herwig. History of the Goths. Translated by Thomas J. Dunlap, University of California Press, 1988, p. 133.
Jordanes. "The Origin and Deeds of the Goths." Translated by Charles C. Mierow, People, UCalgary.ca.
Thumbnail Image: Heinrich Leutemann (1824-1904)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS PALS
The Mysterious Pals is a mysterious show about history and friendship.

What Happened to the Crew of the Mary Celeste?-Episode#07

EPISODE DESCRIPTION
On November 7th, 1872, the Mary Celeste set sail from New York Harbor under the command of Captain Benjamin Brigg. The merchant brigantine was bound for Genoa, Italy, laden with a cargo of 1701 barrels of alcohol. However, the ship was found abandoned and adrift on December 4, 1872 by a passing ship, the Dei Gratia. The cargo was intact, and the personal belongings of all once aboard were undisturbed. While the lifeboat was missing, none of those who had been on board were ever seen or heard from again. So, what happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste?
MUSIC
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
SOCIAL LINKS
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
EPISODE RESOURCES
"The Mystery of the Marie Celeste" (PDF). Chronicling America. October 30, 1910. p. 15. 
Thompson, Jonathan (January 23, 2005). "Dating of Wreck's Timbers Puts Wind in Sails of the 'Mary Celeste' Mystery". The Independent on Sunday. (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/dating-of-wreck-s-timbers-puts-wind-in-sails-of-the-mary-celeste-mystery-487927.html)
Blumberg, Jess (November 2007). "Abandoned Ship: The Mary Celeste". Smithsonian Magazine (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abandoned-ship-the-mary-celeste-174488104/?scrlybrkr=58d7ffd3)
Begg, Paul (2007). Mary Celeste: The Greatest Mystery of the Sea. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Ltd. ISBN 978-1-4058-3621-0.
Fanthorpe, Lionel; Fanthorpe, Patricia (1997). The World's Greatest Unsolved Mysteries. Toronto: Hounslow Press. ISBN 978-0-88882-194-2.
"Mary Celeste: Fact Not Fiction." 2001, http://www.maryceleste.net/.
Video Thumbnail: Honore Pellegrin (1800–c.1870). This speculative attribution is suggested in Paul Begg: Mary Celeste: The Greatest Mystery of the Sea. Longmans Education Ltd, Harlow (UK) 2007. Plate 2, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Background Video by Engin Akyurt from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/a-beautiful-view-of-the-sea-1777362/
ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS PALS:
The Mysterious Pals is a mysterious show about history and friendship.

How did the Trekkers at Dyatlov Pass Die?-Episode #06

EPISODE DESCRIPTION
How did the Trekkers at Dyatlov Pass Die? On the night of February 1st, 1959, nine Soviet mountain trekkers fled their tent only to meet a gruesome fate. Some of their bodies were found barely clothed, missing eyes, and even a missing tongue. The circumstances of what made them leave their tent and how they died are shrouded in mystery. Theories range from an avalanche to a Yeti, to murder by the Soviet government. 
MUSIC
Theme Music by Dethlehem (dethlehem.bandcamp.com)
SOCIAL LINKS
Website: www.mysteriouspals.com
Email: mysteriouspalsonline@gmail.com
Youtube: @MysteriousPals
Facebook: @mysteriouspals
Instagram: @mysteriouspals
X/Twitter: @myserious_pals
EPISODE RESOURCES
“Dyatlov Pass.” BBC News, www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/SoLiOdJyCK/mystery_of_dyatlov_pass#group-Legacy-i9JwTlwmvj.
‌Preston, Douglas. “Has an Old Soviet Mystery at Last Been Solved?” The New Yorker, 10 May 2021, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/17/has-an-old-soviet-mystery-at-last-been-solved#:~:text=The%20final%20photograph%20found%20in. 
‌“Dyatlov Pass Incident.” Wikipedia, 26 Sept. 2021, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyatlov_Pass_incident.
‌Crew, Mttn. “The Dyatlov Pass: Voices Buried in the Snow.” Manipal the Talk Network, 31 Dec. 2020, www.manipalthetalk.org/creative/the-dyatlov-pass-voices-buried-in-the-snow/amp/.
‌“How Did Nine Russian Hikers Lose Their Lives in the Dyatlov Pass Incident?” Sky HISTORY TV Channel, www.history.co.uk/articles/how-did-nine-russian-hikers-lose-their-lives-during-the-dyatlov-pass-expedition.
Puzrin, Alexander M., and Johan Gaume. “Post-Publication Careers: Follow-up Expeditions Reveal Avalanches at Dyatlov Pass.” Communications Earth & Environment, vol. 3, no. 1, 24 Mar. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00393-x.
‌“Hypothermia, Paradoxical Undressing and the Dyatlov Pass | Environment | the Guardian.” Amp.theguardian.com, amp.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/06/hypothermia-paradoxical-undressing-and-the-dyatlov-pass. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.
Ishak, Natasha. “33 of the Eerie Photos Left behind by the Dyatlov Pass Incident.” All That’s Interesting, 21 May 2020, allthatsinteresting.com/dyatlov-pass-photos#33.
ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS PALS
The Mysterious Pals is a mysterious show about history and friendship.