Southern Souls: Stories from the Stones

Samuel Thomas: The Killing of Hugh Dickson

Former Confederate officer, Louisiana state senator, respected planter, and family man, Samuel Milton Thomas seemed an unlikely murder suspect. Yet in the early hours of one morning, he entered a room at Rush Point Plantation and shot his brother-in-law, Hugh Dickson, in the head. What followed was one of the most sensational trials in Louisiana history. At the center of the case was Thomas's daughter, Carrie, whose testimony revealed years of alleged grooming, drugging, and sexual abuse. In this episode, we explore the tragedy that led to a killing, the courtroom battle that followed, and the lingering mysteries surrounding the family left behind. Was Samuel Milton Thomas a murderer...or a father pushed beyond his breaking point?

Clarence Landrum: The Journey of the Louisiana Spirit

In 1936, a political wager sent two men on a journey across half the country to Washington D.C. What began as a local joke became a nationwide sensation as newspapers covered the journey of the "Louisiana Spirit," bringing some relief from the misery of the Great Depression.

James Sanborn: When Friendship Wasn't Enough

In this episode, we visit the grave of James Sanborn, a man remembered not only for the tragic way his life ended on a railroad track in Frierson, Louisiana, but also for the friends who tried to save him...and memorialized him when they failed. Content Warning: This episode discusses a case directly involving suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

Dr. Thomas Ford: Shreveport Physician, New Orleans Murderer

Dr. Thomas Ford was a respected, well- loved physician in the city of Shreveport. To many, he was an angel of healing. But on a morning in 1886, Dr. Ford became an angel of death to one man as he stalked him through the streets of New Orleans.

Milus Haughton: Forgotten Founder

Not all lives are lived in the headlines, marked by scandal and violence. Some lives are about loss, resilience, and rebuilding after tragedy. This is the story of a man remembered not for the headlines, but for the life he quietly lived in a town that bears his name.