The Dancing Plague of 1518

The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076919/fan_mail/new] In the summer of 1944, residents of Mattoon began reporting a strange and frightening phenomenon. Late at night, people claimed that an unidentified figure was prowling the town, releasing a mysterious gas through open windows. Victims described a sweet, unpleasant odour followed by symptoms including nausea, dizziness, temporary paralysis, and overwhelming fear. As reports spread, so did panic. Was Mattoon being targeted by a criminal using some unknown chemical? Was there a rational explanation for the incidents? Or had fear itself taken hold of an entire community? In this episode of The Eclectic, we explore the Mad Gasser of Mattoon — the sightings, the investigations, and the theories behind one of America’s strangest mass mystery cases. Because sometimes, the most unsettling question is whether the threat was real at all. 🎧 Listen now on Acast, Spotify & Apple Podcasts  📌 Follow on Instagram & TikTok: @theeclecticpodcast Mad Gasser of Mattoon - Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Gasser_of_Mattoon] Myths And Legends: The Mad Gasser Of Mattoon - Mike Sirota [https://mikesirota.com/myths-and-legends-the-mad-gasser-of-mattoon/] Airing Out the Mystery of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon [https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/column-mad-gasser-of-mattoon] Report from the Florida Zone: The Phantom Anesthetist [https://floridazone.blogspot.com/2014/07/phantom-anesthetists.html] The Mad Gasser Of Mattoon | Backpackerverse [https://backpackerverse.com/mad-gasser-mattoon/] Mad Gasser of Mattoon: Inside US' first case of mass hysteria [https://nypost.com/2024/05/27/us-news/mad-gasser-of-mattoon-inside-us-first-case-of-mass-hysteria/] The Case of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon [https://www.illinoistimes.com/arts-culture/the-case-of-the-mad-gasser-of-mattoon-11450083/] The ‘Mad Gasser of Mattoon’ is one of history’s most bizarre unsolved mysteries | Popular Science [https://www.popsci.com/science/mad-gasser-of-mattoon-weirdest-thing/] Mad Gasser of Mattoon | Public Domain Super Heroes | Fandom [https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Mad_Gasser_of_Mattoon] Eastern Illinois University :: Localites - (Page Desc) [https://www.eiu.edu/localite/gasserhome.php] The Mad Gasser of Mattoon | History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library | University Library | Illinois [https://www.library.illinois.edu/hpnl/blog/the-mad-gasser-of-mattoon/]

Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? / The Charles Walton Murder

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076919/fan_mail/new] In 1943, four boys exploring woodland in Hagley Wood discovered a human skull hidden inside the trunk of a wych elm tree. The victim was later identified only as “Bella” — but who she was, how she died, and who placed her inside the tree have never been answered. Then, just a few years later and less than fifty miles away, another case unsettled rural England. In the village of Lower Quinton, farm labourer Charles Walton was found brutally murdered in circumstances that fuelled rumours of witchcraft, ritual killing, and the occult. Over time, the two cases became linked through folklore, speculation, and fear. In this episode of The Eclectic, we explore the mystery of Bella in the wych elm and the murder of Charles Walton — examining the evidence, the theories, and the strange atmosphere that continues to surround both cases. Because sometimes, it’s the stories around a crime that become impossible to bury. 🎧 Listen now on Acast, Spotify & Apple Podcasts  📌 Follow on Instagram & TikTok: @theeclecticpodcast Who put Bella in the wych elm? - Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_put_Bella_in_the_wych_elm%3F] Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? — Foulplay Games [https://www.foulplayco.com/blog/who-put-bella-in-the-wychelm] "Who put Bella in the Wych-Elm?" - The Documentary - a Film and Theatre crowdfunding project in Stourbridge by Jayne Harris [https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm-the-documentary] The 80-year-old mystery of the skeleton found in a wych elm - BBC Reel [https://www.bbc.co.uk/reel/video/p0g26yr4/watch] ‘Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?’: Espionage, Witchcraft, and other Theories – Curious Archive [https://www.curiousarchive.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm-espionage-witchcraft/] Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? Cathi Unsworth on the spooky true story - Serpent's Tail [https://serpentstail.com/2018/03/22/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm-cathi-unsworth/] The Woman in the Tree: Revisiting the Wych Elm Mystery [https://www.compellingcharacters.co.uk/2025/11/looking-at-bella-in-wych-elm.html] Bella in the Wych Elm - Josef Jakobs - 1898-1941 [https://josefjakobs.info/facts-of-bella-in-the-wych-elm]

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076919/fan_mail/new] Hidden in the hills of West Virginia lies an abandoned amusement park with a history far darker than its rides suggest. Before Lake Shawnee Amusement Park became a family attraction, the land was connected to violence, tragedy, and loss. Over the years, a series of deaths — both historical and accidental — helped build its reputation as one of America’s most haunted locations. Visitors and investigators have reported strange experiences throughout the park, from unexplained figures and sounds to encounters they struggle to explain. In this episode of The Eclectic, we explore the history of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, the tragedies tied to the land, and the stories that continue to surround it. Because sometimes, places remember what happened there. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park - Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Shawnee_Amusement_Park] The 8 Most Horrifying Amusement Park Deaths In History [https://allthatsinteresting.com/amusement-park-disasters/6] Lake Shawnee Amusement Park – The Funfair of Tragedy in Princeton, West Virginia – Residual Whispers [https://residualwhispers.wordpress.com/2022/10/09/lake-shawnee-amusement-park-the-funfair-of-tragedy-in-princeton-west-virginia/] Lake Shawnee Amusement Park – Amanda Headlee [https://amandaheadlee.com/2014/09/01/lake-shawnee-amusement-park/] Abandoned US Theme Park ‘One of World's Most Haunted’ Sites - Newsweek [https://www.newsweek.com/abandoned-theme-park-haunted-west-virginia-lake-shawnee-11656696] Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park (2026) - All You SHOULD Know Before Going (with Reviews) [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g59480-d12311371-Reviews-Lake_Shawnee_Abandoned_Amusement_Park-Rock_West_Virginia.html] Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park in Rock, WV - Mercer County WV : Mercer County WV [https://visitmercercounty.com/company/lake-shawnee-abandoned-amusement-park/] LAKE SHAWNEE ABANDONED AMUSEMENT PARK - Updated April 2026 - 24 Photos & 11 Reviews - 470 Matoaka Rd, Rock, West Virginia - Historical Tours - Phone Number - Yelp [https://www.yelp.com/biz/lake-shawnee-abandoned-amusement-park-rock?osq=Historical+Tours] The History of Lake Shawnee - Abandoned [https://abandonedonline.net/the-history-of-lake-shawnee/] Haunted Lake Shawnee Amusement Park | The Lady Dicks [https://theladydicks.com/haunted-lake-shawnee-amusement-park/] Lake Shawnee Amusement Park - Haunted and Abandoned [https://www.theconstantrambler.com/lake-shawnee-amusement-park-abandoned-haunted/] The Haunted History of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park - Road Unraveled [https://www.roadunraveled.com/blog/lake-shawnee-amusement-park/]

The Somerton Man: A Mystery Revisited

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076919/fan_mail/new] In 1948, the body of an unidentified man was discovered on Somerton Beach in Adelaide. He carried no identification.  There were no signs of violence.  And every label on his clothing had been removed. What followed became one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth century — a hidden message reading “Tamám Shud,” a coded note found in a rare book, and a trail of clues that never led to a clear answer. Decades later, advances in DNA analysis have led researchers to propose an identity for the man. But while a name may now exist, questions remain about how he died — and why he was never identified at the time. In this episode of The Eclectic, we revisit the Somerton Man case — the evidence, the code, and the modern developments that have reshaped the mystery without fully resolving it. Because even when a name is found… the story isn’t always finished. 🎧 Listen now on Acast, Spotify & Apple Podcasts  📌 Follow on Instagram & TikTok: @theeclecticpodcast Somerton Man - Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerton_Man] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-62314555 [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-62314555]  The Taman Shud Case Coronial Inquest - Derek [https://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/personal/dabbott/wiki/index.php/The_Taman_Shud_Case_Coronial_Inquest] 'But what poison?' Mystery of the Somerton Man | State Records of South Australia [https://archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/stories-from-the-archive/but-what-poison-mystery-of-the-somerton-man] The Enduring Mystery of the Somerton Man, One of Australia's Most Puzzling Cold Cases [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-enduring-mystery-somerton-man-one-of-australias-most-puzzling-cold-cases-50795611/] full_case_file.pdf [https://scenicsmith.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/3/0/38302549/full_case_file.pdf] Mystery Solved? DNA Tentatively Identifies Somerton Man | HowStuffWorks [https://people.howstuffworks.com/somerton-beach-man-still-unidentified.htm] Tamam Shud was probably NOT spy-related - explanation : r/UnresolvedMysteries [https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/6c2n5x/tamam_shud_was_probably_not_spyrelated_explanation/] Body of 'Somerton Man', South Australia's strangest cold case, to be exhumed | 7NEWS [https://7news.com.au/news/crime/body-of-somerton-man-south-australias-strangest-cold-case-to-be-exhumed-c-502980] The Somerton Man - Australia's Greatest Crime Mystery - Biographies by Biographics [https://biographics.org/the-somerton-man-australias-greatest-crime-mystery/] Who was the Somerton Man? Solving Australia's coldest case | New Scientist [https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23831800-200-who-was-the-somerton-man-solving-australias-coldest-case/] Solved: The Somerton Man Mystery Podcast Summary with Carter Roy, Advertiser [https://www.shortform.com/podcast/episode/conspiracy-theories-2024-03-20-episode-summary-solved-the-somerton-man-mystery] Timeline of Events | Anemptyglass Wikia | Fandom [https://anemptyglass.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline_of_Events] My Somerton Man Wish List - Cipher Mysteries [https://ciphermysteries.com/tamam-shud-somerton-man/my-somerton-man-wish-list] Solving the mystery of the Somerton Man [https://www.whatremainspodcast.com/blog/solving-the-mystery-of-the-somerton-man/] Somerton Man Identity Solved : r/history [https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/w8gclk/somerton_man_identity_solved/] SOMERTON MAN MYSTERY: THE INQUEST DOCUMENTS: PART 1, A NEW FIND? UPDATE 1: 1949 INQUEST DOCUMENT EMBEDDED [https://tamamshud.blogspot.com/2023/01/somerton-man-mystery-inquest-documents.html]

The Dancing Plague of 1518

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076919/fan_mail/new] In the summer of 1518, a woman began dancing in the streets of Strasbourg. She didn’t stop. Within days, others joined her. Then dozens more.  Soon, entire groups were dancing uncontrollably — for hours, for days, in some cases until they collapsed from exhaustion. Authorities were unable to explain it. Physicians at the time suggested it was a natural illness. Others believed it to be something far less understood. In this episode of The Eclectic, we explore the Dancing Plague of 1518 — the accounts, the historical context, and the theories that attempt to explain how and why so many people lost control. Because sometimes, the body moves… without reason. 🎧 Listen now on Acast, Spotify & Apple Podcasts  📌 Follow on Instagram & TikTok: @theeclecticpodcast Dancing plague of 1518 - Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518] The Dancing Plague Reconsidered v2 [https://aixiv.science/pdf/aixiv.260112.000001] In the “dancing plague” of 1518, hundreds of people danced uncontrollably for two months. - History Facts [https://historyfacts.com/arts-culture/fact/dancing-plague-of-1518/] Dancing plague of 1518 | Facts & Theories | Britannica [https://www.britannica.com/event/dancing-plague-of-1518] Chapter 7: The Great Dancing Plague of 1518 | Crossing the Styx: History's Most Unusual Deaths [https://sites.psu.edu/jropassion/2022/10/26/chapter-7-the-great-dancing-plague-of-1518/] The Dancing Plague of 1518 | Horror [https://vocal.media/horror/the-dancing-plague-of-1518-usqe20yl2] The mystery of the dancing plague of 1518 | Sky HISTORY TV Channel [https://www.history.co.uk/articles/strictly-plague-dancing-the-dancing-mania-of-1518] Dancing Diseases: A Public Health Perspective on Emerging Outbreaks and Response Strategies [https://www.gjournals.org/2025/03/10/020425019-odubo-et-al/]