The forgotten criminal dynasty that ruled Illinois before Capone even knew their names. Meet the Shelton brothers – Carl, Earl, and Bernie – three farm boys who transformed themselves into the most powerful bootleggers in southern Illinois during Prohibition and later controlled Peoria's entire vice scene.

When Prohibition turned alcohol illegal, the Sheltons built an empire of roadhouses, stills, and speakeasies across "Little Egypt" in southern Illinois. Their rivalry with former gang member Charlie Birger escalated into what can only be described as private warfare, complete with armored cars, machine guns, and even aerial bombings that left dozens dead. All while law enforcement conveniently looked the other way in exchange for what one sheriff called "a really nice Christmas bonus."

By the 1940s, the Shelton brothers had relocated to Peoria, transforming Illinois' second-largest city into what became known as a "Wide Open City." They established the Peoria Amusement Company, running hundreds of slot machines, gambling dens, and brothels while maintaining what they called "gangland peacekeeping." During World War II, with two military bases nearby, soldiers with paychecks made the Sheltons wealthier than ever.

The brothers survived assassination attempts from Chicago mobsters, maintained political connections that kept them untouchable, and brought a strange form of order to the criminal underworld. As one historian noted, "As long as the Sheltons were running things, you weren't getting robbed at random." But their empire couldn't last forever. Between 1947 and 1950, a mysterious assassination campaign eliminated all three brothers, with the killers never identified.

Discover the remarkable story of how three brothers built and lost an empire that rivaled Al Capone's, leaving behind a legacy that's been largely forgotten by history. If you enjoy untold stories of Prohibition gangsters, territorial wars, and mysterious unsolved assassinations, you won't want to miss this episode.

Tara McClellan McAndrew, NPR Illinois – "Booze, Blood And Bombs: Prohibition In Southern Illinois" (2020)nprillinois.orgnprillinois.org

Joel J. Hutchcroft, Shooting Times – "A Bloody Band of Bootleggers: The Shelton Brothers Gang" (2021)shootingtimes.comshootingtimes.com

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Ever wondered what would happen if you tied 45 giant weather balloons to a lawn chair? In 1982, truck driver Larry Walters answered this question with an adventure that transformed him from an ordinary man with a dream into an aviation legend.

After being denied his childhood ambition of becoming an Air Force pilot due to poor eyesight, Larry took matters into his own hands. Armed with a Sears aluminum lawn chair (which he named "Inspiration One"), weather balloons acquired through forged military requisition forms, a BB gun, and a six-pack of beer, Larry cut the anchor cord expecting a gentle ascent to 30 feet. What followed was anything but gentle.

Instead of floating lazily above his neighborhood, Larry rocketed to 16,000 feet, drifting into controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport. Commercial pilots radioed the control tower about "a man in a lawn chair floating at 16,000 feet holding a pistol." When he accidentally dropped his BB gun – his only means of popping balloons to descend – Larry found himself truly at the mercy of the winds.

The journey ended with Larry tangled in power lines, causing a neighborhood blackout before he climbed down unharmed into the waiting arms of bewildered police officers. When reporters asked why he'd attempted such a dangerous stunt, his deadpan reply became iconic: "A man can't just sit around."

Though the FAA fined him $1,500, Larry's lawn chair eventually found its way into the Smithsonian, and his flight inspired an extreme sport called "cluster ballooning." His story reminds us that sometimes the most extraordinary adventures come not from elaborate planning but from simple, determined dreams and the courage to look ridiculous in pursuit of them.

What wild dream have you been putting off? Maybe Larry's story is the sign you've been waiting for to take that leap of faith – though perhaps with better safety precautions than a BB gun and a six-pack.

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The mystery of Dyatlov Pass has haunted us for over 60 years, presenting one of history's most perplexing unsolved cases. Nine experienced hikers from the Ural Polytechnic Institute ventured into Russia's Ural Mountains in 1959, only to be found dead under circumstances so bizarre they've spawned 72 different theories.

We're diving deep into the most compelling explanations for this tragedy in our third episode of this series. What could have driven these skilled outdoors people to cut their way out of their tent and rush into subzero temperatures with minimal clothing? Why did some victims show catastrophic internal injuries with no external trauma, while others simply froze to death? And what explains the trace radiation found on some of their clothing?

From the plausible to the paranormal, we explore it all. Could it have been a rare slab avalanche that left minimal trace? Did infrasound waves create an overwhelming sense of terror? Was there a Soviet weapons test gone wrong that officials desperately covered up? Or do the answers lie in more outlandish theories involving cryptids or extraterrestrials?

The evidence presents contradictions at every turn - burned treetops but upright ski poles, a tent partially buried yet with items inside undisturbed, and injuries that forensic experts still struggle to explain decades later. Modern investigations using sophisticated simulation software have attempted to solve the case, but each explanation seems to leave crucial questions unanswered.

Join us as we sift through the facts, debate the theories, and try to understand what really happened on that cold February night. Whether you believe in natural phenomena, government conspiracies, or something more supernatural, the story of Dyatlov Pass forces us to confront how much remains unknown in our world.

• Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
• https://amzn.to/4eXzKkX
• 
  
• Soviet investigators’ summary and modern analysis of Dyatlov Pass incidenten.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org
• Vox – Delayed avalanche and katabatic wind theories (2021)vox.comvox.com

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The mystery of Dyatlov Pass has haunted us for over six decades. What could drive nine experienced hikers to slice through their tent from the inside and walk barefoot into certain death on a freezing mountain slope?

When the search for the missing hikers finally began in February 1959, no one could have anticipated the bizarre scene awaiting them. A tent abandoned with all survival gear inside. Single-file footprints leading calmly downhill. And eventually, nine bodies with injuries that defied explanation.

We meticulously walk through the recovery timeline, examining each disturbing discovery as searchers first found five victims scattered between a makeshift fire and the path back to camp. Then, the most shocking revelation—four more bodies discovered months later in a ravine, bearing catastrophic internal injuries without external trauma. Missing tongues and eyes. Hyoid bones broken as if strangled. Clothing testing positive for radioactivity. And a mysterious notebook seen by only one witness before vanishing from evidence.

The official Soviet investigation concluded only that deaths resulted from "a compelling unknown natural force," a vague explanation that sparked decades of theories ranging from avalanches to military experiments to the paranormal. We analyze the forensic evidence—or alarming lack thereof—documenting inconsistencies in the official record that continue to fuel speculation.

What really happened on that remote mountain slope? Join us as we delve into one of history's most enduring mysteries, carefully separating known facts from fiction before we explore the wildest theories in our next episode. Subscribe now and share your own thoughts on what force could drive nine experienced winter travelers to abandon their only shelter and walk straight into death's arms.

Dyatlov Pass Incident: The Only Mystery Guide You'll Ever Need by VULDAR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck9HOxnsmic

Dyatlov Pass

https://dyatlovpass.com/

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Have you ever wondered what happens when charisma, opportunity, and audacity collide? The result might look something like Gregor MacGregor's breathtaking 19th-century fraud that cost hundreds of lives yet went largely unpunished.

Step into the 1820s where a young Scottish adventurer transforms himself from military man to royalty through sheer imagination and chutzpah. After participating in Latin American revolutionary conflicts, MacGregor returned to London bearing an impressive title: "His Serene Highness Gregor I, Sovereign Prince of Poyais and Cacique of the Poyer Nation." The catch? Poyais didn't exist.

MacGregor's genius lay in his comprehensive approach to nation-building—on paper. He created currency, a constitution, a flag, detailed maps, guidebooks, and even a coat of arms for his fictional paradise. His descriptions of Poyais were masterfully crafted: rivers flowing with gold, hillsides scattered with gemstones, perfect weather, and a magnificent capital city complete with an opera house and cathedral. British citizens, entranced by the promise of new opportunities in the tropics, sold everything they owned to purchase land in this Eden.

The tragic reality revealed itself when approximately 270 settlers arrived at the uninhabited jungle of the Mosquito Coast in modern-day Nicaragua. Finding no development whatsoever, they faced deadly tropical diseases instead of prosperity. Before rescue arrived, about two-thirds perished from malaria, yellow fever, and dysentery—a devastating human cost of MacGregor's elaborate lie.

Perhaps the most astonishing part of this story isn't the fraud itself but its aftermath. Despite exposure in Parliament and newspapers, MacGregor was never successfully prosecuted in Britain. He simply moved to France, continued his scheme there, and eventually returned to London to sell even more Poyais bonds! He finally retired to Venezuela where, incredibly, he received military honors and a hero's funeral upon his death.

Subscribe now to hear more incredible tales of history's greatest frauds, misadventures, and bizarre twists that somehow never made it into your textbooks. Let us know what historical hoaxes fascinate you most, and we might feature them in our upcoming episodes!

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The Ural Mountains of Siberia, 1959. Nine experienced Russian hikers vanish, leaving behind a mystery that still haunts us today. Their tent, slashed from the inside. Their bodies, scattered across the snow. Their final moments, frozen in time with no witnesses to tell their tale.

In this first part of our deep dive into the Dyatlov Pass incident, we're joined by special guest Audra as we unravel the background of this chilling unsolved case. These weren't amateur adventurers—they were elite students and seasoned mountaineers attempting to earn their Grade Three hiking certification, the highest level of achievement in Soviet Russia's hiking hierarchy.

We meticulously profile each member of the doomed expedition, from 23-year-old leader Igor Dyatlov, who insisted everyone wash their feet nightly, to Zanata Kolmogorova who had survived a viper bite on a previous trek, to Yuri Doroshenko who once fought a bear with a geologist's hammer. Their impressive qualifications make their subsequent actions all the more baffling.

What compelled these highly trained hikers to abandon their shelter in sub-zero temperatures without proper clothing? Why did they set up camp on an exposed mountain slope when forest shelter was within reach? And why was 38-year-old Semyon Zolotaryov added to the group at the last minute—a detail that spawns multiple contradicting stories?

From their joyful departure—singing songs and creating a humorous newsletter—to the moment two hikers stepped outside to relieve themselves and were never seen alive again, we follow their journey through the stark Russian wilderness. With temperatures plunging to -30°C and winds reaching hurricane force, the stage was set for a tragedy that defies simple explanation.

Listen now to part one of this haunting expedition into one of history's most enduring mysteries, and prepare yourself for the shocking discoveries and bizarre theories coming in part two.

Dyatlov Pass Incident: The Only Mystery Guide You'll Ever Need by VULDAR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck9HOxnsmic

Dyatlov Pass

https://dyatlovpass.com/

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History's attics hide remarkable stories, and few are as compelling as Sarah Rosetta Wakeman's. At just 19, this strong-minded woman from rural New York made a decision that defied every convention of her time—she cut her hair, put on men's clothing, and became Lyons Wakeman.

The eldest of nine children born to struggling tenant farmers in 1843, Rosetta faced limited options. Marriage wasn't in the cards, and her family's crushing debt demanded all hands working. When she discovered that coal hauling on the Chenango Canal paid better than any "women's work," she embraced a male identity that offered both financial stability and personal freedom.

But when Union Army recruiters appeared offering a $152 enlistment bounty (worth over $3,000 today), Rosetta saw an opportunity she couldn't pass up. As Private Lyons Wakeman of the 153rd New York Infantry, she performed every soldier's duty—standing guard, drilling with precision, even engaging in fistfights—all while maintaining her secret identity. Her letters home reveal a practical motivation far removed from patriotic fervor: "I am as independent as a hog on ice," she wrote, proud of her $13 monthly salary that helped sustain her family back home.

For almost two years, Rosetta served without detection, first in Washington DC and later in Louisiana during the brutal Red River Campaign. She survived the Battle of Pleasant Hill only to fall victim to dysentery, dying at 21 in a New Orleans hospital where not even the attending doctors discovered her biological sex. Buried under her male identity, her remarkable story remained hidden until her letters were discovered a century later.

Dive into this incredible story of a woman who challenged 19th-century gender expectations not through protest, but through quiet, determined action. Her surviving letters paint a vivid picture of Civil War life and reveal a pragmatic spirit who saw male disguise not as political statement but as a practical path to independence. Subscribe to hear more hidden stories from history that will change how you see the past—and perhaps the present too.

• • An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, alias Pvt. Lyons Wakeman, 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers, 1862-1864 by Sarah Rosetta Wakeman https://amzn.to/463jhcu
  • Wakeman, Sarah Rosetta – Civil War letters and biography. An overview by the American Battlefield Trustbattlefields.orgbattlefields.orgbattlefields.org.
  • Bierle, Sarah Kay – “From History’s Shadows: Sarah Rosetta Wakeman.” Emerging Civil War (Mar. 30, 2024) – Analysis of Wakeman’s letters and life

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How far would someone go to escape poverty? In 1726, Mary Toft, a destitute servant and mother of three who had recently suffered a miscarriage, concocted an outrageous scheme that would captivate England and eventually reach King George I himself. Her claim? She was giving birth to rabbits.

Drawing on the period's belief in "maternal impression" – the notion that a pregnant woman's experiences could physically shape her unborn child – Mary convinced local surgeon John Howard that after chasing and dreaming about rabbits, she began delivering animal parts from her body. What began as a desperate grab for attention transformed into a national sensation when Howard alerted England's medical establishment about this apparent miracle.

The rabbit births became London's hottest attraction. The King's own surgeon Nathaniel St. André rushed to validate Mary's case, publishing a detailed pamphlet about her extraordinary deliveries. But skepticism grew when physician Cyriacus Ahlers examined the rabbit remains and found hay, straw and corn in their digestive tracts – substances that couldn't possibly exist in a human womb. The hoax finally collapsed when a porter was caught smuggling a fresh rabbit to Mary's quarters.

Mary's confession revealed her elaborate deception – inserting dead animal parts into her body and dramatically "delivering" them while screaming in fake labor. While she spent only four months in prison before returning to her village, the physicians who validated her claims weren't so lucky. St. André in particular became London's laughingstock, his medical career left in ruins. Yet Mary lived quietly until 1763, even having another child years later.

Curious about more historical oddities? Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, and reach out with your questions or wild historical theories through our social media channels. We're History Buffoons Podcast on YouTube, X, Instagram and Facebook. Stay curious, and remember the buffoonery never stops!

Mary Toft Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Toft#:~:text=the%20image,be%20seen%20on%20the%20floor

Mary Toft and Her Extraordinary Delivery of Rabbits

By Niki Russell

https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/mary-toft-and-her-extraordinary-delivery-of-rabbits/

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This website contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and purchase a product, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the running of this website and allows me to continue providing valuable content. Please note that I only recommend products and services that I believe in and have personally used or researched.