Episode 102: You Drink, You Die; The Chemists’ War

What happens when morality becomes a weapon? During Prohibition, the U.S. government tried to scare people away from drinking alcohol by poisoning industrial ethanol. Instead, it unbridled a wave of tragedy that claimed thousands of lives.

From speakeasies alive with whispered passwords, to fortunes gained through bootlegging, to hospitals overwhelmed on Christmas Eve, this is the story of the Chemists’ War—a cautionary tale of zealotry, crime, and needless suffering.

And a reminder that freedom stumbles when personal choices are legislated.

Find me here:

linktr.ee/bethpods

Instagram or Facebook @TrueCrimeBnB, but I don't check Facebook much

Email: TrueCrimeBnBPod@gmail.com

This episode confronts the sanitized narratives that have always obscured the brutal truth of racial terrorism in America. This isn’t just history—it’s true crime that was never treated as such. From lynchings to massacres buried beneath smug silence, this legacy of violence shaped communities, policies, and the contemporary distrust that many Black Americans have towards law enforcement and institutions.

The communities included within this episode, listed in the time stamps below, were devastated for the flimsiest of excuses and then buried without justice or acknowledgement. Most of us were never taught that these atrocities not only happened, but were common occurrences.

This episode is not comfortable. It’s not tidy. It's long, exhausting, and necessary. These crimes must be considered together to reveal the longstanding pattern of abuse, torture, and terror that African Americans have experienced since long before Emancipation.

What happens when horrific crimes are woven into the fabric of a nation? And what does justice look like when the record itself has been whitewashed?

Listeners who come to true crime for mystery will find something deeper here: the mystery of memory, the crime of erasure, and truths that refuse to stay buried. May you leave with compassion for the valid sense of fear that has been handed down through generations of Black Americans.

-----

Also dropping today: the first two episodes of I Must Have Forgotten, a serial memoir that explores memory, laughter, grief, and forgiveness. It is a celebration of the small moments of everyday life.

-----

00:01:15 Content Advisory & Introduction

00:05:35 Historical Context

00:19:04 NYC Draft Riot (1863, NY)

00:24:45 Simpsonville Massacre (1865, TN)

00:27:22 Fort Pillow Massacre (1864, KY)

00:40:28 Lynchings and Sundown Towns

00:47:52 Juneteenth

00:53:19 Memphis Massacre (1866, TN)

00:57:37 Colfax Massacre (1873, LA)

01:01:13 Wilmington Massacre (1898, NC)

01:07:00 Atlanta Massacre (1906, GA)

01:15:39 Springfield Riot (1908, IL)

01:20:56 East St. Louis Massacre (1917, IL)

01:35:29 Ocoee Massacre (1920, FL)

01:41:03 Tulsa Race Massacre (1921, OK)

01:48:18 Rosewood Massacre (1923, FL)

01:52:14 Oscarville (Lake Lanier) (1912, GA)

02:00:13 – Kowaliga (Lake Martin) (1926, AL)

02:04:56 Seneca Village (Central Park) (1857, NY)

02:08:09 Closing Summary

02:12:33 Outro

Find me here:

linktr.ee/bethpods

Instagram or Facebook @TrueCrimeBnB, but I don't check Facebook much

Email: TrueCrimeBnBPod@gmail.com

This isn't our usual True Crime BnB. It’s not even ‘usual’ for Unexpected. It's a personal history—of how this podcast began, who it honors, and why it still matters.

From a plastic bucket microphone to a quiet archive of resistance, this episode isn’t just a milestone in numbers—it’s a milestone in voice.

It’s a tribute to the victims, the survivors, the listeners, and to Bailey and to our Baby Bear Puss—whose spirit shaped what this show became.

It’s about truth. Memory. And the resolve that some stories should never be forgotten.

Have a seat, listen in, and remember it all with me. It won’t take much time.

Find me here:

https://linktr.ee/TrueCrimeBnB?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

You can find me on Instagram or Facebook @TrueCrimeBnB, but I don't check Facebook much

You can send me an email at TrueCrimeBnBPod@gmail.com

To understand the longest-running crime in U.S. history—committed against Native Americans—we go back to 1492, when Christopher Columbus set sail on a misguided voyage to “India.” We brought sickness to North America, which devastated First Nations Indigenous people.

Then we stole their land and killed their people, and despite our intrusions here, Native Americans were among the last people to be recognized as citizens and legally allowed to vote.

But even then the horrors weren't over--we stole their children and tried to erase their heritage. And if you didn’t know those crimes continued until 1978... you’re not alone.

This episode opens with Emma Lazarus’s iconic welcome, etched beneath the Statue of Liberty. But Beth has a hard truth to unpack: that light beside the golden door only shined because our ancestors made themselves at home in someone else’s house.

We are a nation of immigrants.

And every one of us stands on stolen land.

Find me here:

https://linktr.ee/TrueCrimeBnB?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

You can find me on Instagram or Facebook @TrueCrimeBnB, but I don't check Facebook much

You can send me an email at TrueCrimeBnBPod@gmail.com

The history you think you know wasn't just written in books--it was curated, shaped, and edited by people with their own self interests. But before that, it was lived. And the people whose lives we study weren't usually the ones who got to tell their own stories. Some voices were amplified, while others were diminished--or erased altogether.

In this episode, Sojourner Truth's famous speech at the 1851 Akron Women's Rights Convention is the starting point for unraveling hundreds of years of lost and manipulated history, reminding us why the truth must never be allowed to be forgotten.

To read the speeches for yourself, find both versions here, as well as a video demonstrating the accent Sojourner would have had:

Compare the Speeches — The Sojourner Truth Project

Find me here:

https://linktr.ee/TrueCrimeBnB?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

You can find me on Instagram or Facebook @TrueCrimeBnB, but I don't check Facebook much

You can send me an email at TrueCrimeBnBPod@gmail.com

This bonus episode reflects on Frederick Douglass’s fiery 1852 speech and Susan B. Anthony’s words from the U.S. Centennial in 1876—reminders that the rights many of us hold today were not freely given.

Civil rights for non-white men and women of all races were won only after generations of resistance, sacrifice, and struggle.

Let today be a day of radical remembrance. And action.

Find me here:

https://linktr.ee/TrueCrimeBnB?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

You can find me on Instagram or Facebook @TrueCrimeBnB, but I don't check Facebook much

You can send me an email at TrueCrimeBnBPod@gmail.com

Hello and welcome back to Episode 97 at the True Crime BnB! This episode has me feeling philosophical about the little decisions we make every day, and how those go on to affect the rest of our lives.

Wendy Jo Halison was a college senior in California, In 1968, she headed off in her convertible to buy a hair dryer that was on sale. She never made it home, and her murder was not solved for 48 years! When it was finally resolved, it turned out that she was not the only victim of the scum who took her life.

Dale Wells was living his life in South Carolina, and when he met the woman who would become his partner, he was happy to have her in his life. At least, until she became controlling, manipulative, and murderous. Dale is a domestic violence survivor, and he has a lot of wisdom to share about setting your priorities and taking good care of yourself and those around you.

If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic or partner violence, you can find help and resources:

In the USA: National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233 or https://www.thehotline.org/

In the UK: https://www.gov.uk/crime-justice-and-law/domestic-violence

In Ireland: 1800 341 900 or https://www.womensaid.ie/

In Australia: 1800RESPECT or https://www.1800respect.org.au/

In South Africa: 0800 150 150 or https://lifelinesa.co.za/

In Nigeria: 0 8000-333-333 or https://lagosdsva.org/

In Colombia: call 155 or http://www.equidadmujer.gov.co/consejeria/Paginas/linea-155.aspx

For other countries, this link can help you search for the kind of help you need:

https://findahelpline.com/

______

Look for episodes from True Crime BnB monthly, maybe more. Maybe less.

. . .If you enjoy the show, please share my episodes on social media--that's the greatest way to help me find new listeners.

Another way is to rate and review on Apple Podcasts or GoodPods, or give me a 5-star rating on whatever platform you prefer!

https://linktr.ee/TrueCrimeBnB?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

You can find us on Instagram, X (Twitter), or Facebook @TrueCrimeBnB

You can send us an email at TrueCrimeBnBPod@gmail.com

And lastly, thank all of you for just coming along to listen. You're the best!!

Hello, Crime Family. Have a seat, and let's get into Episode 96.

Frank Tranter was a 74-year-old retired man living in the Lion Farm Estate in West Midlands, England. His health was seriously failing him, he was nearly blind, and he lived alone in his semi-detached bungalow. All he wanted to do was listen to music and wave at his neighbors out the window. But, no. Along came a group of no-goods who had to take those little pleasures, and everything else, away from Frank.

Our survivor this episode is Monti Niccolo, a 22-year-old who loved hunting, fishing, and California wilderness camping. Wilderness camping can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, but Monti did. He knew very well how to take care of himself. So when he came across two people who had deadly intentions, Monti had to call upon his will to survive. And survive, he did!

My announcement in this episode is that I'm going to be releasing only one episode per month, because I just don't have enough time to research, write, record, edit, and produce more than that on top of my day job and my fixer-upper house. But if I find that i have the time, I will put out some extras now and then.

Thank you for joining me here at the True Crime BnB, and I hope to see you back next time for Episode 97!

______

Time Stamps:

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:29 Frank Tranter

00:18:25 Survivor Monti Niccolo

00:28:00 Wrap-up

00:29:04 Outro

0:29:09 Bloopers

______

Look for episodes from True Crime BnB monthly, maybe more.

. . .If you enjoy the show, please share my episodes on social media--that's the greatest way to help me find new listeners.

Another way is to rate and review on Apple Podcasts or GoodPods, or give me a 5-star rating on whatever platform you prefer!

https://linktr.ee/TrueCrimeBnB?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

You can find us on Instagram, X (Twitter), or Facebook @TrueCrimeBnB

You can send us an email at TrueCrimeBnBPod@gmail.com

And lastly, thank all of you for just coming along to listen. You're the best!!