"The Witches' Cove," Follower of Jan Mandijn

The Strange Company staffers welcome you to the first Link Dump of 2024!

What the hell is the Cerne Abbas Giant?

When the hell did humans start wearing clothes?

Solving a Swiss medical mystery.

A mysterious church in France.

Yet another failed Utopia.

That time a golden cookie was kidnapped for ransom.

That time a British officer arrested a tree.

A famous UFO incident and a deathbed confession.

Pyongyang, Fun Capital of the World.

Sweden's "Icehotel."

Doll houses as grave monuments.

The last day of WWI, literally frozen in time.

In Greenland, they wish you a terrifying New Year.

The skeleton and the ghost farm.

Some New Year's superstitions.

A "low-life femme fatale."

A haunted hiking stopover.

The last woman to be hanged in Pennsylvania.

The five words guaranteed to send terror into the hearts of any Russian:  "Party at Joseph Stalin's house!"

A visit to the Boundary Estate.

Liechtenstein's one film.

The coronation banquet of Elizabeth of York.

The Northwood Murderer.

That's all for this week!  See you on Monday, when we'll look at a simple, but highly successful hoax.  In the meantime, bring on the human waterfalls!

 

Welcome to my annual round-up of the top ten posts of this year, where we get to review the most notable moments of Weird 2020!

1. The Phone Call From the Future

This eerie little tale was first by a pretty wide margin, largely due to a link on the "Coast to Coast AM" website.  Thanks, guys!

2. The Mysterious Death of David Glen Lewis

This case epitomizes a major theme of this blog: ordinary people getting themselves into some very extraordinary messes.

3. The Two Disappearances of Frederick Brosseau

A little-known mystery: a missing boy returns many years later.  Maybe.

4. Newspaper Clipping of the Day, May 6, 2020

Thus proving the eternal popularity of cat-chicken children.

5. Newspaper Clipping of the Day, August 26, 2020

In which we talk homicidal wallpaper.

6. The Man Without a Past: the Curious Mystery of Charles Jamison

A particularly strange amnesia victim.

7. In Which Mr. Adamski Weirds Everybody Out

A very odd and mysterious death with a side dish of UFOs.

8. Newspaper Clipping of the Day, August 19, 2020

Any story containing those magic words, "Exciting wake," is almost certain to boost the ol' hit count.

9. The Waifs of the Mayflower

The link between the famous ship and a family tragedy.

10. Somebody Else's Sin? The Mystery of Nell Cropsey

A young woman's enigmatic death leads to a possible miscarriage of justice.

And there you have it, the best--or, depending on your opinion of this blog--least worst moments from Strange Company 2020.  As we all know, this has been one insane hellscape of a year for our world, and unless we get some sort of miracle, I'm expecting 2021 to make 2020 look like kittens happily frolicking in a garden.  However, we can at least gladden our hearts with another blog year of murders, disappearances, exploding corpses, and, we can always hope, more deadly wallpaper.

New Year's: a time for drinking champagne, festive midnight gatherings, nostalgic renditions of "Auld Lang Syne," planting homemade spooks on your neighbors...

...Wait, what? The "Louisville Courier-Journal," January 4, 1897:

Mrs. Joseph Haungs, wife of the well-known saloon-keeper at Seventeenth and Market streets, is lying in a serious condition at her home as the result of a joke perpetrated by some unknown person. Mr. Haungs is very indignant, and declares if he finds the person he will make it warm for him. Mrs. Haungs is suffering from nervous prostration.

Mr. and Mrs. Haungs have been married only about five months, and during that time it has been the wife's custom to remain with her husband until he balances his accounts for the day, and this usually takes him until 11 o'clock or after. Friday night she remained with him until about 10:30 o'clock, when she became sleepy and told him she was going to her room. Haungs and his wife live over the saloon. Feeling secure because of the knowledge that her husband was within sound of her voice, she opened a rear door and started up the steps. The rear hallway is usually dark and she hurried up the back stairway. Haungs proceeded with his figuring for several minutes, when he was startled by hearing a piercing scream. A moment later he heard his wife stumbling down the back steps. He ran to the door and threw it open. Haungs was shocked to see his wife deathly pale.

"What is the matter?" he asked excitedly.

"Great heavens!" exclaimed the wife, "there is a strange woman up-stairs. Oh, she is so pale and so frightful looking." And then the woman almost lost consciousness. When she had recovered sufficiently she said the woman was tall, wore ordinary clothes and was very pale. She appeared very unnatural, she said, and her features were set like one dead. Haungs was mystified. He knew full well that he had taken the precaution to lock all the rear doors, and he was sure that no one had entered the house through the bar-room. But he decided to investigate the matter and ran up-stairs.

As he reached the top of the steps he was confronted by a woman staring at him and standing motionless. He stood still for a moment, and then summoning all his courage he rushed into the room. But the woman did not stir, and this caused him some fright. On reaching the side of the figure he recognized a false face, and then began to suspect that some one was either playing a joke on him and his wife, or else the person was disguised so she or he could not be recognized. With a sudden resolution he grabbed hold of the figure and the supposed woman tottered and fell heavily to the floor. Then it was that he saw the whole affair was a joke. Haungs searched the house to find the perpetrator. It would not have been well with him had he been found, for Haungs was determined to teach him a lesson he would not forget in a life-time.

On examining the object of his wife's fright Haungs found that some one had stuffed an old calico dress and had put a false face on the figure. They had also tied a hood over the head, and stuffed gloves answered the purpose of hands. A pair of shoes sticking out from under the dress completed the hideous looking object. On one arm was pinned a piece of paper with the words, "A Happy New Year."

Mrs. Haungs was compelled to take to her bed, and the least noise causes her to start with fright. Haungs says he intends to investigate the matter, and he expects to have the guilty person duly punished. He says he has a clew and that he believes he has the right party under surveillance.

You may recall that one of my annual roundups of Christmas clippings contained a "Courier-Journal" story dealing with a "joke" gift of a shroud.

Louisvilleans in the good old days had interesting ways of celebrating the holidays.

Greetings!  As has become my end-of-year tradition, I'm taking a look back at the posts which were most popular--or, if you prefer, least-unpopular--of the past twelve months.   Disappearances happened to be the biggest draw in 2019, although ghosts, kidnappings, and people making damn fools of themselves over cats also made strong showings.

So, in order, with the most-read first, here we go!

1. Judy Smith's Final Destination: A Bizarre Murder Mystery

This was most-read by a pretty healthy margin, which doesn't surprise me, as the story is about as weird as they come.

2. A Vanishing in Idaho: The Lillian Richey Mystery

Another woman's inexplicable disappearance.  It's not as well known as the Judy Smith case, but it's nearly as strange.

3. The Mystery of the Meowing House

A  California family has a cat trapped in their house...and you won't believe what happened next.

4. The Case of the Haunted Necklace

Why using ancient tombs as gift shops is really a bad idea.

5. The Creature of Charterhouse

This unusual ghost story was a favorite of mine from the past year.

6. Disappearance in the Desert:  The Walker/Martens Mystery

A young couple lands their plane in the middle of a desert, start walking...and are never seen again.

7. The Lost Boy:  The Mystery of Melvin Horst

The unsolved presumed kidnapping of a small child.

8. "Where is Olive?" An Unusual Poltergeist Account

A young woman haunts her old home...while she's still alive.

9. Guest Post: Peggy Gavan, Author of "The Cat Men of Gotham"

Please don't make your cats blue.  Figuratively or literally.

10. Carl Jung's Ghost Story

A famed psychiatrist's brush with The Weird.

And so comes to an end this blog's final post for 2019.  I hope you will join me in 2020 for more disappearances, ghosts, murders, and, God willing, more people making damn fools of themselves over cats.

Happy New Year!

As a bonus entry for this New Year's Eve, here's a little something that just now came to my attention:  Benjamin Franklin's "Drinker's Dictionary," as it originally appeared in the "Pennsylvania Gazette," January 6, 1737.

Or as it's known around Strange Company HQ, "Words to live by."

Happy New Year!

Welcome to our annual look back at the past year in Strange Company, where I list the Top Ten posts of the past twelve months!

Without any further ado, here is the best--or, at least, most popular--moments from my blog, ranked from top to bottom.  It's an eclectic mix, with something weird for everyone.

1. The Case of the Vanishing Lieutenant.

A Cold War-era mystery that sounds like something from a particularly wacky spy novel.

2. The Wynekoop Mystery.

Did Dr. Alice Wynekoop murder her daughter-in-law?

3. Never Bored:  The Many Wars of Alfred Wintle.

One of the great English eccentrics.

4. The Haunted Mill.

A once-famed early 19th century ghost story.

5. A Revolting and Horrible Affair: The West Twenty-Third Street Murder

The brutal and seemingly senseless killing of financier Benjamin Nathan; one of New York's classic unsolved crimes.

6. In Deep Water: The Last Dive of the Lonergans

A missing-persons case with some unusual elements.

7. Weekend Link Dump, September 8, 2017

I'm not sure why this particular WLD made the cut, but I suppose it's not surprising, as a number of people have told me the Friday link roundup is the only reason they read my blog.  (Maybe not the most tactful way of putting it, guys.)

8. . Book Clipping of the Day, August 30, 2017

In which Robert Kirk learns it's not very wise to dish the dirt on fairies.

9. Magazine Clipping of the Day, September 20, 2017

The mystery of Alice Phillip's unusual epitaph.

10. Newspaper Clipping of the Day, September 6, 2017

The end of an era: the final installment of "Famous Cats of New England."

And thus ends our look back at 2017.  I plan to keep this blog going for at least one more year, so I hope you'll join me for more murders, disappearances, ghosts, and general assorted oddities.

And if the spirits are kind to me, maybe even more talking cats.  See you in 2018!

Photo via Yahoo News

In his 1894 book "Sights and Shadows," Frederick George Lee included a story told to him by a friend, the Rev. William C. Vaughan:

Some years ago I was accustomed to go on saints’ days to the early morning service at a parish church three miles distant; I used to breakfast afterwards with the clergyman, and then returned home in time for the late morning service. He lives in my memory as a man scrupulously careful to keep to the exact truth in all he said.

On two All Saints’ Days I attended service, but, on the third, circumstances had changed, and at the church where I then ministered we had a special preacher on the eve whom I had not met before, but who was to be my guest. My first thought on seeing him was, "How like dear G." My pleasure was much increased at discovering he was a cousin, and I feel inclined to give him credit for unexaggerating truthfulness. We sat up late talking, and here is a true story :— 

"In one of our manufacturing districts a zealous clergyman laboured, who made it his rule to hold a midnight service on every New Year’s Eve. After the New Year had begun, and the congregation dispersed, he still waited in church interceding for his flock. This had been his custom for some years; when one New Year’s morning, after turning the gas off and shutting the church door, he went across to the vicarage close by. On his way upstairs he passed a window which overlooked the church—the whole building was lit up, and he ran down and out again, afraid of fire. It occurred to him, however, to look through a window of the church before reopening the door, and to his amazement he beheld his whole congregation assembled, with himself in the pulpit preaching. As he gazed in astonishment, he perceived upon the countenances of a certain number, one here, and one there, that peculiar hue which comes on the face so often before death: and he drew away. But as the year went on, he made it his special care to prepare for their last earthly hour all those on whom he had seen the mark; and lo! they all died before the year was out ! 

"Again the next New Year’s night he saw the church filled in like manner, himself there, and the hue of death laid upon other faces; these he cared for and prepared for their latter end, till one by one they dropped off and were buried, their number made complete ere the twelve months had all passed. 

"So it happened another year, and another, and more, nor said he anything of it to anyone, but kept it to himself; till a New Year Day he summoned to him his curate, and declared, 'My people were there last night too, but I did not see which of them should die, only on my own face appeared the hue of death, and you I wish to prepare me for that hour.'

"His death occurred shortly afterwards."

As has become my habit each January 1, here are the most popular posts presented on my obscure little blog over the past year.  This look back is fun for me, and, I hope, not overly boring for you.  I'm always curious to see which posts got readers and which sank like the proverbial brick.  They are ranked in order, with the most-read first.

Without further ado, I present The Year in Strange Company!

1. The Mystery of Annie Hearn's Sandwiches

I always say, you can't beat a good old-fashioned British poisoning mystery.

2. Newspaper Clipping(s) of the Independence Day

Fourth of July body-counts are always a popular favorite.

3. Grace Sherwood, the Litigious Witch

An early American lady who spent more time in courtrooms than she did in covens.

4. The Awful Greatness of the Cherry Sisters

This post was a particular favorite of mine, so I'm glad to see the girls made the list.

5. The Devil of Macon

An unusual 17th century poltergeist case.

6. Newspaper Clipping of the Day, November 2

This particular "Famous Cats of New England" post made the top ten due to being shared on what must be a popular Facebook page.  Unfortunately, my stats don't allow me to see which page this was, but whoever you are, thanks!

7. The Ghosts of Antigonish

Canada's most famous fiery poltergeist.

8. Weekend Link Dump, May 27

The WLDs usually get fewer hits than my "regular" posts, and I have no idea why this one in particular was so popular.  Full credit must go to Potter, I guess.



9. The Hinterkaifeck Mystery

The strangest and most chilling mass murder mystery I've ever heard of.

10. The Midsomer Murder of Rose Harsent

Sex, scandal and violent death in a quaint English village.  Paging Tom Barnaby!

And with that, we say goodbye to 2016.  Many thanks to everyone who read this blog over the past year.  I hope you find something to your liking here in 2017, as we bring on more ghosts, murders, witches, and elephant-sized cats!

Christmas ghost stories are justifiably popular, but New Year's Eve spook tales seem far less common. If the truth be told, I find that a bit odd, as the passing of one year and the birth of another seems like a ripe time to speak of the dead among the living.

One instance of a "New Year's ghost" was related by Elliott O'Donnell in his 1916 book "Twenty Years' Experience as a Ghost Hunter." Whether the incident is strictly true or not is anyone's guess--O'Donnell was famed for never letting facts spoil his fun--but it is a welcome twist on that tired old ghost story cliche, "Spirit visits old friend to tell of his/her death."

Whilst I was still writing for "The Weekly Despatch," I happened to visit an old friend of mine, a Captain Rupert Tennison, who was staying with an aged relative in the Hagley Road, Birmingham. 

"This is hardly the house you would expect to see a ghost in, is it ?" he remarked to me after luncheon. "And yet I can assure you I had a very remarkable psychic experience here, in this very room. I've often wanted to tell you about it. It happened one New Year's Eve three and a half years ago. My aunt had a nephew, on her husband's side, called Jack Wilmot, and he and I used to meet here regularly at the commencement of every New Year. On this occasion, however, my aunt informed me that Wilmot was unable to be present, as he was detained in Mexico, where he had a very good post as a mining engineer. 

"I was much disappointed, for Wilmot and I were great pals, and the prospect of staying here alone with the old lady struck me as perfectly appalling. I resolved to make the best of it, however, for I was genuinely sorry for my aunt, whom I could see was quite as disappointed as I was. I arrived late in the afternoon of December 31st. We dined at seven, and at nine my aunt went off to bed and left me in this room by myself. 

"For some time I read—no, not one of your books, O'Donnell—a Guy Maupassant; but the light being rather bad, and my eyes tired, for I had been travelling all the previous night, I was at last obliged to desist and devote myself entirely to a pipe. 

"The servants went to bed at about ten. I heard them tap respectfully at my aunt's door on their way, and wish her good-night. After that the house was absolutely silent, so silent, indeed, that the hush began to get on my nerves, and I was contemplating retiring also, when heavy footsteps suddenly crossed the hall and the door of this room was flung wide open. I looked round in amazement. Standing on the threshold was Wilmot. 

'Why, Jack!' I cried. 'I am glad to see you, old fellow. Your aunt told me you could not come. How did you manage it?' 

'Quite easily,' he said in the light, careless manner which was one of his characteristics. 'Where there's a will, there's a way, you know. I've taken French leave.' 

"'Taken French leave!' I ejaculated. 'Then there'll be the deuce to pay when you get back. Anyhow, that's your affair, not mine. You'll have some supper?' 

"'No,' he said; 'I had a very good meal a short time ago, and I'm not the least bit hungry. We will chat instead.' 

"He pulled his chair up to the table, and, leaning his elbows on it, stared right into my face. 

"'You don't look very well, Jack,' I said. 'Maybe this strong light has something to do with it, but you are as pale as a sheet. Is it the voyage?' 

"'Not altogether,' he replied. 'I've had a lot of trouble lately.' 

"'Tell me,' I said. 

"'Won't it bore you ?' he replied. 'After all, why should I bother other people with my woes. Oh, all right, I will if you like.

"'Some months ago there came to the town where I am working a wealthy Spaniard and his wife. Their name was Hervada. He was a tall, lean, sour-faced old curmudgeon, and she one of the most beautiful young creatures you can imagine. You can guess what happened?' "' You fell in love with her, of course,' I cried. "' From the moment I saw her,' Jack replied. You got introduced,' I said. Trust me,' he laughed. 'I found out where she lived, and the rest was so easy that before the end of the week I had dined with them, and also had had one clandestine meeting in the Park. At first her old villain of a husband suspected nothing. But it is infernally hard to keep up a pretense for long, when one is really madly consumed with passion. Eyes are sure indicators of what the heart feels, at least mine » are, and when Hervada suddenly looked up and caught me gazing at his wife as if I could devour her, the cat was completely out of the bag. I give him credit for one thing, however: he took it very calmly. Despite his unprepossessing exterior he could at times be extremely courteous and dignified. 

"'You will oblige me by settling this matter in the way customary to gentlemen in this country,' he said. 'You must remember you are not in England now; you are in Mexico. Have you a revolver?' "'I am never without one,' I replied. "'Then,' he observed, ignoring the intervention of his wife, whose apprehensions were only too plainly more on my account than on his, 'we will step on to the verandah.' 

"'What!' I said. 'You don't mean to say you actually fought a duel?' 

"Jack nodded. 'Yes!' he said. 'We measured off twenty paces, and then, turning round, fired.' "' And you killed him?' "' That would be your natural surmise,' was the reply.
'But you are mistaken. It was I who was killed.' 

"The moment he had said these words, he seemed to fade away, and before I could recover from my astonishment, he had completely disappeared, and I found myself staring not at him but the blank wall. And now comes the oddest part of it. I naturally expected to hear Jack was dead. I said nothing to my aunt, but I wrote off to his address at once. 

"Judge, then, of my relief when I received a letter from him by return of post to say he was absolutely fit and well, and getting on splendidly. That was in February. In the following August my aunt wrote to me saying a very tragic occurrence had taken place. Jack was dead. He had been found on the verandah of an hotel in Mexico shot through the heart. Though the identity of his murderer was generally suspected, there was no actual proof, and as the man was very rich and influential, it was thought quite useless to take up the case. Now what kind of superphysical phenomenon do you call that?" Captain Tennison concluded. 

"I can't exactly say," I replied. "It is one of those strange prognostications of the future that happen more often on New Year's Eve than on any other day of the year. 

''I don't think the phantasm you saw was actually Wilmot's spirit. I don't see how it could have been. I think it was an impersonating neutrarian, one of that order of phantasms that have never inhabited any kind of material body, and whose special function is apparently to foretell the end of certain people, and certain people only."

As I did at the close of 2014, I thought I'd do a year-end wrap-up taking a look at the top ten posts from the past year.  Just to be different, it had occurred to me to make a list of my innumerable posts that proved to be about as popular as botulism at a picnic, but after some reflection I decided that might be too depressing.  For me, at any rate.

I figure there's more than enough Weird in the world to keep this goofy little blog of mine going at least through 2016.  I hope at least some of you will continue to be part of Strange Company's strange company, as we look at more disappearances, murders, cats, scandals, cats, ghosts, witches, kidnappings, general bad behavior, and, of course, cats.

So, on with the countdown, starting with 2015's most popular tale:

1. The Horror in Room 1046. 

This is one of those murder mysteries that I'm surprised isn't more well-known.  The post, incidentally, owes its relative popularity to a link on a Reddit sub.  [Side note:  If you want to make any blogger really, really happy, share one of their posts on Reddit.  Hit-count gold, baby.]

2. Newspaper Clipping of the Day, February 25, 2015.

All hail those Ladies of the Illustrated Police News!

3.  A Case For David Paulides.

The tragedy of a small boy's inexplicable disappearance from an amusement park.

4. The Witch of Ringtown.

Witchcraft, hexes, ghostly black cat familiars, and murder...in 20th century America.

5. The Great Trinity Church Hoax; or, Dix Picked For Slick Tricks.

A New York clergyman is the target of a series of increasingly deranged hoaxes.

6.  The Adventures of Miss Cora Strayer, Private Detective.

I can't tell you how much fun I had with this one.

7. Newspaper Clipping of the Day, May 13, 2015.

As I said at the time, I was uneasy about posting this story of a grave-robber's dreadful end.  It was so macabre, so incredibly gruesome in detail, I thought it could be too much for anyone to read.  I feared it might drive all of you away for good.

So, next thing I know it's the 7th most popular post of the year.  God love ya, gang.

8. A Disappearance at West Point:  The Case of Richard Colvin Cox.

This vanishing of a USMA cadet is one of the strangest missing-persons cases I know.

9. Captain King and the Golden Needle.

This account of the eerie death of a British military officer in Egypt was a particular favorite of mine from the past year--it  reminds me of M.R. James' more open-ended stories--so I was pleased to see it make the Top Ten.  Usually, my favorite posts on this blog tend to get the fewest hits.  Which probably helps explain why I'm a financially-strapped nobody and J.K. Rowling is a multigazillionaire.

But I digress.

10. The Sinister Disappearance of a Film Pioneer.

What the hell happened to Louis Le Prince?

So, there you have the best--or, at least, best-read--of Strange Company 2015.  See you in 2016, and may it be a happy, prosperous, and really, really peculiar year for us all.

As everyone in the blogosphere seems to be doing end-of-year wrap-ups, I thought I'd post my own look at what was most popular around here during 2014.  Besides, as I don't check my stats very often (too humiliating, if the truth be told,) I was genuinely curious to see what sort of topics made the biggest hit with my three or four readers.

It turns out you all are very big on dead women and dysfunctional families.

So, here are the top posts of this past year, in order from #1 to #10:

1. The Mysterious Murder of Nora Fuller.  This was the leading post by a very comfortable margin.  I suppose I'm not really surprised, as I've long felt that this creepy case has not gotten nearly the amount of attention in true-crime literature that it deserves.

2. Who Killed Jane Stanford?  Another puzzling murder that has been oddly forgotten.

3. Hell's Bells.  Fun and games with one of California's most lunatic families.  (Curious, isn't it, that the top three posts are all San Francisco-related?  Coincidence, or does the Bay Area just have a special gift for historical weirdness?)

4. Joan Risch:  Runaway Wife or Murder Victim?  No matter how many times I read about this story, I still can't decide which one I think she was.

5. Mrs. Harvey and Her Mummy.  Oh, come on, haven't we all known the embarrassment of having relatives find long-dead bodies in our cupboards?

6. Newspaper Clipping(s) of the Day, Till Death Do You Part.  Bring this collection of stories to the next wedding you attend and be everyone's pet!

7.  The Brooklyn Enigma.  The strange, haunting tale of invalid Mollie Fancher and her Wild Talents.  Several people have told me that this was their favorite post ever on this blog.

8. The Deadly Duke de Praslin.  A notorious--and particularly ugly--wife murder in French high places.

9. Newspaper Clipping of the Day, from October 22.  The tragic tale of an abused elephant and his deadly revenge.

10. Robert Coates, the Greatest of Bad Actors.  The title says it all, I think.


So, there you go, the best--or at least, the most popular--of Strange Company 2014.  I have no idea what the new year will bring, but I hope to keep the murder, mayhem, and general nuttiness coming!