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Fascinating True Stories From the Flip Side of History

On the Web Since 1994

Podcasting Since January 2008

A Severed Relationship – Podcast #192

Published on March 6, 2023

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Love & Marriage, Podcast

Ouch!!! The ghastly true story of Bertha Boronda who, in 1907, took a straight razor and sliced off her husband Frank’s penis. Did he survive?

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1957 – Doctor’s Stained-Glass Struggle Against Daughter’s Marriage

Published on February 28, 2023

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Love & Marriage, Tidbits

A man objects to his daughter's marriage to her high school teacher by hurling stones at St. Patrick's cathedral's stained-glass windows.

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1975 – Man’s Car Stolen, Picked Up By His Own Vehicle (Footnote)

Published on February 15, 2023

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History

A Huntsville man had his car stolen, began to hitchhike back home and was picked up by his own car.

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Marty, the Marijuana Mouse – Podcast #190

Published on February 2, 2023

Posted in: Animals & Pets, Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Humor, Podcast

The crazy true story of Marty, a mouse who was stealing marijuana and other drugs from the evidence room of the San Jose police department in 1974.

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1949 – Don’t Come Back-He Didn’t! (Footnote)

Published on January 24, 2023

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History, Schools & Education

His teacher told him not to come back to school without his book, so he did exactly what he was told and ran away from home.

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The Cryptanalyst (Part 1) – Podcast #182

Published on October 21, 2022

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Podcast

An interview with 93-year-old Marvin Lautzenheiser, who was the lead cryptanalyst for the FBI team that deciphered the microfilm message contained in the Hollow Nickel (Podcast #168).

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1954 – Roscoe Goes to Calaboose to Escape TV at Home (Footnote)

Published on August 25, 2022

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History

Roscoe Tard was so sick of his wife watching television that he opted to spend five days in jail.

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1885: The Cake Bewitched Him (Footnote)

Published on August 8, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History, Love & Marriage

A man elopes with another man's wife and is arrested. He blames it on her delicious cake!

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1927 – Unidentified Body Found by Hartford Police

Published on July 11, 2022

Posted in: Animals & Pets, Crime & Punishment, Death and Murder, Tidbits

A man told police that he had witnessed someone being murdered. Investigators raced to the scene, saw the blood, and then discovered a very unusual corpse.

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Footnote – 1949: Nimrod Gives Bizarre Excuse

Published on May 6, 2022

Posted in: Animals & Pets, Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History, Tidbits

Can you tell the difference between a deer and a groundhog? These two hunters in Maryland apparently could not.

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1960 – Custer’s Roaring Last Stand

Published on April 1, 2022

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Tidbits

Wheeling, West Virginia dog warden William Custer came up with the perfect solution to scare off intruders: he used his pet lion to guard the pound.

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Footnote – 1974: Unusual Theft

Published on March 25, 2022

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History

Some thief was in for a surprise when he or she listened to the tapes that he stole from a car in Dallas.

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Footnote – 1952: Grab Pants, Said Sign

Published on March 18, 2022

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History

Bandits in Toronto took clothing store operator Abraham Goody for his word. The sign said grab pants and that is exactly what they did.

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The Case of the Hollow Nickel – Podcast #168

Published on March 15, 2022

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Podcast

In 1953, paperboy Jimmy Bozart was counting his subscription money. He dropped the coins and one nickel split open, revealing a piece of microfilm. This led to the arrest of a high-ranking Soviet spy.

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Footnote – 1936: Coughs Up Roll

Published on March 11, 2022

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History

Doctors in Buffalo got an unusual surprise when Robert Ford coughed up a roll of money.

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Recent Podcast Episodes

Retrocast 16 – Podcast #193
March 20, 2023
A Severed Relationship – Podcast #192
March 6, 2023
Retrocast #15 – Podcast #191
February 14, 2023
Marty, the Marijuana Mouse – Podcast #190
February 2, 2023
Retrocast #14 – Podcast #189
January 19, 2023
The Newburyport Anti-Inflation Plan – Podcast #188
January 9, 2023
Christmas Retrocast – Podcast #187
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Bad Apples #5 – The Bishop’s Wife – Podcast #186
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The Cryptanalyst (Part 3) – Podcast #184
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