meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Crimes of the Centuries

S1 Ep1: The Murder of Mary Phagan

Crimes of the Centuries

Amber Hunt and Audioboom

History, Documentary, Society & Culture, True Crime

4.74K Ratings

🗓️ 26 October 2020

⏱️ 45 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

At 3:00 am on April 27th, 1913, the body of 13 year old Mary Phagan was found in the basement of the factory where she worked in Atlanta, Georgia. Her dress was up around her waist and a strip from her petticoat had been torn off and wrapped around her neck. Her face was blackened and scratched, and her head was bruised and battered. Almost immediately, the murder, and the mystery surrounding who would do such a horrible, brutal thing to a child went the 1913 equivalent of viral.

When authorities finally landed on a suspect, their evidence was flimsy at best. The trial was a media spectacle and the outcome not only embedded this story in American history, but also sparked child labor laws.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

There it is, sat round doing nothing, that old lump sum.

0:03.6

But what if you could get it moving with a Shawbrook savings account?

0:07.1

Suddenly, it's looking healthier. It finally got off its AER.

0:11.5

So stand up and take notice of our notice accounts, bond with our fixed rate bonds,

0:16.0

or take it easy with easy access.

0:18.2

Safe Smarter, not harder, with Shawbrook.

0:20.9

Spark your interest today at Shawbrook.co.uk.

0:24.3

Shawbrook bank is authorized by the Prudential Regulation Authority

0:27.3

and regulated by the FCA and PLA.

0:36.4

Some crimes are so heartbreaking or shocking

0:40.5

that they earn the label crime of the century.

0:44.5

But the stories that made headlines in decades passed aren't necessarily remembered today.

0:52.4

I'm Amber Hunt, a journalist and author.

0:56.2

And in each episode of this show, I'll examine a case that's maybe lesser known today,

1:01.8

but was huge when it happened.

1:05.2

This is crimes of the centuries.

1:15.2

In 1913, Atlanta, Georgia was still struggling to recover from the Civil War some 50 years prior.

1:31.1

You might remember from history class that the city had been seized and burned in 1864.

1:38.4

After the war, the South had to spend more money on reconstruction than the North did.

1:43.6

And that meant it was good business for middle class northerners to move their businesses down South.

1:50.1

They weren't exactly welcome. That's where the phrase carpet bagger comes from.

1:54.9

But they were pretty successful.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Amber Hunt and Audioboom, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Amber Hunt and Audioboom and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.