Serial Killers on the American Frontier: "Big" and "Little" Harpe

Criminalia

Shondaland Audio and iHeartPodcasts

True Crime, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2024

⏱️ 26 minutes

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Summary

Herman Webster Mudgett of New Hampshire, better known by the alias H.H. Holmes, was responsible for anywhere from 20 to 200 killings before he was apprehended in 1894, and is known as one of America’s first serial killers. But ... not THE first. That title -– at least on record -- belongs to the Harpes: "Big" and "Little" Harpe, who killed at least 40 men, women, and children – and likely more. Be warned, this may be the most violent episode we have yet told.

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0:00.0	Once upon a time, Amazon Music met audiobooks and listeners everywhere rejoiced.
0:05.8	Oh yeah.
0:06.6	Because now they could listen to one audiobook title a month from an enormous library of popular audiobook titles, including romanticity,
0:15.3	autobiographies, true crime, and more.
0:19.3	Suddenly listeners didn't mind sitting in traffic or even missing their
0:22.6	flight. Amazon Music Unlimited now includes audible. No way. Download the Amazon Music app now to start
0:28.4	listening. Terms apply. Welcome to Criminalia, a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership
0:34.3	with IHeartRadio.
0:47.1	Herman Webster Mudgeett of New Hampshire, better known by the alias H.H. Holmes, was responsible for anywhere from 20 to 200 killings before he was apprehended in 1894.
1:00.7	He admitted to 27 while in custody and is known as one of America's first serial killers,
1:03.6	but not the first.
1:05.6	Welcome to Criminalia.
1:06.8	I'm Maria Tremarky. And I'm Holly Fry.
1:09.0	That title of first serial killer, at least on record, belongs to a duo.
1:15.2	The Harps, sometimes you'll see them listed as the Harp Brothers, but that's a little complicated.
1:20.6	Joshua Harper, known as Mackayah or Big Harp, and William Harper, known as Wiley or Little Harp,
1:32.9	were born probably in 1768 and 1770, respectively.
1:37.3	Big Harp was described as, quote, bony and muscular.
1:42.5	He's been called the brawn to the smaller, red-haired little harp's brains.
1:46.6	But make no mistake, both of these men shared a proclivity for carrying out unspeakable horrors. We know that their killing spree in the late
1:53.2	1700s spanned a handful of states. We know they killed dozens and dozens of people.
2:00.7	Historian John Musgrave has said of them, quote,
	...

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