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True Crime Campfire

Witches' Brew: The Philadelphia Poison Ring

True Crime Campfire

True Crime Campfire

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.81.5K Ratings

🗓️ 13 August 2021

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1930s Philadelphia, men all over town were dying—some in strange accidents, and some of a swift, excruciating illness. Their widows were devastated, of course—but it being the Great Depression and all, they were somewhat comforted by the substantial payouts they received from their late husbands’ life insurance plans. In medical examiners’ offices across the city, one death certificate after another was stamped “Natural Death” or “Accident.” One family doctor after another signed off: So sad, but these things happen. Nothing suspicious here. And in the cellar of one tailor shop, candles and skulls lined the walls. Incantations whispered through the air as little glass vials were carefully filled with deadly poison. The City of Brotherly Love? Not today.

Sources:
Poison Widows by George Cooper
Rachel Snyder: https://vtuhr.org/articles/10.21061/vtuhr.v5i1.43/print/
David Lohr, True TV, "Philadelphia's Poison Ring"
Jim Goad, Thought Catalog: https://thoughtcatalog.com/jim-goad/2019/12/witchs-brew-how-the-philadelphia-poison-ring-exploited-unhappy-wives-and-killed-100-people/
https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/bolbermorris1.htm
Investigation Discovery's "Most Evil," Episode "Gangs"
Investigation Discovery's "Deadly Women," Episode "Brutal Brides"

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Transcript

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0:00.0

This episode is brought to you by Royal London, the UK's largest mutual, life, pensions and investment company.

0:08.0

What even is a mutual anywhere? Well, Royal London is customer owned.

0:12.0

It has been since 1861. They work to support customers and wider society,

0:17.0

to help build financial resilience, while investing responsibly,

0:21.0

to help build a future worth returning into. It really is everyone's business.

0:26.0

Learn more at RoyalLondon.com slash mutuality.

0:30.0

You hear that? That's the sound of your energy use going in reverse.

0:40.0

Rewinding, reducing. We're over an energy company that wants you to use less energy.

0:49.0

Some may see that as a bit backwards, but we like to see things differently.

0:55.0

Join us and see energy from a different angle.

0:59.0

I say. Hello, campers. Grab your marshmallows and gather around the true crime campfire.

1:04.0

Wear your camp counselors. I'm Katie, and I'm Whitney.

1:08.0

And we're here to tell you a true story that is way stranger than fiction.

1:12.0

Or roasting murderers and marshmallows around the true crime campfire.

1:21.0

In 1930s Philadelphia, men all over town were dying.

1:25.0

Some in strange accidents and some of a swift, excruciating illness.

1:30.0

Their widows were devastated, of course, but it being the Great Depression,

1:34.0

they were somewhat comforted by the substantial payouts they received from their late husband's life insurance plans.

1:40.0

In medical examiner's offices across the city, one death certificate after another was stamped,

1:46.0

natural death, or accident.

1:49.0

One family doctor after another signed off. So sad, but these things happen.

1:55.0

Nothing suspicious here.

...

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