Show Notes
History consists of heroes and villains (and, I suppose everything in between)... but it's usually the villains who are the most interesting: Their flaws, their quirks, the voids in their hearts that force them to do the unthinkable. These are the characters that fascinate us, that pull us in, that compel us to watch and don’t let us look away. And these are the characters that Scoundrel: History’s Forgotten Villains is all about. Scoundrel, is a new bi-weekly anthology podcast from Kast Media and the award winning creators of Myths & Legends, that tells the stories of the rapscallions through time who were just a little more adept at hiding their evil from historians than others. By joining them on their treacherous journeys, we not only learn about what makes them tick, but more importantly, the times that created them. Sidney Gottlieb, George Remus, Thomas Blood, James McClintock. They’ve all done horrible things...on varying scales. If there’s anything we can salvage from their misdeeds and incalculable human suffering, it’s the opportunity to use them to elucidate the times they’ve lived… so that we can better understand ourselves.
Scoundrel: History's Forgotten Villains - premiers Wednesday, February 23 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from Scoundrel: History's Forgotten Villains
Born in Dalian province, China, Wang Ti always had her sights on becoming a fixture in the elite circles of Beijing aristocracy. Her place as the wife of a once star player on a former Chinese Super League champion team gave her access to the who’s who, but Wang Ti wanted more than just access, she desired to BE the who’s who, by any means necessary.
At the turn of the 20th century, Hetty Green was possibly the richest woman in America. She outsmarted the men of Wall Street at their own game, amassing a fortune that, today, would be worth billions. So, with all that money, why did she die in in squalor, wearing threadbare clothes, alienated from everyone she knew both personally and professionally, with the moniker of "The Witch of Wall Street?"Today, we tell the story of Hetty Green, and explore whether she was a monster who pinched pennies to the point that her son lost a leg because she refused to pay for medical care, or a tragic tale of what happens when money takes the place of love in someone’s life.
In 1645, the English Civil War caused a great divide in England - on both sides, the destruction, violence and famine were all blamed on malevolent witches, cursing towns and villages all throughout the countryside to fulfill their pacts with the devil. Thankfully, King Charles I endorsed a duo of witch-hunters, led by Matthew Hopkins to identify and condemn as many accused witches as they could lay eyes on, leading to national and international fame and infamy. Over their careers, Hopkins and his partner John Stearne torturously forced confessions and sent more people to the gallows than all witch-hunters for the prior 160 years combined, and Hopkins’ book ‘The Discovery of Witches’ eventually became the inspiration for the Salem Witch Trials when it arrived on American shores. History may have forgotten about Matthew Hopkins’ insidious influence, but we sure haven’t!
In January of 1920, as their locomotive headed into Rochester, New York, a group of brakemen happened to spot a corpse lying in a nearby ditch. After a quick police investigation, authorities were able to point their fingers at a rather unusual couple of culprits: A married couple - Pearl and James O'Dell. Nicknamed "The Honeymoon Murderers," their strange motive, method and mayheim splashes its way all over national papers and popular culture...until time washed their story away. Join us as we bring them back to life and shed light on their human tragedy.
They were two of the most feared outlaws in the Wild West. Known for their crack shots, and overall disregard of Oklahoma law, their names were on most wanted lists from Alda to Tulsa County. Oh, and the kicker? They were two teenage girls. The world may have forgotten about Cattle Annie and Little Britches, but we sure haven't!