Pennsylvania Oddities

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The Cawley Murders: Boy Genius Gone Berzerk May 15, 2021

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Across the river from Pittsburgh, on the southern banks of the Monongahela, lies the suburb of Homestead. Here, on a quiet street, lived a quiet boy named Charlie Cawley, a teenage genius who seemed destined to one day join the ranks of Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Cyrus McCormick in the pantheon of great American inventors-- until he inexplicably slaughtered his mother and siblings one fateful night in 1902.

The Lost Grave of Benjamin Remaley May 01, 2021

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Somewhere just over the Columbia-Luzerne county line, on a hill overlooking the scenic valley north of Beach Haven, lies the mortal remains of one of the most eccentric citizens to ever call Salem Township home. Benjamin Remaley passed away in 1885 and the age of 75, but not before making out a detailed will with several bizarre stipulations-- like his demand that two holes be drilled into his coffin so that he could escape-- if necessary-- from evil spirits.

But that's just one of the many strange final requests made by the ornery farmer. And had Benjamin Remaley not been such a quirky fellow, his moldering bones would be slumbering in a graveyard instead of hidden somewhere on the foothills of Knob Mountain.

The Legend of Tom Skelton and the Ghost of Packsaddle Gap Apr 15, 2021

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Old-time railroaders in western Pennsylvania often told tales about Wild Tom Skelton, whose ghost was fond of standing on the tracks as the locomotives bore down on him, leaning on his long gun with a forlorn look in his eyes, cursed to search for all eternity for his beloved Maria. The tragic tale of Tom Skelton is one of heartbreak on the wilderness frontier of present-day Indiana County, but what is the true origin of the story of Wild Tom Skelton's wandering spirit, known throughout western Pennsylvania as the Ghost of Packsaddle Gap?

The Clearfield UFO Sighting of 1950 Apr 01, 2021

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The coincidental timing of the science fiction craze and the Cold War inspired millions of Americans to keep their eyes glued to the night sky for Soviet missiles, flying saucers, and all things in between in the decade following World War II. Just three years after the Roswell crash, a peculiar UFO sighting in Clearfield County on March 15, 1950, made national headlines.

The fact that this "flying saucer" was seen by Dr. Craig Hunter, an amateur pilot and technical director for a supply firm specializing in scientific instruments, added a touch of credibility to the claim. But not everyone was convinced of the authenticity of Dr. Hunter's story, however; some insisted that Hunter had fabricated his story, and had based his drawings of the spaceship he had seen on a drawing published earlier that month by a magazine. So what is the truth behind Dr. Hunter's spectacular story?

Albert Large: The Hermit of Buckingham Mountain Mar 15, 2021

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The trials and tribulations of Albert Large, a Civil War-era hermit who found peace living inside a hilltop cave... that is, until his hideaway was discovered by nosy locals.

The Strange History of Peddler's Grave Mar 01, 2021

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In a lonesome spot on North Mahanoy Mountain, near the No. 3 Reservoir on Waste House Run, lies a grave with a peculiar history. This is the final resting place of Jost Folhaber, a Jewish-German merchant who became the first known murder victim in Schuylkill County. This spot, known locally as "Peddler's Grave", has been one of the Coal Region's best-kept secrets ever since Folhaber's gruesome death in the summer of 1797.

Peter Hauntz: The Mysterious Puppetmaster of Pennsylvania Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

Peter Hauntz was the stage name of James H. Sharp, a Civil War veteran from Clinton County who rose to prominence during the latter half of the 19th century as a master puppeteer, ventriloquist, magician and stage performer. Trained in the German tradition of the famed Eisenstadt Puppet Theatre by Professor de Rotschkoff-- a man who believed the key to making realistic puppets was by using real human blood-- Sharp's performances included a variety of characters so realistic that, to this day, some aren't sure whether they were wooden puppets, or living, breathing human beings.

One such character was Herodia, a young gypsy ballerina who Sharp claimed had climbed into his wagon to hide from her evil parents one night in 1873. Herodia performed with the Peter Hauntz show for four years-- before disappearing as mysteriously as she had arrived.

Mickey Smith: The Peg-Legged Killer of Cambria County Feb 01, 2021

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In 1884, a peculiar series of murder trials took place in Cambria County. Two men, both of whom were named Mickey, were convicted of murder in the same week. Both men not only shared the same first name, but also the same handicap-- they both had wooden legs. But what makes this bit of historical trivia even more interesting is that both judges in these respective murder trials, Judge Dean and Judge Johnston, were also peg-legged. The court clerk who made out the juror's orders also had a wooden leg, as did the county treasurer who cashed the orders. One of the witnesses was peg-legged, while one of the jurors had not one, but two wooden legs. In total, there were nine artificial limbs in the Cambia County Courthouse during a single week in March of 1884.

But it is one of these two convicted murderers, Mickey Smith, who went on to achieve infamy after pulling off a daring escape from the Cambria County Jail in Ebensburg. This escape led to a massive manhunt and a spate of Mickey Smith sightings all across the state for years to come. And, strangely, no one knows for sure what became of the peg-legged escape artist. He was never caught.

William Hummel and the Montgomery Murders of 1899 Jan 01, 2021

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The small town of Montgomery in Lycoming County was thrust into the national spotlight on Thursday, November 23, 1899, after a chilling discovery was made under a haystack. Wrapped in bloodied burlap were the bodies of a young widow and two small children. The bones of another child, just a mere infant, were later found under a manure pile in a horse stall. Suspicion immediately fell upon a temperamental rag peddler whom the widow had married just one week earlier. This is the story of William Hummel, the cold-blooded killer who committed one of the ghastliest crimes in the history of Pennsylvania.

The Burning of Chambersburg and a Civil War Mystery Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

Chambersburg played a role in many important chapters of American history, from the French and Indian War to the Whiskey Rebellion to the Underground Railroad. Chambersburg also holds the distinction of being the only northern city that was burned down by Confederate forces; the order given by Gen. John McCausland on July 30, 1864, reduced much of the community to ashes and smoldering rubble.
History records only one casualty resulting from the series of raids on the borough-- a black resident who was trapped inside a burning building because the rebels refused to let him out. A few hundred Union soldiers were captured as prisoners, and two Confederate soldiers were reported as missing-- and therein lies Chambersburg's most captivating unsolved Civil War mystery. So how did these Confederate soldiers disappear, and why?

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