October 12, 2021 • 10 mins
One of our most curious traits as humans is just how tricky we can be. Today's stories illustrate that nicely.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Aaron Menkey's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is
full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book,
all of these amazing tales are right there on display,
just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet
(00:27):
of Curiosities. History is full of daring escapes and near missus.
One of the most famous involved in ninety four mass
escape of Allied soldiers from a German pow camp. The
story eventually became the subject of a book by one
(00:49):
of the Royal Australian Air Force pilots imprisoned there. It
was then adapted into a film in nineteen sixty three
starring Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough. The Great Escape is
remembered today as a cinema classic. A similar event occurred
eighty years prior, during the Civil War. Hundreds of Union
officers were being held at Libby Prison in Virginia, a
(01:09):
Confederate prison where captives faced dismal living conditions. There wasn't
enough food, disease ran rampant, and many men were crammed
into cells shoulder to shoulder. The prisoners dug a tunnel
for months, carving through the bricks behind the kitchen stove.
On February nine, they got their chance. One nine Union
prisoners of war crawled dozens of feet through the darkness,
(01:31):
rats scurrying around them until they were able to breathe
the fresh air of freedom. Though almost fifty were caught
in the following days, about sixty made it back to
Union lines, many by Valentine's Day. But there is another
historical great escape, one that has eluded the publishing world
and Hollywood. It's a tale of deception, cunning and bravery,
(01:53):
and it occurred while the enemy watched the whole thing
happened in front of him. In twelve sixty four, Lord
Edward the Fist of England based off against Simon de Montfort.
The Montfort had been an advisor to edwards father, King
Henry the Third, but the two grew apart over Montfort's
displeasure over Henry's ruling style. You see, Henry was a
(02:13):
dictator who often went against the wishes of his barons,
while Montfort preferred a more limited form of government, one
where a monarch was kept in check by elected officials
and barons. Simon de Montfort united the other barons and
their armies against Henry's and edwards forces. The two sides
confronted each other in the town of Lewis in Sussex.
(02:33):
Henry's army was almost double the size of Montfort's. A
truce was attempted, but the king was confident that he
could overpower his former advisor with ease. With the formalities
out of the way, Montfort ordered his forces to split
into teams of four in order to attack from different sides.
They struck at dawn. Edward managed to push one section
of the baronial army into a neighboring town, but his
(02:56):
efforts left his father's men wide open to an attack
from the enemy. Simon de Montfort gained the upper hand
and was able to overwhelm the King's forces. His army
killed many Royalist soldiers while the others fled. Some were
taking his prisoners. With the Royalists defeated, Simon had a
few friars deliver a message to the King the time
(03:16):
had come for peace. He would release all of the
prisoners if Henry and Edward surrendered themselves. He didn't want
to fight anyone. He only wanted what was best for England,
and Prince Edward agreed. He gave up himself as requested,
and though he was technically Simon's prisoner, he was afforded
certain luxuries. For example, the prince often went out to
(03:39):
ride horses with the few guards nearby, to make sure
that he didn't escape well. One day, Simon was gifted
a horse from a nobleman who had come to visit.
It was strong and fast, the kind of horse that
might serve well in battle, and Simon instructed one of
his servants to take it along whenever Edward went on
his rides, so as to catch him if he tried
(03:59):
to flee. Edward caught a glimpse of the powerful creature,
and he got an idea. He challenged the guards to
a race. Each guard, one by one took off after
the prince on horseback, before returning with him back to
the starting point. After all the guards had raised him,
Simon de Montfort's new horse was brought out last. Edward
took the reins and mounted it himself, waving goodbye as
(04:22):
he bolted away. The guards took off after him. Unfortunately,
Edward had already pulled one over on them in racing,
their horses earlier he had exhausted them. The animals were
too tired to give chase, and so the prince got away.
A few months later, Edward met up with Simon de Montfort. Again.
Things didn't go so well for Simon. This time his
(04:44):
army was defeated in battle, and he was killed by
a lance through the neck. Several years later, Edward ascended
to the throne, all because his captor had loosened the
reins and allowed him to make hay. When Tom Moore Jr.
(05:12):
Died at the age of ninety eight, the people of
McLean County, Texas remembered him for the colorful life he'd led.
He had practiced law for nearly seventy years and showed
up at the law firm every day well into his nineties.
Those who met him said that he was compassionate, highly intelligent,
and had a keen sense of humor. Because of his
advanced age, judges allowed him and only him, to appear
(05:34):
in court without a tie. He had earned the right,
the judges said, although more still wore a tie if
a jury was present. He had strong work ethics too.
He'd worked his way up in life, starting at his
father's lumber yard, where he continued to work while putting
himself through college at Baylor University. He served in the
army from nineteen forty three to forty six, and then
(05:55):
from nineteen fifty two to fifty eight. He worked as
the county's district attorney during the early days of television.
In fact, he made the news when he served as
the prosecutor for the first televised criminal trial case in
the US in nineteen fifty five. The case was a
national sensation. The local news reported that more women tuned
into the trial during the afternoon than their favorite soap operas.
(06:16):
More won the case by the way the accused murderer,
Harry Washburn, was found guilty. In nineteen sixty seven, More
was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, where he
served until nineteen seventy three. He became part of a
group labeled the Dirty thirty when he and others set
aside party loyalty to oust their speaker, Gus Mutcher, who
(06:36):
was involved in a stock fraud scandal. More said that
he and the others considered themselves reformers, ridding their party
of corruption. More returned to practicing law after that and
mentored other attorneys. They recall his strong ethics and advice.
If it smells, he told them, don't do it. But
when most people retired, More kept going. In his later years,
(06:58):
he took part in meals on wheels for aging citizens,
although by this time he was older than most of
the recipients, and when some of his legal clients couldn't pay,
More just worked for free. He remained social too, playing
cards with his friends for over forty years, rarely missing
a night. But none of those accomplishments are what people
remember about Tom Moore, from the serious to the mundane.
(07:22):
Writing and voting on legislation was part of Moore's and
his fellow representatives duties in the late sixties and early seventies,
and it wasn't uncommon to pass resolutions to honor citizens
for their hard work or their social contributions. Such was
the case when Moore presented a resolution to the House
of Representatives in nineteen seventy one. He wrote that his
(07:42):
nominee had served the country, states, and community with dedication
and devotion. More also was quick to point out that
the state of Massachusetts had already officially recognized the nominees methods. However, unconventional.
They might have been in population control and applied psychology. Sure,
the facts and events surrounding the nominee service were vague,
(08:03):
and more had intentionally and carefully worded the resolution. Still,
the House voted unanimously in favor of it. Now, I'm
sure that a lot of things ran through Moore's mind
by then. Although slightly horrified, he also wasn't surprised in
a strange sort of way. He also found it amusing
and could barely contain his laughter. You see, he'd proven
(08:24):
a point that no one he worked with actually read
the resolutions they voted on, and that they hadn't for
a very long time, and thanks to Moore's experiment, they
literally had no idea who they had just honored for
their work on population control. Within minutes of approval, he
withdrew his proposal, and everyone appeared stunned that he would
(08:44):
pull the resolution before the ink had even dried, and
so they waited for an explanation. Now, back then, he
still wore a tie to work, and he might have
tugged at it just a little before reminding them of
the date April one, and his resolution had been part prank,
part test to see if these professional politicians actually paid
(09:05):
attention to the job that they had been elected to perform.
Considering the results of the vote, it was clear that
they most certainly did not, because Moore's carefully rewarded proposal
was designed to honor a man named Albert de Salvo,
otherwise known as the famous serial killer from Massachusetts, the
Boston Strangler. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of
(09:29):
the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts,
or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast
dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Manky
in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award
winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series,
and television show, and you can learn all about it
(09:51):
over at the World of Lore dot com. And until
next time, stay curious.
Welcome to Aaron Menkey's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is
full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book,
all of these amazing tales are right there on display,
just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet
(00:27):
of Curiosities. History is full of daring escapes and near missus.
One of the most famous involved in ninety four mass
escape of Allied soldiers from a German pow camp. The
story eventually became the subject of a book by one
(00:49):
of the Royal Australian Air Force pilots imprisoned there. It
was then adapted into a film in nineteen sixty three
starring Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough. The Great Escape is
remembered today as a cinema classic. A similar event occurred
eighty years prior, during the Civil War. Hundreds of Union
officers were being held at Libby Prison in Virginia, a
(01:09):
Confederate prison where captives faced dismal living conditions. There wasn't
enough food, disease ran rampant, and many men were crammed
into cells shoulder to shoulder. The prisoners dug a tunnel
for months, carving through the bricks behind the kitchen stove.
On February nine, they got their chance. One nine Union
prisoners of war crawled dozens of feet through the darkness,
(01:31):
rats scurrying around them until they were able to breathe
the fresh air of freedom. Though almost fifty were caught
in the following days, about sixty made it back to
Union lines, many by Valentine's Day. But there is another
historical great escape, one that has eluded the publishing world
and Hollywood. It's a tale of deception, cunning and bravery,
(01:53):
and it occurred while the enemy watched the whole thing
happened in front of him. In twelve sixty four, Lord
Edward the Fist of England based off against Simon de Montfort.
The Montfort had been an advisor to edwards father, King
Henry the Third, but the two grew apart over Montfort's
displeasure over Henry's ruling style. You see, Henry was a
(02:13):
dictator who often went against the wishes of his barons,
while Montfort preferred a more limited form of government, one
where a monarch was kept in check by elected officials
and barons. Simon de Montfort united the other barons and
their armies against Henry's and edwards forces. The two sides
confronted each other in the town of Lewis in Sussex.
(02:33):
Henry's army was almost double the size of Montfort's. A
truce was attempted, but the king was confident that he
could overpower his former advisor with ease. With the formalities
out of the way, Montfort ordered his forces to split
into teams of four in order to attack from different sides.
They struck at dawn. Edward managed to push one section
of the baronial army into a neighboring town, but his
(02:56):
efforts left his father's men wide open to an attack
from the enemy. Simon de Montfort gained the upper hand
and was able to overwhelm the King's forces. His army
killed many Royalist soldiers while the others fled. Some were
taking his prisoners. With the Royalists defeated, Simon had a
few friars deliver a message to the King the time
(03:16):
had come for peace. He would release all of the
prisoners if Henry and Edward surrendered themselves. He didn't want
to fight anyone. He only wanted what was best for England,
and Prince Edward agreed. He gave up himself as requested,
and though he was technically Simon's prisoner, he was afforded
certain luxuries. For example, the prince often went out to
(03:39):
ride horses with the few guards nearby, to make sure
that he didn't escape well. One day, Simon was gifted
a horse from a nobleman who had come to visit.
It was strong and fast, the kind of horse that
might serve well in battle, and Simon instructed one of
his servants to take it along whenever Edward went on
his rides, so as to catch him if he tried
(03:59):
to flee. Edward caught a glimpse of the powerful creature,
and he got an idea. He challenged the guards to
a race. Each guard, one by one took off after
the prince on horseback, before returning with him back to
the starting point. After all the guards had raised him,
Simon de Montfort's new horse was brought out last. Edward
took the reins and mounted it himself, waving goodbye as
(04:22):
he bolted away. The guards took off after him. Unfortunately,
Edward had already pulled one over on them in racing,
their horses earlier he had exhausted them. The animals were
too tired to give chase, and so the prince got away.
A few months later, Edward met up with Simon de Montfort. Again.
Things didn't go so well for Simon. This time his
(04:44):
army was defeated in battle, and he was killed by
a lance through the neck. Several years later, Edward ascended
to the throne, all because his captor had loosened the
reins and allowed him to make hay. When Tom Moore Jr.
(05:12):
Died at the age of ninety eight, the people of
McLean County, Texas remembered him for the colorful life he'd led.
He had practiced law for nearly seventy years and showed
up at the law firm every day well into his nineties.
Those who met him said that he was compassionate, highly intelligent,
and had a keen sense of humor. Because of his
advanced age, judges allowed him and only him, to appear
(05:34):
in court without a tie. He had earned the right,
the judges said, although more still wore a tie if
a jury was present. He had strong work ethics too.
He'd worked his way up in life, starting at his
father's lumber yard, where he continued to work while putting
himself through college at Baylor University. He served in the
army from nineteen forty three to forty six, and then
(05:55):
from nineteen fifty two to fifty eight. He worked as
the county's district attorney during the early days of television.
In fact, he made the news when he served as
the prosecutor for the first televised criminal trial case in
the US in nineteen fifty five. The case was a
national sensation. The local news reported that more women tuned
into the trial during the afternoon than their favorite soap operas.
(06:16):
More won the case by the way the accused murderer,
Harry Washburn, was found guilty. In nineteen sixty seven, More
was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, where he
served until nineteen seventy three. He became part of a
group labeled the Dirty thirty when he and others set
aside party loyalty to oust their speaker, Gus Mutcher, who
(06:36):
was involved in a stock fraud scandal. More said that
he and the others considered themselves reformers, ridding their party
of corruption. More returned to practicing law after that and
mentored other attorneys. They recall his strong ethics and advice.
If it smells, he told them, don't do it. But
when most people retired, More kept going. In his later years,
(06:58):
he took part in meals on wheels for aging citizens,
although by this time he was older than most of
the recipients, and when some of his legal clients couldn't pay,
More just worked for free. He remained social too, playing
cards with his friends for over forty years, rarely missing
a night. But none of those accomplishments are what people
remember about Tom Moore, from the serious to the mundane.
(07:22):
Writing and voting on legislation was part of Moore's and
his fellow representatives duties in the late sixties and early seventies,
and it wasn't uncommon to pass resolutions to honor citizens
for their hard work or their social contributions. Such was
the case when Moore presented a resolution to the House
of Representatives in nineteen seventy one. He wrote that his
(07:42):
nominee had served the country, states, and community with dedication
and devotion. More also was quick to point out that
the state of Massachusetts had already officially recognized the nominees methods. However, unconventional.
They might have been in population control and applied psychology. Sure,
the facts and events surrounding the nominee service were vague,
(08:03):
and more had intentionally and carefully worded the resolution. Still,
the House voted unanimously in favor of it. Now, I'm
sure that a lot of things ran through Moore's mind
by then. Although slightly horrified, he also wasn't surprised in
a strange sort of way. He also found it amusing
and could barely contain his laughter. You see, he'd proven
(08:24):
a point that no one he worked with actually read
the resolutions they voted on, and that they hadn't for
a very long time, and thanks to Moore's experiment, they
literally had no idea who they had just honored for
their work on population control. Within minutes of approval, he
withdrew his proposal, and everyone appeared stunned that he would
(08:44):
pull the resolution before the ink had even dried, and
so they waited for an explanation. Now, back then, he
still wore a tie to work, and he might have
tugged at it just a little before reminding them of
the date April one, and his resolution had been part prank,
part test to see if these professional politicians actually paid
(09:05):
attention to the job that they had been elected to perform.
Considering the results of the vote, it was clear that
they most certainly did not, because Moore's carefully rewarded proposal
was designed to honor a man named Albert de Salvo,
otherwise known as the famous serial killer from Massachusetts, the
Boston Strangler. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of
(09:29):
the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts,
or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast
dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Manky
in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award
winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series,
and television show, and you can learn all about it
(09:51):
over at the World of Lore dot com. And until
next time, stay curious.
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities News
Host
Aaron Mahnke
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