Prairie Tales

This podcast presents several distinct criminal cases from 1888 Kansas, each offering a snapshot of local legal and social issues on the Prairie.  The newspaper articles detail incidents ranging from a violent land dispute between farmers that escalated into a shooting, to an assault with a razor, and even the capture of an elderly man accused of incest. A particularly dramatic case involves a woman shooting a man she believed had ...

What do a horse thief, a county seat war, and a man buried under a cloud of murder rumors have in common? In late 19th-century Kansas, the answer lies not in fiction—but in the yellowed pages of local newspapers, where truth and speculation often shared the same column.

Welcome to Prairie Tales, where forgotten headlines come alive and the past refuses to stay buried. In this episode, we jo...

n the shadowed corners of 1886 Kansas, a chilling tale unfolds—one of obsession, vengeance, and the unraveling of a man consumed with bitterness. This episode dives deep into the murder of Phoebe Wilcox in 1886, a crime that shocked the community and exposed the dark undercurrents of a long-standing feud. 
We trace the twisted path of Alfred Denham: from the brutal act that ended Mrs. Wilcox’s life, to the courtroom drama that foll...

In the dusty rail-town of Newton, Kansas—where steam engines whistle through the prairie and justice rides a slow train—tragedy and truth clash across the 1880s frontier. From the chilling discovery of an infant left on the tracks to shootouts that echoed down Main Street, today we delve into a decade defined by lawlessness, vigilance, and moral reckoning. Most hauntingly, we retrace the convoluted case of J.M....

A shattered skull, a silent jury, and a Civil War veteran buried far from the town where his final breath drew suspicion—this is the story of Adam Kuntz.

In the waning heat of late August 1877, a German immigrant was found bloodied and unconscious beside the railroad tracks in Newton, Kansas. What looked at first like a tragic accident soon unraveled into something darker. This episode dives deep into the tangled mystery surroundin...

Imagine the thundering sound of hooves echoing down a dusty Kansas street—startled screams, overturned wagons, and the chaos left in the wake of panicked horses. Between 1884 and 1887, Newton, Kansas found itself repeatedly at the mercy of runaway teams, their unpredictable bolts through town leaving behind splintered carriages, shattered bones, and shaken lives.

These real-life historical newspaper excerpts reveal a forgotten fron...

What happens when a murder mystery meets the Wild West, and the woman at the center becomes both a suspect and a sensation?

In 1883, the death of Clement Bothamley in Indian Territory set off a whirlwind of scandal, suspicion, and sensational headlines. At the heart of it all was Nellie (Benthusen) Bailey — a young woman whose life story reads like a Victorian thriller. Was she a cold-blooded killer, a master manipulator, or an inn...

1882-21.  Imagine your dress catching fire from a single spark—no synthetic fabrics, no fire extinguishers - just blazing skirts and helpless screams. In the late 1800s, everyday chores often turned into deadly infernos, and women and children paid the price.

Today, we unearth shocking, real-life newspaper tales of clothing-fired tragedies — and one remarkable survivor who rolled herself back from the brink of death.”  These are th...

In the winter of 1882, as John Taylor stood shackled for murder of Captain Fletcher, a small riverboat owner, John's brothers Andy and Bob unleashed a hail of bullets on a train rolling through a sleepy Missouri town—killing Sheriff W.S. Cate and Deputy John Conway in a desperate bid to free him. What follows is a whirlwind manhunt that ends in a bloody standoff, a dramatic confession in Kansas, and a courtroom showdown where Andy ...

Today our Wagon Train to the past stops by to see an angry outburst by J.C. Wilson - from his initial stabbing of young Benjamin Ball, through Wilson's escape, recapture, and eventual sentencing, even mentioning a later pardon request.

We also see William Gazolo who killed a female partner in crime before being caught in Minnesota, and Claud Wilson who assaulted Read more