A woman posing as Andrew Carnegie’s secret daughter scammed banks out of today’s equivalent of $20 million—armed with nothing but forged notes and absolute confidence. This is the rise and unraveling of Cassie Chadwick, one of the boldest fraudsters of the Gilded Age.

Source Materials

Crosbie, John. The Incredible Mrs. Chadwick. 1975.

Hazelgrove, William Elliott. Greed in the Gilded Age: TheBrilliant Con of Cassie Chadwick. Lyons Press, 2021.

Wade, Carlson. Great Hoaxes & Famous Impostors. 1976.

Hayek, Caroline C.; Gates, Sandra; Rankin, Robert J. “TheSocial Construction of Fraudulent Identity.”

“Cassie Chadwick: The Female Wizard of Finance.” Ohio History Connection, June 22, 2022.

“The High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance.” SmithsonianMagazine.

Newspaper coverage quoted from: Cleveland Plain Dealer;Clinton Republican; Oberlin Review.

A young woman in rural Tipperary falls suddenly ill in 1895—and within days, fear, folklore, and family pressure spiral into one of Ireland’s most disturbing murder cases. This episode unravels the death of Bridget Cleary, the beliefs that shaped it, and the legacy she never asked for.

Source Materials

Bourke, Angela. The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story. Penguin, 2000.

The Tipperary Witch Case (1895 court and newspaper reporting).

McGrath, Thomas. “Fairy Faith and Changelings: The Burning of Bridget Cleary in 1895.”

Ruxton, Dean. “The Story of the Last ‘Witch’ Burned Alive in Ireland.” The Irish Times, 2016.

“The Charred Remains of Bridget Cleary Were Found in a Bog…” History Collection.

“The Murder of Bridget Cleary: Ireland’s Last Witch and the Fire of Superstition.” Secret Ireland.

National Archives of Ireland images and records related to the Cleary case.

In 1920s Los Angeles, prophecy, greed, and death collided in the hills of California. This episode unravels the story of the Blackburn Cult—a mother-daughter prophecy, a girl kept on ice, and a courtroom that tried to make sense of itall.

Historical True Crime was named one of Feedspot’s Best 1920s Podcasts, coming in at #4. Feedspot highlights top podcasts across history, true crime, and culture — you can find their full 1920s list on their site. https://podcast.feedspot.com/1920s_podcastsSource Materials

Blackburn, May Otis. The Origin of God. Los Angeles: DeVross & Co., 1936.

Young, Paul. L.A. Exposed: Strange Myths and Curious Legends in the City of Angels. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2002.

Introvigne, Massimo. “Beth Sarim: Princes, Slander, and the Millennium.” The Journal of CESNUR 6, no. 6 (2022): 12–17.

“Believe Child Sacrificed in Ritual of Cult.” Associated Press, October 7, 1929.

“Los Angeles Authorities Probe Deaths of Cult Members.” Associated Press, October 9, 1929.

“Mary Otis Blackburn Convicted in Grand Theft Case.” Associated Press, March 3, 1930.

“Cult Leader Sentenced to San Quentin.” Associated Press, March 14, 1930.

Divine Order's Tale Smacks of Cult Fiction - Los Angeles Times

Take It On Faith: A Press Photo of Members of the Divine Order of the Royal Arms of the Great Eleven, Los Angeles, 7 October 1929 -The Homestead Blog

Female Justice Recap: “Persons Believing They Have Divine Power are Entitled to Assert It”: Religious Freedom in the May Otis Blackburn Theft Trial -The Homestead Blog

The Blackburn Cult - HistoricalCrimeDetective.com