Fact or Fiction: A Mostly-True Crime History Podcast

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Bertha Gifford was a matronly lady who devoted herself to her sick neighbors out of the goodness or her heart, or did she have another motive for "helping" her neighbors? Listen carefully, because it’s more difficult than you think to distinguish between Fact or Fiction.

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Fiblett 2.6 is a random assortment of entertaining articles about an honorable thief, three girls wrongly imprisoned, a disgruntled husband, and two courageous little boys. Three of them are from published newspaper accounts, but one is my own creation. Listen closely. Is it Fact or Fiction?

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Images and resources used in this episode can be found at factorfictionpodcast.com. If you enjoyed this show, please support the pod by giving it a five star rating, writing a complimentary review, or joining the Fact or Fiction Fan Club. Thanks for listening!

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James Brockman rose from shady character to preeminent defense attorney in Houston, Texas by representing gang leaders, jilted spouses, wealthy storekeepers, drunken on-duty policemen, and more. His career gained national recognition, including his involvement in the most famous American murder case of the young twentieth century, when he himself was murdered leaving a dubious legacy.
Houston historian Mike Vance's book Getting Away with Bloody Murder examines Brockman, the criminals he defended, and the crimes they allegedly committed. In this episode, Vance shares several riveting stories from his book. As always on the show, he inserts one fictional detail. Try to identify what he made up, but be warned: it's not easy to know if something is fact or fiction.

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Images and resources used in this episode can be found at factorfictionpodcast.com. If you enjoyed this show, please support the pod by giving it a five star rating, writing a complimentary review, or joining the Fact or Fiction Fan Club. Thanks for listening!

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H. H. Holmes is one of the most infamous killers in the history of Chicago and the United States. In late 1894, when authorities arrested Holmes on a warrant for horse theft in Texas, they learned Holmes, the architect and former owner of the “murder castle” in Chicago not only looked like the villain from a melodrama but acted the part, too. Although he confessed to killing 27 people in April 1896, historians still find it nearly impossible to distinguish between fact and fiction.
Join me and my guest Nancy as we discuss the facts and fictions about Holmes. Listen carefully because this is most definitely a case where it's tough to know if something is fact or fiction. You be the judge!

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Images and resources used in this episode can be found at factorfictionpodcast.com. If you enjoyed this show, please support the pod by giving it a five star rating, writing a complimentary review, or joining the Fact or Fiction Fan Club. Thanks for listening!

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In April of 1924, Beulah Annan shot her lover in the bedroom she shared with her husband Al. She rested next to the dead man and played one song over and over on her phonograph until Al arrived home. What followed is such a sensational story, that reporter Maureen Watkins used it as the basis for her successful play, Chicago. That play was the basis for the hit musical and later Oscar-winning movie of the same name. Listen carefully because not everything you hear is true, and it's not easy to decide if it's Fact or Fiction!

Support the show

Images and resources used in this episode can be found at factorfictionpodcast.com. If you enjoyed this show, please support the pod by giving it a five star rating, writing a complimentary review, or joining the Fact or Fiction Fan Club. Thanks for listening!