The Wild Wild Death
2222 Media, Jack James Busa, Susan Busa Leshner & Leslie Cidale
Discover the untold stories of the Wild West with The Wild Wild Death podcast. Dive into gripping tales of unusual deaths, historical tragedies, and the life-threatening dangers faced by pioneers in the 19th century. From bizarre medical mishaps to true crime, we talk about the dark side of frontier life. Perfect for history enthusiasts and true crime fans seeking the wildest stories of the past.
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Top 10 The Wild Wild Death Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Wild Wild Death episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Wild Wild Death for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Wild Wild Death episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The Hangman
The Wild Wild Death
05/15/25 • 18 min
George Maledon spent decades dropping killers through trapdoors with clinical precision—and total peace of mind. Justice was simple and the mechanics of a hanging were precise. But when the man who killed his daughter got life instead of the noose, Maledon finally called it quits. Turns out, mercy—not murder—was a dealbreaker for the Prince of Hangmen.
If you’d like to know more about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ar-georgemaledon/
https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/george-maledon-5748/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151220571/anna-maledon
The Death of Charles Bent
The Wild Wild Death
05/22/25 • 22 min
Charles Bent was always in the right place at the right time making the right choices.
And it made him a wealthy and powerful man right up until a cold day in January, 1847, when Bent was – finally - in the wrong place at the wrong time - with no idea of what was coming to his front door.
If you’d like to know more about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:
https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/charles-bent/
https://www.nps.gov/people/charles-bent.htm
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6669910/silas-bent
https://womenoftaos.org/women/profiles-legends?/item/74/Josefa-Carson-and-Ignacia-Bent
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/bent-st-vrain-company/
Duel in the Street
The Wild Wild Death
11/21/24 • 30 min
In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we dive into the legendary duel between Jim Courtright, a former lawman who traded his badge for extortion, and Luke Short, a gambler who wasn’t about to be strong-armed. When Courtright demanded respect, Short gave him a lesson in humility—Western style. Join us to learn how a quick draw ended a long career and proved that, in Fort Worth, the house always wins.
If you'd like more information about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death , check out these links:
- https://hometownbyhandlebar.com/?p=31536
- https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2531&context=ethj
- https://www.legendsofamerica.com/timothy-courtright/
- https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-lukeshort/
- https://www.oldwest.org/jim-courtright/
- https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/gunfighter-longhair-jim/99411
- https://www.historynet.com/fort-worths-wild-white-elephant-saloon/#:~:text=The%20Fort%20Worth%20establishment%20began,place%20was%20seized%20by%20attachment
Clowns on the Barbary Coast
The Wild Wild Death
10/10/24 • 25 min
In this episode of The Wild Wild Death , we dive into the twisted story how a night at the circus turned deadly. Thirteen-year-old Willie Snyder was just trying to enjoy the show when a clown named Manuel Reys took his routine to a whole new level —and things went terribly wrong. Join us as we share the story of how a clown’s over-the-top performance turned a fun night out into a tragedy, proving that sometimes, the joke really is on you.
If you'd like more information about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death , check out these links:
- https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/big-bertha-heyman-the-confidence-queen/article_289d524f-7865-5b03-b344-8a7c6456ec99.html
- https://www.thedeadhistory.com/blog/killed-by-a-circus-clown
- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64461187/william-bernard
- https://medium.com/marvels-of-history/who-was-the-man-known-as-oofty-goofty-f249e664d52d
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_made_from_human_corpses#:~:text=Many%20bodies%20had%20incompletely%20decomposed,turned%20into%20candles%20and%20soap
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-big-circus-spectacular-has-long-and-cherished-history-180962621/
KEYWORDS:
Circus gone wrong
Tragic clown performance
Willie Snyder tragedy
Manuel Reys clown accident
True crime podcast
Circus mishap
Dark circus history
Over-the-top performance tragedy
Night at the circus death
Clown routine turns deadly
Tragedy strikes circus
Circus accident true story
Unfortunate circus performance
The Pearl of Cripple Creek
The Wild Wild Death
03/27/25 • 24 min
Pearl Devere was the madam of a very successful and exclusive bordello in Cripple Creek. But even the most savvy of businesswomen can make a fatal miscalculation.
If you'd like to know more of the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, please check out these links:
◦ https://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-pearldevere/
◦ https://usrepresented.com/2023/03/18/pioneer-profiles-pearl-devere/
◦ https://www.visitcos.com/directory/old-homestead-house-museum/
◦ https://www.grunge.com/365939/what-you-didnt-know-about-pearl-de-vere/
How to Kill a Town
The Wild Wild Death
11/07/24 • 23 min
In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we explore how William G. Butler, a cattleman with a grudge, made sure the thriving town of Helena, Texas dried up faster than a saloon on Sunday. Join us for a tale of how one man’s vendetta wiped a town off the map without firing another shot.
Interested in the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death ? Check out the links below:
- https://westwardsagas.com/helena-the-toughest-town-on-earth/
- https://authentictexan.com/helena-killed-wrong-man-price/
- http://pacweb.alamo.edu/InteractiveHistory/projects/rhines/StudentProjects/2001/Helena/Helena.htm
- https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-history-101-65/
- https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2012-08-17/day-trips/
KEYWORDS:
William G. Butler revenge
Helena, Texas ghost town
Cattleman’s vendetta in Texas
Old West town wiped out
True crime history podcast
Texas town revenge
Helena ghost town story
Historical vendetta in Texas
Forgotten Old West town
William G. Butler and Helena
Texas town dried up
The Story of Big Nose George Parrott
The Wild Wild Death
03/20/25 • 25 min
Big Nose George Parrott yearned to be a famous outlaw. But his claim to fame was for something he never dreamed could happen.
If you'd like more information about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death , check out these resources:
- https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14910
- https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/big-nose-george-grisly-frontier-tale
- https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Wild-West-Outlaw-Who-Was-Turned-into-a-Pair-of-Shoes
- https://www.sweetwaternow.com/outlaw-george-big-nose-parotts-body-was-skinned-after-his-death/
- Mark E. Miller, Big Nose George: His Troublesome Trail, (Glendo, WY: High Plains Press, 2021).
- Peter Netzel, Lesser Known Outlaws of Wyoming, (Scotts Valley, CA: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017).
- Richard M. Patterson, Historical Atlas of the Outlaw West, (Boulder, CO: Johnson Books, 2000).
- R. Michael Wilson, Outlaw Tales of Wyoming: True Stories of the Cowboy State's Most Infamous Crooks, Culprits, and Cutthroats, (Helena, MA: Two Dot, 2013)
Freezing with John C. Fremont
The Wild Wild Death
04/17/25 • 17 min
Find out what happened when “The Pathfinder” John C. Fremont loses his way, taking 35 men and 120 mules with him.
If you’d like to know more about the history behind this episode, check out the sources below:
Frémont’s Fourth Expedition: A Documentary
Account of the Disaster of 1848–1849
Edited by LeRoy R. Hafen and Ann W. Hafen.
Taos County Historical Society – The Lost Men of Frémont (1987)
Pueblo Chieftain – Tragic Expedition (1998)
GJ Sentinel – Disaster Struck When the Pathfinder Got Lost in Colorado (2020)
http://backpacker.com/stories/fremonts-wrong-turn/
https://www.nps.gov/grsa/learn/historyculture/john-fremont-expeditions-1848-and-1853.htm
The Crash at Crush
The Wild Wild Death
10/19/24 • 17 min
In this episode of The Wild Wild Death, we recount the spectacular disaster that was the 1896 “Crash at Crush.” What started as a publicity stunt involving two steam locomotives and a crowd of 40,000 eager onlookers quickly went off the rails—literally. With explosions, flying debris, and a photographer who paid for the perfect shot with his eye, this event was a PR nightmare. Tune in to hear how a day of planned destruction turned into an unplanned catastrophe.
If you'd like to know more about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death , check out the links below:
- https://wacotrib.com/news/local/book-podcast-mark-train-smashing-crash-at-crush-anniversary/article_6f080ab0-a507-58e1-b9d0-96a9dacf05a6.html
- https://wacohistory.org/items/show/70
- https://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/history/the-deadly-crash-at-crush
- https://brutalsouth.substack.com/p/everyone-loves-a-good-train-wreck
KEYWORDS:
1896 Crash at Crush
Steam locomotive collision
Publicity stunt disaster
Train crash spectacle
Historical catastrophe
PR nightmare in Texas
Explosive train wreck
Railroad tragedy
Photographer injury at Crash at Crush
Planned train crash goes wrong
Texas train collision event
Crowd disaster in 1896
The Only Law West of the Pecos
The Wild Wild Death
05/08/25 • 22 min
Judge Roy Bean may have been THE LAW west of the Pecos River, but he NEVER followed the rules.
If you’d like to learn more about the history behind this episode of The Wild Wild Death, check out these links:
History: Scoundrel Bean, bride wed San Fernando - https://www.mysanantonio.com/life/life_columnists/paula_allen/article/History-Scoundrel-Bean-bride-wed-San-Fernando-4392930.php
Judge Roy Bean: The Law, the Lies, and Lillie - https://texashighways.com/travel-news/judge-roy-bean-the-law-the-lies-and-lillie-in-langtry/
Looking Back – Judge Roy Bean - https://www.harriscountylawlibrary.org/ex-libris-juris/2017/3/15/looking-back-judge-roy-bean
PHOTOS OF THE JERSEY LILLY SALOON –
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Wild Wild Death have?
The Wild Wild Death currently has 25 episodes available.
What topics does The Wild Wild Death cover?
The podcast is about History, Old West, Comedy, Podcasts and Dark Humor.
What is the most popular episode on The Wild Wild Death?
The episode title 'The Afterdeath Life of Elmer McCurdy' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Wild Wild Death?
The average episode length on The Wild Wild Death is 22 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Wild Wild Death released?
Episodes of The Wild Wild Death are typically released every 7 days, 2 hours.
When was the first episode of The Wild Wild Death?
The first episode of The Wild Wild Death was released on Sep 25, 2024.
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