Yesterday's Chip Paper
Fortnightly(ish) podcast delving into incredible, macabre and bizarre stories from historical newspapers. Violet and Jim are two amateur researchers based on opposite sides of the Atlantic, Violet in London and Jim in New York, and every couple of weeks or so they get together to discuss the stories, poems and letters to the editor that they’ve found in the archives. Whether it’s global headline-making stories completely forgotten today or unusual reporting of famous events, it’s always guaranteed to be downright bonkers.
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YCP Extra! Monkeys in court, spying chefs and DIY wine
01/27/2019
YCP Extra! Monkeys in court, spying chefs and DIY wine
With crime-stopping old ladies, fortune-telling dogs and professional walkers-on-heads, it’s all go in the first mini episode for 2019. Join your hosts, Jim and Violet, as they unravel the most surreal, ridiculous, and utter nonsense shorter stories from the historical newspaper archives. HEALTH AND SAFETY WARNING: Do not attempt to recreate the 1894 wine recipe described in this episode. If by some miracle it doesn’t kill you, you’ll wish it had. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a fortnightly(ish) podcast that looks at true stories found in historic newspapers from across the world. With hundreds of years of history at their fingertips, the only real limit to the stories that are told is that they have to have happened - or, at least, been reported. Whether it's true crime, mass hysteria or unusual reporting of famous events, it's always guaranteed to be downright bonkers. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter @paperpodcast, and on email at Archives used in this episode: British Newspaper Archive Trove (National Library of Australia) Newspapers.com Music: http://bensound.com
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41. Under an Evil Star: The Wild Adventures of the Animal King
01/13/2019
41. Under an Evil Star: The Wild Adventures of the Animal King
“Born and brought up through childhood with wild animals for playmates”, Frank C. Bostock was no ordinary child. From the age of 15, he became the “Boy Trainer” for his parents’ travelling menagerie, and went on to become a pioneers of showbiz across Britain - before monopolising the prime real estate of Dreamland in Coney Island with his epic displays. From fighting the world’s first boxing kangaroo to fishing one of his performing lions out of the sewers of Birmingham, Bostock’s career was a rollercoaster ride of success, disaster and death. Also this week - a debate on the merits of “ragging” at universities, and an Australian poem (-?). Yesterday's Chip Paper is the history podcast where your hosts, Jim and Violet, scour historical newspaper archives and unearth forgotten stories. From mad scientists to murderers, elaborate con artists to the elaborately conned, the only limit to what we can find is that someone, somewhere has to have written about it. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter @paperpodcast, and on email at Archives used in this episode: Other sources:
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40. Genille Cave-Browne-Cave: The most interesting man who ever lived
11/20/2018
40. Genille Cave-Browne-Cave: The most interesting man who ever lived
In this episode of Yesterday's Chip Paper, join Violet and Jim and hear the story of the Bronco Bustin' Baronet, AKA Sir Genille Cave-Browne-Cave, a man who did every possible job on earth, fought in every nearest convenient war and survived things that should have killed a moose. Plus, a letter about an organ plague and a poem describing the worst train journey in history. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a fortnightly(ish) podcast that looks at true stories found in historic newspapers from across the world. With hundreds of years of history at their fingertips, the only real limit to the stories that are told is that they have to have happened - or, at least, been reported. Whether it's true crime, mass hysteria or unusual reporting of famous events, it's always guaranteed to be downright bonkers. Archives used in this episode:
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YCP Extra! Halloween II: More ghosts, more murder, and a haunted penny
10/25/2018
YCP Extra! Halloween II: More ghosts, more murder, and a haunted penny
With ghosts solving their own murders, ghosts murdering innocent victims, and other stories that involve neither ghosts nor murder, things are getting SPOOKY for this mini episode. Such as the lady haunted by a… penny? Join your hosts, Jim and Violet, as they prove that truth is truly stranger than fiction just in time for the haunting season. So buckle up, it’s time for a journey through the truly strange, bizarre and macabre this Halloween. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a fortnightly(ish) podcast that looks at true stories found in historic newspapers from across the world. With hundreds of years of history at their fingertips, the only real limit to the stories that are told is that they have to have happened - or, at least, been reported. Whether it's true crime, mass hysteria or unusual reporting of famous events, it's always guaranteed to be downright bonkers. Archives used in this episode: British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk Trove (National Library of Australia) Music: Intro/outro: Ghost Surf Rock by Loyalty Freak Music - thanks to the Free Music Archive Other music (in order of appearance) Lurking Fear - thanks to Night Terrors - thanks to Ominous Pursuit by Eric Matyas - find him here
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39. Bringing up the bodies: Murder in Panther Branch
10/08/2018
39. Bringing up the bodies: Murder in Panther Branch
This week, we check in with a man of many names who commits the most heinous of crime, then disappears...or does he? Plus, Jim reads a letter from a 130-year-old Facebook troll and possibly the best poem we've found to date. Yesterday's Chip Paper is the podcast where your hosts, Jim and Violet, scour historical newspaper archives and unearth forgotten stories. From mad scientists to murderers, elaborate con artists to the elaborately conned, the only limit to what we can find is that someone, somewhere has to have written about it. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter @paperpodcast, and on email at [email protected] Archives used in this episode: Other sources: North Carolina Bandits, Bushwackers, Outlaws, Crooks, Devils, Ghosts, Desperadoes and Other Assorted and Sundry Characters! By Carole Marsh Intro/Outro - The International Rag (Al Jolson & Sophie Tucker) All music comes with thanks to the Free Music Archive.
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38. Malcolm Gillespie: Scourge of the Smugglers...and Horses
09/24/2018
38. Malcolm Gillespie: Scourge of the Smugglers...and Horses
In the wilds of 1800s Scotland, one man stood alone against those who sought to subvert the law by smuggling and distilling their own, tax-free booze. Using violence, guile, violence and a hardiness that is rare in a human being (plus violence), Malcolm Gillespie became a hero to some, a curse to others and a criminal to all. Join Jim and Violet as we look at the incredibly tough - and violent, don't forget - life of this Exciseman who worked tirelessly to keep Scotland above board. Unless you're a horse. Plus, Violet's letter this episode is a treatise on the etymology of a bicycle or almost no reason, as well as a genuinely touching ode to a dog. Resources used in this episode: https://www.historyscotland.com/articles/features/the-life-of-scottish-smuggler-and-exciseman-malcolm-gillespie
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YCP Extra! Eagle-punching, dangerous film fans and history's worst watchman
08/13/2018
YCP Extra! Eagle-punching, dangerous film fans and history's worst watchman
In this edition of Yesterday's Chip Paper Extra!, Jim and Violet explore desperate fights between boys and eagles, incompetent night watchmen, the dangerous world of overenthusiastic film buffs, and a cantankerous character from Jim’s past. Yesterday's Chip Paper is the podcast where your hosts, Jim and Violet, scour historical newspaper archives and unearth forgotten stories. From mad scientists to murderers, elaborate con artists to the elaborately conned, the only limit to what we can find is that someone, somewhere has to have written about it. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter @paperpodcast, and on email at Archives used in this episode:
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37. "Old Kill-Devil" and the Bushwhackers: The Tale of Sam Hildebrand
07/10/2018
37. "Old Kill-Devil" and the Bushwhackers: The Tale of Sam Hildebrand
With the help of his gun “Old Kill-Devil”, Sam Hildebrand became a figure revered by the entire state of Missouri, including the infamous Jesse James. This episode, we’re going to the wilderness of Doe Run in St Francis County, for the tale of a notorious bushwhacker during the Civil War. With over 100 alleged kills to his name, Hildebrand embarked on a lifelong journey of death and destruction. With a $10,000 price on his head and hundreds of men after the reward, his reign of terror continued far longer than it should have. Also this week, Jim looks at some curious egg thefts, and tells the tale of a dead cat through poetry. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a bimonthly podcast where your hosts - two Transatlantic researchers with a fondness for the unusual - delve into historical newspaper archives to unearth forgotten stories from days gone by. From mad scientists to murderers, sapient pigs to sausage kings, the only limit to the stories we tell is that someone has to have written about it. Archives used in this episode: Intro/Outro - The International Rag (Al Jolson & Sophie Tucker) All music comes with thanks to the Free Music Archive.
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36. The 100 Wives of the Lightning Bridegroom
06/21/2018
36. The 100 Wives of the Lightning Bridegroom
George A. Witzhoff was born in Switzerland in the 1860s. Following the death of his father, he moved to the US to become proficient in the art of dentistry. Teeth didn't cut it for George, however. In fact, George had a particular talent for con-artistry, theft and escape. Join Jim and Violet as we explore the sordid life of a man who came to be known as 'America's Arch-Bigamist'. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a bimonthly podcast where your hosts - two Transatlantic researchers with a fondness for the unusual - delve into historical newspaper archives to unearth forgotten stories from days gone by. From mad scientists to murderers, sapient pigs to sausage kings, the only limit to the stories we tell is that someone has to have written about it. Archives used in this episode: Intro/Outro - The International Rag (Al Jolson & Sophie Tucker) All music comes with thanks to the Free Music Archive.
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35. Ida Lewis and Nancy Rose: The Bravest Women in America
06/07/2018
35. Ida Lewis and Nancy Rose: The Bravest Women in America
Ida Lewis and Nancy Rose were two of a kind - women who tended lighthouses after their father and husband respectively could no longer enact their duties. Ida would go on to win worldwide fame and be dubbed the “Bravest Woman in America”. Nancy… would not. This episode, Violet tells the story about how the lives of two seemingly similar lighthouse keepers could result in very different circumstances. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a bimonthly podcast where your hosts - two Transatlantic researchers with a fondness for the unusual - delve into historical newspaper archives to unearth forgotten stories from days gone by. From mad scientists to murderers, sapient pigs to sausage kings, the only limit to the stories we tell is that someone has to have written about it. Archives used in this episode: More on Nancy Rose: Macabre London Podcast: Intro/Outro - The International Rag (Al Jolson & Sophie Tucker) All music comes with thanks to the Free Music Archive.
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34. Maybe a Murderer. Definitely a Disaster: The Story of Charles Parton
05/10/2018
34. Maybe a Murderer. Definitely a Disaster: The Story of Charles Parton
Charles Parton was born around 1870 into a hard world. Raised in a public house owned by his pugilist father, his future would be no easier. Join Violet and Jim as we follow Charles to the ring, to the floor, around the world and on a tour of prison cells as we discover the often-surreal, consistently tragic life of Charles Parton; pugilist, possible murderer and more. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a bimonthly podcast where your hosts - two Transatlantic researchers with a fondness for the unusual - delve into historical newspaper archives to unearth forgotten stories from days gone by. From mad scientists to murderers, sapient pigs to sausage kings, the only limit to the stories we tell is that someone has to have written about it. Archives used in this episode: Intro/Outro - The International Rag (Al Jolson & Sophie Tucker) All music comes with thanks to the Free Music Archive.
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YCP Extra! Lightning Flowers, Errant Hats and Real Fake Names
04/26/2018
YCP Extra! Lightning Flowers, Errant Hats and Real Fake Names
In this edition of Yesterday's Chip Paper Extra!, Violet and Jim read each other's stories from across the centuries, ranging from an unfortunate Scotsman to a monkey who may well write questionable novels. Join us as we delve into the historical newspaper archives and dig up the stories that don't make full episodes by themselves, but are very fun nonetheless. Yesterday's Chip Paper is the podcast where your hosts, Violet and Jim, scour historical newspaper archives and unearth forgotten stories. From mad scientists to murderers, elaborate con artists to the elaborately conned, the only limit to what we can find is that someone, somewhere has to have written about it. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter @paperpodcast, and on email at Archives used in this episode: Music used in this episode: Billy Murray - I'm Afraid to go home in the Dark
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33. Three* Barn-Burnings outside Chemung, New York
04/04/2018
33. Three* Barn-Burnings outside Chemung, New York
*There were more, but we liked this title. The Elliot family was one of the preeminent farming families of 1870s Chemung County, NY. Until, one fateful day, one brother sold another brother some inadequate horses and caused a rift that lasted a generation. Join Violet and Jim for a tale of barn-burnings, shootings that are possibly not shootings, reckless tales of arson, some more arson and then a bit more arson for good measure and discover a rivalry for the ages. Also in this episode; Jim finds the most wholesome poem about customs violations ever written, as well as letters about life hacks that aren't at all useful or hacks in any way. Yesterday's Chip Paper is the podcast where hosts Violet and Jim delve into historical newspaper archives to unearth forgotten gems in their pages. From true crime to true strangeness, there's no limit to what we can discover. Archives used in this episode:
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32. Samuel Bissett's Sapient Pig
03/19/2018
32. Samuel Bissett's Sapient Pig
Scotland-born Samuel Bissett was a man of many talents; shoemaking, brokering and, more famously, making all sorts of animals do all sorts of things that animals don't normally do in front of adoring crowds around the country. Join Jim and Violet as we discover the incredibly fun story of Samuel Bissett's magical menagerie. Plus, Violet delves into the archives for a poem that's prematurely peeved and a letter from a man who likely doesn't understand how birds work. Archives used in this episode: Yesterday's Chip Paper is a podcast that dives into newspaper archive to see what pearls we can discover. From mad scientists to murder most foul, the only limit to the stories we find is that someone, somewhere has to have written about it.
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YCP Extra! Pressgangs, Overly-Curious Canadians and Extreme Overreactions
03/14/2018
YCP Extra! Pressgangs, Overly-Curious Canadians and Extreme Overreactions
In this episode of Yesterday's Chip Paper Extra! Violet and Jim read some stories for the first time, featuring a nonsense and angering riddle, lots of people reacting to situations in the worst possible way and a load of Canadian guys who just cannot keep their noses out of people's business. If you like what you hear, please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts, we'd be extremely grateful. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a bimonthly (more or less) podcast where your hosts Violet and Jim unearth hidden gems in newspaper archives. From mad scientists to murder most foul, there's virtually no limit to the wildness of the stories we find. Join us on Twitter or Facebook @paperpodcast. Archives used in this episode: MUSIC: Shake It and Break It by Lanin's Southern Serenaders, Thanks to the Free Music Archive
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31. Happy Ned: Elizabeth Taylor at sea
03/08/2018
31. Happy Ned: Elizabeth Taylor at sea
In honour of International Women’s Day, Violet tells the story of Elizabeth Taylor (also known as Happy Ned) who spent most of her life dressing and working as a man. Having spent many years as a common labourer, she set sail in 1862 to the southern states during the American Civil War. After spending several years as a blockade runner, she returned home to face more conflict due to her masculine attire. Also this week, Jim finds propaganda prison poetry and an argument over whether or not tadpoles in your drinking water is a good thing. Sources: Yesterday’s Chip Paper is a fortnightly(ish) history podcast that delves into the bizarre world of historic newspapers. From Mad sea captains to fraudsters to quite literally starving artists, the stories are always bonkers. And what’s more, they’re very rarely to be found on Wikipedia or any other online sources. Your hosts, Jim and Violet, are two amateur researchers based in New York and London. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter @paperpodcast or by emailing [email protected]
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30. Ernest Welsh and the Sceptical Experts
02/16/2018
30. Ernest Welsh and the Sceptical Experts
Ernest William Welsh invented a lot of stuff. Maybe. Possibly. From creating instruments of death to starting feuds with fellow inventors, there's nothing Ernest can't do. Join Jim and Violet as we explore the life of a man with a laundry list of inventions accredited to him and who really, really wants to kill lots of people as soon as possible. This guy's a non-Wiki, he is suspiciously under-represented on the internet or elsewhere.
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29. Kids and Grownups Love It so, the Poisoned World of Harry Beno
01/31/2018
29. Kids and Grownups Love It so, the Poisoned World of Harry Beno
1890s Indiana, a state in the midst of a boom. A character appears in the newspapers with a talent so strange he becomes a star. He went by the name of Harry Beno, and everything he did should realistically have killed him, from drinking neat poison to jamming spikes in his head for the entertainment of others. Join Violet and Jim as we look into the terrifying, awful and, at times, toe-curling life of Beno, because we shouldn't have to suffer through this one alone. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a podcast that sources its stories from historical newspaper archives. From true crime to mad scientists via circus attractions and history's greatest flim flam merchants, the only limit to what we cover is that someone has to have written about it. You can catch us on @paperpodcast on both Facebook and Twitter. Archives used in this episode: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk https://www.newspapers.com https://newspapers.library.in.gov/ https://trove.nla.gov.au/ Theme music: The International Rag by Al Jolson and Sophie Tucker, with thanks to the Free Music Archive
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YCP Extra! Pole-squatting, Violet Day and shaving mishaps
01/23/2018
YCP Extra! Pole-squatting, Violet Day and shaving mishaps
In this episode of Yesterday's Chip Paper Extra! Violet and Jim read out stories from historical newspapers, covering topics ranging from sorcery to the untimely death of a previously featured figure. Join us as we each host sees their stories for the first time and go on a wild ride through history. Yesterday's Chip Paper is a fortnightly/bimonthly(ish) podcast delving into newspaper archives to unearth forgotten stories about everything from true crime to mad scientists via hunger artists and The Greatest Liar on Earth. The only limit to what we can cover is that it has to have been written about in a newspaper. Archives used in this episode: Music used: Gilbert and Friedland - Frogs' Legs
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28. An Old, Wet Man and a Turtle. The Lies and Times of Louis de Rougemont
01/17/2018
28. An Old, Wet Man and a Turtle. The Lies and Times of Louis de Rougemont
Sent packing by his mother with 7000 Francs to “have an adventure”, Louis de Rougemont would not disappoint. But his fantastical story soon took a nasty turn, as he journeyed to Australasia only to get stranded on a remote island for two and a half years, before living - and leading among cannibals, surviving stormy seas and... riding turtles. De Rougemont returns to civilisation to tell all this and other tales that capture the minds of one nation, and the suspicions of another.
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27. The Ballad of Rocky Christ
01/01/2018
27. The Ballad of Rocky Christ
One of Hull’s most revered fighters both in and out of the ring, Albert Shakesby was the last person you’d want to get on the wrong side of. So when Shakesby fell to his knees and declared himself saved at the pulpit of an evangelical church, he caused quite the stir across the world, and so the unlikely preacher’s story began. He continued to save lives not only from sin, but from the continuous stream of unfortunate circumstances that seem to follow him wherever he went. A coincidence? Maybe.
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YCP Extra! The Death of Santa Claus and a Terrible Tasmanian Christmas
12/18/2017
YCP Extra! The Death of Santa Claus and a Terrible Tasmanian Christmas
Honey, fascists and the death of Santa Claus - just some of the topics covered in this special Christmas edition of Yesterday's Chip Paper Extra! - the very best of the shorter stories from the world's historic newspaper archives. Learn all about the traditional festive season in Violet's home country of Australia, and discover the story of the abandoned child who could or could not be Jim.
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YCP Extra! Policing Mishaps and Tremendous Cross Buttocks
12/02/2017
YCP Extra! Policing Mishaps and Tremendous Cross Buttocks
In this edition of Yesterday's Chip Paper Extra! We read to each other about incompetent police, errant livestock, insanity-inspired murders on the high seas and more. As with all of our mini-episodes, the stories we read out have been sourced by the other host, and haven't been shared in advance, so we have no idea what we're about to read.
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26. The Gruesome Crimes of Anton Probst
11/21/2017
26. The Gruesome Crimes of Anton Probst
Anton Probst was a carpenter's son from (probably) Wiesbaden, Germany. After being deservedly dumped by his betrothed, he embarked upon a criminal escapade with a not-too-bright friend that put the friend in prison and sent Anton on the run - and, eventually, would see him murder the Deering family on a remote farm in Philadelphia.
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25. Who Killed Franklin Voorhees? A Chicago Murder Mystery
11/07/2017
25. Who Killed Franklin Voorhees? A Chicago Murder Mystery
When a war munitions broker is shot on the steps of his front porch, it causes chaos in the affluent area of Hyde Park, Chicago. For over three weeks the police hunt for his mysterious killer, throwing up dozens of theories and suspects, until a man hands himself in to authorities over 200 miles away in Cedar Rapids. But detectives are suspicious about this man’s story, and the unusual case just gets even more puzzling...
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YCP Extra! Halloween stories: Ghosts, murder and a haunted ping pong box
10/29/2017
YCP Extra! Halloween stories: Ghosts, murder and a haunted ping pong box
A man hires a ghost to kill his wife, a hanging hand haunts a thriving hotel, and a shrunken head is causing trouble from a ping pong box. It's a rapid fire round-up of the best Halloween stories from the historic newspaper archives!
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YCP Extra! Pugilism, mapes and mild Canadian animals
10/19/2017
YCP Extra! Pugilism, mapes and mild Canadian animals
Should man mate with apes? How do you survive a bear attack? And is what exactly is dibbling a man's clay? All of these questions are answered in the first ever mini episode from Yesterday's Chip Paper.
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24. 'Jane Cakebread Again': The Tale of History's Drunkennest Woman
10/08/2017
24. 'Jane Cakebread Again': The Tale of History's Drunkennest Woman
Jim covers the story of Jane Cakebread, a woman once known internationally and now almost completely forgotten. Jane was a likeable character known throughout Victorian Britain and beyond, a woman who got herself in trouble so many times that she broke records for the number of her criminal convictions, and was the catalyst for a huge libel case between a Lady and the Pall Mall Gazette.
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23. The "Bride" and the Body
09/20/2017
23. The "Bride" and the Body
“Atlanta woman announced her marriage, went to New York to buy her trousseau, and came home with unknown corpse.” Violet tells the story of Julia Choate Crumley, and the lengths a 28-year-old society girl would go to to make people believe that she had found a husband.
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22. Religious Mania and Murder; The Tale of Euphrasie Mercier
09/06/2017
22. Religious Mania and Murder; The Tale of Euphrasie Mercier
In this episode, Yesterday's Chip Paper covers the disappearance of Elodie Menetret and the strange and terrible life of Euphrasie Mercier
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