11/8/20

OKLAHOMA UNSOLVED

 April 29, 1986, a Lawton wife and mother Aileen Conway, was found burned to death in a car that had crashed on a lonely, isolated rural road. Ruled at first an accidental death, her husband and children soon became convinced that was wrong and worked tirelessly to get authorities to delve deeper into the case. Too many things did not add up.

Indications were that the care had been going about 50-60 mph when in ran into a low metal railing over a narrow bridge. It burst into flames, burning so hot that the car was consumed, metal merging with metal in the inferno.  Tests by the authorities (including the state Fire Marshall) indicated the material of her car had flame retardant qualities that should have put out any normal blaze or minimized its impact. Tests proved similar material doing just exactly what it was supposed to do. To burn as hot as the fire in the car did, an accelerate would be need to feed the flames.

Her family had found, additionally, several clues that something had odd had occurred. The ironing board had been set up , with the iron on. A bath was run but not used. A phone was off the hook. A yard hosed filling or topping up an outdoor pool was left running. Her purse was left inside the house. 

One of the biggest puzzles was why was she on that desolate, isolated, county road in the first place? Her family could not find any clues or reasons why she would have been there, that time or any other. Especially given the conditions left at home. Theories included her being a victim of local robbery spree gone bad but that leaves as many questions as it answers.

Aileen Conway died a mysterious and, to date, still unsolved death on April 29, 1986. That tragedy still haunts family and friends to this day.


An oddly similar death occurred  in March 1956 when a young wife, a student at the university in Alva, Oklahoma was returning to her home near Avard. The tragic death of Mildred Ann Newlin Reynolds, known by most friends as Ann, involved a lonely and isolated stretch of country road, a car that burned at an unusually high level, tracks of a possible second vehicle, and what looked like an attempt by one driver to turn around. 

Her young coach husband, and many others, were eyed as possible suspects. The event occurred - as with the Lawton case - on a stretch of country road far away from the nearest residence. In the Reynolds case the victim was simply heading toward the farm she and her husband lived on. 

There were anomalies : the tire tracks, a shoe and blood outside the vehicle and on the side of the road (although her body was found laying slumped from driver side onto the passenger side, and what looked like something might have been stuck in the gas tank opening to speed up fire reaching the gas tank.  See more at LACY NEWLIN'S STORY.

10/20/20

The Man With the Ax :Villisca and Beyond

Has the answer been found for, not only the haunting and horrible murders of Villisca, Iowa in 1912, but others both before and after? Have so many deaths finally been solved?  There is an excellent chance that is the case.

Several years ago this author published a book called WHEN DEATH RODE THE RAILS after finding some stories in Oklahoma of death by proximity to railroads that stretched the boundary of credulity. It was a first effort, filled with early author mistakes and  the quoted material from old newspapers, known for their atrocious spelling liberties, was sometimes mistaken for my own shortcomings. It did serve to launch me into a world of true crime and mystery writers that was a delight.  I encountered several other researchers who were also exploring strange deaths related to proximity to the railroads as well as those committed by an axe-welding fiends.  MURDERED IN THEIR BEDS by Troy Taylor was one with its close examination of the Villisca, Iowa murders and communications with TC Elliot  about several southern cases, proved supportive and informative after the fact and both graced me with mentions in their books.

Another such acquaintance with a keen interest in such topics gifted me this year with a copy of the 2017 book THE MAN FROM THE TRAIN by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James. The subtitle says it all "Discovering America's Most Elusive Serial Killer."  The authors start with the Villisca murders and make the links to other, all too similar, crimes noted early on in Kansas and Colorado.  They soon find others and the book unfolds in gripping and oft times horrific details.

What truly sets this work apart is the criteria established to categorize crimes by their unknown man from the train from other crimes similar but significantly different. Given the hurdle of such historic research when one is faced with irregular records, non-existent records, garbled and sensationalized journalism and the tendency for police and communities to not think in terms of a truly random crime without motive or meaning, the result is impressive. 

 The casual writing style fits the topic, no one wants to be bogged down by academic formality when writing what is basically a true-to-life "who dun it."   The chronology and organization would have been easier to follow had it been more linear. It does hop around a bit and that can be confusing. They also have an entry in Wikipedia on the work, a singular credit, given that sources often overly stringent protocols and less than evenly distributed approvals.

Do they name the man? Yes, they do and they present a more than credible argument that it could truly be that individual. And no, this column's author will not name names -  read the book and enjoy the discovery for yourself.


See an earlier posting on the Taylor and Elliot books.


10/19/20

THE TERROR TIMES - HALLOWEEN IN OKLAHOMA 1960'S AND 1970'S - From Marilyn A. Hudson's work "Oklahoma Halloween"


The "Terror Times": 1960 and 1970's in Oklahoma Halloween

Marilyn A. Hudson from her book "Oklahoma Halloween" (On Amazon)
October 29, 2011  6 min read 

Television  to  Terror   (1960-1969)    
‘Be wary then: best safety lies in fear.” Shakespeare, Hamlet.   
In the 1960’s the concept of the “Spook House” or “Haunted House” began to gain wider popularity.   Communities, schools, clubs, and churches were soon sponsoring them.  Workers transformed empty buildings, houses, halls, and even stores were soon a popular rage.  Despite some early day tragedies in such community haunted houses they persisted as popular attractions. In the wider society it was a time of revolution as Civil Rights, Vietnam, student protests, increased drug use, and the sexual revolution were creating earthquakes of change.  The attempt to totally control childhood continued as the teen years continued to reshape themselves. Safety was a watchword of the decade as youth were trained in proper street safety, stranger danger, and not getting in with the wrong crowd. Social pressures, urban overcrowding, poverty and other issues created a sometimes dangerous environment at the best of times in some areas. Idealistically advisors envisioned a new Halloween based on giving and social responsibility, while news accounts often provided examples of just the opposite.   The delinquent to deputy route was re-employed to train younger kids to avoid the risky behaviors of the season. The idealism was a little tarnished as the end of the decade neared. Unsettling stories reared their heads; stories of apple treats that hid needles, razor blades and similar dire surprises began to circulate and dampen the holiday excitement. Costumes once more celebrated the hand made touch, often with accessories purchased from the local store.  The selection of costumes was now a major process as children mulled their choices of cartoon figures, comic book characters, television and movie themed outfits against the old standbys of hobo, princess, or cowboy.  Costumed marches around local schools became popular, with parents, neighbors and friends coming to see the show as school children, straining at the leash to get home to really prepare for Halloween, went on parade.       Sources: Wallace, Edyth Thomas. “New Halloween Practice Stresses Pleasure in Giving.” The Oklahoman (Oct. 30, 1960): 42. German, Hugh. “Prank suspected in State Tragedy.” The Oklahoman (Nov. 13, 1960):162. “Quiz Slated in Halloween Fatal Beating.” The Oklahoman (April 13, 1961):30. “3,200 Spooks to get Badges for Halloween.” The Oklahoman (Oct. 28, 1961): 13. Wallace, Edyth Thomas. “Safety First on Halloween is Important.” The Oklahoman (Oct. 30, 1966):64. “Goblins Ready for Halloween”. The Oklahoman (Oct. 26, 1969):146. “Halloween Tricks Turn Out Vicious.” The Oklahoman (Nov. 1, 1969):7. “Razor-in-Apple Tale False: Trick Boomerangs.” The Oklahoman (Nov. 6, 1969):29.        The Goblins   Will Get You  (1970-1979)     Mid-decade many audiences clustered around the television to see comedy sketches and the ABC television debut of the spandex and face paint rock group KISS on the “Paul Lynd Halloween Special” (1976).  This should have been a clear signal that the holiday was a changing and not necessarily for the better as the holiday moved center stage into profit columns. Deep seated suspicions and fears regarding the holiday continued as the urban legends of horrific deaths by candy were repeated each season. These “Contamination tales”, according to Nicholas Rogers, arose in the 1960’s but peaked in the 1970’s.  There is a little evidence, however, that any true random Halloween candy tampering has ever occurred resulting in the death of a child.          This, despite decades of urban legends stating that very “fact.” There have been no Halloween multiple deaths by drug, poison, or sharp object.  News articles cried not warning each year, but no hard information was ever included to verify the dire details they listed.  Real life tragedies, however, do exist from that time. A Pasadena, Texas boy died after eating cyanide laced candy gathered on Halloween.  The poison, however, came from his own father after the man had acquired a large insurance policy on his son.  Originally sentenced to die on Halloween, the Supreme Court granted a stay.   The original “Candyman” finally went to his death, one of the first by lethal injection, in March 1982. Other stories turned out to be either clear hoaxes spread by children or attempts to cover family drug use.  The ‘razor blade in the apple’ appears to be nothing but a fraud.   A review of “Halloween Poisonings” at Snopes.com can be compared to an academic article by Bajwa, “Needle Ingestion via Halloween Carmel Apples” in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Oct. 2003).  It seriously begs the question which came first: The story of the contamination or the contaminations? Did the early urban legends become self-fulfilling prophecy by century’s end? The classic horror films were castrated as they moved to television and transformed into such offerings as the inane “Munsters”.  In time, regular “Halloween” themed episodes of popular weekly programs and specials would, like a modern day Frankenstein’s monster, take on a life of their own. The general social and political upheaval of the 1960’s was reflected in the changes in how Halloween was celebrated in the 1970’s. In just as strong a manner as the revolutionary minded of the “hippies” years assaulted the traditions, values, and religions of main stream America, the 1970’s saw just a forceful a movement as those elements attempted to reassert themselves.  This was also the decade of the Bicentennial and a return, or a rediscovery of traditional costumes, customs, and manners. Values criticized and derided by the communes, free love, and other social constructions of the counter-culture, now gave rise to mainstream entertainments such as All in the Family and MASH.   Affirmations of traditional values of home, friends, and family were seen in popular series such as The Little House on the Prairie (1976), The Brady Bunch (1969-), Happy Days (1974), Good Times (1974) The Waltons (1972) and Laverne and Shirley (1976). 
 
This was also a time when the established religions, especially evangelical Christianity responded to the more worrying aspects of the new “liberality” of society.   The loss of social control in general meant a loss of influence by the components of society: education, local government and religion. 
 
Suddenly, the familiar rules of social control were, like the buggy at the turn of the century, being torn apart and reassembled on the slippery slope of a steep barn.  Many were at a loss as to how to cope with these social changes happening all around them. Attempts to assert local values, curb behavior, and re-establish the ‘traditional’ activities did occur, however, and more community and home based events were planned.  Seen as a contributing factor in the overall devolution of society, Halloween for many heralded a submission to paganism and an invitation to rampant demonic activity within a community.  
 
As a result, “Fall Festivals”, “Reformation Day Fetes” and “Autumn Activities” were substitutes for local families and children.  Civic centers, church halls, and school gyms celebrated the changing season without any of the traditional “Halloween” décor of ghosts, bats, spider webs, or simmering cauldrons.  Door-to-door visits were replaced by strolls down mall storefronts and past officially sanctioned parking lots where car trunks held goodies and games         
 
 
Sources “Halloween Approaching.” The Oklahoma (Oct. 22, 1971): 34. “Treat Kills Texas Boy: Cyanide Found in Candy.” The Oklahoman (Nov. 2, 1974):1. “Halt Halloween (Letter to the Editor)”. The Oklahoman ( (Nov. 10, 1974):26. Winter, Christine. “Halloween Childish Fun or Terror?” The Oklahoman (Oct. 26, 1975):102. “Cancellation of Halloween Uncalled For.” The Oklahoman (Oct. 31 1977): 17 “Ghost Hunt Good Sport: Take a Haunting Tour.” The Oklahoman (May 28, 1978):102..      ----Marilyn A. Hudson, 2009


7/25/20

BOOK ON OKLAHOMA UFO'S AND ANNOUNCEMENT GOVERNMENT HAS "OFF WORLD" VEHICLE! : ALL WITHIN A WEEK OF EACH OTHER

Talk about your lucky coincidences! As Marilyn A. Hudson published her new work on the news and
stories of UFO's over Oklahoma from 1947 to 1969 there was something else in the works. 

The U.S. Government has announced that they have a "off world" vehicle. (see Popular Mechanics ) :

"The astrophysicist Eric Davis, who consulted with the Pentagon’s original UFO program, told the Times that after he examined certain materials, he came to the conclusion that “we couldn’t make [them] ourselves.” In fact, Davis briefed a Department of Defense (DOD) agency as recently as March about retrieving materials from “off-world vehicles not made on this earth.”"

So, as Hudson asserts in her book, maybe it is time to reevaluate what we think we know and this topic, remove it from the jokes bag and do some serious consideration of possibilities. Hudson's book is available in Kindle and print formats on Amazon.




5/30/20

DRESSING AS A MAN: CROSS-DRESSING, TRANSGENDER, AND SEARCHES FOR FREEDOM

In my research for my book, Oklahoma Bad Girls, I encountered numerous stories of women masquerading as a male for one reason or another.  I learned that many cities (such as Oklahoma City) had laws and ordinances prohibiting that with fines and jail time possible). The reasons were varied and it is impossible to label all such cases as evidence of alternate lifestyles. The young women often did it because they did enjoy the freedom of male attire (did they burn their corsets, I wonder?) and opportunities denied them as females.  Some, it is true, sought to live a life as a man for other reasons - often marrying as a person of another gender.

One of the stories I discovered was mentioned in the Oklahoma of December 22, 1906 and recounted a story out of Phoenix.  A"Nicholai (Nicholas) Dereylan" was said to have died, post-death, it was revealed that "He" had been a "She" and lived many years as a man.

Death records from Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona verified the death of one "Nicholas C. De Raylan", a female about 33 years of age, who had died December 18, 1906 of pulmonary turberculosis, born in Russia.  A burial permit was issued Dec, 23, 1906 by J.M. Burnett, Coroner for Greenwood Cemetery to Mohn and Drsicoll, undertakers.

Fast forward and members of the community in Phoenix discovered this story, arranged for a tombstone, and recognition of the unique presence of a transgender individual in their midst at such an early time. The article at AZ Central , "Transgender Man Given Back His Identity" highlights the effort of these citizens to clarify the situation. (https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/karinabland/2019/11/18/transgender-man-given-back-his-identity-phoenix-cemetery-nicolai-de-raylan/4224296002/).

The memorial at Find-A-Grave for "Nicolai Konstantinovich De Raylan.. 1873-1906, is located at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/172411509/nicolai-de_raylan

5/24/20

THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT: OKLAHOMA CITY'S WILD YOUTH

The 'red light district' of early Oklahoma City had been the area of "Bunco Alley" (a short block located on Grand Avenue later called Sheridan and between Front Street (Santa Fe) and Broadway where it met its southern match in a terminus called 'Battle Row').  It soon moved, as it would several times over the decades, to the entire 400's block of West 2nd Street (Robert S. Kerr Street later). Traveling west from Hudson on 2nd to Walker the following established businesses could be found on both north and south sides of the street (called 'Harlot's Lane'):
  • Etta Woods and Her Creole Girls (Have not found a name associated with this location on the north and opposite to Nina's)
  • Nina Truelove's (South side)
  • Madame Brentlinger (aka Jean La Monte), Red Star. She had supposedly come from Leadville with Big Anne Wynne
  • Red Onion, Madame Clayton (another or the same is located at one time on Alabaster Row according to postcard in the Griffin book)
  • Madam McDonald's 'The Arlington', (Middle of the block, south side)
  • Big Anne's 'Place 44', supervised by Effie Fisher (Corner of 2nd and Walker, south side)
  • Noah's Ark, supervised by 'Big Liz' and 'Dude'  (North side)
Smaller brothels were interspersed along the street as well.


Sources:
Daily Oklahoman
McRill. "...And Satan Came Also"
Owens, Ron, Oklahoma Justice: The Oklahoma City Police (1995)
Griffin, Terry L. Oklahoma City: Land Run to Statehood (pg. 20)
'Hell's Half Acre." http://www.okchistory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=245:hells-half-acre&catid=41:people&Itemid=78

1/17/20

Fort Riley : Ghosts and UFO Tales

In north central Kansas sits historic Fort Riley established as "Camp Center" in 1852 and a year later renamed with its current designation. Originally it was established to protect pioneers coming through on two major trails. The fort was associated with the western front in the Civil War and in later efforts with the Native populations of the western territories.  Although home to numerous Army infantry units it has long been associated with 1st Infantry Division (1955-1996). 

For many, during WW1, it was home to "Camp Funston" and gained notoriety for the Spanish Influenza that broke out there and was carried around the world by soldiers.

A wife variety of ghosts 'haunt' the Fort and its surroundings. For more on them visit.https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-fortriley/

In more recent decades, two stories of Fort Riley have been incorporated in to the mythos of Unidentified Flying Objects.  Philip Corso in his controversial and challenged book, The Day After Roswell, alleged one of the alien bodies from the Roswell, New Mexico crash in 1947 had gone through the Fort on its journey to Wright-Patterson in Ohio. 

Later, a tale from December of 1964 alleged that before 2:00 a.m. Dec. 10, 1964, returning soldiers were tasked to assist with a search for a crashed UFO. Intense searchlights from low flying helicopters swept far corners of the Fort landscape with orders to kill anyone interfering.  The recovered disc was  35-48 ft. diameter and 12-18 ft. tall with a fin like protrusion and aluminum like skin. It had black squares about 9 inches that jutted out from the rim.

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