Arnold Gerrit Henskes was born August 6, 1912 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He was an artist and he ran a design firm until he was 33 years old. During this time, he claimed to have had several paranormal experiences. One of these experiences occurred after the death of his niece, Hannie, whom he had never met. … Continue reading Mirin Darnell
Leonard Trask was born June 30, 1805 to Mr. And Mrs. Osborn Trask in Hartford, Maine. Leonard, like his father, was a farmer for much of his life. He was also a brick maker and logger, among other trades. He experienced much success in his young life. By 1830, he was married to Eunice Knight … Continue reading Leonard Trask
Katie Brumbach was born in the back of a circus wagon to Philippe and Johanna Brumbach on May 6, 1884. Her parents were both performers in the Bavarian circus. Touted as strong people, Philippe is said to have been able to lift 500 pounds with just one finger. His wife had 15 inch biceps. Katie … Continue reading Katie Sandwina
Bill Durks was born April 17, 1913 to “normal” parents, but one look at Bill, and you knew he was different. Bill was born with frontonasal dysplasia. Now, people recognize children born with a cleft palate. There are surgical treatments and many children born with the affliction go on to live normal lives. Frontonasal dysplasia … Continue reading Bill Durks
Also called The Boats, Scaphism is a form of torturous execution. The most famous account of Scaphism is the story of Mithridates. In 401 BC, Mithridates, a Persian soldier, killed Cyrus the Younger. The king was pleased by this because Cyrus had claim to the throne. Mithridates had killed a threat to the king and … Continue reading Scaphism
In Elizabethan England, if you needed to torture a man, there was a cheap and easy method available. The Tower of London was right there. Just let the Thames River flow into a window and create something called the Rat Room. Rats were washed into the room and when the water went down, the rats … Continue reading Rat Torture
Before Winthrop Rockefeller became governor of Arkansas in 1966 and instituted prison reform, the Arkansas prison system was a dangerous place for inmates. It was legal to whip prisoners in Arkansas, but they were regularly beaten and tortured by guards who shot at them for fun. There were stories of prison trusties who put needles … Continue reading Tucker Telephone
In 2008, 24 year old Angel Pantojas was killed. He was shot 11 times and thrown off a bridge in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His family remembered something that Angel had said at his father’s funeral when he was just 6 years old, “Not me. At my wake, people will see me on my feet.” … Continue reading Dead Man Standing
Warning: This post contains images that some may find disturbing. Until it was outlawed as a form of assisted suicide, hundreds of Buddhist monks attempted to become Sokushinbutsu (Buddha in the flesh or Buddha in this body) through self-mummification. About 24 were successful. Their remains date from the 12th to the 20th century. It is … Continue reading Sokushinbutsu
In 1912, prospectors struck oil, and a lot of it, just west of Burkburnett, a tiny town in north Texas. The oil field brought 20,000 new residents to Burkburnett and the surrounding area. The nearby city of Wichita Falls was where many oil companies set up their offices. One of these office buildings was the … Continue reading The World’s Littlest Skyscraper
