Kentucky History & Haunts

In August 1925, fourteen-year-old Mary Vickery vanished from the coal camp of Coxton in Harlan County, Kentucky. Her father, miner E.C. Vickery, stopped going underground and began searching above it, combing hollows and writing desperate letters for help. Months later, a decomposed body was discovered in an abandoned mine shaft between Harlan and Baxter.A suspect was arrested. A courtroom filled to the rafters. A jury convicted 23-year-old taxi driver Conley Dabney of rape and murder, sentencing him to life in prison.And then, nearly a year later, the “murdered” girl walked into a hotel in Williamsburg, Kentucky, very much alive.Mary Vickery – The missing girl who returned from the dead.E.C. Vickery – Her father, who identified a body that was not his daughter.Conley Dabney – Taxi driver convicted of Mary’s “murder,” later pardoned.Marie Jackson – The key witness whose testimony sent a man to prison.Leila Cole – A woman who may have been the true victim found in the mine.Roxie Baker – Another young woman killed in Harlan in 1925, whose death still cast a shadow over the county.The fragility of eyewitness testimonyMoral panic in small townsHow quickly public opinion can flipThe role of newspapers in shaping guilt and innocenceThe complexity of teenage runaways in the 1920sJustice in coal countryThis is a story where nearly every thread tangles into another: jealous lovers, missing women, contradictory confessions, misidentified clothing, and suspects who vanish just as grand juries convene.And at the center of it all, a girl who heard that a man was in prison for killing her… and chose not to come home.I uncovered photographs of Mary Vickery, Conley Dabney, Governor Fields signing the pardon, Marie Jackson, and even Mary’s courthouse wedding just days after her return. You will absolutely want to see these.Follow Kentucky History & Haunts on Facebook and Instagram for all episode visuals.If you’d like to support the research and storytelling that goes into Kentucky History & Haunts, you can buy me a birthday coffee for $5 via Venmo- https://account.venmo.com/u/kyhistoryhauntsA rating or review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts also helps more than you know.For feedback or story ideas: [email protected]: Jessie Bartholomew9115 Leesgate Rd, ALouisville, KY 40222**Transcripts are autogenerated and may contain errors

First we’re paging through the Courier Journal for stories of romance gone sideways, dramatic gestures, and a few fiery plot twists.Starting with a Louisville divorce case where Mrs. Bessie Offutt tried to end her 17 year marriage, claiming her much older husband preferred sitting by the fire all day while she earned the living. The judge ruled that the law does not dissolve every unhappy marriage. Still, when her husband died years later, her name was nowhere in his obituary. Draw your own conclusions.Then we head to Mercer County, where Cecil Connor left a suicide note and his coat on a bridge over Dix Dam Lake, prompting a full scale search. Days later, he reappeared alive, admitting he staged the whole thing to frighten his estranged wife into reconciling. Spoiler alert: it did not work.Next, a jailhouse romance that feels stranger than fiction. Kentucky native Ray H. Foor, convicted of killing a Kansas policeman in 1923, was released just three years later and married Avereil Gay, a woman who fell in love with him while he was behind bars. She once declared he did not love her yet, but he was the man she intended to marry. They later settled in Brandenburg and lived quietly.In Accidents & Close Calls, we revisit the dramatic burning of a twenty seven room mansion in Cherokee Park, once owned by Judge Robert Worth Bingham. Thousands of rounds of ammunition exploded in the blaze. The owner, Giles VanCleave, narrowly escaped. The house was never rebuilt. Years later, VanCleave was found dead by suicide in the garage on the same property.We also remember Letitia Vance DePauw, a decorated Red Cross worker who served near the Argonne Forest in World War I and later became a state parole officer in Kentucky.And finally, a palate cleanser: a wanted fraud suspect in St. Louis was tracked down partly because of his legendary appetite. Seven pork chops for breakfast tends to leave a paper trail.Love, pride, scandal, heroism, and a few questionable life choices. Just another week in Kentucky history.Send feedback to [email protected]*Transcripts are auto-generated and may contain errors

Kentucky in March of 1926 stands at a threshold. Winter is loosening its grip, modern life is creeping in, and beneath the surface of everyday routines, tensions simmer. Automobiles share muddy roads with horses, radios crackle with distant voices, and Prohibition is officially enforced while quietly ignored.In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, we explore a month where gossip turns deadly, crime crosses state lines, and justice proves slippery at best.The “Bob-Haired Bandit” of Bell County Eighteen-year-old Helen Simpson disguises herself in men’s clothing and robs a rural post office near Pineville. A torn dollar bill leads to her capture, and newspapers obsess over her appearance as much as the crime itself. Her sentence sends her far from home, to a women’s institution in North Carolina.$100,000 in Diamonds Vanish on Louisville Streets A New York jewelry salesman is attacked in broad daylight near Fourth and Market Streets. The diamonds are never recovered. Nearly a year later, a nearly identical robbery happens again. What follows is a tangled web of suspects, deadlocked juries, alleged inside jobs, kidnappings, and one criminal who just won’t stay out of the headlines.A Duel on Greasy Creek A respected schoolteacher, Virginia Skeens Coleman, kills her brother-in-law in a pistol duel after years of escalating accusations, courtroom battles, and family feuds. The case forces a community to confront gossip, reputation, and what self-defense looks like in rural Kentucky. The aftermath reshapes her life in unexpected ways.Moonshine by MoonlightA sheriff’s child wakes with a cold in the middle of the night, setting off a chain of events that leads to the capture of a moonshiner, the destruction of sixteen half-gallons of liquor, and the confiscation of a mule. A small, almost humorous story that unfolds against the backdrop of serious political turmoil in Harlan County.Kentucky in March of 1926 is caught between seasons, between old rules and new ambitions, and between what is spoken openly and what unfolds in the shadows. And as always, when history pauses at a crossroads, the stories waiting there are anything but quiet.🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.Part two available the day after this one is released.*Please note the transcripts for this show are auto-generated and may contain errors.Send Jessie mail:9115 Leesgate Rd Suite ALouisville, KY 40222Instagram: @kyhistoryhauntshttps://www.facebook.com/kyhistoryhauntsSend Jessie coffee money:Venmo: @kyhistoryhauntsSend feedback to [email protected]. Please leave a rating or review wherever you listen.

In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, we trace the remarkable life of Dr. St. Elmo Brady, a Louisville-born chemist, educator, and civil rights pioneer whose influence reached far beyond the laboratory. Born in 1884 amid flooding, segregation, and racial inequality, Brady rose to become the first Black American to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry and one of the most important scientific educators of the 20th century.From Central Colored High School in Louisville to Fisk University, Tuskegee Institute, Howard University, and beyond, Brady’s life was defined by curiosity, service, and an unshakable belief in education as a tool for progress. Along the way, he forged relationships with Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver, built chemistry departments from the ground up, delivered lectures that blended science, faith, and social responsibility, and mentored generations of students.This episode also explores the deeply personal moments of Brady’s life, including devastating loss, tireless travel, and his lifelong commitment to teaching and research, even into his final years. Though his name is often overlooked in popular histories, his legacy quietly shapes American science and education to this day.If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast app. It helps more people find the show and supports independent history storytelling.Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/kyhistoryhauntsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyhistoryhauntsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyhistoryhauntsSend Jessie mail:Jessie Bartholomew9115 Leesgate RdSuite ALouisville KY 40222Have a Kentucky story you’d like to hear explored? Or an historic figure you think deserves more attention?Reach out anytime.Email @[email protected]*Transcripts are auto-generated and may contain errors.LEARN MORE ABOUT ST. ELMO BRADY-https://chemistry.illinois.edu/spotlight/alumni/brady-st-elmo-1884-1966 https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/st-elmo-brady.htmlhttps://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/st-elmo-brady.html

Yep, this episode from the 'century ago in Kentucky' series should technically have been about February 1926. I didn't realize I had been researching 101 years ago until I was about to hit publish! But I bet Kentucky was just as interesting in '25 as it was in '26! February 1925In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, I explore the headlines of February 1925, uncovering a mix of crime, romance, tragedy, and the supernatural.You’ll hear about:Teen “boy pirates” hiding stolen goods on an Ohio River islandA shady arrest linked to the Horse Thief Detective AssociationThe murder of Dr. Marvin Kingins during a baby rescue missionA doomed romance born during the Floyd Collins cave rescueDeadly mining accidents and heartbreaking healthcare storiesHaunted houses, flying rocks, and skepticalghost huntersA woman who discovered she was 103, not 93And a very good dog cleared in court by Kentucky’s first female judgeFebruary 1925 was a cold, dangerous, and unforgettable moment in Kentucky history, and I'm here to bring its strange and human stories back to life.*I misspoke in the West Virginia haunting story: YWCA stands for Young Women’s Christian Association (not WYCA).*The stylish gentleman in the episode art for this episode is Mr. Davis, mentioned in the story about the haunted house in Mitchellsburg. https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll19/searchhttps://historicindianapolis.com/friday-favorites-the-national-horse-thief-detective-association/Email: [email protected] a rating, review, or comment on your podcast app to support the show!Send me mail:9115 Leesgate Rd, Suite ALouisville, KY 40222