HORROR BY GASLIGHT: Chilling Unsolved Murders That Haunted The Victorian Era Beyond Jack the Ripper
Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, True Crime, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved
Darren Marlar
4.6 • 4K Ratings
🗓️ 18 April 2025
⏱️ 184 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version of #WeirdDarkness: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
IN THIS EPISODE: The fog-shrouded streets of Victorian England – where gaslit alleys concealed dark secrets and justice often remained elusive. From the gruesome "Shakespeare" murder that had London wondering if Jack the Ripper had crossed the Atlantic, to dismembered bodies scattered along the Thames, to high society poisonings that scandalized the nation, the Boxing Day slaughter of the Murphy siblings, the Christmas Eve killing of actress Harriet Buswell, the strange death of Charles Bravo that exposed a scandalous love triangle, and more. In an era of rudimentary forensics and primitive police work, these murderers vanished into history, leaving behind only questions and theories. These crimes from the 1800s remain unsolved today – just as they were over a century ago.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and East River Shadows” (Short Story Lead-In)
00:07:15.256 = Show Open
00:10:36.687 = THE GRUESOME MURDER OF SHAKESPEARE: Jack The Ripper In America?, Part 1
00:25:14.532 = THE GRUESOME MURDER OF SHAKESPEARE: Jack The Ripper In America?, Part 2
00:39:17.189 = THE GRUESOME MURDER OF SHAKESPEARE: Jack The Ripper In America?, Part 3
00:50:37.114 = THE THAMES TORSO MURDERS: Victorian London's Forgotten Serial Killer
01:13:31.020 = THE BALHAM MYSTERY: The Inexplicable Poisoning of Charles Bravo
01:35:48.075 = BLOOD ON BOXING DAY: The Gatton Murders
01:47:56.775 = THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF MADELEINE SMITH; Love, Poison, and Mystery
02:01:50.405 = BRADFORD BUTCHERY: The Tragic Case of John Gill
02:19:09.778 = THE GRIMWOOD MURDER: The Real-Life Crime Behind Oliver Twist's Darkest Scene
02:34:00.843 = CHRISTMAS MURDER OF A FORGOTTEN ACTRESS: The Case of Harriet Busman
02:49:39.560 = THE PIMLICO POISONINGS: Marriage, Minister, Murder, and Mystery
02:59:58.344 = Show Close, Verse, and Final Thought
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
(Includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/UnsolvedVictorian
BOOK: “Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper — Case Closed" (2002) by Patricia Cornwell: https://amzn.to/3Y51Bsl
BOOK: "Chasing the Ripper" (2014) by Patricia Cornwell: https://amzn.to/3GaZuNs
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | In a world where stubble strikes without mercy, where anarchy reigns on the jaw lines of men, |
| 0:08.0 | one razor stands between order and absolute chaos. |
| 0:13.0 | Duty and Dapper presents the last line of defense in the War on Whiskers. |
| 0:20.0 | Sergeant Smooth. |
| 0:22.6 | Expertly crafted, battle tested, and armed with five blades of glory. |
| 0:28.6 | These ain't your grandpappy's razor blades. |
| 0:32.6 | Forged from brass and steel in the fires of duty, |
| 0:39.8 | Sergeant Smooth isn't just a razor. |
| 0:43.6 | It's your weapon in the fight for smooth supremacy. |
| 0:45.6 | Join the fight. |
| 0:47.4 | Join the grooming corps. |
| 0:49.6 | Support the Wounded Warrior Project. |
| 0:51.3 | Support veterans. |
| 0:53.2 | Enlist now. |
| 1:17.9 | The Sergeant Smooth Razor. Find it now on Amazon or at dutyendapper.com. Strange creatures, gruesome murders, oozing organisms, unfathomable abductions, enigmatic expeditions, |
| 1:25.0 | an age-old malevolence, and much more. Author J.C. Moore delivers a collection of dark horror tales that are both chilling and poignant. Dark Intrigues |
| 1:29.3 | Book 1 is filled with horror fiction for fans of short story anthologies, horror collections, |
| 1:35.3 | ghost fiction, suspense, possession, and more. Dark Intrigues Book 1 by J.C. Moore, |
| 1:43.3 | available on Kind of an audiobook narrated by Darren Marler. Find Dark Intrigues Book 1 by J.C. Moore, available on Kindle or as an audio book narrated by |
| 1:46.3 | Darren Marler. Find Dark Intrigues Book 1 on the audiobooks page at Weirddarkness.com. |
| 1:52.6 | That's Weirddarkness.com slash audiobooks. |
| 1:59.8 | A quick disclaimer before we begin. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 18 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Darren Marlar, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Darren Marlar and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.