Hello there, true crime enthusiasts! Today, we’re going to travel back in time to the 1800s and explore some of the lesser-known killers who terrorized their respective states. These are the stories that you may not have heard before, but are just as gruesome and shocking as those that have become famous. So, let’s dive into the dark world of the 1800s murders.
Our first killer is Hiram Lodge, also known as “The Monster of Lake Michigan,” who operated in Chicago, Illinois in the late 1800s. Lodge was a wealthy businessman who was well-respected in the community, but he had a dark side. He was known to lure young women into his home, where he would drug and rape them before murdering them. His victims were often dismembered and dumped into Lake Michigan. Lodge was eventually caught and sentenced to life in prison in 1895.
Next, we have Belle Gunness, who operated in La Porte, Indiana in the early 1900s but began her killing spree in the late 1800s. Gunness was a Norwegian immigrant who ran a successful hog farm, but her real source of income was from luring in wealthy suitors through personal ads and then killing them for their money. She was suspected of killing as many as 40 people, including her two husbands and several of her children. She was never caught, as a fire destroyed her house and killed several of her victims, but it is believed that she may have faked her own death and disappeared.
Moving on, we have Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, who operated in both the United States and the United Kingdom in the late 1800s. Cream was a physician who used his medical knowledge to poison his victims, many of whom were prostitutes. He was convicted of one murder in the United States in 1881 and was sentenced to life in prison, but he was released in 1891 due to a technicality. He then moved to London and continued his killing spree, for which he was eventually caught and hanged in 1892.
Let’s talk about another case, that of John White Webster, who operated in Boston, Massachusetts in the mid-1800s. Webster was a respected professor at Harvard University, but he had a dark secret – he owed a large amount of money to a colleague, Dr. George Parkman. When Parkman came to collect the debt, he was never seen again. Webster was suspected of killing him and was eventually caught after a body part was found in his laboratory. He was convicted of murder in 1850 and hanged.
Another lesser-known killer is Sarah Jane Robinson, who operated in Troy, New York in the late 1800s. Robinson was a nurse who was hired to care for elderly patients, but she would often poison them with arsenic and collect their life insurance policies. She was suspected of killing as many as ten people before she was caught and sentenced to life in prison in 1894.
Moving on, we have Sarah Jane Whiteling, who operated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. Whiteling was a midwife who would perform illegal abortions and then dispose of the fetuses in the Schuylkill River. She was suspected of killing as many as 20 infants, and her trial in 1888 was one of the first cases in which forensic evidence was used to convict a murderer. She was sentenced to life in prison.
Lastly, we have Martin Thornburg, who operated in St. Joseph, Missouri in the late 1800s. Thornburg was a wealthy businessman who had a wife and two children, but he was also involved in an affair with a local woman, Anna Schrader. When Schrader became pregnant, Thornburg feared that his affair would be exposed and he would lose everything. He convinced Schrader to undergo an abortion, which he performed himself using chloroform. Schrader died during the procedure, and Thornburg was eventually caught and sentenced to life in prison in 1891.
These are just a few examples of the lesser-known killers who operated in the 1800s. While their crimes may not be as well-known as those of some of their more infamous counterparts, their actions were just as heinous and terrifying. It’s important to remember the victims of these crimes and the impact that these killers had on their communities.
Thank you for joining me on this journey back in time. I hope you found these stories as fascinating and chilling as I did. Don’t forget to keep your doors locked tonight!
Tags: Lesser-known true crime, forgotten murderers, 19th-century crimes, chilling criminal tales, shocking crime accounts
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