1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:14,390 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly Frey. 3 00:00:14,750 --> 00:00:18,630 Speaker 1: And I'm Tracy B. Wilson. So we are into our 4 00:00:18,690 --> 00:00:25,130 Speaker 1: Halloween season doings, and today's episode features a murder. This incident, 5 00:00:25,190 --> 00:00:27,130 Speaker 1: which has come to be known as the Red Barn murder, 6 00:00:27,250 --> 00:00:31,650 Speaker 1: is sometimes mentioned in discussion of the Greenbrier County, West 7 00:00:31,670 --> 00:00:35,890 Speaker 1: Virginia murder of Elva Zona Hester Shue, because dreams play 8 00:00:35,909 --> 00:00:39,089 Speaker 1: a part in the apprehension of both perpetrators. But other 9 00:00:39,130 --> 00:00:42,770 Speaker 1: than that, they're not related. So for setup, in late 10 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,460 Speaker 1: April 1828, a story from Suffolk ran in papers throughout 11 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:51,910 Speaker 1: England under the headline Horrible Murderer. I will also say 12 00:00:52,030 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: there were a lot of stories that ran in England 13 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,900 Speaker 1: about this that were titled Horrible Murder. Some of them 14 00:00:57,940 --> 00:00:59,500 Speaker 1: are not the same story, but they all seem to 15 00:00:59,540 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: have the same title. And it opened this way. Quote, 16 00:01:03,460 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: a murder has been brought to light within a few 17 00:01:05,540 --> 00:01:09,339 Speaker 1: days it pulsed in this county. The circumstances which have 18 00:01:09,380 --> 00:01:13,420 Speaker 1: reached us are as follows. Mariah Martin, a fine young woman, 19 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 1: age 25, the daughter of a mole catcher in the 20 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:20,589 Speaker 1: above village, formed an imprudent connection two or three years 21 00:01:20,630 --> 00:01:24,170 Speaker 1: ago with a young man named William Corder, the son 22 00:01:24,250 --> 00:01:27,030 Speaker 1: of an opulent farmer in the neighborhood by whom she 23 00:01:27,069 --> 00:01:30,470 Speaker 1: had a child. On the 19th of May last, she 24 00:01:30,530 --> 00:01:33,510 Speaker 1: left her father's house, stating that she was going to 25 00:01:33,530 --> 00:01:36,369 Speaker 1: the Red Barn to meet William Corder, who would be 26 00:01:36,410 --> 00:01:39,250 Speaker 1: waiting there with a chaise to convey her to Ipswich, 27 00:01:39,610 --> 00:01:43,289 Speaker 1: where they were to be married. The story that unfolded 28 00:01:43,330 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: from there was almost surreal, not just for how awful 29 00:01:46,330 --> 00:01:50,500 Speaker 1: it was, but because it contained many odd twists and turns. 30 00:01:51,180 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: It includes cross-dressing disguises, psychic dreams, a disturbing exhumation, and 31 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:00,090 Speaker 1: a family's just staggering grief. And it was only the 32 00:02:00,110 --> 00:02:03,190 Speaker 1: beginning of the story. This is a telenovela of a 33 00:02:03,270 --> 00:02:06,490 Speaker 1: ride that has so much weird drama, even aside from 34 00:02:06,530 --> 00:02:12,590 Speaker 1: being a tragic murder. Mariah Martin was born July 24, 1801, 35 00:02:12,590 --> 00:02:17,130 Speaker 1: to Thomas and Grace Martin. As mentioned just a moment ago, 36 00:02:17,250 --> 00:02:21,220 Speaker 1: Thomas was a professional mole catcher. He kept those animals 37 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: out of crops in the area. Mariah was smart, and 38 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,100 Speaker 1: to get an education that would have been inaccessible to 39 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: her otherwise, her parents sent her to live with a 40 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:36,179 Speaker 1: minister and his family in Lamb. She helped out around 41 00:02:36,220 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: the minister's house, and in return, she got lessons. But 42 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,860 Speaker 1: that arrangement was cut short when Mariah was only nine 43 00:02:42,940 --> 00:02:47,209 Speaker 1: because her mother, Grace, died. And Mariah had to return 44 00:02:47,260 --> 00:02:50,930 Speaker 1: home to take care of her younger siblings. But she 45 00:02:50,990 --> 00:02:54,890 Speaker 1: continued her education herself, reading and memorizing as much as 46 00:02:54,970 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: she could. Sometime later, Thomas Martin remarried to a woman 47 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: named Anne, who was just a few years Mariah's senior, 48 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,780 Speaker 1: but Mariah remained at home and helped with the family. 49 00:03:06,620 --> 00:03:09,940 Speaker 1: She had several more half-siblings through Anne, and Anne and 50 00:03:09,980 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: Mariah had a good relationship. But though Mariah may have 51 00:03:13,470 --> 00:03:16,930 Speaker 1: been book smart, she was not especially wise when it 52 00:03:16,990 --> 00:03:20,829 Speaker 1: came to men. When she was 17, Mariah started a 53 00:03:20,870 --> 00:03:24,430 Speaker 1: relationship with Thomas Corder. That's the older brother of the 54 00:03:24,510 --> 00:03:27,049 Speaker 1: William mentioned in the news story at the top of 55 00:03:27,090 --> 00:03:31,190 Speaker 1: this episode. Because Thomas and William came from a wealthier 56 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,810 Speaker 1: family than Mariah, there have been a lot of theories 57 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: over the years that she was hoping that she would 58 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,940 Speaker 1: marry up into better social and financial standing through these relationships, 59 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,780 Speaker 1: but that is just speculation. Thomas insisted that they keep 60 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:51,170 Speaker 1: their relationship secret, but that became difficult when Mariah got pregnant. Initially, 61 00:03:51,210 --> 00:03:54,150 Speaker 1: Thomas continued to court her a bit more openly than 62 00:03:54,190 --> 00:03:58,050 Speaker 1: before initially into her pregnancy, but his interest and then 63 00:03:58,110 --> 00:04:01,350 Speaker 1: the frequency of his visits at the Martin home started 64 00:04:01,410 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: to diminish in the months she was expecting. After she 65 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:07,740 Speaker 1: gave birth to the baby, Thomas did not, as he 66 00:04:07,780 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: had promised, marry her. She actually went to a magistrate 67 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: to get an order of affiliation. That's basically a legal 68 00:04:14,500 --> 00:04:17,510 Speaker 1: document that would have established him as the father of 69 00:04:17,529 --> 00:04:19,810 Speaker 1: the child, so he would have had a financial duty 70 00:04:19,890 --> 00:04:23,410 Speaker 1: for its well-being. But that didn't really matter for long 71 00:04:23,450 --> 00:04:27,270 Speaker 1: because the child died in infancy, and Thomas Corder exited 72 00:04:27,330 --> 00:04:31,530 Speaker 1: Mariah's life. At this point, in the standards of the time, 73 00:04:31,690 --> 00:04:35,650 Speaker 1: Mariah had a tarnished reputation, but she did find another 74 00:04:35,770 --> 00:04:39,990 Speaker 1: suitor in Peter Matthews. Peter was not from Polstead, but 75 00:04:40,010 --> 00:04:42,770 Speaker 1: he had relatives there, so presumably the two of them 76 00:04:42,890 --> 00:04:46,190 Speaker 1: met while he was visiting his family. By all accounts, 77 00:04:46,270 --> 00:04:49,870 Speaker 1: Mariah was transparent and upfront with him about her previous 78 00:04:49,930 --> 00:04:55,740 Speaker 1: relationship and pregnancy. Soon, Mariah was pregnant again. Peter and 79 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:59,510 Speaker 1: Mariah had a son, Thomas Henry, and Peter did provide 80 00:04:59,610 --> 00:05:02,529 Speaker 1: financial support for the boy, but he did not have 81 00:05:02,790 --> 00:05:08,330 Speaker 1: any intention of marrying Mariah. According to an 1828 book 82 00:05:08,370 --> 00:05:11,590 Speaker 1: detailing the particulars of the case, Thomas Henry was, quote, 83 00:05:11,750 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: liberally supported as he has ever been by his natural father, 84 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 1: who intends, when at a proper age, to have him 85 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:23,310 Speaker 1: properly educated and make a future provision for him. In 86 00:05:23,330 --> 00:05:26,250 Speaker 1: the time since Mariah had been left by Thomas Corder, 87 00:05:26,750 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: Thomas had died. He apparently fell through ice on a 88 00:05:30,300 --> 00:05:33,539 Speaker 1: pond that he was trying to cross and drowned. The 89 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: Corder family had, in the course of a year and 90 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,700 Speaker 1: a half, lost four members of the family, three brothers 91 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,230 Speaker 1: and their father, leaving only the younger brother, William Corder, 92 00:05:43,390 --> 00:05:48,330 Speaker 1: and his mother to manage the family's prosperous farm. William 93 00:05:48,490 --> 00:05:50,950 Speaker 1: was born in 1803, and he had lived a fairly 94 00:05:51,029 --> 00:05:53,859 Speaker 1: spoiled life as a child. He went to a private 95 00:05:53,900 --> 00:05:57,710 Speaker 1: boarding school and he was smart, but he was not popular. 96 00:05:58,150 --> 00:06:00,850 Speaker 1: He was nicknamed Foxy, which sounds kind of cool, but 97 00:06:00,890 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: it was not because his schoolmates thought he was a sneak. 98 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,540 Speaker 1: and he had a reputation for lying and on occasion stealing. 99 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,570 Speaker 1: In addition to any small-time theft William may have been 100 00:06:11,690 --> 00:06:15,450 Speaker 1: involved in at the school, there are two instances of 101 00:06:15,510 --> 00:06:18,770 Speaker 1: his getting money through illicit means in his early life. 102 00:06:19,370 --> 00:06:21,300 Speaker 1: At one point when he was a boy, he asked 103 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,620 Speaker 1: a family friend if they would lend his father 10 pounds, 104 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,419 Speaker 1: which they did. They gave it to William, presuming that 105 00:06:27,460 --> 00:06:29,950 Speaker 1: he would bring it to his father. But when that 106 00:06:30,010 --> 00:06:33,610 Speaker 1: family friend spoke with William's father, it became apparent that 107 00:06:33,650 --> 00:06:37,550 Speaker 1: the whole thing was a scheme on William's part. His 108 00:06:37,630 --> 00:06:41,940 Speaker 1: father had never needed such a loan. William also sold 109 00:06:42,140 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: another farmer some of his family's pigs and pocketed the money. 110 00:06:46,820 --> 00:06:50,099 Speaker 1: His father thought the pigs had been stolen, and this 111 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: actually set off a big conflict with the farmer, who 112 00:06:53,740 --> 00:06:57,990 Speaker 1: believed he had fairly purchased them before the truth came out. Yeah, 113 00:06:58,029 --> 00:07:00,230 Speaker 1: I think the resolution was that the quarters had to 114 00:07:00,290 --> 00:07:03,170 Speaker 1: buy their own pigs back because of this little guise 115 00:07:03,210 --> 00:07:08,630 Speaker 1: of William's. In March of 1826, then 24-year-old William, who, 116 00:07:08,790 --> 00:07:11,130 Speaker 1: as we said, was the only man left in his family, 117 00:07:11,710 --> 00:07:16,860 Speaker 1: started a relationship with Mariah Martin. William's deceitful and thieving 118 00:07:16,900 --> 00:07:20,930 Speaker 1: behavior continued when he was with Mariah. According to that 119 00:07:20,990 --> 00:07:24,780 Speaker 1: same 1828 account we mentioned a moment ago, Mariah did 120 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:28,180 Speaker 1: not receive one of her regular letters with money enclosed 121 00:07:28,220 --> 00:07:32,820 Speaker 1: from Peter Matthews. And here is what happened. Quote, Mariah Martin, 122 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,910 Speaker 1: not having received a remittance from a quarter from whence 123 00:07:35,970 --> 00:07:39,770 Speaker 1: it had regularly come before, became uneasy and wrote to 124 00:07:39,830 --> 00:07:44,020 Speaker 1: the gentleman and frankly expressed her disappointment and her necessities. 125 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,220 Speaker 1: In consequence of this communication, and more with a view 126 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:51,500 Speaker 1: to exculpate himself from a charge of remissness than to 127 00:07:51,580 --> 00:07:55,490 Speaker 1: recover the money, he instituted an inquiry at the post office, 128 00:07:55,870 --> 00:07:58,790 Speaker 1: which led to a discovery that the identical notes sent 129 00:07:58,850 --> 00:08:01,650 Speaker 1: by him had passed through the hands of a person 130 00:08:01,950 --> 00:08:06,030 Speaker 1: of the name of Corder. So William had taken the 131 00:08:06,070 --> 00:08:09,690 Speaker 1: support money that Matthews had sent for Henry Thomas and 132 00:08:09,770 --> 00:08:14,700 Speaker 1: pocketed it. Corder denied this despite being identified by the 133 00:08:14,730 --> 00:08:18,510 Speaker 1: people involved. There were an estimated 900 people living in 134 00:08:18,550 --> 00:08:21,190 Speaker 1: Polstead at the time, so not so many that people 135 00:08:21,210 --> 00:08:24,530 Speaker 1: could easily be confused about who was who. And one 136 00:08:24,570 --> 00:08:26,890 Speaker 1: of the clerks that was involved in handing over this 137 00:08:26,930 --> 00:08:31,610 Speaker 1: letter expressly remembered giving it to William because he commented 138 00:08:31,750 --> 00:08:36,550 Speaker 1: on his glasses and noted Corder's bad eyesight. This matter 139 00:08:36,650 --> 00:08:41,870 Speaker 1: continued to escalate, with no apparent resolution, with William continually 140 00:08:41,950 --> 00:08:45,780 Speaker 1: denying it, until William convinced Mariah to lie for him 141 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: and say that she had received the money and was mistaken, 142 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,260 Speaker 1: and that put an end to it. Mariah got pregnant 143 00:08:53,340 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: a third time. This quarterbrother stuck around through the pregnancy 144 00:08:57,660 --> 00:09:02,490 Speaker 1: despite his mother's dismay and dislike of Mariah. Mariah made 145 00:09:02,510 --> 00:09:05,390 Speaker 1: it clear that she wanted to be married, and it 146 00:09:05,429 --> 00:09:08,910 Speaker 1: looked from the outside like Mariah and William loved each other. 147 00:09:08,929 --> 00:09:13,780 Speaker 1: Their baby, like Mariah's first baby, did not live very long, though. 148 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,340 Speaker 1: It died just a few weeks after being born. The 149 00:09:17,380 --> 00:09:20,100 Speaker 1: couple took the baby away to be buried, and they 150 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,460 Speaker 1: said they were going to bury it at Sudbury, which 151 00:09:22,540 --> 00:09:27,349 Speaker 1: is a little less than 10 miles away. That didn't happen, though. 152 00:09:27,530 --> 00:09:30,510 Speaker 1: They instead buried the baby closer to home, which would 153 00:09:30,530 --> 00:09:34,050 Speaker 1: be found out later. And then, six weeks or so 154 00:09:34,150 --> 00:09:37,969 Speaker 1: after she had given birth, Mariah vanished. And we'll dig 155 00:09:37,990 --> 00:09:40,940 Speaker 1: into what happened next after we pause for a sponsor break. 156 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:54,090 Speaker 1: Mariah had continued throughout her pregnancy to say that she 157 00:09:54,130 --> 00:09:57,050 Speaker 1: wanted to marry William. And William had led her to 158 00:09:57,090 --> 00:09:59,870 Speaker 1: believe that he wanted the same thing. He had, in fact, 159 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,559 Speaker 1: publicly stated his intention to marry her, and he had 160 00:10:03,620 --> 00:10:07,540 Speaker 1: told her family the same thing. Once the baby was born, 161 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:10,620 Speaker 1: both Mariah and her father continued to bring this matter 162 00:10:10,780 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: up to William, and he continually responded that he would 163 00:10:14,179 --> 00:10:17,370 Speaker 1: marry her, but there also always seemed to be some 164 00:10:17,420 --> 00:10:19,630 Speaker 1: sort of reason why he had to postpone the matter. 165 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:25,079 Speaker 1: William also started telling Mariah after their child was born 166 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: that she was wanted by the authorities for having illegitimate children. 167 00:10:30,260 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: This was 100% false, and it seems like he used 168 00:10:33,860 --> 00:10:37,179 Speaker 1: a threat of turning her in for this made-up crime 169 00:10:37,340 --> 00:10:41,459 Speaker 1: to manipulate her. Finally, William told her it was time, 170 00:10:41,700 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: he was ready to marry her, and the two of 171 00:10:43,940 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: them hatched a plan. It was not a secret plan, though. 172 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:51,719 Speaker 1: They told Mariah's family about it. Because the Corder family 173 00:10:51,860 --> 00:10:54,900 Speaker 1: was against the marriage, the two of them planned for 174 00:10:54,940 --> 00:10:58,090 Speaker 1: Mariah to go in disguise, dressed as a man, so 175 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,190 Speaker 1: they could conceal that they were meeting. They would meet 176 00:11:01,330 --> 00:11:04,110 Speaker 1: at the Red Barn, as we mentioned in the intro, 177 00:11:04,270 --> 00:11:06,730 Speaker 1: and at the barn, she was going to change into 178 00:11:06,770 --> 00:11:10,350 Speaker 1: her bridal attire, and then the couple would travel from 179 00:11:10,429 --> 00:11:13,740 Speaker 1: there to Ipswich, about 15 miles away, and they would 180 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 1: be married. The red barn is interesting because it wasn't 181 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,579 Speaker 1: on the quarter's property. It and the land around it 182 00:11:20,700 --> 00:11:24,910 Speaker 1: were rented by the quarter family from another villager, a Mrs. Cook. 183 00:11:25,630 --> 00:11:28,050 Speaker 1: This had been a place where the couple had met 184 00:11:28,230 --> 00:11:32,069 Speaker 1: on numerous occasions. And because the Martin family knew of 185 00:11:32,110 --> 00:11:34,709 Speaker 1: this plan, they were not concerned when they didn't hear 186 00:11:34,790 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: from Mariah for several days, imagining her to be a 187 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:42,270 Speaker 1: new bride enjoying some sort of honeymoon with William. Newspaper 188 00:11:42,330 --> 00:11:45,710 Speaker 1: reports stated, quote, she did not return at the time expected. 189 00:11:46,250 --> 00:11:48,449 Speaker 1: But being in the habit of leaving home for many 190 00:11:48,510 --> 00:11:53,580 Speaker 1: days together, no great alarm was expressed by the parents. When, however, 191 00:11:53,770 --> 00:11:57,290 Speaker 1: several weeks had elapsed and no intelligence was received of 192 00:11:57,340 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: their daughter, although William Corder was still at home, the 193 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:05,689 Speaker 1: parents became anxious in their inquiry. So that's correct. William 194 00:12:05,750 --> 00:12:08,429 Speaker 1: Corder had returned to Polstead and was living his life 195 00:12:08,510 --> 00:12:11,609 Speaker 1: as usual. And when the Martins asked William where their 196 00:12:11,650 --> 00:12:15,170 Speaker 1: daughter was, he always had an explanation, saying something like 197 00:12:15,270 --> 00:12:17,780 Speaker 1: she was staying in a nearby town, but that he 198 00:12:17,820 --> 00:12:20,260 Speaker 1: was trying to get his family and friends prepared to 199 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: accept her as his wife before he brought her back 200 00:12:23,260 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: to Polstead. But then at one point he added a 201 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:30,370 Speaker 1: very weird comment. He told the family that Mariah's sister 202 00:12:30,870 --> 00:12:33,410 Speaker 1: should feel free to wear her clothes as she would 203 00:12:33,429 --> 00:12:37,970 Speaker 1: not want them anymore. This went on for several months. Then, 204 00:12:38,170 --> 00:12:41,369 Speaker 1: in August, Corder said he was ill and needed to 205 00:12:41,410 --> 00:12:44,730 Speaker 1: go abroad for his health, but before he left, he 206 00:12:44,790 --> 00:12:48,449 Speaker 1: had the well in the barn filled in. The Martin 207 00:12:48,490 --> 00:12:52,340 Speaker 1: family and William's mother started to receive letters from William 208 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: saying that he and Mariah were on the Isle of 209 00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:58,500 Speaker 1: Wight together, but none of the letters had a postmark 210 00:12:58,660 --> 00:13:01,819 Speaker 1: from the Isle of Wight. They were all postmarked from London. 211 00:13:02,710 --> 00:13:08,069 Speaker 1: This weird situation stretched on for almost a year. Naturally, 212 00:13:08,130 --> 00:13:11,979 Speaker 1: the family and other Polstead residents started wondering and worrying 213 00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: about Mariah. And then Mariah's stepmother, Ann, reported that she 214 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: had been having dreams that Mariah had been murdered and 215 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:24,550 Speaker 1: was buried in the red barn. After several nights of 216 00:13:24,690 --> 00:13:27,770 Speaker 1: Ann having this dream, Mariah's father got a neighbor friend, 217 00:13:28,250 --> 00:13:31,510 Speaker 1: got permission from Mrs. Cook, who leased that barn property 218 00:13:31,550 --> 00:13:35,770 Speaker 1: to the quarters, and then went to investigate. Using the 219 00:13:35,830 --> 00:13:38,590 Speaker 1: mole spade that he typically employed for his work, and 220 00:13:38,610 --> 00:13:41,770 Speaker 1: with the neighbor using a rake, the two men began 221 00:13:41,809 --> 00:13:44,140 Speaker 1: to turn the dirt of the barn floor and made 222 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,679 Speaker 1: the horrible discovery that they feared. Mr. Martin unearthed his 223 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 1: daughter's shawl just 18 inches under the ground, and the 224 00:13:52,260 --> 00:13:56,190 Speaker 1: neighbor found part of Anne's body. The two men immediately 225 00:13:56,250 --> 00:13:59,510 Speaker 1: left the barn, and soon a larger, organized effort to 226 00:13:59,570 --> 00:14:02,900 Speaker 1: exhume the body began. In the course of digging up 227 00:14:02,940 --> 00:14:07,410 Speaker 1: the barn, Mariah's outer coat, bonnet, and shoes were also discovered. 228 00:14:08,210 --> 00:14:11,709 Speaker 1: Mariah's body, which according to some accounts had been stuffed 229 00:14:11,750 --> 00:14:15,630 Speaker 1: into a sack, was of course already badly decomposed, so 230 00:14:15,670 --> 00:14:17,689 Speaker 1: there was no way to try to examine any of 231 00:14:17,730 --> 00:14:23,220 Speaker 1: the soft tissue for evidence of violence. But the coroner, W. Wayman, 232 00:14:23,340 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: conducted an examination and found that her skull did have 233 00:14:26,540 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: several holes in it and appeared to have been shot. 234 00:14:30,130 --> 00:14:33,010 Speaker 1: At this point, William became the number one suspect, but 235 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,700 Speaker 1: nobody knew where he was. After the body had been 236 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: thoroughly examined for other evidence, Mariah was given a proper 237 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: burial in the church cemetery with many of the villagers 238 00:14:43,300 --> 00:14:47,690 Speaker 1: in attendance. William was eventually tracked down. It was kind 239 00:14:47,730 --> 00:14:51,490 Speaker 1: of a long, arduous investigative journey, but it happened. He 240 00:14:51,530 --> 00:14:54,450 Speaker 1: was living in Ealing Lane in London. I think technically 241 00:14:54,470 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: it was just outside of London at the time. Here 242 00:14:57,090 --> 00:14:59,530 Speaker 1: is one of the descriptions of William that appeared in 243 00:14:59,570 --> 00:15:02,910 Speaker 1: the papers after he was apprehended. And get ready because 244 00:15:02,930 --> 00:15:07,370 Speaker 1: there's some new and surprising information just casually dropped in here. Quote, 245 00:15:07,930 --> 00:15:11,130 Speaker 1: he was yesterday brought up for a short examination prior 246 00:15:11,190 --> 00:15:14,790 Speaker 1: to his transmission to Suffolk. His age, he stated to 247 00:15:14,810 --> 00:15:18,700 Speaker 1: be 24. His complexion is florid, but during the time 248 00:15:18,750 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: he was at the bar, it varied considerably. His dress 249 00:15:22,420 --> 00:15:27,210 Speaker 1: was fashionable, and when taken into custody... He, in conjunction 250 00:15:27,270 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: with his wife, kept a boarding school for ladies at 251 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 1: the Grove House, Ealing Lane, Middlesex. It was because of 252 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:38,020 Speaker 1: this boarding school that investigators were able to get to Corder. 253 00:15:38,420 --> 00:15:42,180 Speaker 1: The lead investigator, named Lee, posed as a man whose 254 00:15:42,220 --> 00:15:46,250 Speaker 1: daughter was interested in enrolling. When the investigator was admitted 255 00:15:46,290 --> 00:15:48,930 Speaker 1: to the home, Corder was, quote, in the parlor with 256 00:15:49,070 --> 00:15:52,250 Speaker 1: four ladies at breakfast. He was in his dressing gown 257 00:15:52,820 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: and had a watch before him by which he was 258 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: minuting the boiling of some eggs. Lee called him to 259 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: one side and told him that he was a London 260 00:16:00,900 --> 00:16:03,670 Speaker 1: police officer and had to apprehend him on a most 261 00:16:03,830 --> 00:16:08,070 Speaker 1: serious charge. He seemed somewhat alarmed, and at his request, 262 00:16:08,130 --> 00:16:11,220 Speaker 1: they retired to the drawing room. But on his being 263 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,420 Speaker 1: made acquainted with the nature of the offense, he denied 264 00:16:14,500 --> 00:16:19,370 Speaker 1: all knowledge of it and also of his unfortunate victim. So, 265 00:16:20,090 --> 00:16:24,130 Speaker 1: in addition to Surprise being married, Corder denied ever having 266 00:16:24,170 --> 00:16:28,130 Speaker 1: known Mariah, at which point Lee detained him and searched 267 00:16:28,170 --> 00:16:32,140 Speaker 1: the house. he found a plethora of damning items, including 268 00:16:32,210 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: letters from someone named Gardner, one of which warned Corder 269 00:16:36,180 --> 00:16:38,890 Speaker 1: that Mariah's body had been found and told him to 270 00:16:38,930 --> 00:16:43,170 Speaker 1: be careful. This is actually interesting because Gardner is a 271 00:16:43,250 --> 00:16:45,590 Speaker 1: person that he was friends with back in Polstead and 272 00:16:45,610 --> 00:16:48,950 Speaker 1: was one of the people who gave authorities information that 273 00:16:49,030 --> 00:16:52,410 Speaker 1: led them to the house on Ealing Street. But Lee 274 00:16:52,470 --> 00:16:56,630 Speaker 1: also found pocket pistols, a powder flask, and ball ammunition. 275 00:16:57,330 --> 00:17:00,590 Speaker 1: There was also a new passport and documents that indicated 276 00:17:00,630 --> 00:17:04,510 Speaker 1: that Corder had at least considered fleeing to continental Europe. 277 00:17:05,310 --> 00:17:08,950 Speaker 1: When Corder's wife was questioned, it was revealed that she 278 00:17:08,990 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: met him through a matrimonial ad that had been placed 279 00:17:12,230 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: in a Fleet Street pastry cook's shop and that he 280 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:17,640 Speaker 1: had only known the woman for a little more than 281 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: two months before he married her. They had been married 282 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:26,410 Speaker 1: in November of 1827, so roughly six months after the murder. Initially, 283 00:17:26,850 --> 00:17:29,270 Speaker 1: no one told his wife what he was being charged with, 284 00:17:29,490 --> 00:17:33,010 Speaker 1: and she thought that it was bigamy. William had, it 285 00:17:33,070 --> 00:17:36,030 Speaker 1: turned out, corresponded with quite a number of women who 286 00:17:36,170 --> 00:17:40,209 Speaker 1: answered his ad for a wife, which read in part, quote,' Matrimony, 287 00:17:40,230 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: a private gentleman, age 24, entirely independent, whose disposition is 288 00:17:45,859 --> 00:17:48,700 Speaker 1: not to be exceeded, has lately lost the chief of 289 00:17:48,740 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: his family by the hand of Providence, which has occasioned 290 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:56,700 Speaker 1: discord among the remainder.' under circumstances most disagreeable to relate. 291 00:17:57,540 --> 00:18:01,140 Speaker 1: To any female of respectability who would study for domestic 292 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,820 Speaker 1: comfort and willing to confide her future happiness in one 293 00:18:05,420 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: every way qualified to render the marriage state desirable, as 294 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,980 Speaker 1: the advertiser is in affluence, the lady must have the 295 00:18:13,020 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: power of some property which may remain in her own possession. 296 00:18:17,340 --> 00:18:20,900 Speaker 1: Many very happy marriages have taken place through means similar 297 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,610 Speaker 1: to this now resorted to, And it is hoped no 298 00:18:24,730 --> 00:18:28,510 Speaker 1: one will answer this through impertinent curiosity. But should this 299 00:18:28,570 --> 00:18:31,949 Speaker 1: meet the eye of any agreeable lady who feels desirous 300 00:18:32,030 --> 00:18:36,350 Speaker 1: of meeting with a sociable, tender, kind, and sympathizing companion, 301 00:18:36,770 --> 00:18:40,689 Speaker 1: they will find this advertisement worthy of notice. Honor and 302 00:18:40,790 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 1: secrecy may be relied on. The replies that Corder wrote 303 00:18:45,940 --> 00:18:48,500 Speaker 1: to the women who responded to the ad were being written. 304 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:51,900 Speaker 1: At the same time, he was sending letters to Mariah's 305 00:18:51,940 --> 00:18:56,530 Speaker 1: father about how happy she and William were together. Incidentally, 306 00:18:56,570 --> 00:18:59,730 Speaker 1: this whole matrimonial ad twist is why we have not 307 00:18:59,790 --> 00:19:03,270 Speaker 1: been reading out the title of the 1828 account we 308 00:19:03,330 --> 00:19:07,090 Speaker 1: have read some excerpts from because it kind of gives 309 00:19:07,150 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 1: away this whole marriage advertisement component that we only just 310 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:14,470 Speaker 1: got to. We love a long, weird title, and this 311 00:19:14,630 --> 00:19:17,190 Speaker 1: one has all of it. The book was written by 312 00:19:17,310 --> 00:19:21,590 Speaker 1: journalist Jay Curtis, and it was titled An Authentic and 313 00:19:21,650 --> 00:19:25,640 Speaker 1: Faithful History of the Mysterious Murder of Mariah Martin with 314 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:30,360 Speaker 1: a Full Development of All the Extraordinary Circumstances Which Led... 315 00:19:30,650 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: to the discovery of her body, into which is added 316 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:37,439 Speaker 1: the trial of William Corder, taken at large in shorthand 317 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:43,220 Speaker 1: specially for this work, with an account of his execution, dissection, etc., 318 00:19:43,270 --> 00:19:47,210 Speaker 1: and many interesting particulars relative to the village of Polstead 319 00:19:47,270 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: and its vicinity, the prison correspondence of Corder, and 53 320 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:58,340 Speaker 1: letters in answer to his advertisement for a wife. This 321 00:19:58,420 --> 00:20:03,380 Speaker 1: book will make an appearance later in a surprisingly grisly way. 322 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 1: Every time we read a title that long, I think 323 00:20:06,770 --> 00:20:10,490 Speaker 1: about My days working as an assistant to a catalog 324 00:20:10,510 --> 00:20:12,770 Speaker 1: librarian and just having to type all of that into 325 00:20:12,810 --> 00:20:15,050 Speaker 1: a mark record, it makes me laugh and laugh and laugh. 326 00:20:15,950 --> 00:20:18,570 Speaker 1: We are going to get into William Corder's trial after 327 00:20:18,630 --> 00:20:20,610 Speaker 1: we hear from the sponsors that keep Stuff You Missed 328 00:20:20,650 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: in History class going. Once William was in custody and 329 00:20:33,340 --> 00:20:37,730 Speaker 1: this case was public knowledge, all kinds of speculation and 330 00:20:37,790 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: rumors started flying. One particular theory about William began to 331 00:20:42,660 --> 00:20:46,260 Speaker 1: circulate that is super unsettling, and that is that people 332 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,100 Speaker 1: suspected foul play in the death of the baby he 333 00:20:49,140 --> 00:20:52,780 Speaker 1: had fathered with Mariah. But the people in her family 334 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: who saw her and the infant day-to-day in the time 335 00:20:55,619 --> 00:20:58,770 Speaker 1: between the child's birth and death felt that the baby's 336 00:20:58,830 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 1: decline was natural. investigators began to ask a lot of 337 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: questions to determine if the baby had been buried at 338 00:21:06,300 --> 00:21:10,100 Speaker 1: Sudbury and there was no evidence that it had. The 339 00:21:10,140 --> 00:21:12,850 Speaker 1: whereabouts of the burial or if there had been one 340 00:21:12,890 --> 00:21:16,709 Speaker 1: were never conclusively determined, but the fact that Mariah had 341 00:21:16,810 --> 00:21:19,330 Speaker 1: been with William when he took the child away for 342 00:21:19,350 --> 00:21:24,330 Speaker 1: burial seemed to mitigate concern over foul play, particularly when 343 00:21:24,369 --> 00:21:28,590 Speaker 1: there was the larger murder investigation and trial happening. Corder 344 00:21:28,630 --> 00:21:32,550 Speaker 1: was transported to Suffolk for trial. The proceedings took place 345 00:21:32,609 --> 00:21:35,650 Speaker 1: at Shire Hall in Bury St. Edmunds, and there was 346 00:21:35,810 --> 00:21:39,110 Speaker 1: concern from the outset about the crowds that were pouring 347 00:21:39,310 --> 00:21:41,350 Speaker 1: into the town to see how things would play out. 348 00:21:42,090 --> 00:21:45,410 Speaker 1: So much so that all places with rooms for rent 349 00:21:45,490 --> 00:21:48,820 Speaker 1: filled up. According to the J. Curtis account, quote, in 350 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: consequence of this anticipation, the chief baron Alexander gave preemptory 351 00:21:53,980 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 1: orders that no person should be admitted into any part 352 00:21:57,510 --> 00:22:01,570 Speaker 1: of the court. The officers accepted until he had taken 353 00:22:01,670 --> 00:22:05,030 Speaker 1: his seat on the bench. And this mandate was accompanied 354 00:22:05,130 --> 00:22:08,729 Speaker 1: by a threat that if he found it disobeyed, he 355 00:22:08,770 --> 00:22:13,649 Speaker 1: would fine or commit the undersheriff and jailer for neglect. 356 00:22:14,670 --> 00:22:17,550 Speaker 1: and it was through acting in strict conformity to this 357 00:22:17,710 --> 00:22:21,910 Speaker 1: order that great confusion prevailed among the dense crowd which 358 00:22:21,950 --> 00:22:25,369 Speaker 1: had collected about the entrance, and the consequence was that 359 00:22:25,430 --> 00:22:29,810 Speaker 1: by his own fiat, the lordship was excluded himself from 360 00:22:29,850 --> 00:22:33,770 Speaker 1: making his entree for nearly 20 minutes. As early as 361 00:22:33,830 --> 00:22:36,350 Speaker 1: six o'clock in the morning, both the entrances to the 362 00:22:36,390 --> 00:22:40,409 Speaker 1: court were literally besieged by persons of every grade and society, 363 00:22:40,910 --> 00:22:44,179 Speaker 1: from the baronet's heir to the Suffolk peasant, but the 364 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,130 Speaker 1: order which the judge had issued on the previous night 365 00:22:47,190 --> 00:22:52,310 Speaker 1: was strictly enforced. When the trial finally started on August 7th, 366 00:22:52,410 --> 00:22:56,530 Speaker 1: Corder entered a plea of not guilty, my lord. Corder 367 00:22:56,570 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: was charged with 10 different counts of murder. This is 368 00:23:00,630 --> 00:23:03,820 Speaker 1: an interesting and kind of unusual situation, which really couldn't 369 00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: be done today, I don't think. Each different count was 370 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,540 Speaker 1: based on a different way that he might have carried 371 00:23:10,700 --> 00:23:16,889 Speaker 1: out the murder, including... gunshot, stabbing, strangling, etc. Because of 372 00:23:16,930 --> 00:23:20,190 Speaker 1: the state of decomposition of her body, how exactly she died, 373 00:23:20,260 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: as we said earlier, was uncertain. So these different counts 374 00:23:23,820 --> 00:23:27,120 Speaker 1: were all charged to make sure no matter what evidence 375 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,100 Speaker 1: or testimony might arise in court to implicate William and 376 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,770 Speaker 1: Mariah's death, there would be a charge that it aligned with. 377 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 1: The trial didn't take especially long by today's standards. It 378 00:23:39,530 --> 00:23:42,610 Speaker 1: was two days of testimony, first for the prosecution, which 379 00:23:42,670 --> 00:23:46,790 Speaker 1: involved Mariah's family and included her younger brother, saying he 380 00:23:46,850 --> 00:23:49,770 Speaker 1: had seen William leaving the barn with a pickaxe on 381 00:23:49,810 --> 00:23:54,310 Speaker 1: May 18th, several weeks after the alleged wedding. Prior to 382 00:23:54,310 --> 00:23:58,790 Speaker 1: 1836 in Britain, defense barristers could not address the jury 383 00:23:58,930 --> 00:24:01,689 Speaker 1: on behalf of the defendant, so William Corder had to 384 00:24:01,750 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: tell his own story to the jury directly. And William's 385 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,540 Speaker 1: statement to the jury began by pointing out that he 386 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:12,199 Speaker 1: had been unfairly characterized as a monster in the press 387 00:24:12,619 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: from the moment he was taken into custody. He also 388 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: pointed out that the coroner in the case was also 389 00:24:18,780 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: an attorney for the prosecution, which he felt was problematic 390 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 1: and caused inherent bias. He also stated that he had 391 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 1: not been provided with information regarding any of the evidence 392 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: that would be used against him. He mentioned that his 393 00:24:32,820 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: father and brothers had died right before he began seeing Mariah, 394 00:24:36,660 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: and then he stated, quote, I have heard the indictment 395 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 1: read and the evidence offered to sustain it, and I 396 00:24:42,940 --> 00:24:45,510 Speaker 1: am ready to admit that the facts are such as 397 00:24:45,550 --> 00:24:48,609 Speaker 1: would naturally excite in the minds of every man the 398 00:24:48,670 --> 00:24:52,910 Speaker 1: strongest suspicion of my guilt. But those facts are capable 399 00:24:52,950 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 1: of explanation, and conscious as I am of my entire innocence... 400 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: Then he got to the meat of his defense, which 401 00:24:59,380 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: was that he claimed Mariah had been depressed. That was 402 00:25:02,300 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 1: actually something that was supported by the statements of her 403 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: family during the prosecution's presentation of the case. He said 404 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:25,620 Speaker 1: that on the night they went to the Red Barn, 405 00:25:25,859 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 1: they had gotten into an argument, during which he told her, quote, 406 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: that I had then seen sufficient to convince me we 407 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,580 Speaker 1: should never live happily together, and I was therefore resolved 408 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:40,679 Speaker 1: before it was too late not to marry her, informing 409 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,580 Speaker 1: her that I should return home and that she might 410 00:25:43,820 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: act as she thought proper, respecting her future conduct. In 411 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:51,260 Speaker 1: consequence of this determination, I turned from her, and had 412 00:25:51,340 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 1: scarcely proceeded to the outer gate of the barnyard when 413 00:25:54,530 --> 00:25:56,810 Speaker 1: I heard a loud report like that of a gun 414 00:25:56,910 --> 00:26:01,129 Speaker 1: or pistol. Alarmed at this noise, I immediately ran back, 415 00:26:01,410 --> 00:26:03,970 Speaker 1: and to my horror, I found the unhappy girl on 416 00:26:03,990 --> 00:26:08,489 Speaker 1: the ground apparently dead. So Corder claimed that Mariah had 417 00:26:08,550 --> 00:26:11,770 Speaker 1: shot herself with one of his pistols, and that he 418 00:26:11,850 --> 00:26:16,419 Speaker 1: knew he would be suspected, thus his subsequent cover-up. The 419 00:26:16,460 --> 00:26:21,719 Speaker 1: jury retired at 1.50.50 p.m. on August 10th to deliberate. 420 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,590 Speaker 1: At 2.25, so just 35 minutes later, they announced they 421 00:26:26,609 --> 00:26:30,690 Speaker 1: were ready to return to the courtroom. That defense speech, 422 00:26:31,550 --> 00:26:34,470 Speaker 1: indicating that Mariah had ended her own life, did not 423 00:26:34,550 --> 00:26:38,010 Speaker 1: help Corder. He was found guilty of murder and sentenced 424 00:26:38,090 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: to death. That night, which was the night before his execution, 425 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,899 Speaker 1: Corder gave another version of the events at the Red Barn, 426 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:50,100 Speaker 1: confessing to the murder. He stated, quote, I acknowledge being 427 00:26:50,180 --> 00:26:53,020 Speaker 1: guilty of the death of poor Mariah Martin by shooting 428 00:26:53,060 --> 00:26:56,990 Speaker 1: her with the pistol. The particulars are as follows. When 429 00:26:57,050 --> 00:26:59,790 Speaker 1: we left her father's house, we began quarreling about the 430 00:26:59,830 --> 00:27:03,530 Speaker 1: burial of the child. She apprehending that the place wherein 431 00:27:03,609 --> 00:27:07,690 Speaker 1: it was deposited would be found out. The quarrel continued 432 00:27:07,790 --> 00:27:10,869 Speaker 1: for about three quarters of an hour. Upon this and 433 00:27:10,910 --> 00:27:15,189 Speaker 1: other subjects, a scuffle ensued, and during the scuffle, and 434 00:27:15,230 --> 00:27:17,330 Speaker 1: at the time I think she had hold of me, 435 00:27:17,990 --> 00:27:20,290 Speaker 1: I took the pistol from the side pocket of my 436 00:27:20,350 --> 00:27:25,020 Speaker 1: velveteen jacket and fired. She fell and died in an instant. 437 00:27:25,460 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: I never saw even a struggle. I was overwhelmed with 438 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:34,199 Speaker 1: agitation and dismay. The confession goes on to describe the 439 00:27:34,300 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: panicked burial, and William also stated that he did not 440 00:27:37,780 --> 00:27:41,440 Speaker 1: in any way mutilate or further harm Mariah's body. Quote, 441 00:27:41,580 --> 00:27:44,700 Speaker 1: I declare to Almighty God I had no sharp instrument 442 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,750 Speaker 1: about me and that no other wound but the one 443 00:27:47,810 --> 00:27:50,989 Speaker 1: made by the pistol was inflicted by me. I have 444 00:27:51,030 --> 00:27:53,750 Speaker 1: been guilty of great idleness and at times led a 445 00:27:53,810 --> 00:27:57,550 Speaker 1: dissolute life, but I hope through the mercy of God 446 00:27:57,609 --> 00:28:00,730 Speaker 1: to be forgiven. Heads up, things are going to get 447 00:28:00,770 --> 00:28:04,170 Speaker 1: a little bit gory today. If you're squeamish, maybe jump 448 00:28:04,210 --> 00:28:07,250 Speaker 1: ahead a minute, minute and a half. Corder was hanged 449 00:28:07,310 --> 00:28:09,810 Speaker 1: outside the prison at noon the day after the verdict 450 00:28:09,850 --> 00:28:14,169 Speaker 1: was delivered. More than 7,000 people are estimated to have 451 00:28:14,230 --> 00:28:17,810 Speaker 1: watched his execution, with some accounts placing that number closer 452 00:28:18,050 --> 00:28:21,980 Speaker 1: to 10,000. The body stayed on the gallows for an hour, 453 00:28:22,220 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 1: after which it was taken down and brought inside where 454 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:27,899 Speaker 1: a surgeon named George Creed made an incision from the 455 00:28:27,980 --> 00:28:31,340 Speaker 1: chest down to the abdomen and then, according to the account, 456 00:28:31,820 --> 00:28:35,660 Speaker 1: written by journalist Curtis, quote, folded back the skin so 457 00:28:35,740 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: as to display the muscles of the chest to public view. 458 00:28:40,700 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: The hall where this was displayed was once again rushed 459 00:28:43,180 --> 00:28:46,980 Speaker 1: by spectators eager to see this grisly display. An estimated 460 00:28:46,980 --> 00:28:51,590 Speaker 1: 5,000 people filed through the room to see Corder's opened body. 461 00:28:52,610 --> 00:28:55,990 Speaker 1: At 6 p.m., all remaining members of the public were 462 00:28:56,090 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 1: ushered out and the hall was closed. so that William 463 00:28:59,260 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: Corder's face and head could be cast in plaster. Corder 464 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,620 Speaker 1: was dissected the next day at the county hospital by Dr. 465 00:29:06,700 --> 00:29:09,300 Speaker 1: Creed in a procedure that was open to medical students 466 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:12,370 Speaker 1: and physicians, but it sounds as though some members of 467 00:29:12,410 --> 00:29:16,390 Speaker 1: the general public also made their way in. Corder's skeleton 468 00:29:16,430 --> 00:29:19,210 Speaker 1: was displayed at a hospital for years and then in 469 00:29:19,250 --> 00:29:22,090 Speaker 1: the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons before being 470 00:29:22,210 --> 00:29:26,390 Speaker 1: cremated in the early 2000s due to degradation. If you 471 00:29:26,450 --> 00:29:29,020 Speaker 1: listen to our recent behind the scenes, I mentioned that 472 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:32,300 Speaker 1: phrenology was going to jump up. There was also a 473 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,110 Speaker 1: little moment in all of this where they did some 474 00:29:35,140 --> 00:29:40,580 Speaker 1: phrenology at this examination and dissection, which is... just silly. 475 00:29:41,380 --> 00:29:45,900 Speaker 1: There is also a weird, gruesome, and recent coda to 476 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:50,170 Speaker 1: the story of William Corder. So in 1899, the Moises 477 00:29:50,210 --> 00:29:53,610 Speaker 1: Hall Museum opened in Suffolk in the 12th century building 478 00:29:53,630 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: of the same name and it had acquired a number 479 00:29:56,180 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: of artifacts related to the Red Barn murder over the years, 480 00:29:59,380 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: including one of the death masks made from the plaster 481 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:07,020 Speaker 1: cast taken of Corder's face, and even, grisly also, one 482 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:12,620 Speaker 1: of Corder's ears. The museum has a dedicated William Corder display. 483 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:17,950 Speaker 1: Several decades ago, a number of Dr. George Creed's personal 484 00:30:18,130 --> 00:30:21,310 Speaker 1: items were donated to the museum, And in the spring 485 00:30:21,330 --> 00:30:25,930 Speaker 1: of 2025, museum curators realized that the books had been 486 00:30:26,130 --> 00:30:29,770 Speaker 1: overlooked and just stored on an office shelf. When the 487 00:30:29,790 --> 00:30:34,290 Speaker 1: books were examined, a surprising detail emerged. George Creed had 488 00:30:34,330 --> 00:30:36,890 Speaker 1: written a note inside one of the books, which is 489 00:30:36,910 --> 00:30:39,390 Speaker 1: a copy of Jake Curtis's account of the trial that 490 00:30:39,430 --> 00:30:43,210 Speaker 1: we've quoted from. And the note from Creed indicates that 491 00:30:43,250 --> 00:30:47,170 Speaker 1: the cover of that book is made from William Corder's skin, 492 00:30:47,270 --> 00:30:50,620 Speaker 1: which the doctor says he tanned himself. and that he 493 00:30:50,660 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 1: made the cover. There is a second book also about 494 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 1: the case, which is also bound in William's skin. So 495 00:30:58,180 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 1: it's almost Halloween, and that would seem like a good 496 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:02,150 Speaker 1: place to end it, but in case that feels a 497 00:31:02,170 --> 00:31:05,130 Speaker 1: bit too grim, because it is grisly, we have some 498 00:31:05,170 --> 00:31:09,750 Speaker 1: tabloid-grade rumors about the case to share. If you watch Bravo, 499 00:31:09,790 --> 00:31:11,570 Speaker 1: this is right in line with all of those shows. 500 00:31:12,050 --> 00:31:15,020 Speaker 1: Over the years, there have been some really dramatic theories 501 00:31:15,500 --> 00:31:20,730 Speaker 1: that have arisen about this case, and specifically... about Mariah's stepmother, Anne, 502 00:31:20,830 --> 00:31:24,690 Speaker 1: and this fascinates me. There was a rumor which appeared 503 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: in the papers at the time this was all playing 504 00:31:27,100 --> 00:31:31,180 Speaker 1: out that Mariah had known that William had murdered their 505 00:31:31,220 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: baby and she had threatened to expose him for that 506 00:31:34,340 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: if he didn't marry her. But a variation of this 507 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:41,820 Speaker 1: rumor indicated that Anne, her stepmother, had also known about 508 00:31:41,860 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 1: their lie about burying the baby at Sudbury, but had 509 00:31:44,860 --> 00:31:48,230 Speaker 1: kept that secret. And this actually came up during the 510 00:31:48,310 --> 00:31:51,140 Speaker 1: trial as well, but the jury and everyone else agreed 511 00:31:51,180 --> 00:31:54,060 Speaker 1: that Anne seemed mortified by the details of the case 512 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,500 Speaker 1: when she was giving testimony, so she probably did not 513 00:31:57,540 --> 00:32:01,940 Speaker 1: know anything about this. Another popular theory that has circulated 514 00:32:02,020 --> 00:32:06,350 Speaker 1: over the years regarding Mariah's stepmother is scandalous, because some 515 00:32:06,390 --> 00:32:09,730 Speaker 1: people started to think that she knew where the body 516 00:32:09,790 --> 00:32:13,790 Speaker 1: was because she was involved in the murder as an accessory. 517 00:32:14,810 --> 00:32:17,590 Speaker 1: This theory hinges on the idea that Anne and William 518 00:32:18,010 --> 00:32:21,450 Speaker 1: also had a romantic relationship and that William was getting 519 00:32:21,550 --> 00:32:24,550 Speaker 1: rid of Mariah as part of a larger plot to 520 00:32:24,570 --> 00:32:28,180 Speaker 1: be able to be with Anne. Proponents of this theory 521 00:32:28,300 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 1: have suggested that Anne came up with the dream story 522 00:32:31,980 --> 00:32:35,500 Speaker 1: to implicate William without having to explain in any kind 523 00:32:35,540 --> 00:32:38,950 Speaker 1: of concrete terms why she would know the location of 524 00:32:39,010 --> 00:32:43,070 Speaker 1: the body. Why Ann Martin is implicated in these rumors 525 00:32:43,250 --> 00:32:45,430 Speaker 1: is unclear other than just that people like to make 526 00:32:45,470 --> 00:32:48,350 Speaker 1: things up. You know, is this simply a case of 527 00:32:48,390 --> 00:32:51,870 Speaker 1: people believing sort of a wicked stepmother trope? Is it 528 00:32:51,930 --> 00:32:55,310 Speaker 1: a way to explain away her claims of a paranormal 529 00:32:55,410 --> 00:32:59,490 Speaker 1: clue that somehow she had these, you know, visionary dreams 530 00:32:59,510 --> 00:33:01,810 Speaker 1: of where the body was? Or is it just people 531 00:33:01,950 --> 00:33:04,770 Speaker 1: trying to keep alive the strange story by adding new 532 00:33:04,830 --> 00:33:08,430 Speaker 1: embellishments to it? If any of these allegations about Anne 533 00:33:08,470 --> 00:33:13,390 Speaker 1: were true, any supporting information is certainly long gone and non-verifiable. 534 00:33:13,930 --> 00:33:16,360 Speaker 1: So I'm not sure why she's catching strays on this story, 535 00:33:16,420 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: but she is. But that is the story of the 536 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:25,360 Speaker 1: Red Barn murder, which is fascinating, icky, weird. Humans, why 537 00:33:25,380 --> 00:33:32,910 Speaker 1: are you so messy? Is my question. Yeah. I have 538 00:33:32,950 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 1: listener mail. This is from our listener, Vanessa, who says, Hi, 539 00:33:36,300 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 1: Holly and Tracy. I was so excited to see this 540 00:33:38,860 --> 00:33:42,300 Speaker 1: week's podcast episode about Romo, as he's affectionately called in 541 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 1: our house. That's Robert Moses. I'm listening to it with 542 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:49,410 Speaker 1: my nine-year-old, who also loves history and infrastructure projects. This 543 00:33:49,490 --> 00:33:51,150 Speaker 1: is far better than trying to get him to read 544 00:33:51,190 --> 00:33:54,950 Speaker 1: my signed copy of The Power Broker. His first question 545 00:33:55,290 --> 00:33:57,770 Speaker 1: was where all the people would live once the slums 546 00:33:57,830 --> 00:34:01,640 Speaker 1: were cleared, which is a great question. I concur. Thank 547 00:34:01,660 --> 00:34:03,710 Speaker 1: you for your nuanced approach to the life of someone 548 00:34:03,750 --> 00:34:07,190 Speaker 1: with a large and complex legacy. Still no cats, so 549 00:34:07,230 --> 00:34:11,290 Speaker 1: here is Kiddo testing out his Halloween costume. You guys, 550 00:34:11,330 --> 00:34:14,450 Speaker 1: this is brilliant. He wanted to be a bug zapper. 551 00:34:14,469 --> 00:34:18,780 Speaker 1: So this is a really smart costume where he has 552 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:23,380 Speaker 1: sort of a cool, is that a hexagonal, tent around 553 00:34:23,460 --> 00:34:26,740 Speaker 1: his body that sits on his shoulders. And it lights 554 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 1: up from the inside and you can see bugs stuck 555 00:34:29,060 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 1: in it. And I'm all about this. This is a 556 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:35,379 Speaker 1: brilliant Halloween costume. I love it. I hope he wins 557 00:34:35,420 --> 00:34:37,820 Speaker 1: all the prizes and gets 100 pounds of candy for 558 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:42,069 Speaker 1: this because it's so good. It's so good. Vanessa, thank 559 00:34:42,090 --> 00:34:46,049 Speaker 1: you for sending this to us. I'm seriously, I'm in 560 00:34:46,090 --> 00:34:49,489 Speaker 1: love with this costume. If you would like to write 561 00:34:49,510 --> 00:34:54,259 Speaker 1: to us, share your Halloween costumes, your theories about or 562 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,390 Speaker 1: anything related to the Red Barn murder or anything you 563 00:34:56,410 --> 00:35:01,030 Speaker 1: would like to, you can do that at HistoryPodcast at iHeartRadio.com. 564 00:35:01,390 --> 00:35:03,009 Speaker 1: If you would like to see the show notes from 565 00:35:03,050 --> 00:35:04,930 Speaker 1: this or any other episode, you can find all of 566 00:35:04,969 --> 00:35:09,430 Speaker 1: those at MissedInHistory.com. And if you would like to subscribe 567 00:35:09,450 --> 00:35:14,120 Speaker 1: to the show, super easy, easier than eating Halloween candy, 568 00:35:14,140 --> 00:35:15,880 Speaker 1: which I'm going to do a lot of this season, 569 00:35:15,900 --> 00:35:18,420 Speaker 1: you can do that on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere 570 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:26,460 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows. Stuff You Missed in 571 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:30,210 Speaker 1: History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 572 00:35:30,270 --> 00:35:34,410 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 573 00:35:34,450 --> 00:35:35,850 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.