1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,239 Speaker 1: Just a heads up. This episode contains topics of violence 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: towards children and animals that may be disturbing to some. 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: Please take care while listening. You're listening to American Shadows, 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: from Aaron Mankey. It's a story we grew up with 6 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: in the history classes of our youth, the Revolutionary War 7 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: and the events leading up to it, though some violent 8 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: or heavily political aspects were removed until we were older, 9 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: such is the case with the Boston Tea Party as 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: we've come to know it. The American colonies had just 11 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: started to recover from the French and Indian War, which 12 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: was part of a larger conflict that played out across 13 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: the globe. As countries fought for more territory, war costs 14 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: money and to offset its debt, the British Parliament taxed 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: the colonists. In seventeen sixty five, the Stamp Act taxed 16 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 1: all paper goods, from newspapers to legal documents to playing cards. 17 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: In seventeen sixty seven, Parliament added the town Send Acts, 18 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: which tax consumer goods like paint, glass, lead, and tea, 19 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: among other things. Colonists were displeased that the British taxed 20 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: them on raw materials that they supplied and shipped to England. 21 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: They were less happy that the products were heavily marked 22 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: up and sent back. Anger and resentment grew, especially since 23 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: colonists felt they had little to no representation in the 24 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: Parliament that was claiming to act on their behalf. As 25 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: the resentment grew, so did the violence. In seventeen seventy 26 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: the Boston Massacre sparked further discord. The last straw was 27 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: the Tea Act of seventeen seventy three. The problem had 28 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: started when the British repealed the town Send taxes on 29 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,559 Speaker 1: other products but kept the tax on tea. You see, 30 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: the revenue from one point to million pounds of tea 31 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: was to appealing. Tea loving ownials found a solution, though 32 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: they boycotted the British East India Company and purchased more affordable, 33 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: if smuggled, Dutch tea. This left the British East India 34 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: Company holding millions of pounds of tea. All was not 35 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: lost for the company, though it was large enough and 36 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: had plenty of political connections. In May of seventeen seventy three, 37 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: Parliament passed the Tea Act, the East India Company could 38 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: sell tea duty free, helping to undercut Dutch tea prices. However, 39 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: the lower prices cut into the profit of smugglers like 40 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: Sam Adams and John Hancock. Since it wouldn't come across 41 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: as patriotic to complain about the loss of income from smuggling, 42 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: they instead decried taxation without representation, making tea their rallying point. 43 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: In December of seventeen three, three ships carrying tea from 44 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: the East India Company arrived in Boston Harbor. To their surprise, 45 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: and angry mob met them at the port. Much of 46 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: the crowd had been whipped into a frenzy by clandestine 47 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: political group that called themselves the Sons of Liberty. The 48 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: mob refused to allow the ships to unload, and the 49 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: governor refused to allow the ships to return to England. 50 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: This impast lasted until December six. That night, members of 51 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: the Sons of Liberty, wearing disguises, quietly slipped onto the 52 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: ships and tossed the tea overboard. The men left as 53 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 1: quietly as they boarded, and disappeared into the night. We've 54 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: come to know this event as the Boston Tea Party. 55 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: And though some residents cheered, many reacted with disgusted. George 56 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: Washington berated Bostonians for their conduct. Other prominent patriots, including 57 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: Benjamin Franklin, argued in favor of compensating the East India 58 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: Company for their losses, but ultimately Parliament's punitive reaction to 59 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: the Boston Tea Party was one of the sparks that 60 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: started the Revolutionary War, making it perhaps one of the 61 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: most notable protests in history, and protests have been part 62 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: of American life ever since. The reasons have varied, and 63 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: while we understand the rationale behind some, others have existed 64 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: only in the darkest recesses of an individual's mind. I'm 65 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: Lauren Vogelbaum. Welcome to American Shadows. After the American Revolution, 66 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 1: the French found themselves preoccupied with growing problems back home, 67 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 1: leaving much of the colonized territories in Michigan wide open. Sadly, 68 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: the indigenous peoples living there weren't much of a consideration 69 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: when colonists moved in. After a few battles and skirmishes, 70 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: the settlers took over the prime farming land. Considering New 71 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: England's weather, many found the climate more temperate natural resources 72 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: were also more abundant. It didn't take long before more 73 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: people moved to the area. In eighteen o five, the 74 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 1: Michigan Territory was aided, lowing in more colonists. The population 75 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: increased again after the Erie Canal's completion in eighteen twenty five, 76 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: and by eighteen thirty seven one Silas Rose, along with 77 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: his wife, five children, and all their livestock, relocated from 78 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: New York to Michigan. The family promptly carved out a 79 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: portion of land they called Bath in honor of their 80 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 1: hometown back in New York. In a few years, Bath 81 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: had a few dozen settlers. Most were farmers seeking a 82 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: way to make a living and pass down land from 83 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: generation to generation. In eighteen forty three, Bath became a township, 84 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: and the citizens held their first election on April eighteenth 85 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,160 Speaker 1: of that year. By the mid eighteen hundreds, the town 86 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: had a sawmill, a brick factory, shops, and a post office. 87 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: Rail service soon followed, allowing their goods to be sold 88 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: to other towns. They even had a one room schoolhouse 89 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: where children of all ages learned side by side. Most 90 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: children stayed long enough for a grammar school education. Roughly 91 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: eight years. At the time, most kids who wanted to 92 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: attend high school had to pass an entrance exam. Since 93 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: high schools weren't common in rural areas, children pursuing further 94 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: education often went to stay with a relative who lived 95 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: in town. As Bath grew over the coming decades, neither 96 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: the kids nor the community benefited from these small schoolhouses. 97 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: Across the nation, larger schools provided education for children in 98 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: grades one through twelve. By the nineteen teens, every morning, 99 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: motor buses drove through districts of other cities to pick 100 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: up kids and drop them off at school. Each school 101 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: had teachers for each of the grades and subjects. By 102 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: approximately twelve thousand of these new modern schools had been 103 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 1: built across the country. While some people were happy about 104 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: furthering their children's educations, others took offense. Many stated that 105 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: they had turned out just fine with the old way 106 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: of teaching. Others wanted to know who would pay for 107 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: the new schools of uses and extra teachers. Of course, 108 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: like in all cities across America, money for schools meant 109 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: higher taxes. Bath residents argued bitterly for years as some 110 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: parents wanted more for their children than what they had 111 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: been given. Others thought the cost was too high. Eventually, 112 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: Bath voted to create a new school. To save money, 113 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: they opted to renovate an existing one. The local brick 114 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: factory provided materials. Construction on the school began in the 115 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: fall of and when they finished, residents boasted that the 116 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 1: school was one of the most modern in mid Michigan. 117 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: A sense of pride replaced anger for most residents who 118 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: had been against the school, all except Andrew Keyhoe, who 119 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: had moved to Bath from to Come See. His parents 120 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: had once had high expectations for him. As a child, 121 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: Keyhoe had shown talent with mechanical devices. His aptitude for 122 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: mechanics had helped modernize the family farm back into Come 123 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: See life. Chain deb eighteen, when his mother died and 124 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: his father remarried a woman twenty five years younger. Keyhoe 125 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: didn't care for his father's new wife, and he left 126 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: home for a while before returning. By then he had 127 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: a half sister, Irene, whom he also did not like. 128 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: To show his displeasure, he killed Irene's cat. Then, in 129 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: nineteen eleven, the gas stove mysteriously caught fire while his 130 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: stepmother was making dinner. Keyhoe watched her burn for a 131 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: while before fetching a pail of water. She did not 132 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:36,079 Speaker 1: survive small towns. Being small towns where everyone knows everyone 133 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: else's business, it had been no secret that Keyhoe hated 134 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: his stepmother and half sister, and like most small towns, 135 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: rumors began to swirl that he had rigged to the 136 00:08:47,360 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: stove to catch fire. On May fi, just eight months 137 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: after his stepmother's death, Keyhoe married one Ellen Agnes Price. 138 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: Had met Ellen, known simply as Nellie to family and friends, 139 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: while attending Michigan State College. The couple settled on his 140 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: family farm. Like other residents, Nellie was an avid churchgoer. Keyhoe, however, 141 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: was not oh Once when the town planned to erect 142 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: a new church, Keiho threatened the parish priest with violence 143 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: for requesting a four hundred dollar donation. When his father died, 144 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: Keihoe purchased farm land in Bath from Nellie's aunt. He 145 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: paid half in cash and took a mortgage for the remainder. 146 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: The population in Bath was just over three hundred, so 147 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 1: newcomers were exciting, and many residents recalled Nellie from her 148 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: childhood trips to her aunt and uncle's farm. They were 149 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: none the wiser when it came to Keyhoe's past. Some 150 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: regarded him as a kind gentleman who said hello to 151 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 1: the children and tipped his hat to the ladies. Others 152 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 1: thought he was trick Obsessed with the newest farm technologies 153 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: like gas powered tractors, Keyho didn't dress like most farmers. 154 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: He took to the day wearing a suit, vest and 155 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: shiny dress shoes. Visitors to the farm noted that his 156 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: tools were kept clean and orderly, not even a rake 157 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: out of place, But talk of his quirky ways and 158 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: gentlemanly manners soon stopped as he returned to his old 159 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: ways of being short tempered and suspicious of everyone. He 160 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: shot the neighbor's dog for barking, and when a horse 161 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: he purchased didn't live up to his expectations, he beat 162 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: it to death. And of course, there were the odd 163 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 1: explosions on the property. While dynamite wasn't unheard of on 164 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: farms to break up land, and most considered it useful 165 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: only in the most experienced hands, even so, the couple 166 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: remained popular among the townsfolk. Keyho enjoyed spending time at 167 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: the local farm bureaus, where he showed off his talent 168 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 1: with modern technical marvels. He also joined the school board, 169 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: though the couple had no children themselves. Neighbors considered Keyhoe's 170 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: interest in extension of his commitment to the community. He 171 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: was well educated, so his involvement with education seemed natural. 172 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: No one realized his motives were anything but generous. Keyhoe 173 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: was frugal, to say the least. While he freely spent 174 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: money on himself in the farm's latest technology, Keyhoe felt 175 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: he shouldn't have to pay for anything that didn't benefit 176 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: him directly. Nothing set off his temper like taxes, especially 177 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: taxes for school. In his mind, since he had no children, 178 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: he shouldn't have to pay towards their education. But when 179 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: the board held a vote on November twelfth, of only 180 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: twenty out of seventy six opposed a plan to fund 181 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: the new school's athletic field by raising property taxes. Additional 182 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: taxes were needed to hire teachers and staff. When the 183 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: doors opened in the fall of nWo Keiho watched the 184 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: community rally behind the school with complete contempt. A man 185 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,679 Speaker 1: by the name of Emery Haike, a veteran and one 186 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: of the school's teachers also took on the position of superintendent. 187 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: Hike worked hard to make the bussing system successful and 188 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: focused on earning the school's accreditation. In nineteen twenty five. 189 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: He succeeded, making the bad consolidated school one of the 190 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: best schools in Michigan. Keiho seethed, so when the board 191 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 1: treasurer was up for reelection, Keiho ran against him and won. 192 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 1: He was sworn in a week later. Keiho took on 193 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: additional roles as well, working as a janitor and handyman. 194 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: For the next few years, he fought with the school 195 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 1: board in the town over his property's value, trying to 196 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,560 Speaker 1: reduce it to lower his taxes. Keiho argued that the 197 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: taxes had risen to the point where Pe could no 198 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: longer pay his mortgage. His wife, Sant, who held the 199 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: mortgage on the farm, threatened foreclosure. He shouted at her 200 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: that if he couldn't of their no one would a 201 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 1: word regarding Keyhoe's obstructionist behavior and policies caused him to 202 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 1: lose the election for town clerk in and adding to 203 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: his stress, Nellie had tuberculosis, which was often fatal, especially 204 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: in rural areas like Bath. The townsfolk quietly observed the 205 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,679 Speaker 1: Keyhos temper had reached a fever pitch by the end 206 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 1: of the school year. Neighbor Monty Ellsworth noticed a two 207 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: ft long box full of rifle shells and Keyhoe's truck. 208 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: Though Ellsworth didn't tell anyone the amount of weapons and 209 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: ammunition his neighbor had stockpiled made of nervous If Ellsworth 210 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: had known what else his neighbor had stoppiled, it might 211 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 1: have sent off alarm bells loud enough for the entire town. 212 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 1: Lightning and thunder rumbled across Bath on the morning of 213 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: May eighte The farming town was happy about the much 214 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 1: needed rain. The resulting power outage was another matter. The 215 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: storm took out the school generator, preventing the school bell 216 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: from ringing. The residents carried on as usual everywhere in Bath, 217 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,839 Speaker 1: students prepared for the last day of school. A nine 218 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: year old Robert Hart had spent the morning feeding chickens 219 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: before realizing he was running late. He shouted goodbye to 220 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: his mom as he ran off to school. Third grader 221 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: Arnold Boyerla tried convincing his parents to let him stay 222 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: home and go shopping with them in Lansing. Unfortunately, he 223 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: had missed enough school already and they sent him on 224 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: his way. Twelve year old Lola Hart lamented to her 225 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: mother that she had a test that day that would 226 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 1: surely kill her. In response, her mother assured her everything 227 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: would be fine. To brighten the day, Lola stopped to 228 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: pick lilacs to take with her to class. Seven year 229 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 1: old Ralph Cushman walked to school with his older sister, Josephine. 230 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 1: He talked excitedly about the long summer ahead and all 231 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: the games of baseball he intended to play once at 232 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: the school. Josephine smiled and promised her little brother she 233 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: would seem at lunch, before disappearing into the sea of 234 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: students heading to their classes. Principal Floyd Huggett stood on 235 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 1: the school steps at eight thirty, ringing a bell signifying 236 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 1: that class was about to begin. After the last students 237 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: stepped inside, Huggett walked next door to the church to 238 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: check on the details for the commencement celebrations planned for 239 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: the following night. Keyho drove into the parking lot and 240 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: headed inside. One of the faculty asked him to check 241 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: on the boiler. It frequently gave them trouble, and though 242 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: that asked him several times to take a look, it 243 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: had never been fixed. Many thought it was odd, given 244 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: Keyhoe's ability to fix almost everything. One teacher, Miss gudakanst 245 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: allowed her class to start a little late that day. 246 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: By eight thirty five, over two hundred and fifty students 247 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: were in attendance. A group of senior boys stepped outside 248 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: to celebrate their last stay with an impromptu baseball game, 249 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: and the day had started out bleary but seemed to 250 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: be shaping up nicely, and several minutes after arriving, Keyhoe 251 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: left the school and drove away. The first explosion tore 252 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: apart the north wing of the school at walls collapsed 253 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: onto the children, Floors and ceilings shook, windows burst, and 254 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: brick and plaster shot through the air like missiles. The 255 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: boys playing baseball outside were grown to the ground. Survivors 256 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: and nearby residents scrambled to help. They plowed at the 257 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: debris to find anyone buried underneath. Parents screamed and sobbed 258 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: as they clung to lifeless forms on the lawn. A 259 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: few men passing the Keyhoe farm noticed smoke. They stopped 260 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: to help and found the bar and ablaze. Realizing it 261 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: was too late to save any of the animals, they 262 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: headed to the house, but promptly left and they found 263 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: a stack of dynamite with a timer. They only narrowly 264 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 1: escaped the blast threw them against their cars. A neighbors 265 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 1: stood stunned as Keyho jumped into his truck and yelled 266 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: at them to get to the school before speeding away. 267 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 1: The fire marshal and other first responders at the school 268 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:14,199 Speaker 1: noticed the smell of explosives. Rescue efforts were underway to 269 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: get the wounded to the nearby hospital. Adults took uninjured 270 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 1: children to a nearby home to prevent them from seeing 271 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: so much death and destruction. Ke Ho roared into the 272 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: parking lot and stopped next to Superintendent Hike's car. He 273 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: jumped out, rifle in hand. Hike walked over to him, 274 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: either mistaking his intentions to help or possibly to stop Keyhoe. 275 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: Once he saw the rifle, Keiho turned and fired into 276 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 1: his own truck, where had stashed a considerable amount of 277 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: dynamite and boxes of nuts, bolts and nails. The shot 278 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:51,120 Speaker 1: ignited the dynamite and a ball of gas and flames 279 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: incinerated the men. The nails and other loose items became 280 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 1: lethal shrapnel, hitting bystanders. One of the children who had 281 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: survived the initial old blast died after sharpnel lodged into 282 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 1: his spine. Josephine Cushman stood in the parking lot, confused 283 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: in shock. People ran, screamed, or were lying on the ground. 284 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: She caught a glimpse of her parents and ran to them. 285 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: Sobbing blood streamed from her leg. Until then, she had 286 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: no idea she had been hit by shrapnel. Her parents 287 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: asked where her brother was. Josephine shook her head. She 288 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 1: had no idea. Rescuers found him still sitting at his 289 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: desk next to Ralph sat, another classmate. Neither boy had 290 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: had time to escape. They were among the forty five 291 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,680 Speaker 1: killed in the mask Here fifty eight others were injured. 292 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,440 Speaker 1: The rescue efforts and clean up went on late into 293 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: the night. Nothing like this had occurred at a school before. 294 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: But for the residence of Bath, one thing was clear. 295 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 1: The explosion hadn't been a case of a faulty boiler. 296 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: One man angry over taxes had meticulously planned the most 297 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: heinous act. They could imagine there were other victims not 298 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 1: at the school. Investigators found Nellie's charred body in a 299 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: cart at the back of the farm. Keyhoe had also 300 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,159 Speaker 1: hobbled all the horses in the barn to prevent them 301 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: from escaping on a fence. He had left a hand 302 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 1: painted sign Criminals are made, not born. While the town 303 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 1: didn't have all the answers as to why key Hoo 304 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 1: had decided on such depth and destruction, they knew this much. 305 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: He blamed everyone else for his actions. It was a 306 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: miracle more hadn't died. Investigators found the keyho had been 307 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 1: rigging the entire building for months. A short circuit and 308 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: one of the wires had prevented another five hundred pounds 309 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: of dynamite in the south wing from exploding. In the aftermath, 310 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: doctor nurses and help from neighboring towns poured in. Businesses 311 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: sent food and provisions. The American Red Cross arrived to 312 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,959 Speaker 1: assist and took in donations, And then there were onlookers. 313 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: The neighbor Monte Ellsworth, owned a gas station just outside 314 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: of town. He told reporters that a double row of 315 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: cars passed through Bath nearly fifty thousand vehicles drove down 316 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:25,360 Speaker 1: the stretch of road through the town to pay their 317 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 1: respects or bear witness. The traffic was so thick that 318 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,160 Speaker 1: it took four hours to drive three miles, yet Ellsworth 319 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 1: never heard a single car horn. He noted that the 320 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: cars resembled one long funeral procession of sympathy. Money came 321 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:46,400 Speaker 1: in from across the country. Lancing architect donated new plans 322 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: for rebuilding the school. Michigan Senator James Cousins donated dollars. 323 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: The town rebuilt slowly. A year later, the school was 324 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: finished a new and classes returned from local storerooms to 325 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: the schoolhouse. Newspapers wrote the Keyhoe had been a deranged 326 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 1: and demented madman. No matter how anyone tried, they could 327 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: not understand such an act. Killing children and staff over 328 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 1: taxes made sense to no one. One thing was certain, though, 329 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 1: Andrew Keyhoe unwittingly united a country in the name of 330 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 1: those he sought so bitterly to destroy. There's more to 331 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: this story. Stick around after this brief sponsor break to 332 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:43,440 Speaker 1: hear all about it. It was May of ninety three, 333 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 1: and the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Alabama had stalled. 334 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 1: Dr Martin Luther King Jr. And others worried about the 335 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 1: lack of supporters. King had traveled to Birmingham to rally 336 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 1: support and stand toe to toe against die hard segregationists. 337 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: Protest sit ins and boycotts were met with increasing violence, 338 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: all for the crime of taking part in exposing the 339 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: cruelty and unjust nature of the Jim Crow mentality. King 340 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 1: and other activists knew they needed a new strategy. One 341 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 1: of them, James Bevel, made a controversial suggestion utilize America's 342 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:24,119 Speaker 1: younger generations. The suggestion was met with a lot of pushback. 343 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: King and the others had seen the violence against the 344 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: adult protesters, but the idea spread throughout Birmingham's communities. Young 345 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 1: adults and teenagers had seen the violence softened firsthand against 346 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: their own parents. Their parents were only trying to ensure 347 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: that they have a better, more equitable future, and needed help. 348 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:47,439 Speaker 1: Older teenagers had already participated in the protests, often marching 349 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:51,120 Speaker 1: with their parents, but younger children had always stayed home. 350 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 1: King warned the parents that the police would arrest kids 351 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,400 Speaker 1: and that jail wasn't a place for them, But children 352 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:02,159 Speaker 1: throughout the city were determined to make a difference. The 353 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:06,360 Speaker 1: idea angered some community leaders. They asked how anyone could 354 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:11,959 Speaker 1: suggest pitting young kids against bull Connor, Birmingham's public safety commissioner, 355 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:17,640 Speaker 1: known for his cruel methods of injuring black protesters. Still, children, 356 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: parents and other community leaders pushed the grassroots movement forward. 357 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 1: They attended meetings and told the kids what to expect. 358 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: Each child was taught to act non violently. The group 359 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 1: began to refer to the day they would first protest, 360 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:37,200 Speaker 1: May second of nineteen sixty three as D Day. When 361 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: the day arrived, thousands of children gathered at the sixteenth 362 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:44,160 Speaker 1: Street Baptist Church. After a quick briefing, they left, some 363 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: carrying signs to march throughout the city. Children ranging from 364 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 1: just seven years old to eighteen marched peacefully, making their 365 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,360 Speaker 1: way to the Mayor's office, where they hoped to talk 366 00:23:55,359 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 1: about segregation. Some sang freedom songs and some marched quietly. 367 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: All had skipped school. When they reached their destination, they 368 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 1: did not receive a warm greeting. They expected to be 369 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 1: spat on, pushed, and called names no matter what happened. 370 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 1: They had been instructed to not fight back. But no 371 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: matter what they had been told, no one expected what 372 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: would happen next The police were already there waiting to 373 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 1: arrest them. They were grabbed off the street, kicked and pushed, 374 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: tossed into wagons and school buses that took them to jail. 375 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:35,640 Speaker 1: The children persisted protesting for days. That's when law enforcement 376 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 1: turned water hoses on them. Hitting them was forced strong 377 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 1: enough to knock them off their feet and send them 378 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:45,439 Speaker 1: sprawling to the hard pavement. The police unleashed canine units 379 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: to attack the children. Officers beat protesters for clubs. Bull 380 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:54,119 Speaker 1: Connor reportedly laughed when he saw black children running in fear, 381 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,159 Speaker 1: but the sight of children being brutally attacked moved adult 382 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 1: witnesses to respond with violent of their own against the police. 383 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: They threw rocks, bottles, and bricks. Reporters converged on the scene. 384 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: Those with video cameras were hosed down and arrested. As 385 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: the days went on, the brutality spurred outrage across the nation. 386 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 1: Over two thousand children were arrested. When the jails and 387 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: attention centers overflowed, Connor created a makeshift jail at the 388 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: fair grounds. The children kept coming and kept protesting. Without 389 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,439 Speaker 1: more police to fight them, more and more places to 390 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 1: put them. The kids finally won, O'Connor retaliated. On May 391 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: theo Wright and Birmingham's school superintendent composed a letter to 392 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,399 Speaker 1: schools demanding that every student who had participated in the 393 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: protest be immediately expelled or suspended. The Board of Education 394 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: members who Connor had endorsed all upheld the decision. Though 395 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 1: Connor had attempted to quiet the press, they also persisted 396 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: showing videos of the attacks on television networks across the country. 397 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 1: Business his owners also began calling for an end to 398 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:06,920 Speaker 1: the violence. President John F. Kennedy sent the Assistant Attorney 399 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: General to Birmingham to take part in the community negotiations, 400 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:16,680 Speaker 1: and eventually lunch counters, public restrooms, and businesses were desegregated 401 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,639 Speaker 1: in Birmingham. The children who had protested did make a 402 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:26,120 Speaker 1: difference for their communities, their parents, and their own futures. 403 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: American Shadows is hosted by Lauren Vogelbaum. This episode was 404 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: written by Michelle Muto, researched by Ali Steed, and produced 405 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: by Miranda Hawkins and Trevor Young, with executive producers Aaron Mackey, 406 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 1: Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick. To learn more about the show, 407 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 1: visit grim and mild dot com. From more podcasts from 408 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:57,359 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 409 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts.