“FICTION NOVELS THAT PREDICTED REAL FUTURE EVENTS” and More Strange True Stories! #WeirdDarkness

He robbed 28 stagecoaches without firing a single shot, left poetry at crime scenes, and vanished into legend—this is the strange tale of Black Bart, the gentleman bandit. IN THIS EPISODE: Black Bart – just the name conjures up an image of a rugged man willing to mow you down in a hail of bullets if you looked at him wrong, especially during one of his infamous stagecoach robberies. But legends can be wrong, and the real Black Bart might not have been so black in the heart as we’ve been led to believe. (Black Bart: The Poet Outlaw) *** In 1957, eleven-year-old twins Jacqueline and Joanna were killed in a car accident. But the next year, some people say they were "reincarnated". (The Perplexing Pollocks Problem) *** For over a century, reports of abuse and murder came pouring out of the Topeka Insane Asylum. The tortures that took place within are nothing short of grotesque, and it makes one wonder how anyone could have possibly thought the so-called “treatments” would do anything other than cause the patients terrible suffering and horrific nightmares. (Horrors of the Topeka Insane Asylum) *** A newlywed woman goes sightseeing in a new town while her husband attends a conference nearby. Completely normal behavior for a newly married couple – but nothing that happens after these events makes any sense at all. We’ll look at the confusing case of Judy Smith. (The Confusing Case of Judy Smith)  CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:02:10.119 = Black Bart: The Poet Outlaw 00:14:11.560 = ***Horrors of the Topeka Insane Asylum 00:24:58.082 = The Perplexing Pollocks Problem 00:31:44.871 = ***Curious Case of Judy Smith 00:50:54.478 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break SOURCES and RESOURCES – and/or --- PRINT VERSION to READ or SHARE:“Black Bart: The Poet Outlaw” by Kathy Weiser for Legends of America: https://tinyurl.com/59g6rldu “Horrors of the Topeka Insane Asylum” by Elizabeth Yetter for ListVerse: https://tinyurl.com/1ak6t8wa “The Confusing Case of Judy Smith” by Crystal Dawn for Lost N Found Blogs: https://tinyurl.com/43zvka2l “The Perplexing Pollocks Problem” by Jessica Staveley for Mama Mia: https://tinyurl.com/2d85hkuv=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: January 29, 2021 EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/BlackBart ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a...

A computer glitch transforms routine mail into premature obituary notices for over 500 very-much-alive people. READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/mainhealth-mail-death-notices/ WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness #HospitalError #MedicalMistake #BizarreNews #DeathNoticeFail #HealthcareBlunder #StrangeButTrue #DarkHumor #MaineHealth #ComputerGlitch

An Ohio lawmaker has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to marry artificial intelligence. Yes, this is a real problem someone felt needed addressing. It's just one more step into humanity's weird relationship with our electronic overlords-in-waiting, and now at least one state has decided to draw the line at "I do" with your chatbot. READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/ohio-law-ai-marriage WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness #AIMarriageBan #OhioLaw #ArtificialIntelligence #RobotMarriage #AIPersonhood #TechLegislation #ChatbotRomance #FutureOfAI #AIRights

When duty called, this sergeant went for pepperoni instead. READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/new-jersey-cop-pizza-murder-investigation WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness #TrueCrime #PoliceMisconduct #NewJersey #DoubleMurder #PoliceScandal #CriminalJustice #911Failure #LawEnforcement #PoliceAccountability

A religious Irish man murdered his wife in front of witnesses and showed no remorse — because he genuinely believed he was killing a fairy changeling while his real wife remained trapped in another realm. IN THIS EPISODE: I’ll share a chapter from the audiobook “Murderous Minds: Volume 4” that I had the privilege of narrating. It’s chapter one which tells the true story of murderer Michael Cleary. Plus, I’ll share the fictional horror story, 
“A Beginner’s Guide To Blood Portals” by Michael Squid. CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Lead-In 00:00:35.234 = Show Open 00:02:01.002 = Murderous Michael Cleary 00:28:38.332 = ***A Beginner’s Guide to Blood Portals, Part 1 00:55:17.131 = ***A Beginner’s Guide to Blood Portals, Part 2 01:10:00.470 = ***A Beginner’s Guide to Blood Portals, Part 3 01:24:33.109 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break SOURCES and RESOURCES: “Murderous Michael Cleary” by Ryan Becker and Kelley Gaines, from the audiobook “Murderous Minds, Volume 4”:https://amzn.to/2VCrjFC – you can also follow the link to hear another free sample of the audiobook. “A Beginner’s Guide To Blood Portals” by Michael Squid at Creepypasta.com: http://bit.ly/2VEqHiv; Michael Squid’s official website: http://www.mrmichaelsquid.com =====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: June 2021 EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MichaelClearly ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. #WeirdDarkness #TrueCrime #BridgetCleary #IrishFolklore #ChangelingMurder #HistoricalTrueCrime #DarkHistory #WitchTrials #IrishLegends #VictorianCrime