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The Something Awful Forums > Main > Post Your Favorite: Carefully Curated > PYF unnerving article or story: Why is everything always so fucking weird

RNG: Jul 9, 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuol_Sleng_Genocide_Museum

A high school turned into a dungeon by the Khmer Rouge turned into a genocide museum. Of the ~17k-20k people to pass through it, only 12 survived. Like the Nazis, they killed the remaining prisoners hours before the regime fell.

# ? Feb 20, 2015 16:34

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# ? May 15, 2024 02:30

Nckdictator: Sep 8, 2006; Just..someone

http://sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/pdf_directory/

Click on random ones for a fun surprise!

http://sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/pdf_directory/1977.03.13.a-Hayes.pdf

quote:

The men were on a fishing expedition. On Friday night a 25,000-ton
Japanese freighter bound for Brisbane ran their boat down in Moreton Bay near Moreton
Island. No one on board the freighter noticed they hit the small boat. Unable to find life-jackets or free their dinghy, the three men clung to a blue ice-box they found floating in the debris. They managed to remain afloat throughout the night and all day Saturday but were drifting farther from the island. The sharks appeared at 16h30 on Sunday. As the first man was dragged underwater by a shark, he managed to say �Goodbye, mates, this is it.� The
second man succeeded, for a time, to hold onto the ice-box despite injuries inflicted by the
sharks. Harrison continued to cling to the ice-box and kept kicking the sharks. At 17h45 he
was rescued by charter fishing boat operator Richard McMullin who spotted the blue ice-box floating in Pearl Channel, and dragged Harrison on board

http://sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/pdf_directory/1942.11.28-NovaScotia.pdf

quote:

...�Private Sammy Levine was a soldier mate of mine on the staff of No.4 General Hospital,
a field hospital serving the troops in Egypt. Sammy served as a handyman in the unit. He
could always conjure up something out of nothing, and as was fitting to his calling in the
Army, was a champion "scrounger" of articles not obtainable by the unit; as such he was
invaluable and very useful. Sammy was a quaint phlegmatic character, and was much
thought of generally; he was always on hand to conjure up anything required at short
notice. Now, Sammy had a pal, a small monkey acquired in Kenya which accompanied
him to Egypt when the East Africa campaign packed up. Wherever Sammy went the little
pet was on his shoulder.
�Some years after the War I met an ex-soldier and over a cup of tea this chap mentioned
that he was a survivor of the torpedoedNova Scotia
, and in discussing the circumstances of the tragedy, we discovered that we both knew Sammy Levine and that the last he saw of Sammy was from a small raft on which a few survivors were clinging;
there was no space for another person, and some yards away Sammy was swimming
with his monkey on his shoulder when he was taken by a huge shark. Both he and the
monkey disappeared.
�So passed Sammy, not much of a parade-ground soldier, but a wizard at his own
calling, and much loved by his comrades.

# ? Feb 20, 2015 20:40

DryGoods: Apr 26, 2014; Dogs, on the other hand, can connect with that pathos.

quote:

In 1860 the ancient tower of Lahneck Castle was to be repaired. The workmen came upon a skeleton inside the top of the ruined tower. Along with the bones, they found pages of a sketchbook owned by Idilia. On the pages, she had recorded the horror of her final days. She wrote that she had managed to climb to the top of the tower on the rotted wooden stairs. When she reached the top of the tower, however, the stairs collapsed and she was trapped. Idilia was confident that people would see her signals for rescue. As she waved from a window, the boatmen waved back.

With no one to rescue her, Idilia slowly starved. In her final hours she determined to leap from the tower, but she did not do so. Her skeleton was found in the tower ruin on the top which was surrounded with an insurmountable 3-meter high stone.

quote:

�Father in heaven have mercy on my soul�

Her diary was kept by her parents until years later when it was published and may or may not be hogwash.

Nazino Affair

quote:

They were trying to escape. They asked us "Where's the railway?" We'd never seen a railway. They asked "Where's Moscow? Leningrad?" They were asking the wrong people: we'd never heard of those places. We're Ostyaks. People were running away starving. They were given a handful of flour. They mixed it with water and drank it and then they immediately got diarrhea. The things we saw! People were dying everywhere; they were killing each other.... On the island there was a guard named Kostia Venikov, a young fellow. He was courting a pretty girl who had been sent there. He protected her. One day he had to be away for a while, and he told one of his comrades, "Take care of her," but with all the people there the comrade couldn't do much.... People caught the girl, tied her to a poplar tree, cut off her breasts, her muscles, everything they could eat, everything, everything.... They were hungry, they had to eat. When Kostia came back, she was still alive. He tried to save her, but she had lost too much blood.

Texarkana Moonlight Murders

quote:

The Texarkana Moonlight Murders, a term coined by the news media, are the unsolved violent crimes committed in and around Texarkana in the spring of 1946 by an unidentified serial killer known as the Phantom Killer or Phantom Slayer. The killer is credited with attacking eight people within ten weeks, five of whom were killed, usually three weeks apart...The murders sent the town into a state of panic throughout the summer. At dusk, the city was locked down and heavily armed while police patrolled streets and neighborhoods. Although many businesses lost customers at night, stores sold out of guns, ammunition, locks, and many other protective devices. Several rumors began to spread, including that the killer was caught, or that a third and even fourth double-homicide had been committed. Most of the town were hiding in fear inside their houses or hotels, sometimes even leaving town. Some youths were taking matters in their own hands by trying to bait the Phantom so they could kill him.

quote:

One night, Officer Tillman Johnson was patrolling a lonely road with Arkansas State Trooper Charley Boyd when they came up to a parked car. Johnson got out while Boyd stayed behind. Johnson walked up to the car and noticed a couple. He said, "I am Tillman Johnson with the Miller County Sheriff's Department. Aren't you scared to be parked out here at night?" The girl replied, "You're the one that ought to be scared, Mister. It's a good thing you told me who you are," as she revealed that she had been pointing a .25 pistol at him the whole time.

quote:

"The newspapers are not printing rumors and have assured us they will not. Any information which the public hears about this case will not be official unless it comes from us through the newspapers."

quote:

The unofficial theory for a motive amongst the majority of the 47 officers was that of "sex mania", because large amounts of money in the home were not taken, nor was Mrs. Starks' purse which was lying on the bed containing money and jewels, and because nothing was stolen from the home. The title on the front page of the Texarkana Gazette on Sunday, May 5, 1946 read "SEX MANIAC HUNTED IN MURDERS".

quote:

The height of the town's hysteria snowballed after the murder of Virgil Starks. The Texarkana Gazette stated on Sunday, May 5, that the killer might strike again at any moment, at any place and at any one. Before, it was normal to leave your house unlocked, but soon residents started locking doors, pulling down shades, blocking windows, and arming themselves with guns. Some people would nail sheets over their windows or nail the window down. Some used screened-door braces as window guards. The next day after Starks' death, several residents bought firearms and locks. Stores sold out of locks, guns, ammunition, and window shades and Venetian blinds. Other items that sold well included window sash locks, screen door hooks, night latches, and other protective devices.

During that weekend, Texarkana residents kept the police busy by flooding the station with reports of prowlers. One officer stated that nearly all of the alarms were the result of excitement, wild imagination and even near hysteria. Farmhouses and neighborhoods blazed with lights. Several businesses, including cafes, theaters and night clubs, lost many customers. One business reported a 20% drop. The evenings were hopping, but the streets were practically deserted when dawn approached. The city became a virtual ghost town. Because of the drop in business, liquor stores closed at 9:30 and posted a statement in the paper saying, "We fully understand the state of mind in which Texarkana is now gripped. And we are selling no liquor to persons who already have been drinking. We do not wish to add further to the troubles of the police. Any person who drinks whiskey at this time to get drunk and wander about the streets of Texarkana is further complicating the works of the police and is placing himself in grave danger of being shot by people whose nerves are on edge from the recent murders." Since citizens were so jittery and armed with guns, Texarkana was a very dangerous place. Officers had to turn their siren on when they drove up, get out and stand in their headlights and announce themselves to keep from being shot by a nervous homeowner. In order to go to someone's house, you had to call in advance and let them know to expect you. A fearful tavern proprietor had shot a customer in the foot who was in search of beer.

On the front page of the Texarkana Gazette on Monday, May 6, a headline stated that the entire area was fighting jitters. Captain Gonzaullas helped fuel the hysteria when he announced on the radio Tuesday evening that Texarkanians should "Oil up their guns and see if they are loaded. Put them out of the reach of children. Do not use them unless it's necessary, but if you believe it is, do not hesitate." When asked what advice he could give to quiet the town's fear, he responded "I'd tell them to check the locks and bolts on their doors and get a double-barreled shotgun to take care of any intruder who tried to get in."

quote:

On Friday night, May 10, Texarkana, Texas City Police officers chased a car for three miles that had been following a city bus. The police shot out the tires and arrested a high school star athlete named C. J. Lauderdale, Jr. When the officers questioned the teen at the station, he explained that he did not know they were officers because they were driving an unmarked car. He said that he was following the bus because he was suspicious of an occupant who had gotten on from a private car. On Sunday, May 12, Captain Gonzaullas gave a warning to "teen age sleuths" in the Gazette, saying that "it's a good way to get killed."

Ranger Gonzaullas also tried baiting the Phantom by recruiting teenagers, some of which were sons and daughters of Texas Rangers, as decoys in parked cars while officers waited nearby. Officers, too, volunteered as decoys, some with real partners, others with mannequins.

quote:

Police arrested a black man in his 30s whose tire tracks were found on the other side of the road from Martin's corpse. After failing a polygraph exam, officers decided to have him hypnotized.

I find serial killers not very enthralling and stories about them even less so. Nothing particularly lurid about the case to stand above others. What surrounds the story to make it interesting though? A Texas town under siege by a SEX MANIAC, massive number of phone calls and shotgun shells filling the night, a posse of hardened Texas Rangers, Teen Sleuths. You have the locals slowly being driven mad in a short span of time to set the tempo to the whole thing. Rangers using the, then, latest crime technology of Hypnotism, tree forts, and "pretend" making out with mannequins in secluded spots to lure out the killer/s. There are still quite a few interesting tidbits I didn't quote in the article, including, an escaped German POW, back alley chases, machine-gunner/stuntman coma suspect, and a surprisingly bittersweet adjoined story about a young guy attaching himself to the crime via suicide note.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 07:31

bean_shadow: Sep 27, 2005; If men had uteruses they'd be called duderuses.

RNG posted:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuol_Sleng_Genocide_Museum

A high school turned into a dungeon by the Khmer Rouge turned into a genocide museum. Of the ~17k-20k people to pass through it, only 12 survived. Like the Nazis, they killed the remaining prisoners hours before the regime fell.

Are you KIDDING me? I literally came here to post this, lol.

When interviewed right before he died, Pol Pot was asked about Tuol Sleng. He basically said something like, "Tuol Sleng. Tuol Sleng. Tuol Sleng. Why do people keep asking me about this?" in a real whiny voice, much like "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" Fucker.

Henry Kissinger knew how evil Pol Pot was and knew what was happening but did nothing because Pot was anti-Vietnamese.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 15:06

nonathlon: Jul 9, 2004; And yet, somehow, now it's my fault ...

DryGoods posted:

Texarkana Moonlight Murders

I find serial killers not very enthralling and stories about them even less so. Nothing particularly lurid about the case to stand above others. What surrounds the story to make it interesting though? A Texas town under siege by a SEX MANIAC, massive number of phone calls and shotgun shells filling the night, a posse of hardened Texas Rangers, Teen Sleuths. You have the locals slowly being driven mad in a short span of time to set the tempo to the whole thing. Rangers using the, then, latest crime technology of Hypnotism, tree forts, and "pretend" making out with mannequins in secluded spots to lure out the killer/s.

I'm with you on the serial killer stuff, but that is one hell of a story. I'm especially taken by how there seems to be one good suspect ... whose fingerprints don't match, so it can't be him.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 16:20

nocal: Mar 7, 2007

outlier posted:

I'm with you on the serial killer stuff, but that is one hell of a story. I'm especially taken by how there seems to be one good suspect ... whose fingerprints don't match, so it can't be him.

Maybe you'll be unnerved to know that fingerprinting doesn't have a whole lot of actual scientific support.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 16:51

Inevitable: Jul 27, 2007; by Ralp

DryGoods posted:

Texarkana Moonlight Murders

I find serial killers not very enthralling and stories about them even less so. Nothing particularly lurid about the case to stand above others. What surrounds the story to make it interesting though? A Texas town under siege by a SEX MANIAC, massive number of phone calls and shotgun shells filling the night, a posse of hardened Texas Rangers, Teen Sleuths. You have the locals slowly being driven mad in a short span of time to set the tempo to the whole thing. Rangers using the, then, latest crime technology of Hypnotism, tree forts, and "pretend" making out with mannequins in secluded spots to lure out the killer/s. There are still quite a few interesting tidbits I didn't quote in the article, including, an escaped German POW, back alley chases, machine-gunner/stuntman coma suspect, and a surprisingly bittersweet adjoined story about a young guy attaching himself to the crime via suicide note.

How about that one seriously hard-core Lady Rasputin?

quote:

She rang the wall-crank phone two times before being shot twice in the face from the same window. One bullet entered her right cheek and exited behind her left ear.[30] The other went in her lower jaw just below the lip, breaking it and splintering out several teeth before lodging under her tongue. She dropped to her knees but soon managed to get on her feet.[31] She ran to get a pistol from the living room, but she was blinded by her own blood.[32] She heard the killer tearing loose the rusted screen wire on the back porch. Mrs. Starks thought she was going to be killed, so she stumbled toward her bedroom toward the front of the house to leave a note. Meanwhile, the killer ran to the back of the house and made his way up the steps and into the side-screened porch through the back screen door. She heard the killer coming through the kitchen window, so she turned around and ran through the dining room, through the bedroom, down a hallway, through another bedroom and then into the living room and out the front door, leaving behind a "virtual river of blood" and teeth throughout the house and across the street. Barefooted and still in her nightgown, which was soaked in her blood, she ran across the street to her sister's and brother-in-law's house. Since no one was home, she ran 50 yards more to A. V. Prater's house. Prater answered her call for help. She gasped, "Virgil's dead", then collapsed

# ? Feb 21, 2015 17:10

doug fuckey: Jun 7, 2007; hella greenbacks

nocal posted:

Maybe you'll be unnerved to know that fingerprinting doesn't have a whole lot of actual scientific support.

I'll link the archived LF Effortpost Hidingfromgoro wrote about this:

https://lfeffortposts.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/fingerprints1/

# ? Feb 21, 2015 17:52

visuvius: Sep 24, 2007; sta da moor

Nckdictator posted:

http://sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/pdf_directory/

Click on random ones for a fun surprise!

Good find.

ACTIVITY: Bathing
CASE: GSAF 1700.00.00.a
DATE: �The latter end of Queen Anne�s reign� (Queen Anne reigned from 1702 to 1714.)
LOCATION: The accident took place in the Caribbean Sea at Barbadoes.
NAME: Unknown
DESCRIPTION: He was a seaman from the York, a West Indiaman.

NARRATIVE: The man was bathing when he �was bitten in twain by a ravenous shark and
the lower part was swallowed. The severed trunk was snatched away by some of the
people and place on the deck; at the sight of which, the horror and emotion of his attached
messmates were beyond description. During this affecting scene, the insatiable fish was
seen traversing the bloody surface of the water in search of the remainder of his quarry.
Fired at the sight, a faithful friend vowed that he would make the devourer disgorge, or die
in the attempt; and seizing a large pointed knife, he plunged into the deep. The shark no
sooner perceived the man, than he made furiously towards him; and both seemed eager �
the one for his prey, the other for revenge. The moment the monster opened his rapacious
jaws, his adversary, dexterously diving, gave him repeated stabs in the belly. The combat
was anxiously viewed from the decks of the adjacent vessels, and the spectators were
uncertain from which of the combatants the blood issued, but at length, they saw the
struggling and enraged shark making towards the beach, where he was stranded. He was
quickly dragged high and dry; when the victor ripped him open, recovered the remains of his
lamented friend, and procured them a proper sepulchre.�
INJURY: Fatal
SPECIES: Not identified
SOURCE: The Tioga Eagle, Wednesday, October 26, 1842

:stare:

:stare:

# ? Feb 21, 2015 19:55

Wasabi the J: Jan 23, 2008; MOM WAS RIGHT

visuvius posted:

Fired at the sight, a faithful friend vowed that he would make the devourer disgorge, or die
in the attempt; and seizing a large pointed knife, he plunged into the deep. The shark no
sooner perceived the man, than he made furiously towards him; and both seemed eager �
the one for his prey, the other for revenge.... when the victor ripped him open, recovered the remains of his
lamented friend, and procured them a proper sepulchre.�

poo poo, I don't even have friends that will help me move a couch.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 20:15

Nckdictator: Sep 8, 2006; Just..someone

http://sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/pdf_directory/1820.00.00-AmphibiousJack.pdf

quote:

DATE:
1820s
LOCATION:
The incident took place at Sweetwater Point in
Pittwater, Tasmania, Australia.
42�52�S, 147�27�E
NAME:
Amphibious Jack
DESCRIPTION:
He was a male.

ENVIRONMENT:
�The shallow lake of the Pittwater, whilst it
abounds with edible fish, abounds also with sharks of a most
peculiar and ravenous nature.�

NARRATIVE:

�Not having been very successful in their collection of shell-fish, one man, more courageous than his companions, with a loud code notified his intention to swim over, get some of our oysters, and tell us the last news of the Bushrangers. He was, however,
earnestly cautioned against entering the channel, by our lime-burners, some of whom had been attacked by a shark, nearly opposite to the spot where he was then standing. The poor fellow � who was called �Amphibious Jack,� from his skill in the art of swimming �
declared he had no fear, and he came over and bring on his back the few oysters he had collected, saying which, he plunged into the channel. The narrow strait was nearly passed
in safety, and the self-approving man, laughing aloud at the alleged danger, was attacked by two of these ruthless monsters. One of the seized the poor victim by the calf of the leg,
and instantly shook him down, whilst the other, in the heat of the desperate struggle, seized
the oyster sack, and bore it off in triumph. The heart-rending cries of the unfortunate suffer � who was violently and almost hopelessly contending for his life, and was visible above
water alternately with the flashing tail of his fierce adversary � were quickly responded to by the lime-burners, who, seeing that the shark had accidentally floundered with his human
victim into shallow water, instantly armed themselves with pickaxe, spade, and crowbars, and rushed to the rescue. The finny monster was too deeply engaged to notice his own danger; and notwithstanding that he had severed and devoured the entire calf, he continued
to hold the mutilated leg � repeating at every instant the powerful and peculiar jerks which all fish can give in their own element. Added to the blind desperation of the shark, the water,
rendered turbid with blood and sand, effectually obscured his vision, and thus favoured the approach of the man with the avenging pickaxe which, with a hearty curse and powerful arm was sent clean home through the head of the formidable fish. The shark released his hold
of the lifeless man and escaped into deep water.�

INJURY:
Fatal. �The main arteries of the leg of the poor sufferer were so effectually severed
that the scarlet tide of life had finally ebbed.

Can't say I ever imagined attacking a shark with a pickaxe. Also, there's a surprisingly large amount of shark attacks in rivers and lakes. Rivers I can understand (Bull Sharks and all that) but lakes?

# ? Feb 21, 2015 20:42

RNG: Jul 9, 2009

bean_shadow posted:

Are you KIDDING me? I literally came here to post this, lol.

When interviewed right before he died, Pol Pot was asked about Tuol Sleng. He basically said something like, "Tuol Sleng. Tuol Sleng. Tuol Sleng. Why do people keep asking me about this?" in a real whiny voice, much like "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" Fucker.

Henry Kissinger knew how evil Pol Pot was and knew what was happening but did nothing because Pot was anti-Vietnamese.

Yeah, the history of American involvement in the third world during the Cold War is basically propping up one dictator after another.

Came across this from the acid attacks Wikipedia page; it's not any worse than any other acid attack, but it seems a lot more senseless when he was trying to hand her a check for 4 million austrobux.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Leopold_Clement_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha

# ? Feb 21, 2015 22:46

angelfisher: Aug 15, 2011

Teenager Marie Robards murdered her 38-year-old father by putting barium she got from her school's science lab into his refried beans. The poisoning symptoms resembled a heart attack closely enough that no one suspected foul play for a minute.

If she hadn't broken down and confessed to her friend during an assigned reading of Hamlet, no one would have found out.

I saw a Forensic Files episode on it with a really corny setup of the Hamlet scene. Here's a recounting of the case from Texas Monthly.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 22:56

Ague Proof: Jun 5, 2014; they told me
I was everything

angelfisher posted:

Teenager Marie Robards murdered her 38-year-old father by putting barium she got from her school's science lab into his refried beans. The poisoning symptoms resembled a heart attack closely enough that no one suspected foul play for a minute.

If she hadn't broken down and confessed to her friend during an assigned reading of Hamlet, no one would have found out.

I saw a Forensic Files episode on it with a really corny setup of the Hamlet scene. Here's a recounting of the case from Texas Monthly.

This has got to be bullshit. The "to catch the conscience of the King" thing fits way too well for it to be real.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 23:13

Literally Kermit: Mar 4, 2012; t

Ague Proof posted:

This has got to be bullshit. The "to catch the conscience of the King" thing fits way too well for it to be real.

I know, imagine how hard it must be to trigger a breakdown in a mentally unstable teenager?

# ? Feb 21, 2015 23:18

Nckdictator: Sep 8, 2006; Just..someone

angelfisher posted:

Teenager Marie Robards murdered her 38-year-old father by putting barium she got from her school's science lab into his refried beans. The poisoning symptoms resembled a heart attack closely enough that no one suspected foul play for a minute.

If she hadn't broken down and confessed to her friend during an assigned reading of Hamlet, no one would have found out.

I saw a Forensic Files episode on it with a really corny setup of the Hamlet scene. Here's a recounting of the case from Texas Monthly.

http://www.examiner.com/article/dorothy-marie-robards-steven-robards-murder-timeline

quote:

Marie Robards was released in 2003. According to public records she is married and goes by a new identity.

I do have to wonder if her new family knows.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 23:22

AnonSpore: Jan 19, 2012; "I didn't see the part where he develops as a character so I guess he never developed as a character"

Nckdictator posted:

http://sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/pdf_directory/1820.00.00-AmphibiousJack.pdf

Can't say I ever imagined attacking a shark with a pickaxe. Also, there's a surprisingly large amount of shark attacks in rivers and lakes. Rivers I can understand (Bull Sharks and all that) but lakes?

I like how one shark went for the dude and got a pickaxe to the head for its troubles, while the smart one just took the oysters and got the hell out of dodge.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 23:42

Obligatory Handle: Feb 27, 2004; by Lowtax

angelfisher posted:

Teenager Marie Robards murdered her 38-year-old father by putting barium she got from her school's science lab into his refried beans. The poisoning symptoms resembled a heart attack closely enough that no one suspected foul play for a minute.

If she hadn't broken down and confessed to her friend during an assigned reading of Hamlet, no one would have found out.

This is why I never want children.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 23:44

Kimmalah: Nov 14, 2005; Basically just a baby in a trenchcoat.

Ague Proof posted:

This has got to be bullshit. The "to catch the conscience of the King" thing fits way too well for it to be real.

I don't see how? Hamlet is an incredibly common play for high school kids to read and also happens to include a murder by poisoning.

# ? Feb 21, 2015 23:45

Nckdictator: Sep 8, 2006; Just..someone

Here's some more that all sound like scenes from bad movies.

http://sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/pdf_directory/1853.00.00.a-Hanscheldt.pdf

quote:

DATE:
1853
LOCATION:
The incident took place in the Atlantic Ocean
near Fernandina Bar on the coast of Florida

NARRATIVE:
Captain Hanscheldt was knocked overboard. �A large shark, seen at the side, had now disappeared and all to be seen of the captain was a bloody streak in the water. The skipper had dressed to go ashore to call on his sister, who was on a visit to Fernandina from
Charleston. Captain Hanscheldt had just said,
looking at the shark, �I hope it is not me you are waiting for, old boy�.�

http://sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/pdf_directory/1923.06.16-Rigby.pdf

quote:

DATE:
Saturday
June 16, 1923
LOCATION:
The incident took place at Bellambi Reef, New South Wales, Australia.

NARRATIVE:
Four miners � J. Rigby, B. Powell, G. Clarke and J. Butler � were fishing
when they noticed a disturbance in the water. Ahead was a school of sharks making straight for their boat. The men tried to maneuver the boat out of the way when they saw a dorsal fin
dart beneath them. The boat shuddered and the next instant a gaping hole was ripped in the bottom. The boat heeled, filled with water, and wallowed, with the men struggling to cling to its side. One of them, J. Rigby, a good swimmer, volunteered to swim to shore. He
had only gone about 20 yards when he gave a cry and disappeared. Another man also tried to swim ashore, but the lines of the boat became entangled in his legs, and a second man
became exhausted and sank. The lone survivor, John Butler, was rescued by the collier Kurrara which was unable to locate any of the other missing men.

http://sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/pdf_directory/1951.09.02-Joske.pdf

quote:

DATE:
Reported September 2, 1951
LOCATION:
The incident took place in the
Fitzroy River near Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

NARRATIVE:
Dr. Joske was sailing single-
handedly around the world on his luxury yacht,
the 45-foot ketch
Christine.
The vessel was luxuriously appointed, and had a two-way wireless and radio
telephone with a range of 500 miles. He had sailed around
the Australian coast and spent two months in Brisbane
before leaving for Bowen. His last contact with the shore
was by radio with the Government radio station. He was
then at Port Clinton, 60 miles from where the yacht was found by the ship
Caledon two days later. The Caledon radioed that the ketch was drifting in a dangerous position
and apparently needed assistance. When the police
arrived, the Christine was aground. A blue and gold flag was flying at the masthead and a spanner was lying on the deck, suggesting that the yacht may have had engine
trouble. Dr. Joske�s body was lying amidships, one arm
tangled in the rigging, the other arm dragging overboard in
the mud. Police theorized that Dr. Joske was attacked by a
shark either while leaning over the side or swimming near
the yacht and that he managed to scramble back on board before dying.

INJURY:
His right leg was missing at the hip and bowel
was protruding through a gaping wound in the abdomen.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 00:28

Josef K. Sourdust: Jul 16, 2014; "To be quite frank, Platinum sucks at making games. Vanquish was terrible and Metal Gear Rising: Revengance was so boring it put me to sleep."

Although this has been raised on this thread before, it is worth suggesting you catch this documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vyDpH3PON8

All about the Nicholas Barclay/Frederic Bourdin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Bourdin

Starts out weird and hits creepy about 1 hour in. Catch it before it gets taken. Great film.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 00:34

Necrothatcher: Mar 26, 2005

Well this seems just about the worst way to kill yourself ever:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4264282.stm

quote:

Artist died 'handcuffed to tree'

A schizophrenic artist who died after handcuffing himself to a tree after throwing away the key, may have tried to free himself, an inquest has heard. The skeleton of Richard Sumner - 47 when he went missing three years ago - was found in a remote area of Clocaenog Forest, Denbighshire, in April 2005. Mr Sumner, from Crosby, Merseyside, may have changed his mind about killing himself but could not reach the keys, the Denbigh inquest was told. The coroner recorded an open verdict.

Mr Sumner, at one time a scenic artist for opera productions at Glyndebourne, had suffered from schizophrenia since 1984. The hearing was told he had attempted to take his life in this manner before and in 1996 had taken four days to free himself. His skeleton was found by a woman who had become lost while walking her dog. The handcuffs attached to one arm indicated that Mr Sumner had attached himself to the tree and thrown the key to a point where he could not retrieve it, north east Wales coroner John Hughes was told.

However, Home Office pathologist Brian Rogers said the position of the handcuffs and marks found on the tree indicated that Mr Sumner had probably changed his mind, but could not reach the key. "It's possible he took an overdose of tablets. It's possible he took poison. Clearly he had handcuffed himself to the tree and he had thrown away the key." When asked by Mr Sumner's sister, Patricia Jones, if he could say how long her brother would have taken to die, Mr Rogers said: "He could have been there for a few days. If you handcuff yourself to a tree you would die fairly quickly but maybe not as quickly as you would like."

Mr Hughes heard evidence that Mr Sumner was a talented, intelligent man who felt frustrated by his illness and who said he did not wish to be a parasite. His sister told the court that her brother had spoken of taking his own life and she confirmed there had been three previous attempts. "His idea was to kill himself but he couldn't do it because he couldn't upset everybody, including the people who would find his body," she said. She said that was the reason he had gone so far into the wood - in the hope his remains would not be found.

Coroner John Hughes concluded: "It's clear that Richard John Sumner was a very troubled man and he was getting worse and he was very depressed." He expressed his "sincere sympathies" to Mr Sumner's family but said he could not know for sure how he died or whether he really intended to take his own life. "Sadly, I return a verdict of an open nature, an open verdict," he told them.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 00:57

Josef K. Sourdust: Jul 16, 2014; "To be quite frank, Platinum sucks at making games. Vanquish was terrible and Metal Gear Rising: Revengance was so boring it put me to sleep."

That drat Satyr posted:

Perhaps, but one of the points that's made is that they were all mostly, if not completely in some cases, naked or in underwear. Though... I suppose the best garment to sew something in to keep them dry might be underwear, but that seems like they could still get damp from sweat and so on.

Thanks for the book recommend, I'll definitely give it a read.

Dyatlov Pass has always fascinated me. I assume the podcast you listened to was Skeptoid? (It hasn't been the same since Brian Dunning sold it

) I've always thought it was avalanche, possibly caused by jet or weapons testing. There are some odd features about it. I'll also check out the book.

You might want to take a look at this 17min documentary with lots of photos (incl. a few NWS :siren:

:siren:

b&w not detailed gore pics): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVHFHIP9eWk

/\ /\ /\ Thanks for that post about the artist and tree. I know that forest. Remind me not to read this thread just before going to bed. Dyatlov Pass and nightmares - yes, this is exactly like the previous thread....

Josef K. Sourdust has a new favorite as of 01:23 on Feb 22, 2015

# ? Feb 22, 2015 01:19

Back of the Bus: Aug 15, 2004; Pimpin' ain't easy when yo ride's full of schoolchildren.

Josef K. Sourdust posted:

Although this has been raised on this thread before, it is worth suggesting you catch this documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vyDpH3PON8

All about the Nicholas Barclay/Frederic Bourdin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Bourdin

Starts out weird and hits creepy about 1 hour in. Catch it before it gets taken. Great film.

Holy crap; this was one of the most interesting documentaries I've ever seen. Frederic Bourdin seems like a mastermind. I would like to know more about the military condoned rape buffet that the FBI lady seemed to think was actually about Frederic's background. The video picks up the thread then drops it immediately after. That's both interesting and unnerving.

Edit - Along the same lines: Laurel Rose Wilson who claimed to be a satanic cult child abuse survivor, as well as claiming two of her children were killed to produce snuff films. She also pretended to be Laura Grabowski, a Holocaust survivor, so she might just be crazy.

Back of the Bus has a new favorite as of 03:01 on Feb 22, 2015

# ? Feb 22, 2015 02:52

Dusty Baker 2: Jul 8, 2011; Keyboard Inghimasi

visuvius posted:

Good find.

ACTIVITY: Bathing
CASE: GSAF 1700.00.00.a
DATE: �The latter end of Queen Anne�s reign� (Queen Anne reigned from 1702 to 1714.)
LOCATION: The accident took place in the Caribbean Sea at Barbadoes.
NAME: Unknown
DESCRIPTION: He was a seaman from the York, a West Indiaman.

NARRATIVE: The man was bathing when he �was bitten in twain by a ravenous shark and
the lower part was swallowed. The severed trunk was snatched away by some of the
people and place on the deck; at the sight of which, the horror and emotion of his attached
messmates were beyond description. During this affecting scene, the insatiable fish was
seen traversing the bloody surface of the water in search of the remainder of his quarry.
Fired at the sight, a faithful friend vowed that he would make the devourer disgorge, or die
in the attempt; and seizing a large pointed knife, he plunged into the deep. The shark no
sooner perceived the man, than he made furiously towards him; and both seemed eager �
the one for his prey, the other for revenge. The moment the monster opened his rapacious
jaws, his adversary, dexterously diving, gave him repeated stabs in the belly. The combat
was anxiously viewed from the decks of the adjacent vessels, and the spectators were
uncertain from which of the combatants the blood issued, but at length, they saw the
struggling and enraged shark making towards the beach, where he was stranded. He was
quickly dragged high and dry; when the victor ripped him open, recovered the remains of his
lamented friend, and procured them a proper sepulchre.�
INJURY: Fatal
SPECIES: Not identified
SOURCE: The Tioga Eagle, Wednesday, October 26, 1842

And that shark? Albert Einstein.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 03:40

I AM GRANDO: Aug 20, 2006

Josef K. Sourdust posted:

Dyatlov Pass has always fascinated me. I assume the podcast you listened to was Skeptoid? (It hasn't been the same since Brian Dunning sold it ) I've always thought it was avalanche, possibly caused by jet or weapons testing. There are some odd features about it. I'll also check out the book.

You might want to take a look at this 17min documentary with lots of photos (incl. a few NWS b&w not detailed gore pics): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVHFHIP9eWk

/\ /\ /\ Thanks for that post about the artist and tree. I know that forest. Remind me not to read this thread just before going to bed. Dyatlov Pass and nightmares - yes, this is exactly like the previous thread....

Brian Dunning didn't sell Skeptoid. He just can't host it right now because he's in federal prison for massive fraud:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Dunning_%28author%29#Wire_fraud_case

He bilked amazon out of millions with malware he hid in banner ads.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 04:18

ChickenOfTomorrow: Nov 11, 2012; god damn it, you've got to be kind

Jack Gladney posted:

Brian Dunning didn't sell Skeptoid. He just can't host it right now because he's in federal prison for massive fraud:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Dunning_%28author%29#Wire_fraud_case

He bilked amazon out of millions with malware he hid in banner ads.

thats weird in and of itself

# ? Feb 22, 2015 04:41

I AM GRANDO: Aug 20, 2006

ChickenOfTomorrow posted:

thats weird in and of itself

Yeah, nobody donate to Skeptoid because its donation system is very likely at least partially a scam. And Dunning currently has like a million-plus dollars he scammed amazon out of. They only prosecuted him for the first $300,000 because that was all they needed. He still has the rest waiting for him when he gets out.

Brian Dunning is criminal poo poo, is what I'm saying.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 05:20

Random Stranger: Nov 27, 2009

Literally Kermit posted:

I know, imagine how hard it must be to trigger a breakdown in a mentally unstable teenager?

Well I know step one is to murder their father and step two is to marry their mother...

# ? Feb 22, 2015 06:17

Josef K. Sourdust: Jul 16, 2014; "To be quite frank, Platinum sucks at making games. Vanquish was terrible and Metal Gear Rising: Revengance was so boring it put me to sleep."

Jack Gladney posted:

Brian Dunning didn't sell Skeptoid. He just can't host it right now because he's in federal prison for massive fraud:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Dunning_%28author%29#Wire_fraud_case

He bilked amazon out of millions with malware he hid in banner ads.

Wow! That's pretty depressing.

I just assumed he'd sold it because he had too much work for one person. The podcasts were slightly inconsistent (how could they not be, running weekly and appeared over 300 consecutive weeks) but even when I disagreed (and he was on uncertain ground with some of the medical pieces and was disastrously off target on the Tibet issue) he was thought provoking.

Farewell, Brian Dunning! :sadwave:

:sadwave:

E: By coincidence it was the "Dyatlov Pass" version of this thread recommending Skeptoid (episode on Dyatlov Pass) that introduced me to Skeptoid.

Josef K. Sourdust has a new favorite as of 11:05 on Feb 22, 2015

# ? Feb 22, 2015 10:19

A Major Fucker: Mar 10, 2013; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

Dr. Gitmo Moneyson posted:

They always came back fine, but Jesus Christ did I always panic the gently caress out whenever they did that. The last time it happened, my pug came extremely close to dying of heat stroke; it was only through a series of VERY lucky and VERY unlikely events that his life was saved and we were able to find him.

your pug wants to die because it knows it's an abominable mutant

# ? Feb 22, 2015 11:29

FruitNYogurtParfait: Mar 29, 2006; Sion lied. Deadtear died for our sins. #VengeanceForDeadtear
#PunGateNeverForget
#ModLivesMatter

i thought it was because he's dr gitmo moneyson

# ? Feb 22, 2015 13:02

Ague Proof: Jun 5, 2014; they told me
I was everything

Kimmalah posted:

I don't see how? Hamlet is an incredibly common play for high school kids to read and also happens to include a murder by poisoning.

I just felt it fit too closely with the events of the play to be real. I mean, I know the fact that they were similar is why there was an outburst at all but I just felt it was too convenient, like something you'd read in a story rather than something that would actually happen.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 16:38

BOOTY-ADE: Aug 30, 2006; BIG KOOL TELLIN' Y'ALL TO KEEP IT TIGHT

Josef K. Sourdust posted:

Dyatlov Pass has always fascinated me. I assume the podcast you listened to was Skeptoid? (It hasn't been the same since Brian Dunning sold it ) I've always thought it was avalanche, possibly caused by jet or weapons testing. There are some odd features about it. I'll also check out the book.

You might want to take a look at this 17min documentary with lots of photos (incl. a few NWS b&w not detailed gore pics): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVHFHIP9eWk

Anyone else find it kind of silly that it literally starts out with the ki-ki-ki ma-ma-ma sound from Friday the 13th?

# ? Feb 22, 2015 18:32

kanonvandekempen: Mar 14, 2009

Back of the Bus posted:

Holy crap; this was one of the most interesting documentaries I've ever seen. Frederic Bourdin seems like a mastermind. I would like to know more about the military condoned rape buffet that the FBI lady seemed to think was actually about Frederic's background. The video picks up the thread then drops it immediately after. That's both interesting and unnerving.

Edit - Along the same lines: Laurel Rose Wilson who claimed to be a satanic cult child abuse survivor, as well as claiming two of her children were killed to produce snuff films. She also pretended to be Laura Grabowski, a Holocaust survivor, so she might just be crazy.

Keep in mind that before anything else, the documentary is about an unreliable narrator, it's literally titled 'The Imposter' because you can't truly believe a word it's central character says. The only thing you can really establish about him is that he is a pathological liar.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 18:47

Josef K. Sourdust: Jul 16, 2014; "To be quite frank, Platinum sucks at making games. Vanquish was terrible and Metal Gear Rising: Revengance was so boring it put me to sleep."

kanonvandekempen posted:

Keep in mind that before anything else, the documentary is about an unreliable narrator, it's literally titled 'The Imposter' because you can't truly believe a word it's central character says. The only thing you can really establish about him is that he is a pathological liar.

Just because Bourdin is a pathological liar and quite possibly lied about [spolier] the mother confessing to murdering Nicholas doesn't mean that isn't true. The claim of the mother's private confession probably is a lie but I think there is every reason to think the family killed Nicholas. Or at least that looks very likely, considering the family's weird reactions throughout the case.[/spoiler]

Josef K. Sourdust has a new favorite as of 19:26 on Feb 22, 2015

# ? Feb 22, 2015 19:07

I AM GRANDO: Aug 20, 2006

What reason would they have for killing their kid? They act crazy in the documentary because they're insane from grief and a crazy thing is happening to them. If they really killed their kid, the last thing they would want to do is invite an obvious imposter into their family, because he will reinvigorate curiosity about the disappearance and because they will have to keep their guards up 24/7 with a stranger in the house who they know is not their son. They'd be signing up to live a lie for every waking moment of their lives.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 19:20

Josef K. Sourdust: Jul 16, 2014; "To be quite frank, Platinum sucks at making games. Vanquish was terrible and Metal Gear Rising: Revengance was so boring it put me to sleep."

What "reason" does any family have? But it happens. A fight goes too far, someone makes a mistake, punishment beating goes too far. Who knows? Happens all the time, especially if it is a violent family with drugs in the mix (as the family apparently was).

A 100% cast-iron way of never having a murder investigated is if the victim appears alive. Habeas corpus, right? They didn't organise the Bourdin aspect but they sure knew how to exploit it.

E: It may just be that they covered up for a friend or disposed of the body or would have had to reveal something nasty in an investigation. They may not have had to kill the kid (on purpose or - more likely - by accident) to have reasons to prefer a missing person situation than a murder investigation.

Josef K. Sourdust has a new favorite as of 19:32 on Feb 22, 2015

# ? Feb 22, 2015 19:30

Groda: Mar 17, 2005; Hair Elf

Phobophilia posted:

He was posted to this site in the context of Karla Homolka.

What the gently caress does this even mean?

# ? Feb 22, 2015 21:46

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 15, 2024 02:30

BOOTY-ADE: Aug 30, 2006; BIG KOOL TELLIN' Y'ALL TO KEEP IT TIGHT

Josef K. Sourdust posted:

What "reason" does any family have? But it happens. A fight goes too far, someone makes a mistake, punishment beating goes too far. Who knows? Happens all the time, especially if it is a violent family with drugs in the mix (as the family apparently was).

A 100% cast-iron way of never having a murder investigated is if the victim appears alive. Habeas corpus, right? They didn't organise the Bourdin aspect but they sure knew how to exploit it.

E: It may just be that they covered up for a friend or disposed of the body or would have had to reveal something nasty in an investigation. They may not have had to kill the kid (on purpose or - more likely - by accident) to have reasons to prefer a missing person situation than a murder investigation.

This was sort of my thought too, mainly because:

- Older brother Jason comes to live with his mom and Nicholas. This seems to be around the time Nicholas starts having problems (running away, aggression, etc.)
- Brothers don't appear to get along very well, especially based on the reaction Jason had when Nicholas is "found"
- Jason never woke their mom up when Nicholas called to get a ride home, and told him he'd have to walk home instead
- Jason dies of a drug overdose when a P.I. starts investigating possible family involvement, conveniently leaving no way to find the truth
- Possibility that the mother was also involved with drugs along with Jason

So...maybe Nicholas was tired of the drug use and/or was being abused by both his mom and older brother? Maybe he threatened to call the police on his mom and brother and they freaked and beat him to death, or whomever was dealing them drugs did it? Mom had no involvement, but older brother killed Nicholas and had his dealer/friend/someone else help dispose of the body? Nobody really knows, and unless Nicholas either shows up alive or his remains are found, it'll stay a mystery.

# ? Feb 22, 2015 21:46

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