Download or read book Gruesome Illinois written by Nick Vulich and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-10-18 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "When I came out [of prison], I wanted blood--anybody's blood. I wanted to kill people and see it run," said Chicago serial killer Henry Spencer. The penitentiary gave him ten dollars when they turned him loose. He spent eight dollars on a pistol and started robbing people. "I have been killing people...ever since. I liked it in a way. When I robbed anyone, it was a sort of satisfaction to clean up the job by shutting the victim's mouth forever." "After my first stretch in the penitentiary, I became cold-blooded, and for five cents would kill a man and drink his blood," said Spencer. "The treatment I received down there was enough to drive a man crazy. They would beat me and hang me up by the fingers for some slight infraction of the rules." "I've always had a natural hatred for women. I killed them as I would so many flies." "Whenever I felt like killing anyone, I'd hit them with a hammer or shoot them, whichever happened to be handiest." Henry Spencer murdered as many as 29 people between 1900 and 1912, and yet no one alive today knows who he is. Henry Bastian killed nine people on his Milan Murder Farm in as many years, but like Spencer, he's fallen through the cracks and disappeared to history. Gruesome Illinois is a collection of true-life stories - most of them rescued from old newspaper accounts published over 100 years ago. Only a few of the events in this book - such as the Monmouth Ax Murders and Chicago serial killer H. H. Holmes have ever made it into print. Except maybe in musky-old county histories. Even then, they are lucky to rate a paragraph. Read them now, if you dare!
Download or read book Haunted Illinois written by Troy Taylor and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-07-15 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hauntings are believed to be created from violence and bloodshed. And from the beginning, the Prairie State was a place where death thrived, and mysteries became commonplace. Illinois was the home of ancient peoples know as Moundbuilders whose only legacy is silent graves and many unsolved mysteries. The French left behind their own ghostly stories after their displacement by the Americans in the 1700s and countless slaughters such as the Dearborn Massacre gave birth to tales of horror that live on in the history of Illinois. Eerie occurrences, spooky events, unsolved mysteries, and terrifying specters haunt Illinois. Tales of headless horsemen, haunted castles and a penitentiary occupied by ghosts chill the spines of visitors. Haunted Illinois explores the Prairie State’s paranormal side and serves as a guide to its haunted places.
Download or read book Illinois Haunted Route 66 written by Janice Tremeear and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There’s no detour from terror on this creepy thrill ride down part of America’s historic highway—from the author of Haunted Ozarks. Route 66 is no longer the main thoroughfare between Chicago and St. Louis, but if local lore is to be believed, ghostly traffic along the Mother Road continues unabated. Janice Tremeear chases down accounts of a man executed for witchcraft, the demon baby of Hull House, and the secrets of H. H. Holmes’s “Murder Castle.” Native American legends place the piasa bird in the skies above the highway’s southern stretch with the same insistence that characterize contemporary UFO sightings in the North. In between, spirits such as Resurrection Mary join the throng of hapless souls wandering the roadside of the Prairie State’s most famous byway.
Download or read book Mysterious Illinois written by Troy Taylor and published by Whitechapel Productions. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For nearly two decades, Troy Taylor has been delving into the ghosts and haunted places in the state of Illinois but in this book, the author takes a journey down a darker road and takes readers on a search for the strange, terrifying and bizarre in this mysterious region. For centuries, Illinois has played host to the unexplained from the ancient mysteries of Cahokia, the stone forts of southern Illinois, anomalous petroglyphs and many other oddities from our distant past. Journey back in time to this lost era and then go on a hunt for the state's chilling creatures, including Bigfoot, Thunderbirds, phantom panthers, water creatures and some of the strangest beasts to ever walk on four feet --- or two! Finally, take the plunge into the depths of the unexplained as we search for answers to the state's greatest enigmas like the Macomb Poltergeist, Williamsburg Hill, Illinois' spook lights, Watseka Wonder, Illinois' sky mysteries, flying saucer invasions, Illinois vampires, the Mad Gasser of Mattoon and much more! Don't miss out on this amazing book --- including accounts, stories, eyewitness reports and in-depth research that has never appeared in print before! This is a book not to miss and a unique addition to the popular "Haunted Illinois Series."
Download or read book Haunted Places written by Dennis William Hauck and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2002 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes over 2,000 sites of supernatural occurances in the United States, including places visited by ghosts, UFOs, and unusual creatures.
Download or read book Bloody Illinois written by Troy Taylor and published by Whitechapel Productions. This book was released on 2008-04 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Join author Troy Taylor as his "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" Series continues with a terrifying and blood-soaked look at Illinois crime, mystery and tales of hauntings from all over the state - many of which have never appeared in any book before! In this volume, Taylor unlocks files of rare, seldom-told and favorite stories from both the cities and rural areas of the Prairie State, revealing true accounts of violence, murder, bloodshed and ghosts. Journey back into Illinois' past and discover tales of bandits, thieves, pirates and killers from the early days of the state; haunted prisons, jails and police stations; bloody vendettas; Illinois hangings; unsolved murders; ruthless murderesses; Charlie Birger, the Shelton Gang and War in Illinois; Pat Quinlan, the Devil's Apprentice; the Herrin Massacre; the Hundley Murders; the famous Coliseum Ballroom; the Battle of Barrington; Hell Hollow; the Lake Club; Fred Vannuci's "One-way Ride"; the Starved Rock Murders; Ghosts of the old Cook County Jail & the Joliet Penitentiary; and dozens more! You don't want to miss this collection of uncut and uncensored tales from the pen of Troy Taylor. It's a chilling book that is not for the faint of heart!
Download or read book Ghosthunting Illinois Large Print 16pt written by John Kachuba and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2011-01-19 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lock the doors, draw the curtains, and light a candle as you join John Kachuba on a guided tour of Illinois's most terrifying haunted places.Your hair-raising journey will take you to: Old State Capital, Springfield Lincoln lay in state here before his burial in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Could his ghost haunt the spot where his body lay? Harpo Studios, Chicago When the Eastland steamer capsized in 1915, the building served as a temporary morgue. Oprah's employees have encountered the ghosts of the victims, including the ''Gray Lady''who floats through the halls. And many more scary sites. Maps and travel information are provided to every haunted location for those brave enough to make the journey in person. Ghosthunting Illinois takes you behind the scenes with detailed information about each destination.
Download or read book Murder Mayhem in Rockford Illinois written by Kathi Kresol and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-09 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The shocking true crimes of Rockford, Illinois, come to light in this fascinating account of a midwestern city’s sordid history of murder and corruption. Rockford, Illinois, rightly prizes its prosperous heritage, built on manufacturing concerns like the Rockford Watch Factory and the Manny Reaper Company. But the town formerly known as Midway also harbors a history of crime and calamity . . . Gunfire broke out in the streets when networks of Prohibition informants decided to go rogue. In 1893, John Hart forced his own sisters to drink poison. Three years later, James French shot down his wife in the street. Over the years, a courthouse collapsed, a factory exploded and trains collided . . . Join local historian Kathi Kresol as she explores Rockford, Illinois’s scandalous past in this gripping book of small-town true crime stories.
Download or read book Gruesome written by Nick Vulich and published by . This book was released on 2019-10-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gruesome Illinois is a collection of true-life stories - most of them rescued from old newspaper accounts published over 100 years ago. Only a few of the events in this book - such as the Monmouth Ax Murders have ever made it into print. Except maybe in musky-old county histories. Even then, they are lucky to rate a paragraph. Read them now, if you dare!
Download or read book State of Horror written by Claire C Riley and published by Charon Coin Press. This book was released on 2014-08-25 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WHAT IS YOUR STATE OF HORROR? Come take a unique tour of the state of Illinois. Visit a little known pizza place where the deep-dish pizza is to die for. Spend the night in a haunted house or explore an abandoned resort town. What happens when you disturb the sanctity of an ancient deity? Swim with us in a lake where fish are not the only creatures under the water's surface. Ghosts, mobsters, and zombies all provide thrills as we explore the Land of Lincoln. The number 13 is often viewed as an unlucky, even evil number. However, here it is only fitting we traverse the horrors of Illinois through 13 tales to make the heart beast just a little faster. Join us if you dare. Stories by: Stuart Conover, Eric I. Dean, DJ Tyrer, Della West, Claire C. Riley, Herika R. Raymer, Frank J. Edler, Julianne Snow, A. Lopez, Jr., Armand Rosamilia, Eli Constant, P. David Puffinburger, and Jay Seate
Download or read book GHOSTS OF THE PRAIRIE written by Troy Taylor and published by Whitechapel Productions. This book was released on 2016-09-05 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ghost Stories, Hauntings and Tales of the Unexplained from the fields, forests, farms, cities and small towns that are found on the windswept prairie of Central Illinois.
Download or read book Paranormal Illinois written by Michael Kleen and published by Schiffer Publishing. This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why did hundreds of people line up, in the winter of 1980, bumper to bumper in rural Illinois, to catch a glimpse of a scantily clad phantom along Kennedy Hill Road? Did you know that a ghost of a homicidal mother still haunts the road near her former home? What is the real history behind Independence Grove and Devil's Gate? When these questions and more are answered, you will never look at the history of Illinois the same way. This painstakingly researched book leaves no ghost unturned.
Download or read book The Big Book of Illinois Ghost Stories written by Troy Taylor and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-07-17 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Prairie State Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Troy Taylor shines a light in the dark corners of Illinois and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From a gallows tree in Greene County where an apparition can still be seen hanging, to the lingering spirits of warring mobsters at the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, these stories of strange occurrences will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.
Download or read book Real Monsters Gruesome Critters and Beasts from the Darkside written by Brad Steiger and published by Visible Ink Press. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over 250 of the most bloodcurdling and bone-chillingly fascinating and true monster stories. Not recommended for reading just before bedtime! Monsters have been spotted everywhere, not just slithering under a child’s bed or lurking in the closet. Paranormal researcher extraordinaire Brad Steiger, an author of thousands of books and articles on the mysterious and unknown, collects some of the scariest, most unbelievable but true monster stories in his latest collection, Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters and Beasts from the Darkside. From slightly demented humans to spine-tingling paranormal encounters, each outlandish occurrence is detailed with thorough research and recounted with a storyteller’s crafted voice. This bold telling of verified monster sightings taken from historical records and first-person accounts features: The British scientists’ discovery of a tuft of hair in the Himalayan mountains containing DNA that cannot be matched with any known animal—the most convincing proof yet that Yetis are real; The “Mothman” sighted in West Virginia that some believe to be a harbinger of death; The monstrous creature, complete with horns and tail, that still lurks in the shadows of the Big Easy; The expectant mother examined by the strange praying-mantis entities aboard a UFO; and The couple walking near a lake in British Columbia, Canada, astonished to see a reptilian humanoid emerging from the lake's depths; UFO abductors seeking to create human-alien hybrids; Lake monsters, lizardmen, and creepy mermaids troll the waters for prey; Dinosaurs terrorize the jungles; Yeti and Bigfoot leave clues that they live in the mountains; Big cats, black dogs, and giant snakes prowl neighborhoods; And many, many more hair-raising stories! Highlighting news articles, historical accounts, and first-person interviews, this chronicle of human interactions with monsters will convince even the most hardened skeptic of the existence of the bogeyman, Bigfoot, shadow people, devils, mutant animals, swamp creatures, and all kinds of heinous beasts. Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters and Beasts from the Darkside will leave you constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering about the things that go bump and howl and screech in the night.
Download or read book Haunted Naperville written by Diane A. Ladley and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2009 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Established in 1831, Naperville is one of the oldest settlements in the Greater Chicago area. The city's rich and fascinating heritage has been carefully passed down from one proud generation to the next; however, nowhere has Naperville's ghostly oral tradition and haunted history been preserved until now. Most of Naperville's unique legends--compiled for the fi rst time ever in these pages--arose from accounts of actual historic events and from the lives of notable personages in the city's long history. As the tragic events and persons faded from living memory, all that might remain of them would be ghost stories whispered by fi relight and, later, by fl ashlight tucked under a teenager's chin at slumber parties. Some eerie legends in these pages have origins that are lost in time, and still other hair-raising ghost stories included in this work are chilling contemporary, firsthand accounts of paranormal encounters within Naperville's sprawling boundaries . . . perhaps from even just down the street.
Download or read book Alchemy of Bones written by Robert Loerzel and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2024-03-18 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On May 1, 1897, Louise Luetgert disappeared. Although no body was found, Chicago police arrested her husband, Adolph, the owner of a large sausage factory, and charged him with murder. The eyes of the world were still on Chicago following the success of the World's Columbian Exposition, and the Luetgert case, with its missing victim, once-prosperous suspect, and all manner of gruesome theories regarding the disposal of the corpse, turned into one of the first media-fueled celebrity trials in American history. Newspapers fought one another for scoops, people across the country claimed to have seen the missing woman alive, and each new clue led to fresh rounds of speculation about the crime. Meanwhile, sausage sales plummeted nationwide as rumors circulated that Luetgert had destroyed his wife's body in one of his factory's meat grinders. Weaving in strange-but-true subplots involving hypnotists, palmreaders, English con artists, bullied witnesses, and insane-asylum bodysnatchers, Alchemy of Bones is more than just a true crime narrative; it is a grand, sprawling portrait of 1890s Chicago--and a nation--getting an early taste of the dark, chaotic twentieth century.
Download or read book Weird Illinois written by Troy Taylor and published by Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.. This book was released on 2005 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores bizarre sights and stories found in Illinois.
