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A TRUNK THAT HOLDS THE SECRETS
OF AN UNLIKELY KILLER...
I FOUND THE INTERIOR SPLATTERED WITH BLOOD.
A COLLECTION OF MYSTERIOUS ROCKS
THAT MAY BE PROOF OF AN ALIEN INTELLIGENCE...
PEOPLE AREN'T MAKING THIS STUFF UP. THEY'RE SEEING IT.
AND A CURIOUS ORB THAT TELLS OF THE RISE AND FALL
OF A BIZARRE CULT.
EVERYONE THINKS THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE NUTS.
I'M DON WILDMAN.
(Don) JOIN ME ON A JOURNEY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
AS WE GO DEEP INTO THE VAULTS
OF THE NATION'S MOST REVERED INSTITUTIONS,
UNEARTHING WONDROUS TREASURES FROM THE PAST,
EXTRAORDINARY ARTIFACTS,
AND BIZARRE RELICS,
EACH WITH A SHOCKING STORY TO TELL
AND A SECRET TO BE REVEALED.
(animal roars)
THESE ARE THE MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM.
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Captions by VITAC.
STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, IS LOCATED
AMIDST MILES OF INLAND WATERWAYS,
DEEP CHANNELS, AND RIVERS
WHICH LONG AGO MADE IT A CENTER OF SHIPPING AND INDUSTRY.
AND HERE IN THIS PORT CITY IS ONE INSTITUTION
THAT CELEBRATES THE REGION'S ROLE
IN THE AMERICAN STORY,
THE HAGGIN MUSEUM.
FOUNDED IN 1928,
IT BOASTS STUNNING OIL PAINTINGS
OF THE YOSEMITE VALLEY BY ALBERT BIERSTADT,
THE NATION'S FIRST CATERPILLAR TRACTOR,
AND A COLLECTION OF ARTIFACTS
FROM THE TOWN'S EARLIEST DAYS AS A FRONTIER OUTPOST.
BUT THERE IS ONE RELIC ON DISPLAY
THAT TELLS ONE OF STOCKTON'S DARKEST TALES.
IT IS 3 FEET LONG,
1 1/2 FEET WIDE, AND 2 FEET TALL.
IT IS MADE OF WOOD, HAS METAL CORNERS,
CLASPS, AND BUCKLES.
DESPITE THIS ORDINARY EXTERIOR,
IT'S WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE OF THIS TRUNK
THAT FIRST SHOCKED CURATOR TOD RUHSTALLER.
WHEN I OPENED IT UP,
I FOUND THE INTERIOR SPLATTERED WITH...
BLOOD.
THIS ARTIFACT WAS ONCE AT THE CENTER
OF A GRUESOME CASE OF LOVE AND BETRAYAL
THAT SCANDALIZED STOCKTON OVER 100 YEARS AGO.
WHAT HORRIFIC CRIME
DID THIS TRUNK CONCEAL?
MARCH 24, 1906,
STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA--
AFTER FINDING A TRUNK WITH NO DESTINATION TAGS,
PORTERS AT THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAIL DEPOT
TOSSED THE LUGGAGE ASIDE
HOURS LATER, IT BEGINS TO ATTRACT ATTENTION.
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC PERSONNEL
COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE
THAT THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT SMELL
EMANATING FROM THE TRUNK.
WHEN A POLICE OFFICER PRIES IT OPEN,
THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR IS REVEALED.
HE WAS RATHER SHOCKED TO SEE...
THE SHOELESS FEET OF A CORPSE.
THE TRUNK'S LINING AND THE MALE CORPSE
ARE COVERED IN BLOOD,
AND POLICE BEGIN TO SPECULATE
ABOUT THIS GRUESOME DISCOVERY.
THEY HAD INITIALLY POSTULATED
THAT HE HAD BEEN BLUDGEONED TO DEATH.
INVESTIGATORS ARE ABLE TO TRACK DOWN
THE DELIVERYMAN WHO BROUGHT THE TRUNK
TO THE RAILROAD STATION,
AND HE TELLS THEM THAT HE PICKED IT UP
AT A NEARBY HOTEL.
WHEN THE HOTEL'S LANDLADY SEES THE BODY,
SHE IDENTIFIES THE VICTIM AS A FORMER GUEST AT HER HOTEL
NAMED ALBERT N. McVICAR.
AND SHE EXPLAINS THAT McVICAR STAYED AT HER HOTEL
WITH A WOMAN WHO SHE BELIEVED WAS HIS WIFE.
POLICE THEN INSPECTED THE ROOM WHERE THE COUPLE HAD STAYED.
THEY FOUND NO BLOOD, NO SIGNS OF STRUGGLE.
THEY DID FIND PHOTOGRAPHS
OF THE WOMAN AS WELL AS THE DECEASED.
POLICE WIRE A DESCRIPTION OF THE WOMAN
TO EVERY TOWN BETWEEN STOCKTON AND SAN FRANCISCO.
AND DAYS LATER, AN OFFICER IN ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA,
STOPS SOMEONE WHO MATCHES THE DESCRIPTION.
THE OFFICER ASKED HER IF SHE WAS MRS. McVICAR,
AND SHE RATHER INDIGNANTLY REPLIED,
"NO, MY NAME IS LE DOUX, EMMA LE DOUX."
UNDER QUESTIONING, EMMA LE DOUX ASSERTS
THAT SHE DID NOT COMMIT THE CRIME,
BUT ADMITS TO SPENDING THE NIGHT WITH ALBERT McVICAR,
WHO SHE SAYS WAS HER EX-HUSBAND.
THE PRESS FEEDS OFF OF THE SALACIOUS STORY...
AND QUICKLY CONVICTS EMMA
IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION.
AS INVESTIGATORS DIVE INTO THIS LURID CASE,
THEY UNCOVER MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE WOMAN AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL.
EMMA UNFORTUNATELY HAD A RATHER SORDID PAST.
EMMA AND McVICAR
WERE INDEED ONCE HUSBAND AND WIFE,
BUT SHE HAD FILED FOR DIVORCE
TWO YEARS BEFORE HIS ***.
INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER
THAT SHE HAD THEN BEGUN A RELATIONSHIP
WITH A MAN NAMED EUGENE LE DOUX,
WHO SHE MARRIED THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
BUT THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM.
EMMA'S DIVORCE FROM ALBERT McVICAR
WAS NEVER FINALIZED.
SOME SPECULATE THAT HE THREATENED
TO EXPOSE EMMA AS A BIGAMIST.
INVESTIGATORS PIECE TOGETHER A THEORY
THAT SHE ENTICED HER ESTRANGED HUSBAND TO STOCKTON
IN ORDER TO GET HIM OUT OF THE PICTURE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
BUT THE UNASSUMING EMMA LE DOUX
CLAIMS THAT THERE WAS NO WAY SHE COULD HAVE BLUDGEONED
THE 6'1" McVICAR TO DEATH.
PHYSICALLY, SHE WAS ABOUT 5'3",
WEIGHED ABOUT 110 POUNDS.
SO COULD THIS PETITE WOMAN
REALLY HAVE COMMITTED SUCH A BRUTAL CRIME?
IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS,
INVESTIGATORS ORDER AN AUTOPSY
ON THE BODY OF ALBERT N. McVICAR,
AND THE TOXICOLOGY REPORT
PRODUCES A SUSPICIOUS FINDING.
IT WAS DETERMINED THAT HE DIED
FROM THE COMBINED EFFECTS
OF CHLORAL HYDRATE AND MORPHINE
IN QUANTITIES THAT COULD KILL HIM
FIVE, TEN TIMES OVER.
THAT WOULD EXPLAIN HOW EMMA LE DOUX
COULD HAVE TAKEN DOWN THE IMPOSING McVICAR.
ONCE McVICAR WAS UNCONSCIOUS
ON THE BED,
EMMA ROLLED McVICAR'S HEAD
INTO THE TRUNK
AND THEN LIFTED THE LEGS
AND CRAMMED THEM DOWN.
BUT ONE THING CONTINUES TO VEX INVESTIGATORS.
WHY WAS THERE SO MUCH BLOOD INSIDE THE TRUNK
IF NONE WAS FOUND IN THE HOTEL ROOM
WHERE HE WAS MURDERED?
FURTHER STUDY OF THE VICTIM'S BODY
REVEALS THE ANSWER.
McVICAR WAS NOT DEAD WHEN HE WAS PLACED IN THE TRUNK.
HOURS LATER,
THE POISON STOPPED McVICAR'S HEART.
BUT WHEN THE TRUNK REACHED THE STATION,
RIGOR MORTIS HAD NOT YET SET IN.
DURING THE KICKING OF THE TRUNK
ONTO THE PLATFORM,
HE SUFFERED INJURIES, CAUSING HIS NOSE TO BLEED,
AND THAT LED TO THE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF BLOOD
THAT WERE DISCOVERED.
IN 1906,
A JURY FINDS EMMA LE DOUX GUILTY
OF THE *** OF ALBERT McVICAR.
SHE IS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON.
AND TODAY,
OVER 100 YEARS LATER,
THIS BLOODSTAINED TRUNK IS ON DISPLAY
AT THE HAGGIN MUSEUM IN STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA,
STILL BEARING THE SHOCKING EVIDENCE
OF ONE UNLIKELY WOMAN'S DEVIOUS CRIME.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA--
IN THIS GLITZY METROPOLIS
FAMOUS FOR CASINOS AND SHOWGIRLS
IS A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO EXPLORING
AMERICA'S EXPLOSIVE PAST,
THE NATIONAL ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM.
ON PROMINENT DISPLAY
IS A B53 NUCLEAR BOMB,
A REACTOR FROM THE MARS ROVER PROGRAM,
AND PART OF A RADIATION TESTING TOWER.
BUT PERHAPS THE MOST UNUSUAL RELIC HERE
HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ATOMIC DESTRUCTION.
THESE ARTIFACTS LOOK LIKE CHUNKS OF COAL.
NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY TO LOOK AT
UNLESS YOU LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF IT.
AS RENOWNED JOURNALIST GEORGE KNAPP CAN ATTEST,
SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THEY HAIL FROM SOMEWHERE
LITERALLY OUT OF THIS WORLD.
THERE'S A GENUINE MYSTERY AT WORK HERE.
SO WHAT ARE THESE CURIOUS OBJECTS?
AND HOW DO THEY DEFY
ALL EARTHLY EXPLANATION?
JANUARY 29, 1986,
DALNEGORSK, RUSSIA--
IT'S A TYPICAL WINTER'S DAY IN THIS REMOTE MINING TOWN
ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTRY.
BUT SHORTLY AFTER NIGHTFALL,
RESIDENTS NOTICE SOMETHING
UNLIKE ANYTHING THEY'VE EVER SEEN.
HUNDREDS OF WITNESSES
SAW THIS RED GLOWING SPHERE
COME OUT OF THE SKY,
FLYING PARALLEL TO THE EARTH.
AND, UH, IT WAS FLYING RELATIVELY SLOW.
PEOPLE WATCH IN AMAZEMENT
AS THE MYSTERIOUS OBJECT
FOLLOWS AN ERRATIC FLIGHT PATTERN.
IT DROPS. THEN IT RISES.
THEN IT DROPS AGAIN AND RISES.
MOMENTS LATER IT LOSES ALTITUDE
AND APPEARS TO CRASH INTO A NEARBY MOUNTAIN,
PRODUCING A SEA OF FLAMES.
WITNESSES SAY IT'S AN INTENSE HEAT.
IT BURNS SOIL, ROCK, TREES, EVERYTHING.
THEY CAN SEE THE FIRE FROM MILES AWAY.
THEN RESIDENTS NOTICE
SOMETHING EVEN STRANGER.
THEY SEE THESE YELLOW ORBS,
MUCH LIKE THE RED ONE THAT CRASHED,
FLYING AROUND IN THE VICINITY OF THE HILL,
FLASHING BEAMS OF LIGHT
DOWN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE--OF THE GROUND,
AS IF THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING.
MOMENTS LATER, THE UNUSUAL YELLOW ORBS
DISAPPEAR INTO THIN AIR,
AND IT SEEMS
AS THOUGH THE EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT IS OVER.
RESIDENTS ARE BEWILDERED BY THE BIZARRE EVENTS,
LEAVING MANY TO ASK
WHAT EXACTLY DID FLY INTO THE MOUNTAIN?
THE PRESENCE OF A NEARBY AIR FORCE BASE
LEADS SOME TO BELIEVE
THAT A MILITARY AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.
BUT AVIATION REPORTS SUGGEST OTHERWISE.
THERE HAD BEEN NO FLIGHTS OF ANY KIND
IN THAT TIME PERIOD THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THIS
AS BEING SOME CONVENTIONAL CRAFT.
THAT EXPLANATION DOES NOT FLY.
OTHERS THINK THAT THE OBJECT'S UNCONVENTIONAL FLIGHT PATH
OFFERS A CLUE TO ITS ORIGINS.
THERE ARE MANY IN THE U.F.O. FIELD
WHO SAID THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN ALIEN SPACECRAFT.
IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE EVENT,
SOVIET GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IDENTIFY THE SITE OF THE IMPACT
AND CORDON OFF THE AREA.
THEY CONCLUDE THAT THE CRASHED OBJECT HAS BEEN DESTROYED,
AND NEARLY ALL THAT REMAINS
ARE SMALL FRAGMENTS ON THE GROUND,
LIKE THESE SPECIMENS ON DISPLAY
AT THE NATIONAL ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM.
SO WHAT ARE THESE TRACES OF DEBRIS?
COULD THEY BE OBJECTS
FROM ANOTHER WORLD?
IN 1986,
RESIDENTS OF DALNEGORSK, RUSSIA,
WITNESS SOMETHING TRULY BIZARRE--
A FLYING RED SPHERE THAT CRASHES INTO A MOUNTAIN.
WHEN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS RACE TO THE SCENE,
NEARLY ALL THAT REMAINS
ARE SOME SCATTERED PIECES OF DEBRIS.
BUT COULD THESE SMALL, ROCKLIKE OBJECTS
BE EVIDENCE OF AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL CRAFT?
IN A QUEST FOR ANSWERS,
RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS CONDUCT A BATTERY OF TESTS
ON THE MYSTERIOUS MATERIAL.
AFTER EXAMINING THE OBJECTS' PHYSICAL PROPERTIES,
THEY DISCOVER
THAT THESE SEEMINGLY ORDINARY PIECES OF RUBBLE
ARE NOT NATURAL.
IN FACT, THEY ARE CHUNKS OF SYNTHETIC METAL.
IT WAS A TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT.
IT WAS CREATED THROUGH AN INDUSTRIAL PROCESS.
BUT A CLOSER EXAMINATION OFFERS LITTLE INSIGHT
INTO EXACTLY HOW THEY WERE MADE.
WHEN YOU USE HIGH HEAT IN AN INDUSTRIAL PROCESS,
THERE'S SULFUR. THERE'S PHOSPHOROUS.
THERE'S NONE OF THAT THERE,
SO THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS USED TO HEAT THEM.
AND WHEN RESEARCHERS DELVE DEEPER,
NOTHING CAN PREPARE THEM
FOR WHAT UNFOLDS RIGHT BEFORE THEIR EYES.
THEY DO SOME TESTS IN THESE CLOUD CHAMBERS,
WHICH ALLOW THEM TO ANALYZE
THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE MATERIAL
AND THEY FOUND THAT WHEN THEY HEATED IT UP,
SOME OF THE ELEMENTS DISAPPEARED ENTIRELY,
AND THEN NEW ELEMENTS SOMEHOW GOT IN.
AND THEY WERE COMPLETELY MYSTIFIED.
SCIENTISTS REACH A SHOCKING THEORY.
THE TECHNOLOGY USED TO PRODUCE THESE MATERIALS
DOES NOT EXIST ON EARTH.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS,
AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT WAS MADE.
NATURALLY, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SPECULATED
THIS IS OF ALIEN ORIGIN.
SOME BELIEVE THAT THESE ARTIFACTS OFFER PROOF
THAT WHAT RESIDENTS SAW CRASH INTO THE MOUNTAIN
WAS IN FACT AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL SPACECRAFT.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD
THROUGHOUT RECORDED HISTORY
HAVE BEEN SEEING THESE WEIRD THINGS IN THE SKY.
PEOPLE AREN'T MAKING THIS STUFF UP.
THEY'RE SEEING IT.
AND THESE PIECES ON DISPLAY
AT THE NATIONAL ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM IN LAS VEGAS
WILL FOREVER REMIND US
OF ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS U.F.O. SIGHTINGS IN HISTORY.
CONEY ISLAND--
THIS SEASIDE RETREAT
ON THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,
HAS FOR GENERATIONS ATTRACTED GOTHAM RESIDENTS
WITH A TASTE FOR THE BIZARRE AND A THIRST FOR ADVENTURE.
AND HERE, BENEATH THE SHADOWS
OF THE ICONIC WONDER WHEEL
IS A SMALL STOREFRONT MUSEUM
WHERE VINTAGE POSTERS AND EARLY AMUSEMENT RIDES
BRING THE UNIQUE HISTORY
OF AMERICA'S PLAYGROUND TO LIFE.
BUT ACCORDING TO DIRECTOR CHARLES DENSON,
ONE SEEMINGLY COMMON PIECE OF JEWELRY
TUCKED AWAY IN A GLASS CASE
TELLS THIS ECLECTIC COMMUNITY'S
MOST UNUSUAL AND INCREDIBLE STORY.
IT'S PINK AND WHITE PEARLS ON A GOLD CHAIN,
AND IT SPELLS THE NAME "CAROL."
SO HOW IS THIS ITEM LINKED
TO A CONTROVERSIAL ATTRACTION THAT FOREVER CHANGED
THE LANDSCAPE OF MODERN MEDICINE.
IT'S THE EARLY 1900s.
THE FIELD OF MEDICINE IS QUICKLY EVOLVING.
GREATER SPECIALIZATION
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE X-RAY MACHINE
ARE HELPING TO ENSURE MORE EFFICIENT PATIENT CARE.
BUT DESPITE THESE ADVANCES,
THERE IS ONE MALADY THAT CONTINUES TO PLAGUE
THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN FAMILIES--
PREMATURE BIRTH.
A LOT OF DOCTORS DIDN'T THINK PREMATURE BABIES
WOULD DEVELOP INTO NORMAL HUMAN BEINGS.
AND THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS WORTH THE EFFORT
TO TRY TO SAVE THEM.
BUT ONE AMBITIOUS DOCTOR
THINKS THAT THE LIVES OF THESE FRAGILE NEWBORNS
CAN BE SPARED
AND IS WILLING TO RISK HIS REPUTATION AND CAREER
TO PROVE IT.
IT'S 1903.
DR. MARTIN COUNEY IS A 33-YEAR-OLD PEDIATRICIAN
LIVING IN NEW YORK.
HIS PRIMARY INTEREST LIES IN PROMOTING
A STRANGE NEW INVENTION DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN
A STERILE ENVIRONMENT FOR BABIES BORN PREMATURELY.
THE DEVICE IS CALLED AN INCUBATOR.
IT HAD VENTILATOR TUBES.
IT HAD PULLED-IN PURIFIED AIR.
IT HAD TUBES WITH HEATED WATER
THAT KEPT THEM AT THE PROPER TEMPERATURE.
BUT DESPITE A SERIES OF SUCCESSFUL TRIALS,
COUNEY FINDS THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY
HESITANT TO ACCEPT THIS NASCENT PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY.
IT SEEMED EXPERIMENTAL AT THE TIME.
WHAT THE DOCTOR NEEDS IS A WAY TO SELL THE MERITS
OF THIS NEW MEDICAL DEVICE TO THE WORLD.
AND HE GETS THAT CHANCE
WHEN A NEW YORK SHOWMAN NAMED FREDERIC THOMPSON
APPROACHES HIM WITH AN UNUSUAL OFFER.
THOMPSON WANTS TO SET UP A BABY INCUBATOR SIDESHOW
AT HIS NEW CONEY ISLAND AMUSEMENT CENTER
CALLED LUNA PARK.
FRED THOMPSON THOUGHT THAT THE BABY INCUBATORS
WOULD BE AN INCREDIBLE ATTRACTION FOR CONEY ISLAND.
BUT A THEME PARK
SEEMS LIKE AN UNORTHODOX ENVIRONMENT
IN WHICH TO DISPLAY SICK CHILDREN.
CONEY ISLAND HAD SIAMESE TWINS.
THERE WERE A LOT OF UNUSUAL PEOPLE,
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE FELT THE SIDESHOWS
WERE EXPLOITIVE.
BUT CONEY ISLAND DOES OFFER THE PHYSICIAN
SOMETHING CRITICALLY IMPORTANT--
THOUSANDS OF DAILY VISITORS.
COUNEY'S ULTIMATE GOAL
WAS TO SAVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN
AND TO GET ACCEPTANCE FOR THE INCUBATOR,
TO HAVE IT PUT IN HOSPITALS.
CONEY ISLAND WAS THE SHOWPLACE OF THE WORLD,
AND HE REALIZED THAT THAT'S WHERE HE WOULD GET
THE MOST EXPOSURE.
DETERMINED TO PROVE THE INCUBATOR'S WORTH,
COUNEY SEIZES ON THOMPSON'S PROPOSAL.
BUT WILL THE DOCTOR BE ABLE
TO CONVINCE THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY
THAT HIS TREATMENT IS LEGITIMATE
AMIDST THE BIZARRE SPECTACLES
THAT INHABIT CONEY ISLAND?
THAT SUMMER ON LUNA PARK'S BUSTLING MIDWAY
THE BABY INCUBATOR EXHIBIT
OPENS ITS DOORS.
VISITORS ARE CHARGED AN ENTRANCE FEE OF 25 CENTS
TO MARVEL AT THE IMPOSSIBLY SMALL BODIES
INSIDE THE MACHINES.
IT WAS AWE-INSPIRING WHERE PEOPLE COULD COME IN
AND SEE THIS HUMAN LIFE BEING SAVED.
BUT COUNEY'S UNUSUAL ATTRACTION
IS NOT WITHOUT ITS DETRACTORS.
JUST MONTHS AFTER THE SIDESHOW'S GRAND OPENING,
THE BROOKLYN SOCIETY
FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN
LAUNCHES AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION
INTO THE DOCTOR'S PRACTICES.
THEY FELT THAT THE CHILDREN WERE BEING EXPLOITED.
THEY WANTED TO SHUT DOWN HIS EXHIBIT.
WITH THE FUTURE OF NEW YORK'S FORGOTTEN CHILDREN
HANGING IN THE BALANCE,
WILL DR. COUNEY'S CONEY ISLAND SIDESHOW
BE CLOSED?
IT'S 1903.
DR. MARTIN COUNEY IS BEING INVESTIGATED
BY A CHILD WELFARE ORGANIZATION
OVER HIS CONTROVERSIAL CONEY ISLAND SIDESHOW.
THIS REMARKABLE EXHIBIT
DISPLAYS LIVING PREMATURE BABIES
INSIDE A RECENT INVENTION-- AN INCUBATOR.
CRITICS SAY HE'S EXPLOITING HELPLESS YOUNG INFANTS.
THE DOCTOR SAYS HE'S SAVING LIVES.
SO WILL THIS UNCONVENTIONAL ATTRACTION
BE SHUT DOWN?
IN THE FACE OF THE ALLEGATIONS,
DR. COUNEY DEFENDS HIS OPERATION--
NOT AS A SENSATIONAL SIDESHOW,
BUT AS A FREE, UNORTHODOX HOSPITAL.
THE PARENTS NEVER HAD TO PAY A FEE.
THE ENTIRE EXHIBIT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE ADMISSION PRICE.
BUT PERHAPS COUNEY'S BEST DEFENSE
IS HIS ABILITY TO SAVE THE LIVES
OF OTHERWISE HOPELESS INFANTS.
THE WAY HE WOULD FIGHT THIS
IS TO SAY, "WHAT CHOICE DO THEY HAVE?
EITHER THEY COME TO MY EXHIBIT, OR THEY DIE."
THE COMMUNITY RALLIES BEHIND THE HERO DOCTOR,
AND THE BROOKLYN SOCIETY
FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN
DROPS ITS INVESTIGATION.
OVER THE NEXT FOUR DECADES,
DR. COUNEY'S INCUBATOR EXPO FLOURISHES,
BECOMING CONEY ISLAND'S LONGEST-RUNNING EXHIBIT.
HE'S CREDITED WITH SAVING
OVER 6,000 LIVES,
BABIES THAT WOULDN'T HAVE SURVIVED
IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR HIS EXHIBIT.
ONE CHILD HE RESCUED IS CAROL-ANNE BOYCE HEINISCH,
WHO, LIKE ALL BABIES UNDER COUNEY'S CARE,
RECEIVED AN IDENTIFICATION NECKLACE
WHEN SHE ENTERED THE INCUBATOR IN 1942.
AND IT'S NOW ENCASED
AT THE CONEY ISLAND HISTORY PROJECT.
AND AFTER 40 YEARS OF BABY-SAVING SHOWMANSHIP,
THE LARGER MEDICAL COMMUNITY FINALLY ACCEPTS
THE AUDACIOUS DOCTOR'S PIONEERING WORK.
WITH BABY INCUBATORS IMPLEMENTED
INTO HOSPITALS WORLDWIDE,
COUNEY PROMPTLY SHUTS DOWN HIS SIDESHOWS.
AND TODAY,
THIS TINY CHAIN COMMEMORATES
THE UNORTHODOX PRACTICES
AND GROUNDBREAKING WORK OF A MEDICAL MAVERICK
THAT PROVIDED A FUTURE
FOR THE WORLD'S TINIEST MIRACLES.
FLORIDA'S WEST COAST IS KNOWN
FOR ITS SPECTACULAR GOLF COURSES,
WARM WATERS,
AND PRISTINE SANDS.
BUT JUST 15 MILES
FROM THE BEACH TOWN OF FORT MYERS
IS A VERY DIFFERENT TOURIST ATTRACTION.
THIS COLLECTION OF LONG-ABANDONED HOUSES
AND RAMBLING GARDENS
IS CALLED THE KORESHAN STATE HISTORIC SITE.
AND IN ONE OF THESE WOODEN-FRAMED BUILDINGS
KNOWN AS THE ARTS HALL,
THE HISTORY OF THIS MYSTERIOUS PLACE IS ON DISPLAY.
HERE, AMONG THE VINTAGE ORNAMENTS
AND OLD-TIME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS,
IS A CURIOUS ARTIFACT
THAT, ACCORDING TO AUTHOR GARY JANSEN,
TELLS THE TALE OF A BIZARRE COMMUNITY
THAT ONCE LIVED HERE
BUT TODAY IS LONG GONE.
THE ARTIFACT IS 2 1/2 FEET TALL BY 3 FEET WIDE,
MADE OF LACQUERED WOOD WITH BRASS FITTINGS.
AND THERE IS MORE TO THIS ODD-LOOKING ORB
THAN INITIALLY MEETS THE EYE.
THEN YOU NOTICE THE SPHERE OPENS UP.
AND ON THE INSIDE OF THE SPHERE
IS A VERY FAMILIAR DESIGN.
SO WHAT IS THIS INTRIGUING ARTIFACT?
AND WHAT ROLE DID IT PLAY IN THE RISE AND FALL
OF A BIZARRE RELIGIOUS CULT?
IT'S THE MID-1860s,
AND THE WORLD IS IN THE THROES OF A SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTRICITY
HAVE GIVEN RISE TO A HOST OF NEW IDEAS
ABOUT THE NATURAL FORCES THAT GOVERN THE WORLD.
AND ONE MAN IMMERSED IN THESE THEORIES
IS AN AMBITIOUS PHYSICIAN NAMED CYRUS TEED.
IN 1869,
TEED IS IN HIS LABORATORY
IN UPSTATE NEW YORK,
INVESTIGATING THE POSSIBLE HEALING EFFECTS
OF ELECTRICITY ON THE HUMAN BODY
WHEN HE ACHIEVES
AN UTTERLY UNEXPECTED RESULT.
TEED ACCIDENTALLY ELECTROCUTES HIMSELF.
AND HE WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS.
HE HAS WHAT WE WOULD CALL TODAY A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE.
WHEN HE COMES TO, HE CLAIMS TO HAVE HAD
AN EXTRAORDINARY DREAM.
CYRUS TEED HAD A VISION OF GOD
IN THE FORM OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.
AND SHE BESTOWED UPON HIM
THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE.
TEED CLAIMS THAT THE MYSTERIOUS DEITY
TOLD HIM THAT THE PLANET EARTH
IS ACTUALLY A HOLLOW SPHERE,
THAT THE GROUND WE LIVE ON
IS IN FACT ON THE INSIDE OF THAT SPHERE
AND THAT THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS
ARE CONTAINED WITHIN ANOTHER ORB
THAT INHABITS THIS HOLLOW EARTH.
THE STRANGE-LOOKING ORB
THAT NOW SITS IN THE ART HALL
AT THE KORESHAN STATE HISTORIC SITE
WAS INSPIRED BY TEED'S VISION
AND IS A PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION
OF THIS MIND-BENDING VIEW OF THE WORLD.
WHEN YOU OPENED IT, THE CONTINENTS AND THE OCEAN
WERE ON THE INSIDE WALLS OF THIS GLOBE,
AND IN THE MIDDLE WAS A MUCH SMALLER BALL
WHICH COMPRISED STARS, THE SUN,
AND THE MOON.
BUT THIS ISN'T ALL THAT TEED CONCLUDES
FROM THE FEMALE GOD'S APPEARANCE.
TEED IS NOW CONVINCED
THAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
THE SECRET TO PURITY IS CELIBACY.
AND HIS MISSION IS TO ESTABLISH A NEW SOCIETY
BASED ON THESE PRINCIPLES.
THE GODDESS ALSO TOLD HIM-- AND THIS WAS THE ZINGER--
THAT HE WAS THE NEW MESSIAH.
SHE ALSO EXPLAINS
THAT HE HAS BEEN GRANTED THE GIFT OF IMMORTALITY.
TEED WASTES NO TIME
DOING HIS NEW MISTRESS'S BIDDING.
TEED TAKES A NEW NAME, "KORESH,"
WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE HEBREW WORD FOR HIS OWN NAME, "CYRUS,"
BUT MEANS "THE ANOINTED ONE."
AND NAMING THESE NEW BELIEFS KORESHANITY,
TEED IS SURPRISINGLY QUICK TO GAIN A LARGE FOLLOWING.
PEOPLE DESCRIBED HIM AS HAVING A VOICE
THAT COULD MOTIVATE PEOPLE
TO DO THINGS YOU WOULD NEVER EXPECT THEM TO DO.
IN 1893,
WITH A CONGREGATION OF FOLLOWERS ESTABLISHED,
TEED IDENTIFIES A TRACT OF LAND IN FLORIDA
AS THE PERFECT PLACE TO SET UP A UTOPIAN COMMUNITY.
BUT FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN THIS NEW SOCIETY,
THERE ARE STRICT RULES TO ABIDE BY.
IN ORDER TO JOIN KORESH'S COMMUNITY,
A PERSON HAD TO SIGN OVER ALL THEIR WORLDLY GOODS TO HIM.
AND FOR ALL MEN AND WOMEN, INCLUDING MARRIED COUPLES,
INTIMACY IS FORBIDDEN.
BUT IN SPITE OF THESE STRICTURES,
TEED HAS NO SHORTAGE OF WOULD-BE CONVERTS
AND BY 1906 HAS AMASSED A SMALL FORTUNE.
BUT HIS OWN RUTHLESS AMBITION
IS ABOUT TO TRIGGER A DOWNWARD SPIRAL
THAT WILL BRING HIS HOLLOW EARTH CULT
TO ITS KNEES.
IT'S THE EARLY 1900s IN ESTERO, FLORIDA.
A CHARISMATIC PREACHER NAMED CYRUS TEED
BELIEVES THAT THE EARTH IS HOLLOW
AND THAT HUMANS LIVE INSIDE THE SPHERE.
HE'S EVEN MANAGED TO CONVINCE HUNDREDS OF HIS FOLLOWERS
THAT HIS THEORIES ARE REAL.
BUT HIS OWN DESIRE FOR WEALTH AND POWER
IS ABOUT TO GET THE BEST OF HIM.
IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID PAYING LOCAL TAXES,
TEED EMBARKS ON A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN
TO BECOME INDEPENDENT
FROM NEARBY FORT MYERS.
AND THAT DOES NOT PLAY WELL WITH RESIDENTS.
TENSIONS ARE RUNNING HIGH IN NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES,
BECAUSE EVERYONE THINKS THESE PEOPLE ARE NUTS.
AT A LOCAL POLITICAL MEETING, TENSIONS BOIL OVER,
AND TEED IS INJURED IN A BRAWL.
TEED IS BEATEN WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE.
ON DECEMBER 22, 1908,
AT THE AGE OF 69,
CYRUS TEED DIES FROM HIS INJURIES.
BUT HIS FOLLOWERS TRULY BELIEVE
IN TEED'S IMMORTALITY
AND EXPECT THEIR LEADER WILL COME BACK TO LIFE.
SO TEED'S BODY LAID THERE
FOR ALMOST A WEEK, DECAYING,
UNTIL A HEALTH INSPECTOR SAID THAT
YOU HAVE TO BURY THE BODY.
SO THEY QUICKLY CREATED A CONCRETE CRYPT,
PLACED HIM INSIDE, AND POSTED A GUARD TO WATCH OVER HIM.
BUT WHEN A TROPICAL HURRICANE HITS THE FLORIDA COAST,
TEED'S TOMB IS WASHED OUT TO SEA.
IN THE WAKE OF THE TRAGEDY,
SOME OF TEED'S FOLLOWERS LEAVE THE CULT.
FOR THOSE THAT REMAIN,
IT'S ONE OF THE CORE TEACHINGS OF KORESHANITY
THAT PROVES TO BE THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN--
CELIBACY.
WITHOUT ANY CHILDREN TO KEEP THEIR NUMBERS UP,
THE KORESHANS SLOWLY DWINDLED,
UNTIL THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT 4 LEFT AROUND 1960.
ALTHOUGH TEED'S DREAM
OF BUILDING A HEAVEN ON EARTH FELL APART,
THE UTOPIAN VILLAGE HE CREATED
STILL STANDS AT THE KORESHAN STATE HISTORIC SITE.
AND THE EMPTY HOLLOW EARTH GLOBE SERVES
AS A HAUNTING REMINDER OF THE RISE AND FALL
OF ONE OF THE NATION'S FIRST CULTS
AND THE MAN BEHIND IT.
WASHINGTON, D.C.--
AMERICA'S PROUD CAPITAL,
HOME OF GOVERNMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
WORKING TO PROTECT THE NATION.
AND IT'S ALSO HOME TO AN INSTITUTION
DEDICATED TO THE TRANSGRESSIVE ASPECTS
OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
THIS IS THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CRIME & PUNISHMENT.
HERE YOU CAN SEE BONNIE AND CLYDE'S GETAWAY CAR,
A MEDIEVAL EXECUTION DEVICE,
AND THE GUN OF JESSE JAMES.
BUT THERE'S ONE SMALL ARTIFACT HERE
THAT TELLS A SURPRISINGLY GRAND STORY.
THE ARTIFACT IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A FINGERTIP,
SILVER IN COLOR, AND IT'S MADE OF ZINC
AND SMALL TRACES OF NICKEL.
ACCORDING TO RETIRED DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF WYNDELL WATKINS,
THIS ITEM SPARKED ONE OF THE MOST HEATED DEBATES
OF THE GANGLAND ERA.
THIS HAS GOT TO BE
ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL BULLETS IN AMERICA.
SO HOW IS THIS SLUG
LINKED TO A LEGENDARY EVENT
THAT REMAINS SHROUDED IN MYSTERY?
IT'S 1933.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION IS IN FULL SWING,
AND IN THIS CRIPPLING ECONOMY,
SOME TURN TO CRIME TO MAKE ENDS MEET,
GIVING RISE TO A NEW GANGSTER ERA.
AND ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST NOTORIOUS OUTLAWS
IS BANK ROBBER AND ESCAPED CONVICT
FRANK NASH.
MISSOURI, JUNE 17th--
AFTER A 3-YEAR MANHUNT,
THE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION HAS FINALLY CAUGHT NASH
HIDING OUTSIDE STATE LINES
AND IS TRANSPORTING HIM BY TRAIN TO KANSAS CITY.
WHEN THEY REACH THE STATION,
A GROUP OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
ESCORT HIM TO A CAR.
BUT THEN OUT OF NOWHERE,
CHAOS STRIKES.
(machine gunfire)
THEY WERE SUDDENLY APPROACHED BY THREE GUNMEN,
AND THEN A ROUND OF GUNFIRE ERUPTED.
IT SEEMS THE ASSAILANTS ARE FELLOW GANGSTERS
ATTEMPTING TO FREE NASH.
BUT THE ESCAPE GOES HORRIBLY AWRY.
THE BLOODY SHOOTOUT KILLS THREE POLICE OFFICERS,
A FEDERAL AGENT,
AND FRANK NASH HIMSELF.
FOR CRIMINALS TO BE THAT BLATANT IN PUBLIC,
TO KILL FOUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
WAS JUST UNHEARD OF AT THE TIME.
IT WAS JUST BOLD AND BRAZEN.
THE STORY, COINED "THE KANSAS CITY MASSACRE,"
STUNS PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S A PUBLIC OUTCRY FOR SWIFT JUSTICE.
SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AND NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT AWAY.
AND NO ONE WANTS THE CASE SOLVED
MORE THAN J. EDGAR HOOVER.
THE HEAD OF THE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
HAS STAKED HIS CAREER
ON BRINGING DOWN THE NATION'S GANGLAND CRIMINALS.
HOOVER WAS OUTRAGED THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAPPEN
AND THAT HE LOST ONE OF HIS AGENTS.
HE PROMISES THE PUBLIC
THAT PERPETRATORS WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE,
AND LAUNCHES AN INVESTIGATION.
AND SOON THE BUREAU UNEARTHS A CRITICAL CLUE.
IT SEEMS ONE OF NASH'S FRIENDS,
CHARLES "PRETTY BOY" FLOYD,
WAS SPOTTED IN KANSAS CITY
ON THE VERY DAY OF THE MASSACRE.
CHARLES "PRETTY BOY" FLOYD WAS A LOT OF THINGS.
HE WAS A GANGSTER. HE WAS A BANK ROBBER.
AND HE WAS A KILLER.
TO J. EDGAR HOOVER,
FLOYD'S PRESENCE IN TOWN
COULD MEAN ONLY ONE THING--
HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BLOODY ATTEMPT
TO FREE FRANK NASH.
HOOVER FINGERS PRETTY BOY FLOYD AS HIS NUMBER ONE SUSPECT.
AN ARMY OF FEDERAL AGENTS
EMBARKS ON AN EXTENSIVE MANHUNT,
BUT THE ELUSIVE CRIMINAL
MANAGES TO STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE LAW.
THEY TRACKED PRETTY BOY FLOYD UP TO NEW YORK,
BACK DOWN TO OHIO, AND HE'D ALWAYS ELUDE 'EM.
HE WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR THE BUREAU.
FINALLY, AFTER A 16-MONTH-LONG SEARCH,
THE FEDS GET A BREAK.
A FARMER IN WESTVILLE, OHIO,
REPORTS THAT A MAN FITTING FLOYD'S DESCRIPTION
IS IN A BROKEN-DOWN CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
J. EDGAR HOOVER NOTIFIES HIS FIELD AGENTS
TO SCATTER AND SURROUND THAT AREA.
THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING HIM TO JUSTICE.
WILL THEY FINALLY NAB
THEIR NUMBER ONE SUSPECT?
IT'S 1934.
AFTER A 16-MONTH MANHUNT,
J. EDGAR HOOVER AND HIS BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
HAVE FINALLY TRACKED DOWN
THEIR MAIN SUSPECT IN THE KANSAS CITY MASSACRE,
THE ELUSIVE AND NOTORIOUS CHARLES "PRETTY BOY" FLOYD.
BUT WILL HOOVER AND HIS FEDS
FINALLY GET THEIR MAN?
ONE OFFICIAL SAW PRETTY BOY FLOYD
EXIT THE VEHICLE WITH A WEAPON.
WITH HIS ABILITY TO EVADE CAPTURE,
THEY KNEW IT COULD BE NOW OR NEVER.
AGENTS TAKE AIM AND FIRE...
(gunshots)
AND FLOYD IS STRUCK
WITH THIS BULLET NOW ON DISPLAY
AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CRIME & PUNISHMENT.
THE WOUNDED GANGSTER WRITHES IN PAIN
AND PLEADS HIS INNOCENCE.
HE USES HIS LAST BREATH TO DENY
THAT HE HAD ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THE KANSAS CITY MASSACRE.
WITH THEIR NUMBER ONE SUSPECT DEAD,
HOOVER DEEMS THE MISSION A SUCCESS.
J. EDGAR HOOVER'S REACTION WAS THAT THIS WAS DEFINITELY
A HOME RUN FOR HIM AND HIS AGENCY.
BUT AS THE PUBLIC LEARNS OF FLOYD'S DEATH,
SOME BEGIN TO QUESTION WHETHER HE WAS REALLY RESPONSIBLE.
WHILE HE WAS SPOTTED IN TOWN ON THE DAY OF THE MASSACRE,
IT SEEMS THAT NO ONE CAN PLACE HIM
DIRECTLY AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME.
EYEWITNESSES DEFINITELY DO NOT FINGER PRETTY BOY FLOYD
FOR THE KANSAS CITY MASSACRE.
SO WHY DID HOOVER TARGET FLOYD?
PERHAPS IT WAS A PERSONAL VENDETTA.
CHARLES "PRETTY BOY" FLOYD WAS A THORN IN HIS SIDE.
SOME BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS AN EXCUSE
FOR HOOVER TO FINALLY TAKE OUT A LONGTIME NEMESIS,
WITH THE MASSACRE PROVIDING THE PERFECT COVER.
(machine gunfire)
TO THIS DAY, MANY STILL DEBATE
IF THE WRONG MAN WAS ACCUSED
OF THE LEGENDARY SHOOTOUT
AND IF THE REAL KILLER GOT AWAY SCOTT FREE.
IT'S INTERESTING HOW THIS CASE OCCURRED
OVER 80 YEARS AGO, BUT YET IT'S STILL A MYSTERY.
AND THIS BULLET REMAINS ON DISPLAY
AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CRIME & PUNISHMENT
IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,
A REMINDER OF THE CONTROVERSIAL DEATH
OF A NOTORIOUS OUTLAW.
SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA,
IS KNOWN FOR ITS WHITE SAND BEACHES,
CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER,
AND ITS IMPRESSIVE STATE PARK,
WHICH IS ALSO HOME
TO THE McLARTY TREASURE MUSEUM.
FROM MARITIME WEAPONS TO MODEL SHIPS,
THE ARTIFACTS IN THIS COLLECTION
CELEBRATE THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS
AND SEAFARERS WHO FIRST SET FOOT UPON THESE SHORES.
BUT ACCORDING TO PARK RANGER EDWARD PERRY,
THERE'S ONE RELIC HERE THAT TELLS A MODERN TALE
OF A RELENTLESS QUEST FOR RICHES.
IT IS COLD, DENSE, SHINY,
AND ABOUT THE SIZE OF A POKER CHIP.
THE ENGRAVING APPEARS TO BE A SHIELD ON ONE SIDE
AND A CROSS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
THIS TINY PIECE OF SILVER MIGHT SEEM INSIGNIFICANT,
BUT IT PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE
IN ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY TREASURE HUNTS
OF ALL TIME.
SO WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
AND HOW DID IT LEAD ONE MAN ON A QUEST
TO UNLOCK ONE OF THE RICHEST SECRETS OF FLORIDA'S SEAS?
SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA, 1950--
BUILDING CONTRACTOR KIP WAGNER IS OUT STROLLING THE BEACH
WHEN SOMETHING CATCHES HIS EYE--
AN IRREGULAR PIECE OF RUSTED METAL.
AS HE EXAMINES ITS UNIQUE MARKINGS,
WAGNER REALIZES THAT HE IS HOLDING
AN ANCIENT SPANISH COIN.
THINKING HE MAY HAVE STUMBLED ON THE SITE
OF A PIRATE'S BURIED TREASURE,
WAGNER KEEPS DIGGING IN THE SAND.
KIP GOT BETTER AND BETTER AT FINDING THESE COINS.
HE EVENTUALLY HAD AMASSED ABOUT 40 OR 50 COINS
IN HIS COLLECTION.
BUT THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF THESE TARNISHED RELICS
REMAINS A MYSTERY.
DESPERATE TO UNCOVER THE ORIGINS
OF THE INTRIGUING COINS,
WAGNER RESEARCHES THE HISTORY OF THE AREA
AND ONE DAY DISCOVERS A STORY
THAT HE THINKS COULD LEAD HIM TO THE ANSWER.
JULY 24, 1715,
HAVANA, CUBA--
A FLEET OF ABOUT A DOZEN SPANISH SHIPS
SETS SAIL.
THE VESSELS ARE LOADED WITH PRECIOUS CARGO,
AND THEY'RE HEADED FOR HOME.
THEY HAD SPICES, METALS,
GOLD, GEMS, JEWELRY,
AND LOTS AND LOTS OF SILVER.
THEY SAY THAT IT WAS A DOWRY FOR THE QUEEN OF SPAIN,
AND THIS IS THE DOWRY THAT SHE WAS WAITING FOR
BEFORE SHE WOULD CONSUMMATE HER MARRIAGE
WITH KING PHILIP V.
BUT AFTER ONLY A WEEK AT SEA,
WINDS SUDDENLY PICK UP AT AN ALARMING RATE,
AND MASSIVE SWELLS SURROUND THE FLEET.
THEY HAD A FULL-FLEDGED HURRICANE ON THEM,
COMING OUT OF THE EAST.
AT THE MERCY OF WILD CURRENTS,
THE SHIPS ARE BLOWN SHOREWARD
AND SMASH AGAINST FLORIDA'S COASTLINE.
IT'S A TRAGEDY OF EPIC PROPORTIONS.
WE BELIEVE THERE WAS ABOUT 700 TO 900
THAT DIED IN THIS DISASTER.
REELING FROM THE NEWS, THE KING OF SPAIN
SENDS RELIEF BOATS FOR THE SURVIVORS
AND STAGES A RECOVERY MISSION FOR THE QUEEN'S DOWRY.
THE SPANISH STAYED ON THE SITE FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS
AND WORKED HARD TRYING TO RECOVER WHAT THEY COULD.
THE ROYAL QUEST TO RECOVERY THE TREASURE
EVENTUALLY ENDS IN FAILURE.
AND THE WRECK'S LOCATION IS LOST
IN THE MISTS OF TIME.
NOW WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE 1715 FLEET,
KIP WAGNER BEGINS TO WONDER,
DID THE COINS HE DISCOVER COME FROM THIS FABLED TREASURE?
AND IF SO,
WHERE IS THE WRECKED FLEET NOW?
IT'S THE 1950s.
BUILDING CONTRACTOR KIP WAGNER
BELIEVES THAT THE WEATHERED OLD COINS
HE'S FOUND ALONG THE FLORIDA COASTLINE
BELONG TO A LOST WRECK OF A FLEET OF SPANISH SHIPS
THAT SANK HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO.
SO CAN WAGNER FIND THE MISSING SHIPS?
DETERMINED TO TRACK DOWN THE LOOT,
WAGNER SCOURS MARITIME ARCHIVES AND FINALLY LEARNS
OF A RARE BOOK FROM 1775
WHICH SEEMS TO HOLD A CRUCIAL CLUE TO THE MYSTERY.
IN THAT BOOK WAS A MAP.
ON THAT MAP THERE WAS THE EVIDENCE
THAT THEY HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR.
THE FLEET HAD SUNK RIGHT NEAR PRESENT-DAY SEBASTIAN INLET.
THIS NARROW CHANNEL OF WATER
ON FLORIDA'S EAST COAST
IS KNOWN FOR ITS POWERFUL CURRENTS
AND CAPRICIOUS TIDES.
HOPING TO FIND THE SUNKEN FLEET,
WAGNER ASSEMBLES A TEAM
OF WOULD-BE UNDERSEA PROSPECTORS.
BUT PINPOINTING THE CACHE IS A DAUNTING TASK.
THERE REALLY WAS NOT THE TECHNOLOGY
LIKE WE HAVE TODAY.
THERE WAS NO G.P.S. THERE WERE NO UNDERWATER METAL DETECTORS.
WHAT THEY HAD WAS BASICALLY THEIR INGENUITY.
AFTER TWO YEARS OF TIRELESSLY COMBING THE WATERS,
WAGNER AND HIS TEAM FIND NO TRACE
OF THE MISSING SHIPS.
AND THEY BASICALLY CAME UP WITH NOTHING.
IT SEEMS THE TREASURE
OF THE 1715 SPANISH FLEET WILL BE LOST FOREVER.
BUT WAGNER WILL NOT GIVE UP SO EASILY.
AND ONE AFTERNOON IN 1961
THE GROUP HEADS OUT ON YET ANOTHER TRIP
IN SEARCH OF EVIDENCE OF THE WRECK.
THEY TOOK THEIR BOAT OUT THROUGH SEBASTIAN INLET,
AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A COLD, BLUSTERY DAY
AND A VERY WINDY DAY,
THEY STILL HAD CLEAN WATER CONDITIONS.
AS THEY SCOUR THE OCEAN FLOOR,
A DIVER NOTICES AN UNUSUAL-LOOKING ROCK.
SOMETHING INTRIGUED HIM ABOUT IT,
AND HE EVENTUALLY SAW ANOTHER ONE.
AND THROUGH SOME WORK
THEY FINALLY GOT THESE VERY HEAVY OBJECTS
BACK TO SHORE.
AFTER THEY CHIP AWAY LAYERS OF DEBRIS,
THEY'RE IN AWE OF WHAT THEY DISCOVER.
TO THEIR AMAZEMENT,
THESE TURN OUT TO BE TREASURE CHESTS
OF SOLID SILVER COINS.
ABOUT A DECADE AFTER STARTING HIS QUEST,
KIP WAGNER HAS FINALLY FOUND THE SOURCE
OF THE ELUSIVE SILVER COINS--
THE WRECK OF THE ILL-FATED FLAGSHIP
"CAPITANA."
THEY WERE ALL VERY EXCITED.
THIS WAS IT. THEY HAD FOUND TREASURE.
AND IT'S JUST THE FIRST OF MANY FINDS
FOR KIP WAGNER AND HIS COMPANY.
OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, THEY RECOVER
AN ESTIMATED $20 MILLION WORTH OF RICHES,
SOME OF WHICH CAN BE FOUND HERE
AT THE McLARTY TREASURE MUSEUM.
AND IT ALL STARTED WITH ONE MAN DISCOVERING
A SILVER COIN LIKE THIS ONE ON A BEACH.
IT WILL FOREVER REMIND US
OF ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL TREASURE HUNTS OF ALL TIME.
FROM A BLOODY TRUNK TO A DEADLY BULLET,
A CURIOUS GLOBE TO SUNKEN TREASURE...
I'M DON WILDMAN,
AND THESE ARE THE MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM.