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A PRISON CELL THAT HARBORS A SPINE-CHILLING TALE
OF *** AND REVENGE.
THERE WAS VENGEANCE TO BE HAD.
A SEEMINGLY HARMLESS EVERYDAY OBJECT
THAT CONCEALS A DEADLY WEAPON.
THERE ARE ASPECTS OF IT THAT ARE FRANKLY JUST BIZARRE.
(Don) AND A PRESERVED HUMAN ORGAN
THAT UNLOCKS AN AGE-OLD MEDICAL MYSTERY.
WAS IT ONE HEART PUMPING INTO TWO BODIES,
OR TWO HEARTS PUMPING INTO TWO BODIES?
NO ONE REALLY KNEW.
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.
THESE ARE THE MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM.
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Captioned by Closed Captioning Services, Inc.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, IS HOME TO ONE
OF THE MOST BIZARRE MUSEUMS IN THE LAND.
THIS IS THE MUTTER MUSEUM.
HOUSED IN THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS,
THIS COLLECTION OF MEDICAL ANOMALIES
INCLUDES A 9-FOOT-LONG HUMAN COLON
AND THE SKELETON OF A GIANT MEASURING OVER 7 1/2 FEET.
EACH ARTIFACT TELLS A SPINE-TINGLING STORY
AND OFFERS INSIGHT INTO THE HUMAN FORM
AND ITS MANY VARIATIONS.
BUT AMONGST THIS STUNNING ARRAY OF ODDITIES,
THERE IS A SINGULAR OBJECT THAT MUSEUM DIRECTOR ROBERT HICKS
BELIEVES STANDS APART.
(Robert) IT'S PLASTER,
IT'S EXTREMELY STRIKING TO LOOK AT,
AND THE STORY IS AMAZING.
THESE TWO PLASTER BODIES ARE MIRROR IMAGES OF EACH OTHER
AND SHARE A SPECIAL CONNECTION.
THIS IS THE DEATH CAST OF CHANG AND ENG,
THE ORIGINAL SIAMESE TWINS.
THESE BROTHERS LIVED INCREDIBLE LIVES OF FAME,
FORTUNE, AND SCANDAL.
THEY TRAVELED THE WORLD,
COURTING CONTROVERSY AND WOMEN ALONG THE WAY.
BUT CHANG AND ENG WERE HAUNTED BY AN EVER-PRESSING QUESTION--
COULD THEY SEVER THEIR FLESH TIE AND LIVE APART?
OR WOULD A SURGICAL SEPARATION CUT THEIR LIVES SHORT?
MAY 11, 1811,
CHANG AND ENG BUNKER ARE BORN IN THE KINGDOM OF SIAM,
NOW KNOWN AS THAILAND.
VILLAGERS ARE TERRIFIED OF THE CHILDREN
AND FEAR THAT THE BOYS ARE CURSED.
AS TEENAGERS, THE BOYS ARE ASKED
(crowd oohs)
(crowd laughs)
BECAUSE OF THEIR CONJOINED NATURE,
AND BECAUSE THEY WERE ENTERTAINING, CHARISMATIC,
PEOPLE WANTED TO PUT THEM ON THE TOUR,
AND SO THEY ACQUIRED THE LABEL "THE SIAMESE TWINS."
THIS REALLY SEIZED THE PUBLIC IMAGINATION
SO THEY BECAME CELEBRITIES WORLDWIDE.
WITH THEIR NEWFOUND FAME, THEY SETTLE IN AMERICA.
FOR BROTHERS WHO ENDURED A DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD,
THEY HAVE CRAFTED A REMARKABLE LIFE.
BUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, THERE IS MOUNTING TENSION.
(woman) CHANG AND ENG WERE VERY DIFFERENT.
IN FACT, THEY WOULD OFTEN GET INTO ALTERCATIONS AND FIGHTS.
CHANG SEEKS COMFORT IN ALCOHOL AND DRINKS HEAVILY.
ENG DISAPPROVES OF HIS BROTHER'S BEHAVIOR,
COMPLICATING AN ALREADY STRAINED RELATIONSHIP.
IN ONE DRUNKEN EPISODE,
CHANG PULLS A KNIFE ON HIS BROTHER.
UNABLE TO TOLERATE ONE ANOTHER,
THE BROTHERS ARE DESPERATE TO KNOW IF THEY CAN LIVE APART.
THEIR ONLY OPTION IS A DANGEROUS SURGICAL PROCEDURE.
BUT WOULD IT KILL THEM?
AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NO MEDICAL IMAGERY.
THERE'S NO WAY A PHYSICIAN CAN LOOK INSIDE THE BODY
EXCEPT TO OPEN IT UP.
WAS IT ONE HEART PUMPING INTO TWO BODIES OR TWO HEARTS?
NO ONE REALLY KNEW. ABSOLUTE MYSTERY.
UNWILLING TO PUT THEIR LIVES AT RISK,
THE BROTHERS CONTINUE ON WITH THE SHOW UNTIL 1839,
WHEN THEY MAKE THE MUTUAL DECISION TO RETIRE.
EVENTUALLY, THEY DID SETTLE DOWN,
AND THEY ENDED UP BUYING FARMS IN NORTH CAROLINA.
THEIR LIVES TAKE A DRAMATIC TURN
WHEN THEY MEET TWO SISTERS, SARAH AND ADELAIDE YATES,
AND FALL IN LOVE.
THE COUPLES PREPARE TO MARRY.
BUT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IS OUTRAGED BY THE PROSPECTS
OF SUCH A BIZARRE UNION.
FACING SCORN AND THREATS,
THE BROTHERS ONCE AGAIN SEEK A POTENTIALLY DEADLY REMEDY--
SEPARATION.
AS THE TWINS PREPARE FOR SURGERY,
THE YATES SISTERS INTERVENE AND DEMAND
THAT THE PERILOUS PROCEDURE BE STOPPED.
INSTEAD, THE COUPLES DECIDE TO ELOPE
AND BEGIN AN UNCONVENTIONAL FAMILY.
THEY BUILD AN EXTRA-LARGE MARTIAL BED
TO HOLD ALL FOUR OF THEM.
AND SOON, THE FAMILY EXPANDS.
CHANG AND ENG HAD HAD BETWEEN THEM 21 KIDS--
11 FOR ONE, 10 FOR THE OTHER.
IN 1873, THE 2 FATHERS TURNED 62,
A RIPE OLD AGE AT THAT TIME.
BUT CHANG'S HEALTH IS IN DECLINE,
AND HE SUFFERS A STROKE.
DAYS LATER, ENG WAKES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
AND FINDS HIS BROTHER IS DEAD.
SINCE CHANG'S DEATH PRECEDED ENG'S
FOR THE SPACE OF AN HOUR,
THE CHALLENGE WAS WHAT HAPPENS TO ENG?
REELING FROM THE DEATH OF HIS SIBLING,
ENG MUST MAKE A CRITICAL DECISION--
SHOULD HE SEVER THE BOND WITH HIS DECEASED BROTHER?
PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, HE HAD NO CHOICE
BECAUSE HIS BLOOD WOULD BE CIRCULATING
INTO A DEAD BODY AND THERE'S NOTHING TO MAKE
THAT BLOOD CIRCULATE AND DO WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO.
ANYTHING THAT MIGHT COME BACK INTO HIS BODY
FROM A DEAD BODY IS ULTIMATELY GONNA BE POISONOUS.
ENG'S FAMILY SENDS FOR THE LOCAL DOCTOR
TO PERFORM THE EMERGENCY SURGERY.
BUT WHEN THE DOCTOR ARRIVES, IT IS TOO LATE.
ENG IS ALSO DEAD.
BUT THE MYSTERY SURROUNDING THE NATURE OF THEIR BOND
DOES NOT DIE WITH THEM.
COULD ENG HAVE SURVIVED
IF THE DOCTOR HAD REACHED HIM IN TIME?
AN OBJECT WHICH RESIDES BELOW THEIR DEATH CAST
HOLDS THE ANSWER.
AFTER THE BROTHER'S DEATHS,
THEIR BODIES ARE PREPARED FOR AN AUTOPSY.
PHYSICIANS DISCOVER
ONE IMPORTANT FACT THAT WILL HOLD THE KEY
TO THE MYSTERY OF CHANG AND ENG.
THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE LIVERS OF THE TWO BODIES
WERE ACTUALLY CONJOINED.
THE FACT THAT THE TWO LIVERS WERE CONNECTED MEANS
THAT SURGERY TO SEPARATE THE BROTHERS WOULD HAVE FAILED.
CHANG AND ENG WOULD HAVE DIED OF BLOOD LOSS
ON THE OPERATING TABLE.
CHANG AND ENG'S DEATH CAST AND THEIR CONJOINED LIVERS
MAY BE THE ONLY PHYSICAL REMAINS OF THIS DOUBLE LIFE,
BUT THE LEGEND OF THESE TWINS PERSISTS.
THEY ARE STILL VERY MUCH A SUBJECT OF INTEREST.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THE TERM "SIAMESE TWINS."
THEY ARE IN FILM. THEY ARE IN FICTION.
THEY LIVE ON.
A TRULY REMARKABLE STORY THAT WILL NEVER DIE.
IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL IS A MUSEUM
THAT EXPOSES THE DARK SIDE OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS.
THIS IS THE INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM.
ITS COLLECTION IS FULL OF INGENUITY AND INTRIGUE
AND TELLS THE STORY OF COVERT OPERATIONS
THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY--
CARS THAT KILL, CUNNING DISGUISES,
EVEN A PIGEON CAMERA THAT CAN FLY BEHIND ENEMY LINES.
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MUSEUM'S
SPOILS OF SPYCRAFT.
ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING ARTIFACTS
IN THIS GADGET-PACKED COLLECTION
IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST UNASSUMING.
BUT BEHIND ITS SIMPLICITY LIES EVIL GENIUS.
MUSEUM HISTORIAN MARK STOUT IS NO STRANGER
TO THE TOOLS OF THE INTELLIGENCE TRADE.
A FORMER CIA AGENT AND PENTAGON INSIDER,
EVEN HE FINDS THIS OBJECT REMARKABLE.
(Mark) WELL, THIS ARTIFACT IS AN EVERYDAY OBJECT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT KEEPS YOU WARM AND DRY AND HEALTHY,
BUT THIS ONE WAS SPECIAL.
THERE ARE ASPECTS OF IT THAT ARE FRANKLY JUST BIZARRE.
THIS UMBRELLA IS THE CENTERPIECE
OF ONE OF THE MOST CUNNING PLOTS OF COLD WAR ESPIONAGE.
WHO MADE THIS OBJECT, AND WHAT WAS IT DESIGNED TO DO?
LONDON, SEPTEMBER 11, 1978.
A BBC JOURNALIST NAMED GEORGI MARKOV
IS IN INTENSIVE CARE BATTLING TO STAY ALIVE.
THREE DAYS EARLIER, HE WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL
WITH A CASE OF THE FLU,
BUT HIS CONDITION IS RAPIDLY DETERIORATING.
HE'S EXTREMELY ILL. HE'S HAVING ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.
HE'S VOMITING. HE'S GOT HEART PROBLEMS.
HE'S DYING, AND NOBODY'S REALLY SURE WHY.
SUDDENLY MARKOV GOES INTO CARDIAC ARREST,
AND AT 10:40, DOCTORS PRONOUNCE HIM DEAD.
(monitor emits continuous tone)
PERPLEXED BY THE PATIENT'S UNTIMELY DEMISE,
PHYSICIANS PERFORM AN AUTOPSY AND MAKE A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.
THEY FOUND IN THE BACK OF HIS LEG A LITTLE, TINY BB,
A LITTLE, TINY BALL BEARING.
BUT THIS OBJECT ISN'T JUST A SIMPLE METAL BALL.
INSTEAD, IT IS FAR MORE COMPLEX.
AND THEN BORED INTO THIS BALL BEARING
IS A CHANNEL ABOUT 1/4 MILLIMETER WIDE.
ACTUALLY, TWO OF THEM. THEY CROSS LIKE AN "X,"
AND THEY CREATE A CAVITY INSIDE THAT YOU CAN HIDE SOMETHING IN.
INVESTIGATORS CONCLUDE THAT THE CAVITY IN THE PELLET
CONTAINED A HIGHLY TOXIC POISON CALLED RICIN,
AND THAT MARKOV HAS BEEN MURDERED.
BUT WHO WOULD WANT TO KILL A BBC JOURNALIST,
AND HOW DID THEY DO IT?
A GOOD UMBRELLA OFFERS PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS,
BUT NOT THIS ONE.
IT'S ON DISPLAY AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM IN D.C.
AND PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE
IN A BIZARRE TALE OF INTERNATIONAL ESPIONAGE.
WHEN A JOURNALIST NAMED GEORGI MARKOV WAS MURDERED,
SOME TROUBLING QUESTIONS WERE LEFT BEHIND.
WHAT ROLE DID THIS UMBRELLA PLAY IN HIS DEATH,
AND WHO WAS BEHIND THE KILLING?
DETECTIVES FROM SCOTLAND YARD LOOK INTO MARKOV'S BACKGROUND
AND DISCOVER THAT HE IS NO ORDINARY JOURNALIST.
HE HAILED FROM COMMUNIST-CONTROLLED BULGARIA
AND IN 1968, ESCAPED HIS HOMELAND IN SEARCH OF FREEDOM.
SO HE FLED TO THE WEST, AND HE TOOK A JOB
WITH THE BBC WORLD SERVICE.
MARKOV WAS REPORTING THE TRUTH
ABOUT LIFE BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN,
A TRUTH THAT THE COMMUNISTS SOUGHT TO CENSOR.
THE BULGARIANS ARE VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT PEOPLE WHO DEFECTED
AND WERE SAYING BAD THINGS ABOUT THE HOME COUNTRY.
WITH A MOTIVE ESTABLISHED,
INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT THE BULGARIAN SECRET SERVICE
BUT CONCLUDE THEY ARE NOT WORKING ALONE.
THE ONLY ORGANIZATION CAPABLE OF MAKING
THE INGENIOUS POISON DELIVERY SYSTEM
FOUND IN MARKOV'S BODY IS THE KGB.
THE EVIDENCE INDICATES THE RUSSIANS
SUPPLIED THE BULGARIANS WITH THE POISON PELLET.
BUT THE QUESTION OF HOW IT ENTERED
MARKOV'S BODY REMAINS A MYSTERY.
11 YEARS LATER,
THE BERLIN WALL FALLS, AND THE CASE BREAKS WIDE OPEN.
AS THE SOVIET UNION COLLAPSES,
THE REGIME'S SHADOWY SECRETS BEGIN TO EMERGE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT APPARENTLY CAME TO LIGHT
WITH THE END OF THE COMMUNIST REGIME
IN BULGARIA IN 1989 WAS THE DISCOVERY
IN THE BASEMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINISTRY
OF A COLLECTION OF THESE UMBRELLAS.
THESE WERE NO ORDINARY UMBRELLAS.
THEY WERE DESIGNED WITH CONCEALED FEATURES
LIKE A TRIGGER, A COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEM,
WHEN THE TRIGGER'S PRESSED,
IT RELEASES COMPRESSED AIR THAT SHOOTS THIS TINY BB
RIGHT OUT THE END OF THE UMBRELLA.
THIS UMBRELLA WAS ENGINEERED TO KILL.
COULD ONE JUST LIKE IT HAVE BEEN USED
TO INJECT MARKOV WITH POISON?
INVESTIGATORS REVISIT THE CASE AND FOCUS ON A DETAIL
THAT PREVIOUSLY SEEMED INSIGNIFICANT.
BEFORE HE DIED, MARKOV HAD MENTIONED THAT
HE'D HAD THIS SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT ON THE DAY HE GOT SICK.
SEPTEMBER 7, 1978--
MARKOV LEAVES WORK AT THE BBC
AND BEGINS WALKING HOME.
LITTLE DOES HE KNOW HE IS BEING FOLLOWED.
SUDDENLY, MARKOV EXPERIENCES A SHARP PAIN IN HIS LEG.
HE LOOKED BEHIND HIM, AND THERE WAS A MAN FUMBLING
WITH AN UMBRELLA WHO APOLOGIZED IN A THICK FOREIGN ACCENT.
THE MAN QUICKLY WALKS AWAY.
MARKOV CONTINUES ON UNAWARE THAT HE HAS BEEN INJECTED
WITH DEADLY RICIN FIRED FROM THE MAN'S UMBRELLA,
AND THAT IN FOUR DAYS' TIME, HE WILL DIE.
WHILE THE IDENTITY OF THE MAN WHO WIELDED THE WEAPON
IS STILL UNKNOWN,
THIS UMBRELLA REVEALS THE DARK SECRETS
OF INTERNATIONAL ESPIONAGE
AND ITS SINISTER PLOTS.
ONE OF THE MOST UNCONVENTIONAL MUSEUMS IN THE COUNTRY
CAN BE FOUND IN AN OLD PHILADELPHIA JAIL.
THIS IS EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY.
FROM 1829 TO 1971,
EASTERN STATE WAS HOME TO MORE THAN 75,000 INMATES.
TODAY, IT OFFERS VISITORS A GLIMPSE OF THE GRIM WAY
ITS INMATES ONCE LIVED,
IN CRAMPED ROOMS WITH SPARSE FURNISHINGS
AND BARE CEMENT WALLS.
BUT ONE ELABORATELY FURNISHED CELL
STANDS OUT FROM THE REST.
IN THIS VERY ROOM LIVED THE MOST RUTHLESS,
TERRIFYING, AND DEADLY OF MOBSTERS.
IT WAS ONCE THE HOME OF "SCARFACE" AL CAPONE.
AUTHOR AND TOUR GUIDE CHARLIE ADAMS BELIEVES
THAT THE CRIME KING'S LAVISH ABODE
HOLDS A CHILLING SECRET.
ONE CANNOT IMAGINE THE AGONY,
THE ANGUISH THAT TOOK PLACE IN THIS CELL.
ALTHOUGH CAPONE WAS THE CELL'S ONLY OFFICIAL OCCUPANT,
HE BELIEVED THAT HE WAS NOT ALONE.
SO WHAT WAS THE SOURCE OF CAPONE'S TORMENT?
1920s CHICAGO--
LAWLESSNESS IS THE NEW ORDER.
PROHIBITION RAGES ON,
AND RIVAL GANGS SEEK TO ESTABLISH THEIR FOOTHOLD
IN THE LUCRATIVE LIQUOR TRADE.
AND AT THE HEART OF THIS MURKY UNDERWORLD
IS ONE MAN-- AL CAPONE.
SEAN KELLEY IS THE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING
AT EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY.
SO AS THE BOSS OF CHICAGO'S SOUTH SIDE GANG,
AL CAPONE WAS CONTROLLING PROSTITUTION, GAMBLING,
ILLEGAL TRADE IN ALCOHOL.
BUT POWER BRINGS MANY ENEMIES,
AND ONE MOST TROUBLESOME OF ALL--
CHICAGO'S IRISH-AMERICAN NORTH SIDE GANG.
FOR CAPONE, THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS VIOLENCE.
AL CAPONE COULD ORDER PEOPLE DEAD.
HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS MEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
BUT EVENTUALLY, THE LAW CATCHES UP WITH CAPONE.
(Sean) IN MAY OF 1929, AL CAPONE WAS ARRESTED IN PHILADELPHIA
FOR CARRYING A CONCEALED DEADLY WEAPON,
AND HE WAS SENT FOR EIGHT MONTHS
TO EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY.
IT'S CLEAR FROM THE START
THAT CAPONE WON'T RECEIVE NORMAL TREATMENT.
A TYPICAL INMATE HAD A BED STAND, THEY HAD A COT.
HERE COMES AL CAPONE,
HE'S GOT FINE FURNITURE, OIL PAINTINGS ON THE WALL,
AND A CABINET-STYLE RADIO.
THIS'D BE LIKE HAVING A PLASMA-SCREEN TV
IN YOUR CELL TODAY.
I MEAN, PRETTY NICE.
LOCKED SECURELY BEHIND BARS,
THE GUARDS LEAVE CAPONE TO ENJOY HIS ABODE.
HE WAS ALONE IN THAT CELL, THEY BELIEVED.
ONE NIGHT, AFTER LIGHTS OUT,
A BLOODCURDLING SCREAM CUTS THROUGH THE SILENCE.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
THESE HORRIBLE, HORRIFIED SCREAMS.
THIS AGONY, THIS TERROR.
THE JAILERS ARE BAFFLED.
WHAT IS THE SOURCE
OF THESE CHILLING SCREAMS THAT PIERCE THE NIGHT?
THEN AS THEY KIND OF TUNED IN AND HONED IN ON IT,
"MY GOD, THAT'S AL CAPONE SCREAMING. WHY?"
LET ME OUT OF HERE!
HE'S CALLING OUT TO SOMEONE.
JIMMY!
THE GUARDS RUSH THERE. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
THEY GET THERE, THEY SEE ONE MAN,
"JIMMY, GO AWAY! GO AWAY!"
AND THE GUARDS, THEY'RE HELPLESS
BECAUSE THERE IS NO JIMMY.
IT SEEMS CAPONE'S TORMENT IS NOT PHYSICAL
BUT SUPERNATURAL.
IN THIS VERY CELL EVERY NIGHT,
AL CAPONE WAS HAUNTED BY A GHOST.
THE GHOST OF MAN ONCE NAMED JIMMY.
BUT WHO IS THIS JIMMY?
IS HE AN OLD ENEMY HAUNTING CAPONE
FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE?
WHEN AL CAPONE WAS LOCKED UP
GET ME OUT OF HERE!
HE WAS TORMENTED BY WHAT HE WAS CONVINCED WAS A GHOST...
NAMED JIMMY.
SO WHO WAS JIMMY,
AND WHAT HAD CAPONE DONE TO DESERVE HIS WRATH?
IN 1929,
AL CAPONE HAS COMMITTED A HOST OF TERRIBLE DEEDS.
HE WAS A MAN WHO ORDERED MURDERS, COUNTLESS MURDERS.
BUT ONE EXECUTION STANDS OUT FROM THE REST,
THE MOST TERRIFYING AND BRUTAL SLAYING
IN GANGLAND HISTORY.
THE ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE.
FEBRUARY 14, 1929--
ON THAT FATEFUL VALENTINE'S DAY,
MEMBERS OF CAPONE'S RIVAL NORTH SIDE GANG
THAT MORNING,
FOUR MEN ENTERED A WAREHOUSE ON CHICAGO'S NORTH SIDE--
TWO OF THEM WERE DRESSED AS POLICE OFFICERS,
TWO OF THEM IN LONG TRENCH COATS.
INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE, THERE WERE SIX MEMBERS
OF THE NORTH SIDE GANG PLUS A MECHANIC.
THE IMPOSTORS LINE THE SEVEN MEN UP AGAINST A WALL,
OPEN UP THEIR TRENCH COATS,
PULL OUT THEIR GUNS, AND FIRE.
(gunfire)
THEY USED OVER 80 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION,
WALKED OUT, CLIMBED INTO A SEDAN AND DROVE OFF
NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.
LEFT LYING ON THE GROUND, DEAD AND BLOODIED,
ARE MANY OF CAPONE'S MAIN BUSINESS RIVALS.
CAPONE IS IMMEDIATELY FINGERED FOR THE CRIME.
THE PROBLEM WAS CAPONE WASN'T IN CHICAGO AT THE TIME.
HE WAS ON VACATION IN FLORIDA,
WHICH PROBABLY WAS NOT A COINCIDENCE.
THOUGH HE MAY NOT HAVE PULLED THE TRIGGER,
MANY BELIEVE THAT CAPONE ORCHESTRATED THE ATTACK.
BUT CAPONE WAS NEVER TRIED FOR THE CRIME.
IN FACT, NO ONE WAS EVER CONVICTED.
BUT CAPONE WOULD ENDURE A KIND OF PUNISHMENT
FAR WORSE THAN ANY JURY'S CONVICTION.
IT SEEMS THAT ONE OF HIS VICTIMS
IS DESPERATELY FIGHTING FOR REVENGE
THAT ELUDED HIM IN LIFE,
THE NORTH SIDE GANG'S NUMBER TWO IN COMMAND--
JIMMY CLARK.
(Charlie) AFTER THE HEAD-BLOWN-APART DEATH
OF JIMMY CLARK IN CHICAGO,
THERE WAS VENGEANCE TO BE HAD.
FOR THE DURATION OF HIS 8-MONTH SENTENCE,
CAPONE IS ALLEGEDLY HAUNTED BY THE GHOST OF JIMMY CLARK.
WHEN HE IS RELEASED FROM EASTERN STATE,
CAPONE TRIES TO KEEP A LOW PROFILE,
BUT IT SEEMS HE CANNOT SHAKE JIMMY'S VENGEFUL SPIRIT.
CAPONE'S HENCHMEN LATER STATE THAT THEIR BOSS CONTINUED
TO BE TORMENTED BY THE GHOST.
IT IS SAID THAT JIMMY'S CLARK GHOST HAUNTED AL CAPONE
FROM EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY TO HIS GRAVE.
AND IT ALL STARTED RIGHT HERE
IN THIS CELL,
A TESTAMENT TO A POWERFUL AND PRIVILEGED GANGSTER
AND A HAUNTING REMINDER OF THE GHOST
THAT IS SAID TO HAVE PLAGUED HIM.
(cell door closes)
THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
IN CAMBRIDGE JUST OUTSIDE OF BOSTON
IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST REVERED INSTITUTIONS.
HERE, SOME OF THE WORLD'S BRIGHTEST SCIENTISTS,
INNOVATORS, AND ENTREPRENEURS SHARPEN THEIR MINDS.
THE CAMPUS MUSEUM PAYS TRIBUTE
TO THE REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS AND ALUMNI ALIKE.
IT FEATURES THE WORLD'S FIRST TRANSISTOR COMPUTER
AND BREAKTHROUGHS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
BUT THE COLLECTION'S MOST COMPELLING OBJECT
MAKES NO CLAIM TO TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS.
STORED IN THE MUSEUM'S ARCHIVES,
IT IS A SIMPLE NEWSPRINT BOOKLET.
BUT FOR M.I.T. STUDENTS WILLING TO MAKE A WAGER,
IT OFFERED THE TOOLS TO PREDICT THE FUTURE
AND A PATHWAY TO RICHES.
CURATOR DEBBIE DOUGLAS BELIEVES THE RISK PAID OFF.
THE SUCCESS THAT THE STUDENTS HAD IS UNBELIEVABLE.
WHAT IS THIS BOOK,
AND HOW DID IT HELP M.I.T. STUDENTS MAKE MILLIONS?
LAS VEGAS, 1994--
CASINO OFFICIALS ARE NERVOUS.
THE HOUSE IS LOSING AT ONE OF ITS MOST POPULAR GAMES,
BLACKJACK.
THE LOSS IS PERPLEXING.
THE ODDS OF THE GAME ALMOST ALWAYS FAVOR THE DEALER.
SECURITY BEGINS STUDYING SURVEILLANCE
OF THE BLACKJACK TABLES
AND NOTICES SOMETHING PECULIAR.
THERE IS ONE GROUP OF YOUNG PLAYERS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MASSIVE LOSSES.
NEARLY EVERY HAND GOES THEIR WAY.
SECURITY LOOKS CLOSER FOR EVIDENCE OF CHEATING
BUT FINDS NONE.
HOW ARE THESE KIDS BEATING THE ODDS
AND BREAKING THE CASINO'S BANK?
IT'S 1994.
IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA,
A GROUP OF STUDENTS HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO BEAT
THE CASINOS AT BLACKJACK AND ARE RAKING IN MILLIONS.
WHAT THE CASINOS CAN'T FIGURE OUT
IS HOW THEY ARE DOING IT.
SO WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LAS VEGAS,
M.I.T., AND A SIMPLE NEWSPRINT BOOKLET?
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS,
WINTER OF 1979,
M.I.T. OFFERS A NEW COURSE ON PROBABILITY AND RISK.
THE TITLE, "HOW TO GAMBLE IF YOU WILL."
THIS PARTICULAR CLASS WAS STARTED
BY STUDENTS AND ALUMNI
WHO HAD AN INTEREST IN PLAYING CARDS.
THE FOCUS IS THE GAME OF BLACKJACK.
FRANK SCOBLETE IS AN AUTHOR AND GAMBLING EXPERT.
AT FIRST YOU THINK,
WELL, THE CARDS ARE JUST COMING OUT IN A RANDOM FASHION.
HOWEVER, BLACKJACK IS BUILT ON MATHEMATICS.
THE MATHEMATICS CONSTANTLY CHANGES,
AND THAT'S WHAT THE M.I.T. STUDENTS WERE FASCINATED BY.
STUDENTS LEARN A SPECIAL TECHNIQUE
TO CREATE A STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE CALLED CARD COUNTING.
CARD COUNTING IS A CONTINUAL ANALYSIS
OF WHAT CARDS ARE LEFT IN THE SHOE.
BY DETERMINING WHAT CARDS REMAIN IN THE DECK,
A CARD COUNTER CAN CALCULATE WHEN THE ODDS
OF ANY HAND FAVOR NOT THE HOUSE BUT THE PLAYER.
IF IT'S 10s AND ACES, IT WILL FAVOR THE PLAYER.
IF IT'S 2, 3, 4, 5, AND 6s, IT WILL FAVOR THE HOUSE.
KNOWING THE ODDS OF BEATING THE DEALER
LETS THE PLAYER STRATEGIZE THEIR BETS AND WIN BIG.
FOR THE STUDENTS, THE HEADY MIX
OF MATHEMATICAL THEORY AND GAMBLING IS INTOXICATING.
AT FIRST THEY LOOKED AT BLACKJACK
AS A MATHEMATICAL CHALLENGE, BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT,
THEY SAID, "WHY DON'T WE DO THIS FOR REAL?"
HUNGRY FOR ACTION AT CASINOS, THE M.I.T. STUDENTS
SEEK ADVICE FROM A VETERAN CARD COUNTER,
A HARVARD GRAD STUDENT NAMED BILL KAPLAN.
THEY NEEDED A MAN WHO UNDERSTOOD THE GAME,
WHO UNDERSTOOD THE CASINOS, AND UNDERSTOOD HOW TO BEAT THEM.
WHAT BILL KAPLAN DID WAS TAKE STUDENTS
WHO ARE MATHEMATICALLY ORIENTED
AND CREATED A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
AROUND THESE INDIVIDUALS.
THE M.I.T. BLACKJACK TEAM IS BORN.
KAPLAN REFINES THE STUDENTS' TECHNIQUE
AND DEVELOPS A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO BETTING.
THE M.I.T. STUDENTS TRAINED EXTREMELY HARD.
THEY UNDERSTOOD THE GAME. THEY UNDERSTOOD THE MATH.
THEY UNDERSTOOD THE PROBABILITIES.
THEY WERE IN A RIGOROUS ENVIRONMENT,
AND THEY THRIVED.
KAPLAN DECIDES THAT THE TEAM
IS NOW PREPARED FOR THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE--
VEGAS.
WITH MONEY HE'S RAISED FROM INVESTORS,
KAPLAN SUPPLIES HIS PLAYERS
WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN CASH.
THEY ARE NOW LEVERAGED TO MAKE SERIOUS MONEY,
BUT THEY STILL FACE CONSIDERABLE RISK.
CARD COUNTING IS NOT ILLEGAL,
BUT CASINOS ARE IN THE BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY,
AND THEY CANNOT MAKE MONEY FROM CARD COUNTERS.
CARD COUNTERS ARE LITERALLY IN A WAR WITH THE CASINOS.
IF A PLAYER IS SUSPECTED OF CARD COUNTING,
THEY ARE EJECTED FROM THE CASINO IMMEDIATELY.
THE CHALLENGE FOR THE M.I.T. TEAM
IS TO CONCEAL THE FACT THAT THEY ARE COUNTING CARDS.
EACH PLAYER IS ASSIGNED A ROLE
AND BETS IN A CONSISTENT FASHION TO AVOID SUSPICION.
THE TEAM SILENTLY COMMUNICATES WITH EACH OTHER
USING A SERIES OF HAND SIGNALS.
IF A PLAYER RUNS THEIR FINGERS THROUGH THEIR HAIR,
IT MEANS SECURITY IS CLOSING IN.
IF THEY CROSS THEIR ARMS, IT SIGNALS THAT THE DECK IS HOT
AND THE ODDS OF WINNING ARE HIGH.
THE SYSTEM WORKS FLAWLESSLY.
IN 1 NIGHT, THE TEAM PULLS IN OVER $400,000.
FOR YEARS THE BRAINY KIDS FROM BOSTON BEAT CASINOS
AROUND THE COUNTRY AND TAKE THEM FOR MILLIONS,
BUT THE CASINOS ARE CATCHING ON.
SECURITY STARTS KEEPING TABS ON THE M.I.T. TEAM.
WHEN THEY SEE EVIDENCE OF CARD COUNTING
AND TEAM PLAY, THEY STRIKE.
WHEN CASINOS DISCOVER A CARD COUNTER,
THE SECURITY GUARD WOULD TAKE HIM ASIDE,
BRING HIM IN TO A BACK ROOM,
AND THEN GO TO WORK ON HIM.
BUT WHEN A PLAYER IS BANNED FROM ONE CASINO,
THEY SIMPLY MOVE ON
TO ANOTHER BLACKJACK TABLE ON THE STRIP.
THE SYSTEM ALMOST GUARANTEES THAT IF THEY CAN KEEP PLAYING,
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WIN BIG.
BUT THERE IS DISSENTION IN THE RANKS.
THE BULK OF THE WINNINGS ARE GOING TO KAPLAN
AND HIS INVESTORS.
THE STUDENTS WHO SHOULDER ALL THE RISK IF THEY ARE CAUGHT
ARE GETTING PAID ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE PROFITS.
FRUSTRATED WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF THE TEAM,
SOME MEMBERS WALK AWAY FROM THE TABLE,
AND THE TEAM DISBANDS.
FOR OVER 12 WILD YEARS,
M.I.T. BLACKJACK TEAMS TOOK MILLIONS FROM THE BIG CASINOS
USING THE THEORY AND SKILLS THEY LEARNED IN THIS COURSE.
AND THE ORIGINAL COURSE CATALOG
IS A REMINDER THAT WITH SKILL, HARD WORK, AND PREPARATION,
THE HOUSE CAN BE BEATEN.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE MUSEUM IN DURHAM
HIGHLIGHTS VARIOUS PERIODS IN THE STATE'S PROUD PAST.
BUT THIS PERPLEXING ITEM WAS THE POSSESSION
OF ONE OF THE UNIVERSITY'S MOST FAMOUS ALUMNI
AND IS CENTRAL TO A DECADES-OLD MYSTERY...
A VINTAGE DRESS.
HANDLED HERE BY THE MUSEUM'S
HEAD OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS BILL ROSS.
THIS CONSERVATIVE GARMENT HAS A PLEASING PURPLE SHADE
AND FESTIVE PATTERN, BUT ITS OWNER CLAIMS
SHE WAS PUT THROUGH A TERRIFYING ORDEAL,
HER SIMPLE DRESS REDUCED TO RAGS
THROUGH A BIZARRE ENCOUNTER,
A CLOSE ENCOUNTER.
COULD THIS VERY DRESS PROVE THE LEGITIMACY
OF THE WORLD'S FIRST EVER ALIEN ABDUCTION?
NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1961.
BETTY AND BARNEY HILL ARE UPSTANDING MEMBERS
OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
BETTY IS A SOCIAL WORKER,
A BALL OF FIRE WITH A BIG PERSONALITY.
BARNEY IS THE QUIET ONE
AND MAKES HIS LIVING AS A POSTAL WORKER.
YOU HAVE A TYPICAL COUPLE, THE PEOPLE DOWN THE STREET.
BUT LITTLE DO THEY KNOW THEIR PEACEFUL WORLD
IS ABOUT TO COME CRASHING DOWN AROUND THEM.
IN THE FALL OF 1961,
BETTY BEGINS TO HAVE NIGHTMARES,
HORRIFYING NIGHTMARES.
THEY WERE UNLIKE ANY DREAMS THAT SHE'D EVER HAD BEFORE.
NIGHT AFTER NIGHT,
BETTY IS PLAGUED BY FRAGMENTED THOUGHTS
OF DARKNESS, PAIN, AND KIDNAP.
BETTY IS CLEARLY DISTURBED BY THE DREAMS THAT SHE'S HAVING.
IN A RECORDED INTERVIEW, BETTY STATES THAT THE DREAMS
STARTED A FEW DAYS AFTER A MYSTERIOUS INCIDENT.
BETTY AND BARNEY WERE COMING BACK FROM A VACATION.
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, THERE'S NOBODY ON THE ROAD,
AND THEY SPOT THIS LIGHT.
BETTY IS BAFFLED.
WHAT COULD CAUSE SUCH A DISPLAY?
IT'S GETTING CLOSER. IT'S COMING OVER THEIR CAR.
THEN BETTY COMES TO A STARTLING REALIZATION--
THE LIGHT IS FOLLOWING THEM.
BETTY IS INSISTENT.
SO BARNEY PULLS THE CAR OVER TO INVESTIGATE.
BARNEY GETS A GUN,
HE GETS BINOCULARS,
HE GOES OUT IN FRONT OF THE CAR.
THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT.
BARNEY GOES IN FOR A CLOSER LOOK
AND LATER STATES THAT THE LIGHT IS REALLY A CRAFT
FILLED WITH ODD CREATURES UNLIKE ANY HE'S EVER SEEN,
AND THEY'RE COMING RIGHT AT HIM.
BARNEY PANICS.
BUT THE HILLS DON'T MAKE IT FAR.
THEY START TINGLING ALL OVER,
AND THEY BLACK OUT.
A FEW HOURS LATER, THE HILLS COME TO,
BUT THEY SAY THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THEY ARE.
BETTY AND BARNEY ARE 35 MILES FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD,
AND THEY HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF HOW THEY GOT THERE.
AND BETTY'S DRESS IS TORN AND STAINED,
LEAVING SEVERAL PUZZLING RIPS ALONG THE HEM,
INSIDE LINING,
AND EVEN IN THE DURABLE ZIPPER FABRIC.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING THIS MISSING TIME,
AND WHO OR WHAT TORE BETTY'S DRESS?
IT'S 1961,
BETTY AND BARNEY HILL GO FOR A PLEASANT EVENING DRIVE
AND ENCOUNTER SOMETHING INEXPLICABLE,
SOMETHING THEY DESCRIBE AS A BLINDING WHITE LIGHT
THAT HOVERS OVERHEAD, AND THEN KNOCKS THEM OUT.
AS EVIDENCE OF THEIR TERRIFYING ENCOUNTER,
THEY PROVIDE BETTY'S SIMPLE VINTAGE DRESS.
IT'S CLEARLY SUFFERED SOME PUZZLING RIPS AND STAINS.
SO WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?
AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE HILLS GO HOME
BEWILDERED BY WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO THEM.
WITHIN DAYS, BETTY STARTS TO HAVE DISTURBING DREAMS
IN WHICH SHE AND BARNEY
ARE FORCED OUT OF THEIR CAR BY ALIENS.
SEEKING CLARITY, BETTY VISITS A DOCTOR
AND TELLS HIM HER INTRIGUING DREAM.
SHE DESCRIBES HOW SHE AND BARNEY WERE TAKEN ABOARD THE SHIP
BY THESE BLUISH-GRAY CREATURES.
ACCORDING TO BETTY, THE CREATURES
SEPARATE THE COUPLE, GRAB BETTY UNDER THE ARMS,
AND TUG AT HER NEW DRESS.
IN THE PROCESS, IT RIPS.
BETTY BELIEVES THE ALIENS ARE PREPARING
FOR A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT, AND THAT SHE IS THEIR SPECIMEN.
THEY TAKE PART-- SOME OF HER SKIN,
THEY CUT FINGERNAILS, SOME OF HER HAIR.
SHE'S REALLY VERY FRIGHTENED BY WHAT'S--
WHAT'S TAKING PLACE.
BUT ARE HER VIVID DREAMS SIMPLY THAT,
JUST DREAMS?
OR HAD THE HILLS ACTUALLY ENCOUNTERED
LIFE FROM ANOTHER PLANET?
IN THE END, THE DOCTOR IS UNABLE TO MAKE
A DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION.
THE HILLS REMAIN STEADFAST.
BUT ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?
BETTY HILL PUTS FORTH THE ONE PIECE OF EVIDENCE
THAT COULD FOREVER PROVE HER CLAIMS,
THE DRESS SHE WORE THE NIGHT OF THE ALLEGED ABDUCTION.
SINCE 1961, THE STAINED AND DISCOLORED FABRIC
HAS BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY TESTED FIVE TIMES,
MOST RECENTLY BY PHYLLIS BUDINGER,
AN INDUSTRIAL CHEMIST
WITH 35 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE.
IT'S MY SCIENTIFIC OPINION
THAT BETTY HILL WAS TELLING THE TRUTH.
BUDINGER'S ANALYSIS CONCLUDES THAT THE SATINS
WERE CAUSED BY A MYSTERIOUS SUBSTANCE
THAT SHE CANNOT IDENTIFY.
HOWEVER, SHE IS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT IT CONTAINS
NATURAL COMPONENTS LIKE PROTEINS AND OILS.
BECAUSE THE SUBSTANCE IS ONLY FOUND
ON THE DRESS' EXTERIOR, BUDINGER BELIEVES
IT WAS DEPOSITED BY AN EXTERNAL SOURCE, ALIENS.
I HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING TO DISPROVE BETTY HILL'S STORY,
NOT A THING.
SO DOES THIS DRESS VERIFY ONCE AND FOR ALL
THAT ALIENS HAVE VISITED PLANET EARTH?
DESPITE BUDINGER'S RESULTS, SKEPTICS STILL REMAIN.
PERHAPS ONE DAY, SCIENCE WILL PROGRESS
AND DETERMINE BEYOND A DOUBT
IF BETTY HILL'S CLAIMS ARE TRUE.
BUT UNTIL THEN, WE'VE STILL GOT THE DRESS.
AND THE TRUTH BEHIND THE ALIEN ABDUCTION
IS STILL OUT THERE.
THE MERCER MUSEUM IN DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA,
TELLS THE STORIES OF DARK TIMES,
THE 18th AND 19th CENTURIES.
THIS IMPOSING GOTHIC-LIKE CASTLE HOSTS A COLLECTION
OF COUNTLESS HANDMADE TOOLS OUTMODED BY INDUSTRIALIZATION.
AMONG THEM, A SMALL LEATHER-BOUND CASE
THAT CONTAINS A SET OF CRYPTIC INSTRUMENTS--
GLASS VIALS FILLED WITH LIQUID,
AN IVORY CROSS WITH A WOODEN TIP,
(gunshot)
A NOTE THAT APPEARS TO DATE TO THE 19th CENTURY
READ BY CURATOR CORY AMSLER REVEALS
THE INTENDED USE FOR THESE CURIOUS OBJECTS.
THIS BOX CONTAINS THE ITEMS CONSIDERED NECESSARY
FOR THE PROTECTION OF PERSONS WHO TRAVEL
INTO CERTAIN LITTLE-KNOWN COUNTRIES
OF EASTERN EUROPE WHERE THE POPULOUS ARE PLAGUED
WITH A PARTICULAR MANIFESTATION OF EVIL
KNOWN AS VAMPIRES.
WERE THESE TOOLS USED TO KILL VAMPIRES?
A SMALL WOODEN BOX ON DISPLAY
AT THE MERCER MUSEUM IN DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA,
BELIES ITS MYSTERIOUS CONTENTS.
INSIDE IS A CRUCIFIX,
A PISTOL, TWO SILVER BULLETS,
AND A GLASS BOTTLE FILLED WITH LIQUID.
IT SEEMS LIKE ALL THE THINGS YOU MIGHT NEED
TO SLAY A VAMPIRE.
BUT IN THE REALM OF THE UNDEAD,
RULE NUMBER ONE IS ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.
TRANSYLVANIA, 1800s--
FEAR GRIPS THE COUNTRYSIDE AS RUMORS
OF A VICIOUS PREDATOR SPREAD.
(bat squeaking)
WHILE SOME CONSIDER THE TALES TO BE FOLKLORE,
OTHERS CONSIDER THE THREAT TO BE REAL.
IF A RECENTLY DECEASED INDIVIDUAL HAD BEEN BURIED,
AND MAYBE OTHER MEMBERS OF A FAMILY
THEN DIED SHORTLY AFTER AND THEY DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND
WHY THOSE DEATHS WERE OCCURRING,
THE SUPPOSITION WAS IS THAT THE DECEASED WAS SOMEHOW
REACHING OUT FROM THE GRAVE TO SUCK THE LIFE OF THE LIVING.
FRIGHTENED COMMUNITIES BEGIN TO TAKE MATTERS
INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.
CATHOLIC PRIESTS DISPENSE HOLY WATER
TO WARD OFF THE MENACE.
THE MORE ADVENTUROUS ARM THEMSELVES
WITH HANDCRAFTED TOOLS AND HUNT THE UNDEAD.
THERE'S BEEN EVIDENCE
OF BODIES BEING EXCAVATED, BEING DUG UP,
BEING STAKED, HAVING THEIR BONES REARRANGED
OR SCRAMBLED, HAVING THEIR HEARTS REMOVED,
AND ALL OF THIS WAS DESIGNED
TO END THE PARTICULAR VAMPIRE CURSE
THAT WAS PLAGUING A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
THE EVIDENCE FOUND IN THE OPEN GRAVES
CONFIRMS PEOPLE'S WORST FEARS.
WHEN A SUSPECTED VAMPIRE WAS EXCAVATED,
WAS DUG UP, AND THE COFFIN WAS OPENED,
THE BODY MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT ENLARGED
OR SWOLLEN AS IF IT WAS ENGORGED WITH BLOOD.
ONCE YOU STAKED THAT BODY, THE GASES WOULD RUSH OUT.
IT MIGHT EMIT A GROAN OF SORTS,
IT MIGHT MOVE SOMEWHAT, AND ALL OF THIS JUST REINFORCED
THAT THIS WAS IN FACT A VAMPIRE.
THE FEAR SPREADS TO THE NEW WORLD.
IN NEW ENGLAND, GRAVES ARE OPENED,
DEAD BODIES ARE MUTILATED, AND THEIR ORGANS ARE REMOVED.
IN THE LATE 1800s, WITH VAMPIRE PARANOIA
AT A FEVER PITCH, IT IS NOT SURPRISING
THAT A KIT DESIGNED TO COMBAT THE THREAT WOULD EXIST.
OVER 100 YEARS LATER IN 1989,
THIS PARTICULAR BOX OF TOOLS WAS DISCOVERED.
IT WAS FOUND AT AN ANTIQUE SHOW.
I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT BEFORE.
THE KIT APPEARS TO BE INTENDED
FOR AMERICANS WHO TRAVEL TO EASTERN EUROPE,
THE CRADLE OF THE VAMPIRE CRAZE.
THE ARTIFACTS IN IT APPEARED,
FOR THE MOST PART, TO BE TYPICAL OF THE 1800s
IN TERMS OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION, IN TERMS OF THEIR MATERIALS.
WERE THESE TOOLS REALLY ASSEMBLED TO KILL A VAMPIRE,
OR DID THEY SERVE ANOTHER PURPOSE?
TO AUTHENTICATE THE NEW ACQUISITION,
THE MUSEUM BEGINS BY STUDYING ITS LABEL.
IT REVEALS THAT THE TOOLS WERE ASSEMBLED
BY A GERMAN PROFESSOR AND VAMPIRE EXPERT
NAMED ERNST BLOMBERG.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S MENTIONED IS A BOOK
THAT BLOMBERG WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE WRITTEN
THAT PROVIDED DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
FOR HOW ONE WENT ABOUT HUNTING FOR AND KILLING VAMPIRES.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KIT'S CREATOR,
CORY GOES IN SEARCH OF BLOMBERG'S BOOK.
BUT IN SPITE OF HIS EFFORTS,
HE CANNOT FIND ANY RECORDS OF THE PUBLICATION.
TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT BOOK HAS NEVER SURFACED.
WITH NO INFORMATION ON BLOMBERG,
THE MUSEUM HAS THE MATERIALS IN THE KIT TESTED.
THE RESULTS ARE PERPLEXING.
ONE OF THOSE WAS THE IVORY CRUCIFIX
AND WOODEN STAKE COMBINATION, AND IT APPEARED THAT THERE
WAS A FAIRLY MODERN ADHESIVE THAT WAS USED IN A REPAIR.
IT WAS SORT OF THE FIRST CLUE THAT SOMETHING WAS UP.
WHILE A MODERN REPAIR IS NOT EVIDENCE OF FORGERY,
THE MUSEUM GROWS MORE SUSPICIOUS
OF THE KIT'S AUTHENTICITY.
IN SEARCH OF DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE,
THEY RETURN TO BLOMBERG'S NOTE,
ULTRAVIOLET ANALYSIS PRODUCES
A SHOCKING REVELATION.
THE PAPER CONTAINED OPTICAL BRIGHTENERS
THAT WERE PART OF 20th-CENTURY PAPER MANUFACTURE.
OPTICAL BRIGHTENERS ARE CHEMICALS ADDED TO PAPER
TO MAKE IT APPEAR WHITER.
THAT REALLY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS MODERN
ARTIFICIALLY AGED PAPER.
THIS IS THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN.
THE VAMPIRE KIT IS FAKE.
BUT WHO WOULD PERPETRATE SUCH AN ELABORATE HOAX?
CORY RENEWS HIS QUEST FOR INFORMATION
ON THE MYSTERIOUS BLOMBERG AND DISCOVERS
A CONFESSION FROM A MAN CLAIMING TO BE
THE VAMPIRE KIT'S TRUE CREATOR.
HIS NAME, HE STATED, WAS MICHAEL de WINTER.
THE STORY THAT HE TOLD WAS THAT
HE WAS A PART-TIME FIREARMS DEALER AT ANTIQUE SHOWS,
AND HE CAME UP WITH A POCKET PISTOL
THAT WAS NOT VERY VALUABLE.
de WINTER CLAIMS HE CREATED THE VAMPIRE KIT
CENTERED ON THE PISTOL
TO MAKE HIS FIREARM MORE APPEALING.
AND THE VAMPIRE EXPERT ERNST BLOMBERG
WAS A FICTITIOUS CREATION INTENDED TO GIVE THE KIT
AN AIR OF AUTHENTICITY.
TODAY, THE VAMPIRE KIT REMAINS AT THE MERCER MUSEUM
AND IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR DESIRE
TO BELIEVE IN THE FANTASTICAL.
FROM VAMPIRES TO ALIENS,
SIAMESE TWINS TO HAUNTED JAIL CELLS...
I'M DON WILDMAN, AND THESE ARE
THE MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM.