One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries

Harry Houdini spent the last years of his life doing something unexpected for the world's greatest escape artist: relentlessly exposing fraudulent psychic mediums and publicly humiliating his famous friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the process. But for all his skepticism, Houdini carried a secret that would define the final chapter of his life. . . and haunt his widow for a decade after his death.
One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.
Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton
Researched by Anna Luria and Laurah Norton
Engineered and Produced by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/
Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus
episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607
Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].
All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast LLC/One Strange Thing 2026
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Spaghetti, like money, does not grow on trees. But it turns out that that may not have been common knowledge in ‘50s Britain… and the BBC, after putting together a whimsical April Fools’ segment, suddenly had some explaining to do. We begin our April Fools’ celebration with lots of tricks and fun. Be sure to follow all month!

Hosted by Laurah Norton
Research by Bryan Worters and Maura Currie
Written, Engineered & Produced by Maura Currie

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.
Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

This episode originally ran as premium episode 59.

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/
Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus
episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607
Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].
All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast LLC/One Strange Thing 2026

Works Cited

BBC On This Day
NA, “History of British Television,” Science and Media Museum, 2011.
NA, “Spaghetti tree shown…” The Scotsman, 1957.
NA, “TV hoax fools the…” Belfast Telegraph, 1957.
James Thomas, “TV fools viewers…” Daily News, 1957.
NA, “What a dish - with…” Daily Herald, 1957.
NA, “TV TOPICS,” Shetland Times, 1957.
Jack Stepler, “Spaghetti Tree,” Ottowa Citizen, 1957.
NA, “Spaghetti and Cocktails: The pitiless…” The Scotsman, 1957.
NA, “Spaghetti is harvested…” Runcorn Weekly News, 1957.
Arthur Dunn, “Practical joking the…” Belfast Telegraph, 1962.
Paul Wallace, “The day that trees…” Scarborough Evening News, 1988.
NA, “Still a good joke…” BBC News, 2004.
NA, “Archive: A look back at the 1957…” BBC, 2024.
Encyclopedia Britannica
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chestnut Hill is a desirable neighborhood in the deliciously weird city of Philadelphia. But there’s very, very old American history there, too – so is it all that big a surprise that a mansion there is haunted? The real question is: between the death chair, the ghost boys, and the screaming parrot… who would film a music video there?

Hosted by Laurah Norton
Researched by Maura Currie and Anna Luria
Written, Produced and Engineered by Maura Currie

This episode previously appeared as Premium Episode 52.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.
Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/
Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus
episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607
Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].
All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast LLC/One Strange Thing 2026

Works Cited

Bill Hayden, “Ghosts of Ney and Milton…” The News Journal, 1973.
Claire Huff, “The ghosts of Chestnut Hill,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 1976.
NA, “A high-spirited evening…” Philadelphia Inquirer, 1989.
Kevin Feeley, “My Neighbor’s Chestnut Hill…” BillyPenn/WHYY, 2015.
Beverly J. Smith, “A Magical Mystic Tour,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 1973.
Ron Avery. “Squire revels in domain…” Philadelphia Daily News, 1991.
Kaitlyn Foti, “Chestnut Hill’s Baleroy…” Chestnut Hill-Mt. Airy Patch, 2011.
Philly Ghosts
Chestnut Hill, PA
Ally Mullen, “Interview: Sean Pecknold,” Urban Outfitters Blog, 2012 (via Wayback Machine)
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're sharing a special episode from Blood Will Tell, a gripping new podcast you won't want to miss.
When a birthday party in suburban San Jose turns deadly, 18-year-old identical twins Trung and Anh are arrested for suspected murder. But when an eyewitness misidentifies the brothers in a lineup, one twin spends nearly two years in jail — and the wrong one. How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his freedom for a crime he didn't commit?
Listen to more episodes of Blood Will Tell at https://wondery.com/shows/blood-will-tell/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1897, a Little Rock businessman claimed he tracked down and killed a 20-foot dragon-like creature with tusks, webbed feet, and a taste for human flesh in the caves of Searcy County, Arkansas. He even had a photograph. The tale of the Ozark Gowrow didn't end in 1897 — this cryptid legend took on a life of its own in mountain folklore and monster sightings across Arkansas.
One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.
Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton
Researched by Anna Luria and Laurah Norton
Engineered and Produced by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/
Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus
episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607
Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].
All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast LLC/One Strange Thing 2026
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.