Journal of the Bizarre

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on November 13, 2015

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The Incest Capital of the World?

At the far eastern edge of Kentucky, nestled in Appalachia, resides Letcher County. In spite of its isolation and poverty (approximately 30% of the county's population lives below the poverty line), Letcher County has managed to grow at an impressive rate, from a population of just 9,172 in 1900 to a present-day population of nearly 25,000. However, even if Letcher County tripled or quadrupled its present population, there's still a pretty good chance that virtually all of the county's inhabitants would be related to each other-- thanks to one particularly fertile family whose astounding rate of reproduction can put even the friskiest rabbit to shame.

Around the year 1900, Letcher County was the home of a man by the name of Jason L. Webb, who made national headlines for having the one of the largest families in the world. According to newspaper reports of the era, Jason had 19 children, 175 grandchildren, and 100 great-grandchildren. Perhaps even more impressive was his b…

Unsolved Mystery: The Skeletons of Grape Island

Last week's post about the sale of the notoriously haunted Getter's Island in the Delaware River brought to mind another spectacularly spooky island, this one situated in the Kankakee River, about ten miles south of Joliet, Illinois.

Grape Island, at first glance, is hardly worthy of notice. It's a tiny speck of land, overshadowed by its much larger neighbor, Bardwell Island, and easily overlooked by most boaters and fishermen. However, this tiny island has a chilling history that dates back to the days before the Civil War.

In those days, the island was occupied by an early settler named Steele, who was a hunter and trapper and was generally known throughout the region as something of a mean-spirited recluse.

In 1861 Steele was visited by a fellow named Burrington, who had departed from Momence, Illinois, with $10,000 to purchase cattle for the U.S. army. Steele offered Burrington lodging for the night at his tiny house on Grape Island. He was never seen again, and in the…

The Fiendish Revenge of Achilles Bertoni

In November of 1907, a wealthy Italian banker exacted revenge against his cheating wife and her playboy lover in the most shocking manner. The true tale of Achilles Bertoni is proof that, when it comes to cruelty, the human mind knows no boundaries.

At the age of 52, Signor Achilles Bertoni was a self-made millionaire who had risen from humble origins to become the wealthiest man in Rome, if not all of Italy. Three years earlier, enjoying his newfound success as a leading figure in European finance, Bertoni had attended a concert at an opera house and fell instantly in love with a Sicilian singer by the name of Ellen Rotelli, whom the press touted as a great beauty (judging from Ellen's picture, however, it's probably safe to say that legends of her beauty had been greatly exaggerated). Bertoni's friends warned him about the object of his affection, however, as the singer had a bit of an unsavory reputation when it came to her, well let's just say... sexual proclivitie…

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