Falling Through the Trap

This is Part II and the conclusion of Max P. Fisher: The Man Who Didn’t Forget. Be sure to catch Part I if you haven’t done so already. Max was a remarkable human being who understood the importance and value of empathy and how to selflessly move through the world, both in and out of uniform. And while his name and accomplishments are not well known, it certainly doesn’t diminish the impact he had...

I’m back and so thrilled to be bringing you a new episode! This story has been a long time in the making and I don’t just mean these last few months, but actually, years . It’s a story I’ve been wanting to tell since I first came across Detective Max P. Fisher . . . and I think you’ll understand why. YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM PATREON Links/Resources: Pinkerton Detective Agency Jim “Cuckoo” Collins Policin...

Hey--sorry the long hiatus, but just wanted to let you know that a new episode is coming! YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM PATREON ABOUT THIS PODCAST: Step behind the walls of Folsom Prison where author and criminal justice professional, April Moore, delves into the haunting, yet profoundly human stories of the 93 men executed between 1895 and 1937. Join us as we explore the paradoxes of justice, taking a deeper...

You may remember James Willett from episode 6 . If you haven’t had a chance to listen that episode, you may want to before listening to this little bonus. YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM PATREON ABOUT THIS PODCAST: Step behind the walls of Folsom Prison where author and criminal justice professional, April Moore, delves into the haunting, yet profoundly human stories of the 93 men executed between 1895 and 1937...

Charles Aull became Folsom Prison’s third warden in 1887. (Some sources refer to him as the prison’s first official warden while Thomas Pockman and John McComb were merely “temporary.” However, my research revealed that both Pockman and McComb were very much considered official wardens of the prison.) While Pockman and McComb were accused of cruelty toward prisoners, it was Aull who really leaned...

Did the state learn from their many blunders while establishing San Quentin? Well . . . yes and no. A note: some sources list Charles Aull as Folsom’s first official warden and that Pockman and McComb were merely “temporary” wardens, however, my research clearly showed that both Pockman and McComb were very much considered official wardens of Folsom. Pockman served from July 15, 1880 to November 1...

Most of us are familiar with the old joke (although maybe not a joke in some families) of a dad greeting his teenaged daughter’s boyfriend at the door while holding a shotgun—the classic intimidation tactic to ensure his precious little girl arrives home from their date on time and unharmed. But what if it’s the other way around? William Glover wasn’t about to take heat from his ex-fiancée’s fathe...

There wouldn’t be a Folsom State Prison without a San Quentin State Prison. Like with the first born, it could be a lot of trial and error, so when the second one arrives, it’s smooth sailing, right? Well, that’s sort of true in this case. San Quentin’s beginnings were certainly a cautionary tale; a lesson in how not to do it. For one, don’t let a slave-owning con-artist have control of it all. In...

Frank Haines, a man of mystery, which was exactly how he liked it—keep ‘em guessing. He would certainly be a curiosity to the people and the courts of California, in that, he refused legal counsel, something rarely seen in the courts then. One thing was for certain (well, quite possibly . . . maybe . . . there’s a chance) if he hadn’t of committed his crime in 1898, the legendary jazz pianist and...

The sins of Lloyd Majors in 1883 would reverberate for decades; most affected were his wife and children, but even those who never knew him could point to his crime as the origin of their own demise. When George Puttman committed a robbery on his 20th birthday in 1895, and was sent to Folsom, he had no idea that it was the last birthday he’d celebrate outside the prison walls. Nor did he realize t...

Frank Belew had it out for his siblings. He was the third of five children and when he was left out of his parents’ estate—the money being divided among the other four—he plotted revenge. His case would make history, prompting the question, Can a person inherit the estates of those he murdered? At the time, in 1897, no laws existed in California preventing one from doing so, which meant . . . yes,...

What happens when you’re provoked? Do you have a moment of temporary insanity? And, therefore, excused from any responsibility? What if it’s your former spouse who “provoked” you? Well, John was apparently having such a moment—the same moment he happened to have a gun. This case was likely the first in the Los Angeles courts (if not all of California), to debate the temporary insanity (in a heat o...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: What happens when a case is mishandled, witnesses change their stories, and societal bias and ignorance dictate what justice ought to be? You get a case for innocence. But seldom was guilt questioned during the lawless days of the wild west, and for some, that meant the end of the road—or in this case, at the end of the rope. YOUTUBE (more photos); INSTAGRAM ; PATREON ; SUBSTAC...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: These executions all took place within 14 months, from June of 1896 to August of 1897. Three claimed self-defense, one blamed booze, and the last one, well . . . he couldn’t wait to take his turn on the gallows. Their stories intertwine a bit—even with the first three executed men—and it simply made sense to combine them. Find out why one was called a “handsome specimen of phys...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: John Craig definitely married up when he wedded Emily Hunter in 1884, but no one understood what Emily saw in a guy who had a reputation as a quarrelsome jerk with a drinking problem. This story entails some pretty historically significant events in the U.S. and California, dating back to 1846. You’ll even hear how Marilyn Monroe ties in . . . but wait, there’s more: our story...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: The story of Ivan Kovalev is incredibly fascinating. In 1893, he escaped from the Siberian prison colony of Sakhalin Island, where Russian playwright, Anton Chekhov visited three years prior. Kovalev’s story also features a very famous whaling ship and a controversial Russian-American treaty, that you’ve likely never heard about. YOUTUBE (more photos) INSTAGRAM ABOUT THIS PODCA...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This is the story of Chin Hane, Folsom Prison's first execution, on December 13, 1895. Called the "King of the Highbinders," (a Chinese hitman), Hane was found guilty of killing a Sacramento cigar merchant, but the case was filled with questionable legal tactics, blackmail, witness tampering, and conspiracies. YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM ABOUT THIS PODCAST: Step behind the walls of Folso...

ABOUT FALLING THROUGH THE TRAP: Step behind the walls of Folsom Prison where author and criminal justice professional, April Moore, delves into the haunting, yet profoundly human stories of the 93 men executed between 1895 and 1937. Join us as we explore the paradoxes of justice, taking a deeper look at the death penalty, and re-humanizing those that history might have left behind. ABOUT THIS EPIS...