The Odon Fire Poltergeist
For this episode, we head up to Daviess County, Indiana, to look into a case from 1940 that the Indiana State Fire Marshal called “the most baffling mystery he had ever seen” before officially closing it as unsolved. People in the area still call it the Odon Fire Poltergeist.
Before we even get to the day the fires started, you have to talk about the history of this piece of ground because it makes you wonder if the place was cursed long before 1940. Back in the mid-1800s, a man named Marshall Ketchum built a house there. In the 1880s, five members of his family died on the property from what was called burning fever, which was likely typhus. Later on, the home was sold to a spiritualist named Andrew Wickle. Tragic bad luck struck again when Wickle’s son was killed in a hunting accident. Devastated by grief, Wickle had his son buried right in the yard in a custom casket with a glass window so he could look down at his face, and he claimed he regularly talked to his deceased son’s spirit.
By 1940, a man named William Hackler lived on the farm with his wife Minnie and their five kids. Everything was uneventful until Friday, June 21, 1940.
That morning, wallpaper in an upstairs room suddenly burst into flames. The fire department rushed out, assuming it was a bad chimney. But when they tore down the plaster, there was no chimney anywhere near that wall, no electrical wiring, and no stove fire burning. From 9:00 AM until 11:00 PM that night, 28 separate spontaneous fires broke out all over the house.
The fires were completely unexplainable. Papers inside a closed desk drawer caught fire. Curtains ignited right behind visiting neighbors, but the window shades underneath them were untouched. A calendar burned up on the wall without even scorching the wallpaper behind it. Paper between a bed spring and mattress burst into flames and destroyed the bed. The family was so terrified they slept out in the front yard that night.
The State Fire Marshal investigated thoroughly, but they never found a single trace of arson, chemical reaction, or electrical fault. The story went nationwide and was even featured in a Collier’s Magazine ad for Travelers Insurance in 1941.
I actually got the chance to talk with 90-year-old Daviess County historian, Don Cosby, for this episode. He shared that the Hackler family left the county not long after the fires, and no trace of the family remained in the area. With help from Don’s son-in-law, I managed to get the exact location of the old farm and took a drive up there. The old house is long gone now, and the site is just open farmland today.
Was it a genuine poltergeist, a bizarre natural phenomenon, or something else entirely? Listen to the episode and judge for yourself!
1
00:00:10.400 –> 00:00:11.880
Speaker:
You’re listening to. River City
2
00:00:11.880 –> 00:00:13.599
Speaker:
Mystery podcast, the show that
3
00:00:13.599 –> 00:00:14.919
Speaker:
delves into the Evansville and
4
00:00:14.919 –> 00:00:16.160
Speaker:
surrounding Tri-State area’s
5
00:00:16.160 –> 00:00:18.199
Speaker:
mysteries, including unsolved
6
00:00:18.199 –> 00:00:19.480
Speaker:
crimes, murders, and
7
00:00:19.480 –> 00:00:21.199
Speaker:
disappearances.
8
00:00:21.199 –> 00:00:23.120
Speaker:
A show that isn’t afraid to jump
down the rabbit hole to
9
00:00:23.120 –> 00:00:26.519
Speaker:
investigate reports of local
hauntings, sightings of UFOs and
10
00:00:26.519 –> 00:00:31.559
Speaker:
cryptids, among other paranormal
phenomena, with your host co
11
00:00:31.559 –> 00:00:34.280
Speaker:
founder of the Humans of
Evansville Facebook page.
12
00:00:34.280 –> 00:00:35.880
Speaker:
Law office worker by day.
13
00:00:35.880 –> 00:00:39.359
Speaker:
Insomniac researcher of the
bizarre by night Matt Deig.
14
00:00:43.960 –> 00:00:45.539
Speaker:
In tonight’s episode, we travel
15
00:00:45.539 –> 00:00:47.159
Speaker:
to a little town in Daviess
16
00:00:47.159 –> 00:00:49.359
Speaker:
County, Indiana, known as Odin,
17
00:00:49.359 –> 00:00:50.960
Speaker:
the site of a decades old
18
00:00:50.960 –> 00:00:52.560
Speaker:
mystery which the Indiana State
19
00:00:52.560 –> 00:00:54.439
Speaker:
Fire Marshal referred to as the
20
00:00:54.439 –> 00:00:56.000
Speaker:
most baffling mystery he had
21
00:00:56.000 –> 00:00:57.159
Speaker:
ever seen.
22
00:00:57.159 –> 00:00:58.619
Speaker:
Before he closed the case
23
00:00:58.619 –> 00:01:00.799
Speaker:
unsolved, a case that has come
24
00:01:00.799 –> 00:01:03.320
Speaker:
to be known as the Odin Fire
25
00:01:03.320 –> 00:01:04.400
Speaker:
Poltergeist.
26
00:01:07.879 –> 00:01:11.299
Speaker:
As I was going through my list
of of potential mysteries to to
27
00:01:11.299 –> 00:01:15.959
Speaker:
look into, I’ve always been a
fan of looking into curses and
28
00:01:15.959 –> 00:01:20.120
Speaker:
cursed people and teams and
ground and things like that.
29
00:01:20.120 –> 00:01:22.400
Speaker:
This one definitely fits the
30
00:01:22.400 –> 00:01:25.219
Speaker:
bill of perhaps being cursed
31
00:01:25.219 –> 00:01:27.359
Speaker:
ground or property that’s
32
00:01:27.359 –> 00:01:28.040
Speaker:
cursed.
33
00:01:28.040 –> 00:01:32.959
Speaker:
I don’t know what your opinion
is on curses or cursed people or
34
00:01:32.959 –> 00:01:35.680
Speaker:
that sort of a thing, but
sometimes there are certain
35
00:01:35.680 –> 00:01:42.040
Speaker:
people or families, um, grounds
that bad things seem to happen
36
00:01:42.040 –> 00:01:45.680
Speaker:
for whether, whether it’s, you
know, brought upon by themselves
37
00:01:45.680 –> 00:01:49.920
Speaker:
or if there is an actual curse
or, or whatever.
38
00:01:49.920 –> 00:01:51.640
Speaker:
It’s hard to deny that some
39
00:01:51.640 –> 00:01:54.200
Speaker:
people and things and teams seem
40
00:01:54.200 –> 00:01:56.319
Speaker:
to have fallen victim to the
41
00:01:56.319 –> 00:01:57.239
Speaker:
curse.
42
00:01:57.239 –> 00:01:58.519
Speaker:
Just off the top of my head, I’m
43
00:01:58.519 –> 00:02:00.120
Speaker:
thinking of the Kennedy family
44
00:02:00.120 –> 00:02:01.000
Speaker:
curse.
45
00:02:01.000 –> 00:02:05.060
Speaker:
There’s all kinds of tragedy
that has befallen the Kennedys
46
00:02:05.060 –> 00:02:07.200
Speaker:
from JFK to his brother Robert.
47
00:02:07.200 –> 00:02:10.520
Speaker:
And there’s a whole list of
other tragedies that you start
48
00:02:10.520 –> 00:02:14.460
Speaker:
to wonder, what are the chances
of all of these horrible things
49
00:02:14.460 –> 00:02:16.680
Speaker:
happening to one family?
50
00:02:16.680 –> 00:02:20.080
Speaker:
You’ve got the curse of King
Tut’s tomb.
51
00:02:20.080 –> 00:02:24.039
Speaker:
The people who passed away when
they opened the tomb, the Billy
52
00:02:24.039 –> 00:02:25.680
Speaker:
goat curse from the cubs.
53
00:02:25.680 –> 00:02:28.319
Speaker:
When William Cyanose brought his
54
00:02:28.319 –> 00:02:30.319
Speaker:
Billy Goat Murphy, to the
55
00:02:30.319 –> 00:02:31.560
Speaker:
nineteen forty five World
56
00:02:31.560 –> 00:02:33.000
Speaker:
Series, he was kicked out of the
57
00:02:33.000 –> 00:02:34.039
Speaker:
game.
58
00:02:34.039 –> 00:02:38.120
Speaker:
On his way out, he cursed the
team, and I believe the team did
59
00:02:38.120 –> 00:02:41.960
Speaker:
not see a World Series for
another seventy one years before
60
00:02:41.960 –> 00:02:43.719
Speaker:
they broke that curse.
61
00:02:43.719 –> 00:02:45.680
Speaker:
Some people assign that to the
curse.
62
00:02:45.680 –> 00:02:47.280
Speaker:
Other people to say that’s what
it was.
63
00:02:47.280 –> 00:02:48.599
Speaker:
Just a seventy one year drought
64
00:02:48.599 –> 00:02:49.520
Speaker:
and nothing to do with the
65
00:02:49.520 –> 00:02:50.280
Speaker:
curse.
66
00:02:50.280 –> 00:02:54.639
Speaker:
I know some Indianapolis Colts
fans secretly wonder if maybe
67
00:02:54.639 –> 00:02:57.159
Speaker:
Peyton Manning didn’t mutter
some kind of curse or two on the
68
00:02:57.159 –> 00:02:59.520
Speaker:
way out the door when he was let
go from the Colts.
69
00:02:59.520 –> 00:03:01.360
Speaker:
Don’t get me started on that,
though.
70
00:03:02.439 –> 00:03:05.629
Speaker:
Now, the grounds that the Odin
fire poltergeist that we’re
71
00:03:05.629 –> 00:03:08.710
Speaker:
going to be talking about
tonight occurred on is it
72
00:03:08.710 –> 00:03:10.710
Speaker:
occurred in Odin, Indiana.
73
00:03:10.710 –> 00:03:13.430
Speaker:
And we need to talk a little bit
about the history of this
74
00:03:13.430 –> 00:03:17.669
Speaker:
ground, because once we start
looking at the history of this
75
00:03:17.669 –> 00:03:21.229
Speaker:
particular piece of ground, we
start to wonder if maybe this
76
00:03:21.229 –> 00:03:24.710
Speaker:
area isn’t cursed or this piece
of property is cursed.
77
00:03:24.710 –> 00:03:29.030
Speaker:
Um, certainly an argument could
be made that it is about twenty
78
00:03:29.030 –> 00:03:32.669
Speaker:
years prior to the US Civil War,
a Tennessee native named
79
00:03:32.669 –> 00:03:36.889
Speaker:
Marshall Ketchum moved to the
Daviess County, Indiana area at
80
00:03:36.889 –> 00:03:38.750
Speaker:
that time that he moved there.
81
00:03:38.750 –> 00:03:40.669
Speaker:
It wasn’t known as Odin.
82
00:03:40.669 –> 00:03:42.469
Speaker:
That area in Daviess County was
83
00:03:42.469 –> 00:03:44.990
Speaker:
known as Clarksburg after George
84
00:03:44.990 –> 00:03:46.629
Speaker:
Rogers Clark.
85
00:03:46.629 –> 00:03:50.889
Speaker:
Just after the end of the US
Civil War, Marshall built a two
86
00:03:50.889 –> 00:03:53.789
Speaker:
story frame house and lived
there with his wife, Margaret,
87
00:03:53.789 –> 00:03:55.430
Speaker:
and their children.
88
00:03:55.430 –> 00:03:59.509
Speaker:
The house that Marshall built is
the actual property.
89
00:03:59.509 –> 00:04:02.030
Speaker:
That’s the grounds that the Odin
90
00:04:02.030 –> 00:04:03.909
Speaker:
Fire Poltergeist will occur at
91
00:04:03.909 –> 00:04:04.550
Speaker:
much later.
92
00:04:04.550 –> 00:04:05.349
Speaker:
But we’re.
93
00:04:05.349 –> 00:04:08.150
Speaker:
talking about, you know, we’re
kind of going into the history
94
00:04:08.150 –> 00:04:09.710
Speaker:
of this ground.
95
00:04:09.710 –> 00:04:11.469
Speaker:
Mr. Marshall was the first one
96
00:04:11.469 –> 00:04:13.189
Speaker:
to build on that property with
97
00:04:13.189 –> 00:04:14.669
Speaker:
his wife.
98
00:04:14.669 –> 00:04:18.550
Speaker:
They had two children together,
at least two children that were
99
00:04:18.550 –> 00:04:22.589
Speaker:
listed in the eighteen sixty
census in the Davis County area.
100
00:04:22.589 –> 00:04:27.089
Speaker:
He built the house about four
miles northwest of town, right
101
00:04:27.089 –> 00:04:28.990
Speaker:
off the main road.
102
00:04:28.990 –> 00:04:30.829
Speaker:
The first tragedy to strike on
103
00:04:30.829 –> 00:04:32.250
Speaker:
this property occurred in the
104
00:04:32.250 –> 00:04:33.870
Speaker:
eighteen eighties, when five
105
00:04:33.870 –> 00:04:35.670
Speaker:
members of the Marshall family
106
00:04:35.670 –> 00:04:36.970
Speaker:
passed away from the burning
107
00:04:36.970 –> 00:04:39.509
Speaker:
fever, which it’s believed that
108
00:04:39.509 –> 00:04:41.910
Speaker:
was most likely typhus, the
109
00:04:41.910 –> 00:04:43.269
Speaker:
burning fever.
110
00:04:43.269 –> 00:04:47.110
Speaker:
And according to an obituary in
the Indianapolis News, Marshall
111
00:04:47.110 –> 00:04:50.750
Speaker:
was not one of those who passed
away, and he died later in
112
00:04:50.750 –> 00:04:52.589
Speaker:
eighteen ninety nine.
113
00:04:52.589 –> 00:04:55.110
Speaker:
After Mr. Marshall passed away.
114
00:04:55.110 –> 00:04:58.269
Speaker:
The home was sold to a
Southerner named Andrew Weichel
115
00:04:58.269 –> 00:05:03.589
Speaker:
and his wife, Andrew Weichel,
was a spiritualist, so he.
116
00:05:03.589 –> 00:05:06.389
Speaker:
He thought he could communicate
with the dead, end.
117
00:05:06.389 –> 00:05:11.389
Speaker:
So he goes into the property
with this belief already.
118
00:05:11.389 –> 00:05:15.990
Speaker:
And he and his wife had two
sons, and unfortunately, one of
119
00:05:15.990 –> 00:05:21.509
Speaker:
those two sons was shot to death
in a hunting accident.
120
00:05:21.509 –> 00:05:24.629
Speaker:
This really hit Mr. Wickle
pretty badly.
121
00:05:24.629 –> 00:05:26.430
Speaker:
He was inconsolable and grieved
122
00:05:26.430 –> 00:05:28.430
Speaker:
over the loss of his son for
123
00:05:28.430 –> 00:05:30.149
Speaker:
many years.
124
00:05:30.149 –> 00:05:33.470
Speaker:
He actually had his son buried a
few hundred yards west of the
125
00:05:33.470 –> 00:05:37.029
Speaker:
house in a casket that he had
custom built, with an embedded
126
00:05:37.029 –> 00:05:40.709
Speaker:
glass window so the child’s face
could be seen.
127
00:05:40.709 –> 00:05:46.310
Speaker:
So he had buried the son in a
casket with, I’m guessing, some
128
00:05:46.310 –> 00:05:50.769
Speaker:
sort of a cavern or some sort of
a shaft where he could actually
129
00:05:50.769 –> 00:05:55.350
Speaker:
shine a light down or something
to see his son’s face.
130
00:05:55.350 –> 00:05:58.629
Speaker:
Um, even though he had been
buried in this casket.
131
00:05:58.629 –> 00:05:59.949
Speaker:
Not creepy at all.
132
00:05:59.949 –> 00:06:05.509
Speaker:
And I think that his wife was
not a huge fan of this idea.
133
00:06:05.509 –> 00:06:06.889
Speaker:
I think she went along with it
134
00:06:06.889 –> 00:06:08.810
Speaker:
because, you know, he was so
135
00:06:08.810 –> 00:06:09.670
Speaker:
inconsolable.
136
00:06:09.670 –> 00:06:11.350
Speaker:
And, you know, this was the way
he was.
137
00:06:11.350 –> 00:06:14.350
Speaker:
Her husband was dealing with the
grief also.
138
00:06:14.350 –> 00:06:18.910
Speaker:
Her husband claimed their
deceased son had made his
139
00:06:18.910 –> 00:06:23.670
Speaker:
presence known to to them and or
to him anyway, and that he
140
00:06:23.670 –> 00:06:28.589
Speaker:
regularly had conversations with
his deceased son after Mr.
141
00:06:28.589 –> 00:06:30.230
Speaker:
Whipple passed away.
142
00:06:30.230 –> 00:06:34.189
Speaker:
It was rumored that his wife had
the boy’s casket dug up and
143
00:06:34.189 –> 00:06:37.569
Speaker:
moved to a nearby cemetery so
she wouldn’t have to, you know,
144
00:06:37.569 –> 00:06:41.829
Speaker:
see that in the backyard all the
time, which understandable.
145
00:06:41.829 –> 00:06:46.269
Speaker:
Years later, in nineteen thirty,
the property is for sale.
146
00:06:46.269 –> 00:06:50.389
Speaker:
I don’t know if what happened
with Mrs. Whipple.
147
00:06:50.389 –> 00:06:53.189
Speaker:
If she just decided to get out
of there or what.
148
00:06:53.189 –> 00:06:54.829
Speaker:
The records show that in the.
149
00:06:54.829 –> 00:06:56.689
Speaker:
In nineteen thirty, the property
150
00:06:56.689 –> 00:06:58.269
Speaker:
is purchased by a William
151
00:06:58.269 –> 00:07:00.990
Speaker:
Hechler and he lived there at
152
00:07:00.990 –> 00:07:02.350
Speaker:
the property with his wife,
153
00:07:02.350 –> 00:07:04.990
Speaker:
Minnie, and their five children,
154
00:07:04.990 –> 00:07:06.589
Speaker:
and they lived there for a
155
00:07:06.589 –> 00:07:07.269
Speaker:
decade with.
156
00:07:07.269 –> 00:07:10.620
Speaker:
And there really weren’t any
incidents to talk about.
157
00:07:10.620 –> 00:07:12.420
Speaker:
That all changed dramatically in
158
00:07:12.420 –> 00:07:14.000
Speaker:
the summer of nineteen forty,
159
00:07:14.000 –> 00:07:15.699
Speaker:
however.
160
00:07:15.699 –> 00:07:18.699
Speaker:
Don Cosby wrote an article in
The Washington Times Herald in
161
00:07:18.699 –> 00:07:23.819
Speaker:
October twenty ten focusing on
the Odin Fire Poltergeist case.
162
00:07:23.819 –> 00:07:27.500
Speaker:
Don Cosby was selected as the
Davies County historian by the
163
00:07:27.500 –> 00:07:29.339
Speaker:
Indiana Historical Society.
164
00:07:29.339 –> 00:07:33.279
Speaker:
He’s written several books on
the topics related to Davies
165
00:07:33.279 –> 00:07:37.139
Speaker:
County and Southern Indiana,
such as revisiting the past,
166
00:07:37.139 –> 00:07:41.019
Speaker:
legends, legacy and folklore,
and My Scrapbook.
167
00:07:41.019 –> 00:07:43.980
Speaker:
If you’re interested in checking
out those books, check out the
168
00:07:43.980 –> 00:07:47.420
Speaker:
links in my show notes at River
city Mystery dot com.
169
00:07:49.420 –> 00:07:52.779
Speaker:
And I actually had the brief
opportunity to speak with Don,
170
00:07:52.779 –> 00:07:55.300
Speaker:
and he was able to help me out
with a few questions I had,
171
00:07:55.300 –> 00:07:57.860
Speaker:
which I very much appreciate him
taking his time out of his day
172
00:07:57.860 –> 00:07:58.819
Speaker:
to answer those for me.
173
00:07:58.819 –> 00:08:02.300
Speaker:
He’s ninety years old, but still
on top of his game, and you’ll
174
00:08:02.300 –> 00:08:05.220
Speaker:
hear a little bit of our
interview later in this episode.
175
00:08:05.220 –> 00:08:08.920
Speaker:
This is the article that Don
wrote in The Washington Times
176
00:08:08.920 –> 00:08:14.060
Speaker:
Herald in October twenty ten
about the Odin fire Poltergeist.
177
00:08:14.060 –> 00:08:17.379
Speaker:
The Washington Herald published
a rather remarkable, if not
178
00:08:17.379 –> 00:08:20.860
Speaker:
unbelievable, story of details
of the event that were not only
179
00:08:20.860 –> 00:08:24.779
Speaker:
witnessed, but were verified by
neighbors who visited the home
180
00:08:24.779 –> 00:08:26.420
Speaker:
of William Hackler.
181
00:08:26.420 –> 00:08:29.939
Speaker:
Friday, June twenty first,
nineteen forty.
182
00:08:29.939 –> 00:08:33.700
Speaker:
Personally, I would probably be
one of the first to suspect a
183
00:08:33.700 –> 00:08:35.299
Speaker:
staged event by the family.
184
00:08:35.299 –> 00:08:37.899
Speaker:
But after authorities had
investigated all possible
185
00:08:37.899 –> 00:08:41.580
Speaker:
scenarios, this story still
remains a mystery.
186
00:08:41.580 –> 00:08:43.039
Speaker:
You therefore, are permitted to
187
00:08:43.039 –> 00:08:45.600
Speaker:
accept the story as fact or, if
188
00:08:45.600 –> 00:08:47.700
Speaker:
you choose, dismiss it as total
189
00:08:47.700 –> 00:08:49.259
Speaker:
nonsense.
190
00:08:49.259 –> 00:08:51.259
Speaker:
William Hackler lived on a large
191
00:08:51.259 –> 00:08:52.879
Speaker:
two story house on top of a
192
00:08:52.879 –> 00:08:54.860
Speaker:
hill, surrounded by large pine
193
00:08:54.860 –> 00:08:56.820
Speaker:
trees about four miles northwest
194
00:08:56.820 –> 00:08:58.179
Speaker:
of Odin.
195
00:08:58.179 –> 00:08:59.580
Speaker:
The old house has been gone for
196
00:08:59.580 –> 00:09:01.019
Speaker:
years, of course, but some of
197
00:09:01.019 –> 00:09:02.820
Speaker:
the older folks in town may
198
00:09:02.820 –> 00:09:04.259
Speaker:
remember it.
199
00:09:04.259 –> 00:09:07.220
Speaker:
One of the articles stated that
the old house was located on a
200
00:09:07.220 –> 00:09:10.740
Speaker:
high hill about a hundred yards
off the road just east of the
201
00:09:10.740 –> 00:09:13.019
Speaker:
abandoned Hastings School.
202
00:09:14.019 –> 00:09:17.379
Speaker:
Mr. Hechler drove a truck and
collected milk from local
203
00:09:17.379 –> 00:09:21.379
Speaker:
farmers, but was getting back
into town around nine a m he was
204
00:09:21.379 –> 00:09:24.580
Speaker:
told that the Odin fire truck
had gone to his house earlier,
205
00:09:24.580 –> 00:09:25.700
Speaker:
but everything was okay.
206
00:09:25.700 –> 00:09:27.820
Speaker:
Now he decided to finish the
207
00:09:27.820 –> 00:09:29.620
Speaker:
rest of his route, but
208
00:09:29.620 –> 00:09:31.139
Speaker:
everything was not all right, as
209
00:09:31.139 –> 00:09:33.279
Speaker:
he later found out when he got
210
00:09:33.279 –> 00:09:35.100
Speaker:
home around ten a m and until
211
00:09:35.100 –> 00:09:37.019
Speaker:
eleven that night, he was kept
212
00:09:37.019 –> 00:09:39.340
Speaker:
busy watching for fires to break
213
00:09:39.340 –> 00:09:40.860
Speaker:
out.
214
00:09:40.860 –> 00:09:45.539
Speaker:
Dorothy Hechler found the first
fire in an upstairs room.
215
00:09:45.539 –> 00:09:48.620
Speaker:
The strip of wallpaper just
ignited on the wall.
216
00:09:48.620 –> 00:09:51.600
Speaker:
Of course, the fire department
thought of a defective chimney,
217
00:09:51.600 –> 00:09:55.460
Speaker:
but there was no chimney even
close to that wall.
218
00:09:55.460 –> 00:09:59.139
Speaker:
Also remember, it was June and
there was no fire in the stove.
219
00:09:59.139 –> 00:10:03.580
Speaker:
They tore off the plaster and
there was no chimney behind it.
220
00:10:03.580 –> 00:10:06.659
Speaker:
The second fire broke out on the
opposite side of the house.
221
00:10:06.659 –> 00:10:10.379
Speaker:
Again firemen tore plaster and
lathes off down to the studs,
222
00:10:10.379 –> 00:10:13.299
Speaker:
finding no evidence of where the
fire had traveled underneath the
223
00:10:13.299 –> 00:10:16.860
Speaker:
lathes, or between the ceiling
and floor of the second story.
224
00:10:16.860 –> 00:10:20.940
Speaker:
It had simply just broken out,
just like the first.
225
00:10:20.940 –> 00:10:22.379
Speaker:
This was on the west side of the
226
00:10:22.379 –> 00:10:24.100
Speaker:
building, and it was feared the
227
00:10:24.100 –> 00:10:26.100
Speaker:
whole house might catch fire,
228
00:10:26.100 –> 00:10:27.860
Speaker:
but water from a cistern
229
00:10:27.860 –> 00:10:29.299
Speaker:
prevented the fires from
230
00:10:29.299 –> 00:10:30.620
Speaker:
spreading, and the family were
231
00:10:30.620 –> 00:10:31.779
Speaker:
able to put them out as they
232
00:10:31.779 –> 00:10:33.139
Speaker:
occurred.
233
00:10:33.139 –> 00:10:37.299
Speaker:
Hechler said from that time on
all day Friday, it was just one
234
00:10:37.299 –> 00:10:39.340
Speaker:
fire after another.
235
00:10:39.340 –> 00:10:43.740
Speaker:
Most of these fires were small
but appeared to be spontaneous.
236
00:10:43.740 –> 00:10:48.419
Speaker:
One fire occurred inside a desk
where papers caught fire.
237
00:10:48.419 –> 00:10:51.500
Speaker:
Another, while two women from
Odin had stopped to visit.
238
00:10:51.500 –> 00:10:53.179
Speaker:
Curtains on a window directly
239
00:10:53.179 –> 00:10:55.500
Speaker:
behind them suddenly burst into
240
00:10:55.500 –> 00:10:56.580
Speaker:
flames.
241
00:10:56.580 –> 00:11:00.460
Speaker:
But strangely, the window shades
were not burned.
242
00:11:00.460 –> 00:11:01.940
Speaker:
Then suddenly, the curtains
243
00:11:01.940 –> 00:11:03.659
Speaker:
across the room hanging out a
244
00:11:03.659 –> 00:11:05.259
Speaker:
window ignited in the same
245
00:11:05.259 –> 00:11:06.659
Speaker:
fashion.
246
00:11:06.659 –> 00:11:10.419
Speaker:
Another fire broke out in a
bedroom paper that had been
247
00:11:10.419 –> 00:11:14.179
Speaker:
placed between the springs and
the mattress broke out into
248
00:11:14.179 –> 00:11:16.899
Speaker:
flames, destroying the mattress.
249
00:11:16.899 –> 00:11:20.299
Speaker:
A calendar in another room burst
into flames, but strangely it.
250
00:11:20.299 –> 00:11:22.940
Speaker:
It did no damage to the
wallpaper.
251
00:11:22.940 –> 00:11:26.419
Speaker:
In another room, a pair of
trousers hanging on a hook
252
00:11:26.419 –> 00:11:28.740
Speaker:
against the wall caught fire.
253
00:11:28.740 –> 00:11:30.580
Speaker:
One of the neighbours said, if I
254
00:11:30.580 –> 00:11:31.759
Speaker:
had not been in that house at
255
00:11:31.759 –> 00:11:32.940
Speaker:
that time and seen it with my
256
00:11:32.940 –> 00:11:34.100
Speaker:
own eyes, I would not have
257
00:11:34.100 –> 00:11:35.460
Speaker:
believed it.
258
00:11:35.460 –> 00:11:39.259
Speaker:
Another person said, the devil
is in that house.
259
00:11:39.259 –> 00:11:42.580
Speaker:
Mr. Hackler said, I don’t
believe in spooks, so the only
260
00:11:42.580 –> 00:11:46.059
Speaker:
thing I was afraid of that night
was fire breaking out that way.
261
00:11:46.059 –> 00:11:49.100
Speaker:
In the course of the next few
days, hundreds of people visited
262
00:11:49.100 –> 00:11:52.299
Speaker:
the Hackler home, going away
completely mystified about the
263
00:11:52.299 –> 00:11:54.659
Speaker:
actual cause of the fires.
264
00:11:54.659 –> 00:11:59.500
Speaker:
All these fires had one thing in
common they had no explanation.
265
00:11:59.500 –> 00:12:01.419
Speaker:
Some said the house was haunted.
266
00:12:01.419 –> 00:12:03.460
Speaker:
Others said it was cursed.
267
00:12:03.460 –> 00:12:06.539
Speaker:
One such story could lend
credence to the fact that it was
268
00:12:06.539 –> 00:12:09.899
Speaker:
told that the house did have
quite a background.
269
00:12:09.899 –> 00:12:13.929
Speaker:
Mr. Cosby goes on to talk about
the, uh, Spiritualist who lived
270
00:12:13.929 –> 00:12:14.970
Speaker:
there, which I’ve already.
271
00:12:14.970 –> 00:12:17.330
Speaker:
I’ve already talked about.
272
00:12:17.330 –> 00:12:18.850
Speaker:
The entire heckler family was
273
00:12:18.850 –> 00:12:20.289
Speaker:
quite shaken, and Virginia
274
00:12:20.289 –> 00:12:21.450
Speaker:
Hackler, a ten year old
275
00:12:21.450 –> 00:12:22.970
Speaker:
daughter, was especially
276
00:12:22.970 –> 00:12:24.250
Speaker:
frightened.
277
00:12:24.250 –> 00:12:27.330
Speaker:
In fact, being unable to know
what else the family might be
278
00:12:27.330 –> 00:12:28.529
Speaker:
required to endure.
279
00:12:28.529 –> 00:12:32.049
Speaker:
The family slept in the front
yard the night after the fires.
280
00:12:32.049 –> 00:12:34.009
Speaker:
Even at that, I’m sure sleep
281
00:12:34.009 –> 00:12:35.970
Speaker:
didn’t come easy for the family
282
00:12:35.970 –> 00:12:37.370
Speaker:
that night.
283
00:12:37.370 –> 00:12:39.190
Speaker:
Later, heckler, in an effort to
284
00:12:39.190 –> 00:12:40.809
Speaker:
find the answers to the problem,
285
00:12:40.809 –> 00:12:42.490
Speaker:
contacted the state fire marshal
286
00:12:42.490 –> 00:12:43.929
Speaker:
for assistance.
287
00:12:43.929 –> 00:12:46.649
Speaker:
Oddly enough, eight years later,
on October twenty third,
288
00:12:46.649 –> 00:12:50.769
Speaker:
nineteen forty eight, at Macomb,
Illinois, the home of Charles
289
00:12:50.769 –> 00:12:53.649
Speaker:
Willey experienced almost
exactly the same situation as
290
00:12:53.649 –> 00:12:55.610
Speaker:
the heckler family did.
291
00:12:55.610 –> 00:12:58.049
Speaker:
The Willey family had numerous
small fires.
292
00:12:58.049 –> 00:13:02.529
Speaker:
However, they finally lost two
barns and their home to fires.
293
00:13:02.529 –> 00:13:05.769
Speaker:
To my knowledge, no satisfactory
logical causes were ever found
294
00:13:05.769 –> 00:13:07.610
Speaker:
to explain the fires.
295
00:13:07.610 –> 00:13:08.970
Speaker:
The mystery continues.
296
00:13:08.970 –> 00:13:11.610
Speaker:
Yet today the Travelers
297
00:13:11.610 –> 00:13:13.649
Speaker:
Insurance Company used the
298
00:13:13.649 –> 00:13:16.250
Speaker:
heckler story in an ad in the
299
00:13:16.250 –> 00:13:17.730
Speaker:
April nineteenth, nineteen forty
300
00:13:17.730 –> 00:13:18.809
Speaker:
one edition of Collier’s
301
00:13:18.809 –> 00:13:20.210
Speaker:
Magazine.
302
00:13:20.210 –> 00:13:23.269
Speaker:
The ad stated under a photo with
a little story about the twenty
303
00:13:23.269 –> 00:13:27.230
Speaker:
eight fires, the ad stated, it
is very unlikely you will ever
304
00:13:27.230 –> 00:13:31.049
Speaker:
be the victim of a mysterious
siege of fires like this, but
305
00:13:31.049 –> 00:13:34.090
Speaker:
one fire without enough
insurance, properly written, is
306
00:13:34.090 –> 00:13:36.129
Speaker:
one too many.
307
00:13:36.129 –> 00:13:38.370
Speaker:
As I was doing research on this
308
00:13:38.370 –> 00:13:40.750
Speaker:
poltergeist case, I wanted to
309
00:13:40.750 –> 00:13:42.769
Speaker:
find out where exactly this farm
310
00:13:42.769 –> 00:13:43.970
Speaker:
was.
311
00:13:43.970 –> 00:13:46.549
Speaker:
Obviously there had to be a well
312
00:13:46.549 –> 00:13:48.669
Speaker:
known area, or people had to in
313
00:13:48.669 –> 00:13:50.490
Speaker:
that region know where the farm
314
00:13:50.490 –> 00:13:51.570
Speaker:
was.
315
00:13:51.570 –> 00:13:52.370
Speaker:
I couldn’t find.
316
00:13:52.370 –> 00:13:55.370
Speaker:
I looked through many, many
stories and all of the stories
317
00:13:55.370 –> 00:13:56.970
Speaker:
pretty much say the same things.
318
00:13:56.970 –> 00:13:59.730
Speaker:
And there were very few
references to the actual
319
00:13:59.730 –> 00:14:02.129
Speaker:
location of this farm.
320
00:14:02.129 –> 00:14:05.970
Speaker:
So I reached out to Mr. Cosby
and asked if he knew, since he’s
321
00:14:05.970 –> 00:14:08.610
Speaker:
from Daviess County, if he knew
exactly where this farm was.
322
00:14:08.610 –> 00:14:11.289
Speaker:
I wanted to take a little day
trip up there to Daviess County
323
00:14:11.289 –> 00:14:13.210
Speaker:
and see it for myself.
324
00:14:13.210 –> 00:14:15.289
Speaker:
See where this farm was now.
325
00:14:15.289 –> 00:14:16.490
Speaker:
There were other stories.
326
00:14:16.490 –> 00:14:19.730
Speaker:
This was not in Mr. Cosby’s
story, so I don’t know.
327
00:14:19.730 –> 00:14:22.970
Speaker:
I can’t verify whether this is
true or not, but there were
328
00:14:22.970 –> 00:14:26.769
Speaker:
other stories that stated that
the hecklers moved.
329
00:14:26.769 –> 00:14:30.830
Speaker:
They they actually tore their
house down and moved their home
330
00:14:30.830 –> 00:14:33.169
Speaker:
a few miles up the road.
331
00:14:33.169 –> 00:14:37.330
Speaker:
Mr. Cosby did not confirm this,
and he’ll explain that here in a
332
00:14:37.330 –> 00:14:42.490
Speaker:
minute, but it appears as though
there’s no house there now.
333
00:14:42.490 –> 00:14:43.850
Speaker:
So either they.
334
00:14:43.850 –> 00:14:49.610
Speaker:
Either the house was demolished
for whatever reason, or maybe.
335
00:14:49.610 –> 00:14:54.730
Speaker:
Maybe they did rebuild the same
home a few miles up the road.
336
00:14:54.730 –> 00:14:56.450
Speaker:
That is kind of unknown, but I
337
00:14:56.450 –> 00:14:59.169
Speaker:
did ask Mr. Cosby where the home
338
00:14:59.169 –> 00:15:00.970
Speaker:
was, where was this piece of
339
00:15:00.970 –> 00:15:01.250
Speaker:
ground?
340
00:15:01.250 –> 00:15:02.809
Speaker:
And this was his response.
341
00:15:02.809 –> 00:15:04.769
Speaker:
I have talked to a couple of
342
00:15:04.769 –> 00:15:07.330
Speaker:
people in that area, older
343
00:15:07.330 –> 00:15:08.250
Speaker:
people.
344
00:15:08.250 –> 00:15:13.029
Speaker:
I’m ninety years old, and I, I
345
00:15:13.029 –> 00:15:14.370
Speaker:
talked to a couple of people
346
00:15:14.370 –> 00:15:17.549
Speaker:
that are about my age, I’m a
347
00:15:17.549 –> 00:15:19.090
Speaker:
little less.
348
00:15:19.090 –> 00:15:28.289
Speaker:
I am aware of the of the case,
the poltergeist case, and um.
349
00:15:28.289 –> 00:15:35.389
Speaker:
But as far as we are concerned,
we are unable to definitely
350
00:15:35.389 –> 00:15:40.090
Speaker:
locate that particular farm.
351
00:15:40.090 –> 00:15:41.970
Speaker:
I went on to ask Mr. Cosby if he
352
00:15:41.970 –> 00:15:43.730
Speaker:
knew what became of the heckler
353
00:15:43.730 –> 00:15:44.970
Speaker:
family.
354
00:15:44.970 –> 00:15:49.230
Speaker:
Like I said, there are some
stories that they rebuilt, uh, a
355
00:15:49.230 –> 00:15:51.129
Speaker:
mile or so up the road.
356
00:15:51.129 –> 00:15:53.110
Speaker:
And since Mr. Cosby is the
357
00:15:53.110 –> 00:15:54.409
Speaker:
Davies County historian, I
358
00:15:54.409 –> 00:15:55.169
Speaker:
thought he might have some
359
00:15:55.169 –> 00:15:56.929
Speaker:
insight on what became of the
360
00:15:56.929 –> 00:15:58.210
Speaker:
hecklers.
361
00:15:58.210 –> 00:15:59.970
Speaker:
This was his response.
362
00:15:59.970 –> 00:16:05.549
Speaker:
I best I can figure out is that
is that they did not live in the
363
00:16:05.549 –> 00:16:07.169
Speaker:
in the county very long.
364
00:16:07.169 –> 00:16:12.129
Speaker:
I kind of figured really that
they they moved, you know, the
365
00:16:12.129 –> 00:16:17.284
Speaker:
entire family moved and and
there haven’t been any hecklers
366
00:16:17.284 –> 00:16:18.679
Speaker:
in Davis County.
367
00:16:18.679 –> 00:16:20.840
Speaker:
For as long as I know.
368
00:16:20.840 –> 00:16:26.159
Speaker:
I received a letter from Don
Cosby’s son in law, Mark Smith.
369
00:16:26.159 –> 00:16:29.399
Speaker:
Mark did a little bit of
research and was able to provide
370
00:16:29.399 –> 00:16:33.000
Speaker:
me with what his best estimate
was for the actual location of
371
00:16:33.000 –> 00:16:35.639
Speaker:
the Heckler Farm.
372
00:16:35.639 –> 00:16:38.279
Speaker:
And he sent me a Google image
373
00:16:38.279 –> 00:16:40.919
Speaker:
with an actual ping of the exact
374
00:16:40.919 –> 00:16:41.360
Speaker:
location.
375
00:16:41.360 –> 00:16:45.080
Speaker:
So I took a little road trip up
there and checked it out.
376
00:16:45.080 –> 00:16:47.559
Speaker:
It’s there’s nothing, there’s
nothing there now.
377
00:16:47.559 –> 00:16:49.840
Speaker:
It’s basically just farm ground.
378
00:16:49.840 –> 00:16:53.720
Speaker:
I’ll post some pictures at on
the show notes.
379
00:16:53.720 –> 00:16:55.720
Speaker:
River City Mystery dot com slash
four.
380
00:16:55.720 –> 00:16:56.600
Speaker:
If you want to check them out.
381
00:16:56.600 –> 00:17:00.720
Speaker:
It’s really not anything to
nothing of note, but I did.
382
00:17:00.720 –> 00:17:01.519
Speaker:
I was just curious.
383
00:17:01.519 –> 00:17:05.359
Speaker:
I wanted to see what was there,
if there was anything remaining.
384
00:17:05.359 –> 00:17:07.380
Speaker:
So I appreciate Mark Smith’s
385
00:17:07.380 –> 00:17:09.279
Speaker:
efforts to get me the exact
386
00:17:09.279 –> 00:17:10.640
Speaker:
location.
387
00:17:10.640 –> 00:17:12.680
Speaker:
Very much appreciated.
388
00:17:12.680 –> 00:17:14.640
Speaker:
Well, that brings this mystery
to a close.
389
00:17:14.640 –> 00:17:17.079
Speaker:
And thank you for joining me
tonight.
390
00:17:17.079 –> 00:17:18.700
Speaker:
My next episode, I’m going to be
391
00:17:18.700 –> 00:17:20.480
Speaker:
focusing on an unsolved murder
392
00:17:20.480 –> 00:17:22.160
Speaker:
in Henderson, Kentucky,
393
00:17:22.160 –> 00:17:23.400
Speaker:
something I’ve been looking
394
00:17:23.400 –> 00:17:26.359
Speaker:
into, and it’s quite a baffling
395
00:17:26.359 –> 00:17:27.440
Speaker:
case.
396
00:17:27.440 –> 00:17:31.660
Speaker:
And I will probably also be
doing another update on the
397
00:17:31.660 –> 00:17:32.759
Speaker:
Teresa Rideout case.
398
00:17:32.759 –> 00:17:35.240
Speaker:
I’ve been contacted by some of
399
00:17:35.240 –> 00:17:38.799
Speaker:
Teresa Rideout’s family and also
400
00:17:38.799 –> 00:17:40.880
Speaker:
some of Jack Barnett’s family
401
00:17:40.880 –> 00:17:42.039
Speaker:
members.
402
00:17:42.039 –> 00:17:45.279
Speaker:
I might just do an update
episode on that at some point in
403
00:17:45.279 –> 00:17:46.640
Speaker:
the future as well.
404
00:17:48.000 –> 00:17:51.599
Speaker:
You’re all invited to join my
discord server at RiverCity
405
00:17:51.599 –> 00:17:56.319
Speaker:
Mystery.com/discord
where we discuss the episodes.
406
00:17:56.319 –> 00:17:59.119
Speaker:
If you have any topic
suggestions or just want to hang
407
00:17:59.119 –> 00:18:01.519
Speaker:
out with people who are also
interested in these similar
408
00:18:01.519 –> 00:18:04.079
Speaker:
topics, you’re welcome to join.
409
00:18:04.079 –> 00:18:06.279
Speaker:
And that brings us to a close.
410
00:18:06.279 –> 00:18:08.519
Speaker:
Until next time, take care.
Check out Don Cosby’s books on Amazon:
My Scrap Book: A Living History of The Town of Washington in Daviess County, Indiana


Location of the old Hackler farmhouse, according to Mark Smith, son-in-law of Don Cosby
Sources:

I just saw that Don Cosby passed away on April 20, 2023. My condolences to the family.
https://www.goodwinsieversfh.com/obituaries/donald-cosby