#HorrorHistory

[husheduphistory]

Mystery and Missing: The Tragic Trails of the Bennington Triangle

Nestled into the southwestern region of Vermont lies an expanse of wilderness stretching approximately 100 square miles. Thick with forest and natural wonders including the Glastenbury Mountain this region, roughly bordered by the towns of Glastenbury, Woodford, and Bennington, has deep rooted history including the first town created in Vermont and significant chapters in the American Revolution. It is scenic, it is historic, and to many it’s also terrifying.

 The chilling stories of Glastenbury Mountain began centuries ago when the Native American population regarded the space as sacred, but also cursed. Being the place “where the four winds meet” they used the area only for the burial of their dead and warned people not to travel the region. They also told the tale of a large and malicious stone that would swallow up anyone who stood on it.  If a curse placed by nature, a revered-but-feared burial ground, and a rock that could consume a human was not enough, there were also the tales of the wild men, large hairy human-like creatures that roamed the dense woods alongside other beasts.

Postcard showing Glastenbury Mountain. Image via legendsofamerica.com.

These tales were known but in the decades after the Civil War the old warnings faded and people now living in the region looked to transform their town. In 1872 the town began its first metamorphosis, becoming a logging community fed by the ample and seemingly endless supply of lumber surrounding them.  A train line was built extending nine miles to Bennington and three coal kilns supplied coal that would be shipped down the mountain on the rails. The operations were a success and by 1880 the little town had a school, post office, and a population of 241 people. It looked promising but in the 1890s a black cloud seemed to take a firm residency over the region.

The first strike came on April 4th 1892 when Glastenbury residents Henry McDowell and John Crowley had a confrontation. It is unknown what words were exchanged, but McDowell felt they were strong enough to warrant grabbing a rock and bludgeoning Crowley to death before escaping into the woods. He was eventually caught in Connecticut, convicted, and sent to Waterbury State Hospital. After some time though, the guards felt he could be trusted to spend some time out in the yard. Once outside he saw his moment and hid in a coal cart before making his escape. He was never seen again. Five years later in October 1897 John Harbour of nearby Woodford was found dead, killed by a single gunshot wound. His killer was never found.

It was in that same year that Glastenbury came face to face with a big problem. They were a lumber town, but they were running out of trees to cut. Given that they already had cleared land, created pathways, and had a number of silent buildings from the now-extinct lumber industry, they decided to take an entirely different turn and transform the area into a resort town with a trolley, hotel, and casino. The hopes were high, but after one season the dreams were decimated when massive flooding ravaged the town. With no trees or root systems to help alleviate the impact of the water, it ran over with nothing in its path, destroying the railways leading to the resort that was going to save the town. The flood was the death blow to Glastenbury and with seemingly no other option, the residents moved on leaving the town nearly abandoned with less than ten residents remaining. This low population was one of the reasons that in 1937 the town was disincorporated, putting it in place to officially become a ghost town.

Image showing the repurposed buildings and trolley meant to transform Glastenbury. Image via obscurevermont.com.

The region sat quietly while the wilderness reclaimed it, largely remaining out of the public eye until November 12th 1945 when it became the focus of search parties and newspaper headlines. The man they were searching for was Middie Rivers, an outdoorsman who had become closely acquainted with these woods in his almost seventy-five years. An avid hunter and fisherman, Rivers was spending the day hunting with a small party including his son-in-law. While the group was stopped near Bickford Hollow, Rivers decided to move ahead of the party. By the time the clock struck 4pm he had not returned, and the concerned hunting party went out to find him. When the group saw no sign of Rivers they traveled down to Bennington and asked Fire Chief Wallace Mattison to help them search. The search went on for days and grew to include hundreds of people and soldiers from Fort Devens in Massachusetts. Hours marched on, the sun rose and set multiple times, and the hope that Rivers was fine out in the woods that he knew so well and that he would just show back up one day quickly faded when the snow began to fall. Rivers was never found and the only thing ever recovered was a single rifle cartridge from his gun.

The tragic disappearance of Middie Rivers might have slipped away into time, but instead it unfortunately became “the first one.” 

In December 1946 eighteen-year-old Paula Jean Welden was a sophomore at Bennington College where she studied art, had an interest in botany, and worked at the college cafeteria. After her shift on December 1st she told her roommate she was going to do some hiking on the Long Trail, a 272-mile footpath that follows Vermont’s Green Mountains up to the border of Canada. She was dressed in sneakers, blue jeans, and a red parka, clothing that was fine for that afternoon but would offer no protection for the kind of cold that settled in after dark. She left just before 3pm and she was seen several times that afternoon. One owner of a gas station claims he saw a woman matching her description near a gravel pit, she began hitchhiking and was picked up by a local contractor who took her as far as his house which was about 2.5 miles from the beginning of the Long Trail. Once she began walking on the trail she encountered a group of hikers who answered some questions she had before they moved on in the opposite direction of Welden. According to some reports a local man named Ernest Whitman may have had one of the last encounters with Welden when she stopped to speak to him at his cabin. She asked how long she could go on the trail and he informed her it was four miles to a fork. He warned her that she was not dressed for the weather but she went on her way anyway.

When Welden’s roommate didn’t see her return that night she was not worried, she assumed she was just in another part of the college or in the library studying late. But, when she realized the next morning that Welden was still gone she went to the faculty. The president of the college called her parents in Connecticut and asked if their daughter was home with them. She was not. And when Welden’s mother was informed her daughter was also not at school she fainted on the spot.

Missing person flyer used for Paula Welden. Image via wikipedia.com.

The search for Paula Welden had one huge roadblock from the start, the structure of the search itself. At the time of her disappearance Vermont did not have its own state police force so the search was assembled and conducted by the president of Bennington College and Welden’s father. A group of 370 students and faculty went out to search for her, splitting into groups and throwing confetti on areas that were already searched so other groups knew that that area had already been looked at. In time both the Connecticut and New York state police were brought in to assist and a reward of $5,000 was offered. It was no use, no trace of Paula Welden was ever found.

Image used in the search of Paula Welden. Image via wikipedia.com.

It is easy to say that both Middie Rivers and Paula Welden were probably unfortunate victims of the elements in the wooded expanse that includes Bennington and Glastenbury, but the story of James Tedford is much more difficult to explain away.

It was late into 1949 and James Tedford was supposed to be back home, but he was not. The sixty-eight-year-old World War II veteran had been spending some time visiting his wife and family in Fraklin, Vermont before boarding a bus in St. Albans to return back home to the Vermont Soldiers’ Home where he lived in Bennington.

Along the way back there was a stop in Burlington where Tedford ran into an old friend and the pair chatted a bit before he once again boarded the bus on the final stretch of his ride home. When the bus stopped back in Bennington it was discovered that the veteran was nowhere to be found. His last known whereabouts was on the bus on December 1st at approximately 4pm, almost exactly three years after the last known sighting of Paula Welden in the same region. There was no question that Tedford boarded the bus, not only was he seen getting back on but his suitcase, unfolded map, and unchecked bus ticket were still sitting on his seat. He was simply gone. Shockingly, it took days for anyone to put the pieces together that Tedford never returned home and a search for the man did not take place for over a week after he was last seen. No trace of James Tedford was ever found.

Newspaper clipping about the disappearance of James Tedford. Image via vermontdailychronicle.com.

The disappearances already seen in the region were unsettling but with the end of 1950 came a string of incidents that made some people genuinely begin to question what was going on in the wilderness around Glastenbury Mountain. The first took place on October 12th 1950 when eight-year-old Paul Jepson went missing under some eerily similar circumstances. The eight-year-old was out with his mother, some report that he was with her at the local dump that they maintained, and others state he was helping her tend to the pigs near their Glastenbury farmhouse. Allegedly he was in the family pickup truck and his mother walked away to do some work before returning to the truck and finding the child missing. Like Welden he was also wearing red and his time of disappearance was between 3 and 4pm, approximately the same timeframe that Fisher, Welden, and Tedford also all vanished. A search was launched for Jepson and hundreds of people from the local region combed through the dump, the town, and went into the mountains with no success. Bloodhounds were brought in from the New Hampshire State Police and they did pick up the scent of the boy, but it was lost at an intersection near where Welden was last seen. In the days and weeks that followed Jepson’s disappearance there were reports of motorists seeing a young boy walking along a road but subsequent searches came up empty. Paul Jepson was never seen again.

Newspaper clipping about the disappearance of Paul Jepson. Image via vermontdailychronicle.com.

With the disappearance of Jepson still fresh in the minds of the locals, they very quickly found themselves facing a growingly familiar story when two weeks later on October 28th fifty-three-year-old Freida Langer also walked into the woods and seemingly vanished. Like Middie Fisher, Langer was extremely familiar with the woods so there was nothing to be concerned about when she left her family’s camp cabin for a hike with her cousin. During their walk Langer fell into a stream near the Somerset Reservoir and rather than continue on in her wet clothes she decided to walk the half mile back to the camp where she and her husband had spent every weekend for the last decade, change clothes, and meet her cousin back in the woods to resume their walk. When Langer did not return the concerned cousin went back to the family campsite and was horrified to learn that Langer had never even made it back the half mile to change her clothes. Once again a search was launched, and once again there was no sign of Langer. But, unlike all the previous disappearances, the Langer case would have closure.

Nearly six months after Langer walked into the woods two fishermen were out on the Deerfield River when they made the gruesome discovery of human remains. They had been out that morning but were not having any luck where they were so they decided to move downstream in hopes to find more fish, instead as they moved through the water something caught their eye under the grass hanging over a large water-filled hole at the bank of the river. Langer’s body was found three miles from where she left to walk back to her cabin and it took the pair of fishermen nearly three hours to hike the three miles through intensely thick forest to Somerset Road where they hitchhiked to a home to call for help. The body was badly decomposed but there was no question that the remains were Langer, on the skull was a metal plate, the result of brain surgery that she had five years earlier. It was the surgery that led to the official conclusion that Langer must have suffered a seizure, fallen in the water, and died of accidental drowning. How the experienced hiker who was so well versed in the woods ended up two and a half miles away from her familiar destination remained unknown.

Image of Freida Langer. Image via legendsofamerica.com.

Before 1950 came to a close there was one more name that would join the unfortunate ranks of souls last seen in the wilderness of southwestern Vermont. On November 29th 1950 sixteen-year-old Martha Jeanette Jones was reported missing by her parents. But, at the time she was reported gone Jones had already been missing for an entire month. She was last known to be hitchhiking to school in Manchester and traveling through the infamous region when she too disappeared. The school was under the impression that she was home while her parents assumed she was at the school. Like so many others, Jones was never seen or heard from again.

With the number of mysterious occurrences in the Glastenbury-Bennington region there are bound to be theories about what happened to the missing. There are purely logical ones, Langer may have had a seizure and drowned, the young Paul Jepson or Paula Welden may have been kidnapped, James Tedford may have decided he no longer wanted to live at the Vermont Soldiers’ Home and silently left the bus with no one noticing, one of more of the missing may have simply succumbed to the ruthless wilderness and elements. There are these theories, and there are others that believe that there is something very abnormal going on in the woods of southwestern Vermont.

The stories go back to the Native American tales of the land being cursed and a human-swallowing rock, but there was something else they spoke of, that being the “wild men” of the woods. The idea of large, hairy creatures roaming the woods is easy to dismiss as Native American legend, but there is an account of many others seeing a similar creature in the late 1800s. According to the story a stagecoach full of people were traveling through the mountains near Glastenbury during a torrential downpour that made progress nearly impossible. The stagecoach driver came to a halt and when he climbed down with lantern in hand he noticed a large set of footprints in the mud in front of them. The tale continues that people started to come out of the stagecoach to look at the footprints when the horses began to get extremely restless. Then, something hit the stagecoach with tremendous force and everyone inside scrambled out. According to their accounts whatever was hitting the coach finally hit it with a blow strong enough to knock it on its side and through the pelting rain they saw a massive human shape, covered with hair, and two huge eyes in the darkness that turned and ran back into the woods.

The creature dubbed The Bennington Monster became yet another mystery of the region, but it was looked at a little stronger in November 1943. Before the “first” disappearance of Middie Fisher in November 1945 there was the story of Carol Herrick. Herrick was also an outdoorsman and an avid hunter who went out hunting one day with his cousin Henry. Allegedly, the two men got separated and Henry contacted authorities to try and find his cousin. Carol Herrick was found days later laying near his gun that had not been fired. The cause of death was equally confusing and disturbing, it was said that his lungs were punctured by his ribs and it appeared that he had been “squeezed” to death.

Since its earliest days the forests of southwestern Vermont have been surrounded by unsettling stories. The Native American tales of the land being cursed, man-eating rocks, and wild men live in the collective memory alongside tales of beasts attacking stagecoaches, inexplicable sounds coming from the woods, and even reports of mysterious lights and flying objects being seen over the treetops. It is the disappearances though that earned the region the name “The Bennington Triangle”, coined by author Joseph Citro in 1992. When it comes to The Bennington Triangle the years between 1945 and 1950 will forever be synonymous with the disappearances of Middie Rivers, Paula Welden, James Tedford, Paul Jepson, Freida Langer, and Martha Jeanette Jones, but these names reflect only a small sliver of the strange occurrences in the woods.

The terrifying truth is that we may never fully know the extent of the unexplained that already has, and continues to unfold, in the region of The Bennington Triangle of Vermont.

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Sources:

Abramovich, Chad. “The Vanished Town of Glastenbury and the Bennington Triangle.” Obscure Vermont, 31 Mar. 2020, urbanpostmortem.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/the-vanished-town-of-glastenbury-and-the-bennington-triangle/.

Alexander, Kathy. “Bennington Triangle, Vermont.” Legends of America, Oct. 2023, www.legendsofamerica.com/bennington-triangle-vermont/.

Dailey, Eva. “The Bennington Triangle: The Ghost Town of Glastenbury Vermont.” The Looking Glass, 17 Oct. 2018, svclookingglass.com/4299/art/writing/the-bennington-triangle-the-ghost-town-of-glastenbury-vermont/.

Fair, Bethany. “History Space: Tale of Two VT Ghost Towns.” Burlington Free Press, 29 Oct. 2018, www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2018/10/29/history-space-tale-two-vt-ghost-towns/38202243/.

Leahey, Maynard. “Verdict of Accidental Drowning Closes Freida Langer Mystery.” The North Adams Transcript, May 14th 1951, https://www.newspapers.com/image/545381347/?terms=%22Frieda%20Langer%22&match=1

“Missing Jepson Youngster Makes Fourth Disappearance of Local Persons in 5 Years” The Bennington Evening Banner, October 24th 1950, https://www.newspapers.com/image/546025887/ 

“Missing Schoolgirl, 16, Brings To 6 Numbers of Persons Lost in Southern Vt.” The Burlington Free Press, December 13th 1950, https://www.newspapers.com/image/198069883/?terms=%22Paul%20Jepson%22&match=1

Page, Timothy. “Secrets of the Bennington Triangle - Vermont Daily Chronicle.” Vermont Daily Chronicle - News & Commentary for Vermont, 29 Sept. 2023, vermontdailychronicle.com/secrets-of-the-bennington-triangle/.

“74 Year Old Hunter Lost For Two Days.” The Bennington Evening Banner, November 14th 1945, https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Michael_C._Dooling_Collection_MS_062/5262/ms062_01_18_middieRivers.pdf

Rossen, Jake. “The Lost Girl of Vermont’s ‘Bennington Triangle.’” Mental Floss, 26 Apr. 2023, www.mentalfloss.com/posts/bennington-triangle-paula-welden-vermont-mystery.

[illuminatingfacts]

Peek behind the scenes of 1960s TV and discover how horror elements crept into the mainstream! 🦇 From spooky sitcoms to eerie dramas, see how the macabre made its mark on classic television. #RetroTV #HorrorHistory #1960s https://mentalitch.com/how-did-horror-elements-sneak-into-mainstream-1960s-tv-shows/

[luxshine]

In a remote Artic base, a brave group of soldiers and scientist must face a new enemy, that had never been seen before. A Thing, that came from the stars. Only that this is not the Thing most people think about when reading that summary. Let's check out the original Thing from Another World and what made it so important in pop culture.

https://youtu.be/hUZlZF4VEu8

[djalienspagan]

[Repost from @universalmonstersuniverse] Wishing a very happy 93rd birthday to the legendary, John Astin today! With well over 150 screen credits, this man has done it all across many mediums - and is still acting to this day! From The Riddler, to the scene-stealing character, The Judge in Universal's "The Frighteners" (a personal fave), to of course, everyone's favorite, fang-tastic, fictional father, Gomez Addams! Not to mention sharing his many gifts with his wonderful son, the great Sean Astin! What's your favorite works of John's? -Austin/@undiscovnerd #UniversalMonstersUniverse #JohnAstin #TheAddamsFamily #GomezAddams #TheRiddler #TheFrighteners #FamousBirthdays #Actor #ClassicActor #Horror #HorrorTV #TV #ClassicTV #HorrorMovies #HorrorActors #HorrorHistory #OTD #OnThisDay #SeanAstin @seanastin #HappyBirthday Voir les 10 commentaires https://www.instagram.com/p/CqcbC4CIBGV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[takanuru]

Monster Magazine Panel At Comic and Toy Con 2019 Clarksville, TN @monste...

[renacerdelassombras]

Juguemos a #CrearHistorias. ¿Qué escena desarrollarías en este escenario y atmósfera? Etiqueta amigos, y leamos cuantas ideas surgen #alastor #horror #horrorhistories #escribirterror #darkart #art #Escritor #microcuentista #Letrarium https://www.instagram.com/p/Co7QM-9uccp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[powerixnews]

The Mysterious and Unsettling Truth Behind the Dyatlov Pass Incident #Dy...

Uncover the chilling mystery of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, where nine experienced hikers met a horrifying fate in the snowy Ural Mountains. From unexplained injuries to conspiracy theories, this video delves into the baffling case that has puzzled investigators for decades. Explore the enigmatic circumstances surrounding the tragic event and discover the shocking theories: was it an avalanche, a secret military operation, or something more sinister? Join us as we unravel the chilling truth behind one of history's most perplexing unsolved mysteries. #DyatlovPass #UnsolvedMystery #ConspiracyTheories #CrypticCases #HorrorHistory #ChillingEvents #MysteriousDisappearances #MysteryInvestigation #Paranormal #ColdCase #UnsolvedCrime

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[theremightbecupcakespodcast]

(Delayed photo of) book mail call! Official bio of my buddy @mickgarrispm, the nicest man in horror, put together beautifully by @atbpublishing, who threw in Garbage Paul Kids stickers! GenX love all over the place. I cannot wait to read this. #horror #horrormovies #mickgarris #horrorhistory #horrorbooks #garbagepailkids #books #amreading #bookstagram #beyourownheroine #readersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #bookgram #booklife #bookblogger #bookpodcaster #booksofinstagram #bookphotography #bookdragon #bookaesthetic #bookpodcast #prettybookcovers #theremightbecupcakes https://www.instagram.com/p/CecgvNmsZ_i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[f0restpunk]

"Come play with us... forever. And ever. And ever." Happy birthday to Stephen King! Am happy to announce i've been playing with the dark creations of this brilliant, twisted imagination for over 30 years now. The Shining was actually the first horror movie i ever saw, when i was just 7 years old. (let's hear it for irresponsible older sisters. Thanks Mary!) Stephen King is probably the horror author i've read the most. I've probably read most of his novels and seen most of the adaptations of his work, at this point. It's some of my go-to 'cozy reading/viewing' which is probably kind of messed up. But, hey, you follow this account so yr probably not too surprised, at this point. So, on the occasion of Mr. King's birthday (which i'd like to nominate to be made into a national holiday), i leave you with a question, or a few questions perhaps. No longer trying to be definitive and perfect on my socials - trying to just be myself and connect with folks, just trying to pump some whimsy and wonder into the world, come what may... Feel like my writing and research skills have been greatly honed, this past few years. Getting far more comfortable with literary theory and identifying themes in art of all genres. Much of my research has been in and around Gothic Studies but that's certainly not the extent of it... So, my questions: 1. As we get into the Spooky Season in earnest, i'm BADLY wanting to create more content and move into some new forms. Longform essays, in-depth reviews, podcasts, video essays, you name it... What Stephen King-related works would you be interested in hearing about? (I hope to get to them all, eventually.) 2. Are there are academic writings or research related to Stephen King you could recommend? I'm looking for writings on the "American Gothic" or "American Horror" in general. Film studies, literary reviews and analysis. Also looking for recommendations for similar authors or with a similar aesthetic in other mediums. And to Stephen King, thank you one billion times for all the magick and wonder and terror and awe! . #StephenKing #OnThisDay #HorrorHistory #OnThisDayInHorrorHistory #happybirthday #StephenKingDay https://www.instagram.com/p/CUGvoY2orxX/?utm_medium=tumblr

[darthtalon89]

#OnThisDay in #HorrorHistory it's the #birthday of #MaryShelley #MaryWollstonecraftShelley #novelist #shortstorywriter #dramatist #essayist #biographer #travelwriter #Gothicnovel #Frankenstein #TheModernPrometheus #horrorfiction #sciencefiction #HorrorFanatic #HorrorAddict #HorrorLover #horrorobsessed #horror #terror #victorfrankenstein #gothic #goth https://www.instagram.com/p/CTN6XDinARs/?utm_medium=tumblr

[husheduphistory]

The Wrath of Rampjaar: The Death and Destruction of Johan De Witt

The 1600s was a difficult chapter for human life. All over the world wars tore at the seams of land and families, and those that did not fall in battle found themselves vulnerable to falling from disease and plague brought on by forces that could not yet be understood. Many things that could not be explained resulted in further violence, fanaticism, death, and destruction dealt from one hand only to be horrifically felt by the other. Breakthroughs in science, exploration, and the arts collided with religious extremism and prejudice as humanity as a whole spun on, seemingly with chaos in every corner.

The Netherlands were one part of the world with turmoils erupting within their borders. In 1672 the country formerly known as the Dutch Republic was seeing the end of the “Dutch Golden Age” with simultaneous wars with England, France, and two German cities. The year 1672 would enter the history books as the Rampjaar, The Disaster Year. The Dutch people coined a phrase to describe this most unfortunate time: “The people were irrational, the government helpless, and the country beyond salvation.”

Allegory of the Disaster Year by Jan van Wijckersloot (1673). Image via Wikipedia.

Although it was obvious there were multiple problems facing the Dutch Republic in the 1672, some believed the problems took root decades earlier. William II Prince of Orange died of smallpox in 1650 leaving the Dutch with no official leader (referred to as a Stadholder.) It was this same year that Johan De Witt began to make his mark in the politics of the region. Johan’s family were bitter rivals of the Oranges and as De Witt began to move up the political ladder he allegedly (with the help of his powerful father who spent time in prison for his involvement in a coup d'etat of William II) quietly made moves and had words written into political documents to keep the young William III or any member of the Orange family from ruling. This allowed wheels to be set in motion to form a fully Republican regime with De Witt at the helm. After holding a number of high-standing positions he was elected to the role of Grand Pensionary of Holland in 1653, essentially making him the ruler of all Dutch provinces.

By the time the 1672 Year of Disaster loomed over the Dutch Republic the people had already endured enough war and horror to last a lifetime under the eye of Johan De Witt. There were the Anglo-Dutch Wars which threatened the land, but De Witt remained focused on the sea, taking every step possible to protect the economic interests in shipping and trading that filled his pockets while paying little mind to the forces surrounding the Dutch at their front doors. He also made it a point to delay the appointment of William III as captain general. The stubbornness of De Witt would have deep consequences when in May 1672 Louis XIV invaded the Dutch Republic, thus beginning the third Anglo-Dutch War.

Portrait of Johan De Witt by Adriaen Hanneman (1652). Image via Wikipedia.

As troops moved straight into the heart of their homeland the exhausted Dutch people felt betrayed by their leadership and all eyes turned to Johan De Witt. Some were content to simply, but loudly, voice their opinions that the House of Orange should take back their power by any means necessary. Others showed their feelings of anger and betrayal in much more aggressive ways. On June 21st 1672 Johan De Witt was attacked by a man who was armed with a knife and an intent to kill. The assailant did succeed in brutally stabbing him, but he survived. Johan’s brother Cornelis was also feeling the pressure of the simmering public and on July 24th he was arrested under charges of treason against the House of Orange. He was brought to prison in The Hauge where he was tortured in order to obtain a confession. While his brother was recovering from being nearly assassinated, Cornelis was refusing to confess to any wrongdoing and was eventually sentenced to exile.

Being attacked with a malicious blade changed De Witt and after a lengthy recovery he resigned from his position on August 4th 1672. At the time of his resignation his brother Cornelis was still wallowing in prison with his exile looming. On August 20th Johan visited his brother at the prison to assist him and see him off on what was supposed to be his date of forever departure from his homeland. It is unknown what the pair discussed that day, but it is almost certain they had no clue what was about to happen. Yes, Johan resigned and Cornelis was exiled, but the Dutch people were not ready to let the brothers walk peacefully away into a new chapter while they were left with suffering and debt that could follow them for generations. As the brothers talked in the prison they were attacked by a mob that were set on tearing them limb from limb.

The Murder of the de Witt Brothers by Pieter Fris. Image via Wikipedia.

What unfolded was a scene that was feral, ferocious, and that has gone down in history through eyewitness accounts and multiple pieces of art. The mob ravaged the De Witt brothers. They were dragged into the street, shot, stripped of their clothing, and taken to the public gallows. If the brothers thought their end would be found in a broken neck at the end of a hangman’s noose they were terribly wrong. Once strung up the mob began to take souvenirs. Some accounts report that their eyes were stolen, others say they were later cut into pieces and distributed to the masses, and while that is up for debate one thing that is certain is that their bodies were sliced open, their livers stolen, and the organs were then roasted and consumed by those in attendance. After a lifetime of prestige and twenty years in power, Johan De Witt departed life alongside his brother after being mutilated and cannibalized by his own countrymen.

The Corpses of the De Witt Brothers by Jan de Baen. Image via Wikipedia.

With De Witt gone power went to William III of Orange, the same man who had his appointment as captain general stalled by De Witt and the son of William II whose death was used by De Witt and his father to make the turn to the Republican force that they hoped would keep the House of Orange out of power for good.

Whether William III had a hand in planning the attack and death of the De Witt brothers is debated to this day with answers unknown.

Today the prison where the De Witt brothers spent their last moments on earth still stands and has been repurposed as a history and art museum.

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Sources:

That Time the Dutch ate their Prime Minister by Vlad Moca-Grama. DutchReview.com, March 3rd 2023. https://dutchreview.com/culture/dutch-history-crowds-ate-prime-minister/

A Dark and Stormy Bite: That Time a Bunch of Dutch People ate Their Prime Minister by Lillian Stone. TheTakeout.com, January 15th 2021. https://thetakeout.com/a-dark-and-stormy-bite-that-time-a-bunch-of-dutch-peop-1846044366

Johan De Witt. Encyclopedia.com.https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/johan-de-witt

[korohate]

Just hold me... Please - #dark #darkness #demons #demonios #soledad #lonely #oscuridad #wallpaper #horroryterror #crepypastas #creepypastacosplay #crepipasta #historiasdeterror #crepy #creepycute #blackdeath #nosequehashtagponer #horrorhistory #horrorhouse https://www.instagram.com/p/CIQmlI6pKYz/?igshid=15kzwamrt70bo

[stacemeiester0]

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StaceMeister0 Productions presents #Numskullayer: #TheCountofSOulor An Immersive Audio Experience.

Numskullayer: A class field trip to the Kaleidoscope History Museum counts pivotal events that has shaped traditions for decades to come.

In The Count of S’Oulor we delve into the authenticity of a supposed urban legend.

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Breaker

[djalienspagan]

[Repost] from @universalmonstersuniverse universalmonstersuniverse We ioin the Monster community in mourning the loss of the last original Universal Monster, Ricou Browning. Not only the underwater Gill-Man in the entire "Black Lagoon" trilogy, but a multi-talented filmmaker and creator across many decades. We extend our sincere love and condolences to his family and friends. We love you, Ricou - you'll always swim in our hearts. Rest in Peace. #UniversalMonstersUniverse #RicouBrowning #CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon #GillMan #UniversalMonsters #ClassicMonsters #FilmHistory #HorrorHistory #*ScienceFiction #Actor #*ClassicActor #Horror #ClassicHorror #HorrorMovies #HorrorTrivia #HorrorLover #HorrorFamily #InstaHorror #HorrorGram #MonsterGram #MonsterMovies https://www.instagram.com/p/CpPWyZIowQ5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jamest541975]

#Repost @horrorfilmhistory with @repostsaveapp ・・・ Social Distancing, "THE SHINING" way! : : : #Horror #HorrorMovies #Movie #Scary #ScaryMovies #HorrorHistory #HorrorFilmHistory #FilmFacts #BehindTheScenes #TheShining #JackNicholson #SocialDistancing #StaySafe #WashYourHands https://www.instagram.com/p/B_GtbI0lFn7/?igshid=14rpkq8n1flyo

[hallowsevehorror]

The Evil Dead was released 38 years ago on this day in 1981! Directed by Sam Rami 🎬 #hallowsevehorror #horrorhistory #onthisdayinhorror #onthisday #theevildead #betseybaker #samrami #iconic #horroraddict #horrorjunkie #horrormovies #instahorror #80shorror #cultclassic #horrorfilm #horrorobsessed #horrorfan #horrorfamily https://www.instagram.com/p/B3poEYhlWtK/?igshid=m9osb5wd5p9u