All language subtitles for Beyond.the.Unknown.S03E18.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH

WILDMAN: A monstrous beast
terrifies a small town.

VILLEMARETTE: It was half man,
half animal,

like something
out of a horror movie.

WILDMAN: Strange seizures
prompt panic among teenagers.

MAROD: This is the story
of a crazy epidemic

that shook an entire community.

WILDMAN: And a bewildering boom
blows up in the sky.

[ Explosion ]

Across the island, there was
this swath of destruction.

♪

WILDMAN:
But first, a mysterious invasion
from outer space.

They seemed to have found
alien life.

WILDMAN: Amazing mysteries,

bizarre phenomena,

and chilling secrets.

I’m Don Wildman.

Join me on a journey
beyond the unknown.

♪

It’s November 14, 1969,
in Florida ‐‐

just 4 months after Apollo 11’s
historic trip to the moon.

...three, two, one, ignition.

NASA’s next lunar mission blasts
off from Kennedy Space Center.

It’s called Apollo 12.

Onboard are astronauts
Charles Conrad,

Alan Bean,
and Richard Gordon.

PORGES: They were all
experienced Navy pilots,

the kind of folks
you would want on your side

when you’re doing something
as dangerous

as flying to the moon.

WILDMAN:
Among their mission assignments

is to collect rocks
and soil samples from the moon

and check
for signs of life.

♪

After 4 days,
Apollo 12’s lunar module

touches down
on the moon’s surface.

Conrad and Bean step out
onto the desolate landscape.

PORGES: The astronauts
worked diligently,

collecting
as much as they could ‐‐

samples of soil,
samples of rock.

Anything they could get
their hands on,

they wanted to take back
and study.

WILDMAN:
While they’re there, the two men
do a little trash collection.

PORGES: They picked up
a television camera

that had been left behind by an
unmanned mission to the moon

2 years earlier.

♪

WILDMAN: After stowing the items
in the lander,

the astronauts head home.

And on November 24th,

Apollo 12 splashes down
in the Pacific Ocean.

The mission is regarded
as a complete success.

[ Camera shutter clicks ]

But the men are unable to bask
in the glory of their triumph ‐‐

at least, not right away.

They are swiftly
escorted back

to NASA’s Manned Spacecraft
Center in Houston, Texas.

The agency is concerned

that unknown microscopic
organisms from the moon

could’ve hitched a ride
to Earth.

PORGES: The threat
of a pathogen or virus ‐‐

that was perhaps the most
worrying threat of all

because if there
was something on the moon

that humans had never
encountered before,

our immune systems might not
be able to cope with it,

and it could just ravage us.

It’d be sort of, like,
smallpox in the New World.

♪

WILDMAN:
Per NASA’s protocol,

Conrad, Bean, and Gordon
are quarantined

inside a cramped
Airstream trailer ‐‐

the same one on display at
the U. S. Space and Rocket Center

in Huntsville, Alabama.

As the Apollo 12 crew members
wait to be cleared,

NASA scientists
carefully examine

each item from the mission.

Most of the objects
check out.

But buried inside
the camera’s insulating foam,

the scientists find
something shocking.

Bacteria.

It appears NASA’s worst fears
may have come true.

PORGES:
For the NASA scientists,

this was a potential
worst‐case scenario.

An alien virus could quite
literally wipe out humanity.

WILDMAN: So, what is
this mysterious microbe?

And is it a threat?

♪

Tasked with studying
the bacteria

is NASA scientist
Dr. Leonard Jaffe.

The doctor examines
other objects

near the contaminated camera
and finds more microbes.

It seems the alien germs
are spreading.

PORGES: If this bacteria
had come from the lunar surface,

that meant it had survived
on this camera

for more than 2 years,

meaning it was
one resilient strain

and potentially indestructible.

WILDMAN: Worried it might be
a harmful pathogen,

the doctor monitors
the astronauts

for any sign of sickness.

Fortunately,
the crew seems fine.

But what the organism is
remains a mystery.

Jaffe takes a culture
of the bacteria

and sends it to a lab
for analysis.

And the results are not
what he expected.

The bacteria is not an unknown
extraterrestrial microbe at all,

but streptococcus, a common germ
that causes strep throat.

So how did this earthly organism
end up on the moon?

To find out,

NASA orders a review
of their re‐entry protocols.

Eventually, they determine

that the gear
worn by the lab technicians

provides inadequate protection.

As a result, when the scientists
opened the camera,

they inadvertently
contaminated it.

Some lab technician
who had strep throat

had put his tool on the camera
and infected the camera.

♪

WILDMAN:
With a crisis averted,

the Apollo 12 astronauts
are released from quarantine.

Subsequent missions
to the moon

prove that the lunar surface
is lifeless.

As a result, NASA ends its
post‐mission isolation protocol.

PORGES: Turns out there was no
deadly space virus on the moon.

Thank goodness.

But it doesn’t mean there isn’t
something like this out there.

♪

WILDMAN:
Today, the mobile quarantine
trailer from the Apollo program

is on display at the
U. S. Space and Rocket Center

in Huntsville, Alabama.

It’s a reminder
of the deadly dangers

some thought once lurked
beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

♪

Alaska is one of the best places
in the world

to see the northern lights,

which illuminate
the sky every year

between September and March.

But the state also claims
less predictable

and far more dangerous
natural phenomena,

illustrated by a young family’s
harrowing tale of survival

against the unbridled power
of Mother Nature.

It’s a story of desperation,
ingenuity, and luck.

♪

WILDMAN:
July 9, 1958 ‐‐ Alaska.

31‐year‐old Howard Ulrich
and his 8‐year‐old boy, Sonny,

are out for an evening
of fishing in Lituya Bay.

EDWARDS:
When Ulrich goes to anchor,

it’s tranquil, calm,
and it’s a beautiful night.

WILDMAN: But the peace and quiet
is about to be shattered.

Just after 10 P. M.,

they feel their 42‐foot‐long
trawler begin to sway wildly.

♪

Ulrich and his son
look up in terror

and see the mountains
surrounding the bay

start to shake.

♪

EDWARDS: The land is literally
heaving up into the air.

This is 15,000‐foot mountain
moving up and down.

It is
an unimaginable sight.

And he is looking at it
astonished.

♪

WILDMAN:
As they cling to their boat,

a massive earthquake measuring
7.7 on the Richter scale

rocks the region.

It triggers a colossal landslide
on the side of the bay.

More than 40 million
cubic meters of rocks

crash into the water,

creating an enormous tsunami
hundreds of feet tall.

Ulrich and Sonny are directly
in its path.

♪

EDWARDS:
When Ulrich sees this wave,

he goes from awe
to fear.

This wave is big enough

to wipe them completely off
the face of the Earth.

WILDMAN: Ulrich tosses
a life vest to his son

and fires up
the boat’s engine.

Then he tries
to raise anchor.

But it’s too late.

The wave is
on top of them.

EDWARDS:
Ulrich was terrified,

but he knew he had no choice
but to try to survive.

WILDMAN:
How will Ulrich and Sonny escape
the colossal tsunami?

With only seconds
to spare,

Ulrich steers
the bow of his boat

into the massive wave
and guns the engine...

[ Engine roars ]

...hoping to ride up
and over it.

EDWARDS: Ulrich knew that the
path was unlikely,

but it’s still
his best option,

so he’s gonna turn the boat
into the wave.

WILDMAN: The immense swell
snaps the anchor chain.

The fishing vessel shoots up
the face of the wave

and reaches the top.

But instead of going over,

the boat is swept up
in its path.

Ulrich and his son are carried
on the crest like surfers

as the wave pushes them to the
other side of the bay.

Then, in what seems
like an instant,

Ulrich’s boat is dropped
back in the water.

♪

The father and son are shaken,
but alive.

Just 20 minutes after the first
tremors of the earthquake,

the Ulrichs are back
in calm waters.

EDWARDS: Even though
he’s battered and bruised,

he still lived to tell the tale
of going head‐to‐head

with some of
the strongest things

Mother Nature has thrown
at anybody

and surviving.

♪

WILDMAN: In the days
following the disaster,

a clearer picture of the wave’s
destructive power emerges.

And Ulrich is shocked to learn
the incredible breadth

of the wave’s damage.

The tsunami leveled
thousands of trees

and killed 5 people.

And later,
scientific surveys confirm

that the swell
rose more than 150 stories,

making it the highest wave
recorded in history.

EDWARDS: That wave was larger
than the Empire State Building,

and it was larger than
the Sears Tower.

WILDMAN:
Ulrich and his son

refuse to let the traumatic
event affect their lives.

They continue to sail
their beloved trawler

in Alaskan waters
for decades.

♪

Oklahoma City sits on top

of one of the largest oil fields
in the country.

So much fuel is produced here
that there’s even an oil rig

in front of
the capitol building.

And located just
a few blocks away

is an institution
dedicated to unearthing

a very different
type of treasure ‐‐

bones.

This is the Museum of Osteology.

The skeletons on display
include...

an African bush elephant,

a white rhinoceros,

and a 40‐foot‐long
humpback whale.

♪

But among these massive relics
is a tiny artifact.

VILLEMARETTE:
It’s about 3 inches wide
and stands 7 inches tall.

It’s bright in color.
It has a lot of orange.

And it’s made of keratin.

This artifact actually
used to be alive.

It’s a very bizarre object.

WILDMAN: This item recalls
a mysterious monster

that’s plagued a small town
for more than 100 years.

This is a story about one
of the most terrifying beasts

our country has ever seen.

♪

WILDMAN: Van Meter, Iowa ‐‐
October 1, 1903.

The local physician,
a man named Dr. Alcott,

has just made
an extraordinary claim.

According to
this man of medicine,

he was lying in bed
the previous night

when he was woken suddenly
by a strange sound

coming from outside
his house.

He says that when he went
to investigate,

he was met
by a terrifying sight.

♪

Lurking just beyond his window
was a massive creature.

He claims the monster
stood 8 feet high

and had bat‐like wings

and a massive horn protruding
from his forehead.

VILLEMARETTE: The beast seemed
to be half man, half animal.

It had a very large horn
on top of its head,

and it emitted a light.

It was something
he’s never seen before.

♪

WILDMAN:
As word of the sighting spreads,

more villagers report seeing
the enormous beast.

One man claims he saw it
flying overhead.

Another says he watched it
as it darted across his lawn.

And with no one able
to identify it,

many fear the creature is
some kind of supernatural demon.

VILLEMARETTE:
He was quite scared
of this strange creature,

this winged beast.

WILDMAN:
Residents even give it a name ‐‐

the Van Meter Visitor.

It was something we would think
came out of a horror movie,

but it was actually happening
in this small town.

♪

WILDMAN:
As sightings continue,

a group of townspeople
band together

and determine to catch the beast
and slay it.

As the story goes,

the impromptu militia
tracks the monster

to an abandoned mine
on the outskirts of town.

They trapped it.

They grab anything
they could find

to close in the mine
and trap the beast inside.

♪

WILDMAN: In the days
and weeks that follow,

reports of the creature stop.

But one lingering question
remains ‐‐

what was
the Van Meter Visitor?

♪

♪

WILDMAN: It’s 1903.

Residents in the small town
of Van Meter, Iowa,

are being terrorized
by a mysterious flying monster.

♪

Locals have even dubbed the
creature the Van Meter Visitor.

♪

For more than 100 years,

the strange legend
of the Van Meter Visitor

remains an unsolved mystery.

Then, in 2013, a paranormal
investigator named Chad Lewis

makes it his mission
to identify the monster

once and for all.

Lewis is a very
inquisitive guy.

He’s determined to figure out
what this creature was.

He’s not gonna let this
go unresolved.

WILDMAN:
Lewis begins his investigation
in the town of Van Meter itself.

He interviews
local residents

and combs through old newspaper
clippings in the library.

Based on these accounts,

Lewis compiles
a comprehensive description

of the Van Meter Visitor.

It’s then that he comes to
a remarkable realization ‐‐

the beast bears
a striking similarity

to a rare bird
native to Southeast Asia.

It’s called
the rhinoceros hornbill.

VILLEMARETTE: People said that
the creature had a large horn

and it emitted a light.

The hornbill is a very large
bird with a very bright bill.

If the moon was to reflect off
of it just the right way,

you could see how it could be
a light.

If you haven’t seen
this species before,

you would be
frightened of it.

♪

WILDMAN:
But what would a rare bird from
the jungles of Southeast Asia

be doing in Iowa?

Lewis suspects that one
such bird might have been part

of a private collection
of exotic pets

and that it escaped
in 1903.

♪

VILLEMARETTE:
While we may not ever know
exactly what this was,

most people agree that it was
probably a rhinoceros hornbill.

♪

WILDMAN: Ashland, Nebraska,
is home to an institution

that celebrates the region’s
achievement in the skies ‐‐

the Strategic Air Command
and Aerospace Museum.

♪

Inside is the largest collection
of Cold War artifacts

in the United States,

including a prototype of the
world’s smallest fighter jet,

called the Goblin,

a U‐2 spy plane that flew
reconnaissance missions

for the CIA,

and an SR‐71,
the world’s fastest aircraft.

♪

But amid
these aeronautical marvels

is one that has no obvious
connection to flight.

MIRSKY: The artifact
is about 36 inches wide.

It weighs over 200 pounds.

♪

The object almost
makes you think

of a gigantic insect eye.

♪

WILDMAN: This item recalls
a bizarre event

that seemed to be ripped

from the pages
of a science fiction novel.

MIRSKY: This is the tale
of a quiet island community

and a very loud boom.

♪

WILDMAN: April 2, 1978 ‐‐
Bell Island, Canada.

It’s a beautiful sunny day

on this tiny island
off the coast of Newfoundland.

But just after 11 A. M.,

residents experience something
extraordinary.

[ Boom ]

♪

MIRSKY:
There’s a blinding light

and suddenly
this gigantic boom.

WILDMAN: The blast leaves
gaping holes in homes,

causes television sets
to explode,

and even destroys
a chicken barn.

There was this swath
of destruction.

WILDMAN: Thankfully,
no one is hurt.

But the incident
leaves islanders rattled.

Well, something happened
to the world

or someone dropping bombs
or something.

WILDMAN: The strange explosion
comes to be known

as the Bell Island Boom.

And with the cause
still a mystery,

residents fear
it could happen again.

MIRSKY: Folks on the island
had to be wondering,

was that a one‐shot deal

or is this kind of thing
gonna start happening now?

WILDMAN:
Some argue the boom was caused
by a supersonic passenger jet ‐‐

the Concorde.

The plane passes
near Bell Island

on its flights
between Paris and New York.

But that seems unlikely.

The Concorde could definitely
cause a sonic boom,

but it was not capable
of causing the damage

seen on Bell Island.

WILDMAN:
Others suggest the boom was
caused by a falling meteorite.

But there is no trace
of debris in the area.

♪

As speculation runs wild,
there’s a strange development.

The day after the blast,

2 suspicious men are seen around
town interviewing island police.

MIRSKY:
They didn’t offer any kind
of explanation to the residents

for what
they were doing there

or what they thought
had maybe happened.

WILDMAN: Then, just as quickly
as they arrived,

the strangers disappear.

♪

The visit sets locals
on edge.

Soon,
rumors start to swirl

of a top‐secret
government conspiracy.

MIRSKY: The people on the island
start wondering ‐‐

atomic bombs,
government secrecy, even UFOs.

Maybe it was a satellite weapon
that was being tested.

WILDMAN:
So, what’s the truth behind
the sinister Bell Island Boom?

♪

WILDMAN: In 1978,
residents of Bell Island,

located just off the coast
of Newfoundland in Canada,

witnessed an extraordinary
series of events.

A sudden flash of light
lit up the sky,

followed by
a mysterious explosion

that blew out fuses,
fried electric wiring,

and damaged buildings
across the area.

♪

The source
of the Bell Island Boom

remains a mystery
until 2009,

when a journalist
named Brian Dunning

hears about the strange event
and decides to investigate.

MIRSKY:
Brian Dunning ‐‐ he’s something
of a science journalist,

and he’s also
a well‐known skeptic.

WILDMAN:
As he researches the story,

Dunning comes across an
intriguing piece of information.

It’s a report that claims
the 2 mysterious men

who visited the island
after the boom

were from the United States’
leading authority

on nuclear research ‐‐

the Los Alamos Scientific
Laboratory in New Mexico.

At the time,
the men were working

on a top‐secret military
satellite program called Vela,

a prototype of which
is on display

at the Strategic Air Command
and Aerospace Museum

in Ashland, Nebraska.

MIRSKY: The Vela satellite
was essentially

a sophisticated sensor
to monitor the atmosphere

for signs of nuclear testing.

But the satellite
was also perfect

for studying
unusual weather events.

♪

WILDMAN:
On the morning of April 2, 1978,

their satellite picked up an
extremely rare type of lightning

called a superbolt.

[ Thunder crashes ]

A superbolt can
be 100 times more powerful

than an average bolt
of lightning.

It can strike 10 miles away
from any rainfall,

even when there
are clear skies.

And the location
of the superbolt?

[ Thunder crashing ]
Bell Island.

MIRSKY:
What happened on Bell Island

was a really strange
and rare occurrence.

[ Crashing continues ]

WILDMAN:
The report claims that after
they detected the superbolt,

the Los Alamos scientists
immediately traveled

to Bell Island.

This was an incredibly
rare opportunity

to study this phenomenon,

so it would excite
any scientist.

WILDMAN:
Brian Dunning concludes

that these must have been
the same men

islanders saw talking
to local law enforcement.

Today, most scientists
accept the theory

that the Bell Island Boom was
a rare and powerful superbolt.

[ Thunder crashes ]

♪

And this Vela satellite
is on display

at the Strategic Air Command
and Aerospace Museum

in Ashland, Nebraska.

It recalls
the quiet island community

that was rattled by a bolt
that went boom.

♪

This unassuming pocket watch

is linked to a desperate hunt
for a notorious criminal.

SIECK: This is a story
about one man’s dedication

to bring a terrible thug
to justice.

♪

WILDMAN: It’s 1921.

Chicago is in the midst
of a fearful crime wave.

Mobsters, bootleggers,
and petty thieves

terrorize
law‐abiding residents.

Chicago in the 1920s
had the most crime

that anyone’s ever seen
nationally.

It was a huge problem.

WILDMAN:
But one man resolves to bring
order back to the streets ‐‐

former journalist
and newly appointed police chief

Charles Fitzmorris.

SIECK: Fitzmorris definitely
had a lot to prove,

and he totally
meant business.

He immediately started running
raids on illegal gambling,

brothels, and speakeasies

and put these criminals
behind bars.

WILDMAN:
But no matter how hard he tries,

one vicious outlaw remains
beyond Fitzmorris’ reach ‐‐

an Irish gangster known
as Terrible Tommy O’Connor.

SIECK: Terrible Tommy O’Connor
was called "Terrible"

because he actually did
terrible things,

from armed robberies to assaults
and even murder.

He got away with everything,

never being put behind bars
for any of these crimes.

♪

WILDMAN: On March 20th,

Terrible Tommy guns down a
police officer in cold blood

and flees the scene.

Enraged by the death
of one of his own,

Fitzmorris unleashes
the full force of his department

to track down the criminal.

SIECK: Police officers began
going door‐to‐door

and interrogating associates
of Terrible Tommy,

going to gambling halls,
bars, brothels,

and trying to get tips
on Tommy’s whereabouts.

[ Telephone rings ]

WILDMAN: Finally, in July,
Fitzmorris gets a lead.

SIECK: Someone matching
O’Connor’s description

was seen on a train.

He actually had gotten drunk,
assaulted the porter,

and then fled the rail yard.

♪

WILDMAN:
After an exhaustive search,

police officers find O’Connor
hiding near the tracks

and arrest him.

SIECK:
The Chicago Police Department
and Chief Fitzmorris

were completely elated.

They actually had this killer
in their grasp.

♪

WILDMAN:
O’Connor is brought to trial

and convicted of murder
in the first degree.

SIECK:
A jury, by unanimous vote,
found Terrible Tommy guilty,

and they sentence him
to hanging at the gallows.

♪

WILDMAN: It seems Fitzmorris
has finally closed the case.

SIECK: This was certainly
considered a victory.

Fitzmorris believed he ended
Tommy’s reign of terror.

♪

WILDMAN: But unbeknownst
to the rookie chief,

something is about
to happen

that will turn the entire case
upside down.

Terrible Tommy had
one more trick up his sleeve.

♪

WILDMAN:
It’s 1921 in Chicago.

Rookie police chief
Charles Fitzmorris

has just arrested
the notorious murderer

Terrible Tommy O’Connor.

And the outlaw has been
sentenced to death by hanging.

♪

[ Telephone rings ]

4 days before O’Connor
is scheduled to be executed,

Fitzmorris receives
some shocking news.

O’Connor has broken out of jail
and is on the run once more.

It seems that
the condemned man

grabbed a prison guard
through the bars of his cell...

...threatened him using a gun

that had been smuggled
into the prison,

and forced the guard
to hand over the keys.

Then, O’Connor
locked the guard up and fled.

But in his haste
to get away,

he left behind
this pocket watch,

now on display at the Ripley’s
Believe It or Not! Odditorium

in Orlando, Florida.

Fitzmorris, for his part,
is furious.

SIECK:
Fitzmorris exploded in rage

when he found out the news
about Terrible Tommy.

It must’ve been so embarrassing
for the Chicago P. D.

to literally have Terrible Tommy
slip through their fingers.

WILDMAN: And this time,
a nationwide manhunt is launched

to track down
Terrible Tommy O’Connor.

For years, sightings
of the notorious crook

are reported
across North America.

One witness claims to have
seen him in the Midwest.

Others suggest he fled
to Canada.

Some even claim
that he sailed

to his ancestral homeland
of Ireland

to fight alongside
Irish nationalists.

SIECK:
Despite years of searching,

the police were never able
to locate him.

♪

WILDMAN:
Although the day of O’Connor’s
scheduled execution

is long past,

authorities leave the gallows
in place

in hopes that he will one day
be brought to justice.

But the infamous cop‐killer
is never found.

And in 1977, the gallows
are finally taken down.

To this day,
we have no idea what happened

to Terrible Tommy O’Connor.

WILDMAN:
In spite of the disappointing
results of O’Connor’s case,

Chief Fitzmorris
did achieve his goal

of bringing Terrible Tommy’s
vicious reign to an early end.

♪

Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Rembrandt and Mondrian
are just 2 of the famous artists

who have called
this Dutch capital home.

And in the heart of the city
is an institution

dedicated to one of the most
iconic painters in history ‐‐

the Van Gogh Museum.

It houses the largest collection
of works by Vincent Van Gogh.

♪

But amid
the brightly colored paintings,

is a canvas that conceals
a dark secret.

The artifact is 2 feet tall
and one foot wide.

There’s a bold splash
of bright green

against a sunlight‐yellow
background

with the head
of the artist, Van Gogh,

with a bandage
across the ear.

♪

WILDMAN:
This painting depicts a sinister
event in Van Gogh’s life ‐‐

one mired in secrecy,
intrigue, and scandal.

ROSTAND:
This is a story about one
of the world’s greatest painters

and the most famous ear
in history.

♪

WILDMAN: Of all the artists
of the 19th century,

perhaps none captures
the imagination

like the Dutch
Post‐Impressionist

Vincent Van Gogh.

His vivid colors,
distinctive brush strokes,

and daring compositions

have influenced
generations of painters.

But it’s not just his talent
that makes him famous.

Van Gogh’s personal struggles
are as much a part of his appeal

as any of his paintings.

ROSTAND: Van Gogh was the kind
of poster boy, if you like,

of the starving, tortured,
and tormented artist.

WILDMAN: And one troubling
chapter in his life

stands out more
than any other ‐‐

the disturbing decision
by the artist

to cut off his own ear.

♪

The events leading up
to this grisly episode

occurred in 1888.

Van Gogh was staying
in the countryside

in the South of France,
working alongside his mentor,

the celebrated French artist
Paul Gauguin.

ROSTAND:
They spent each day painting.

It was a wonderful,
happy time for them.

WILDMAN: But the good times
would not last.

According to an account
written by Gauguin,

on December 24, 1888,

Van Gogh was found in his home
unconscious,

covered in blood,
and missing his left ear.

When asked what happened,
Van Gogh refused to explain.

♪

Following this incident,

Van Gogh checked himself
into a mental asylum.

There, he painted what would
become his most famous works,

including this self‐portrait,

currently on display at the
Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

♪

But sadly, his talent wasn’t
recognized during his life.

ROSTAND:
He was still unknown.

Van Gogh was tormented,
troubled, living in poverty.

WILDMAN: In 1890,
with his career a shambles,

Van Gogh committed suicide.

♪

In the wake of his death,

the tale of how he cut off
his own ear

became the most famous part
of his biography.

But more than
a century later,

a shocking revelation
will upend

everything historians think they
know about the event.

One man was about to turn
this legend on its head.

♪

♪

WILDMAN:
Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh
has an infamous claim to fame ‐‐

cutting off his own ear.

But what’s the real story behind
this crazed creative?

♪

It’s 1999.

German historian
Hans Kaufmann

is working on a book about
the life of Vincent Van Gogh.

Kaufmann examines correspondence

between Van Gogh
and his family in France.

And one letter from Van Gogh
to his mentor, Paul Gauguin,

contains an intriguing piece
of information.

What stoked Kaufmann’s curiosity
was a letter

that refers to a pact of silence
between Van Gogh and Gauguin.

♪

WILDMAN:
The letter is dated just days
after Van Gogh lost his ear.

That leads Kaufmann
to believe

that the so‐called
pact of silence

and what happened to Van Gogh’s
ear must be related.

Intrigued, he turns
his attention

to letters written
by Gauguin.

And there, he finds a clue.

♪

In a letter from Gauguin
to a friend,

the artist states in the weeks
leading up to the ear incident,

his relationship with Van Gogh
had soured.

Van Gogh had been suffering
from drastic mood swings

and had frequently
turned violent.

Kaufmann also learns
that Gauguin’s talents

weren’t limited
to his painting.

He was also
a master swordsman.

Amongst all his belongings,
he had this fine fencing sword.

WILDMAN:
In light of this evidence,
Kaufmann formulates a theory.

He believes that Van Gogh did
not cut off his own ear

in a fit of depression.

Instead, Kaufmann suspects

the tension
between Van Gogh and Gauguin

reached a boiling point.

A fight breaks out,

and Gauguin tries
to defend himself

from a raging Van Gogh...

[ Sword clinking ]
...and slices his ear off.

WILDMAN:
After the fight, Gauguin worried

that word of his violent act
would reach the police.

So he cooked up a story
about Van Gogh harming himself.

For his part, Van Gogh felt
guilty about starting the fight

and never set
the record straight.

Gauguin wants to avoid
going to jail.

Van Gogh wants
to preserve a friendship.

♪

WILDMAN:
Today, Van Gogh’s "Self‐Portrait
with Bandaged Ear,"

painted in 1889 while he was
recovering from the injury,

is on display at the
Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

It recalls
the brilliant painter

whose most infamous act
remains shrouded in mystery.

♪

A wool cap worn by a college
freshman in the early 1900s,

a box containing bark
from an elm tree

planted by Theodore Roosevelt
in 1907,

and film cannisters
with color footage

of the 1956 Rose Bowl
football game

can all be found

at the Michigan State University
Archives

and Historical Collections.

Located in East Lansing,

this institution traces
more than 150 years

of the esteemed school’s
history.

♪

But among these campus treasures
is a mysterious dossier.

MAROD: The pages are about
8 1/2 inches wide

by about a foot tall.

Some have
handwritten notations.

The outside cover is red with a
purple geometric pattern.

♪

WILDMAN: These pages recall
a tantalizing tale

of teenage romance

and a curious contagion not seen
since the Salem witch trials.

This is the story
of a crazy epidemic

that shook
an entire community.

♪

WILDMAN: It’s February 1939
in Bellevue, Louisiana.

Students at the local
high school are preparing

for one of the most anticipated
events of the year ‐‐

the spring carnival dance.

MAROD:
Everyone in this high school was
thinking about, talking about,

planning for
the spring carnival ball.

WILDMAN:
A few days before the big event,
the kids are decorating the gym

when a senior girl named Helen

suddenly begins
acting strangely.

Her right leg begins
mysteriously twitching.

It seemed like a muscle spasm,
but it becomes persistent.

WILDMAN: Within minutes,
Helen can barely walk,

and she has
to be taken home.

♪

Over the next several days,

her mysterious illness becomes
a hot topic around school.

All of these curious students
were wondering

what was going on
with Helen’s twitch.

WILDMAN:
Then, another student comes down
with the same symptoms.

MAROD:
One of Helen’s friends, Milly,

also started spasming
uncontrollably.

A day later, a third girl
caught the twitches.

And then a fourth girl who was
twitching so violently

that her friends actually had
to hold her down to the ground.

WILDMAN:
After a fifth girl is stricken
with uncontrollable fits,

school officials summon
a team of doctors.

♪

They screen the girls
for neurological illnesses,

head trauma,
and even polio.

But the tests all
come up negative.

There was no evidence
of anything wrong.

♪

WILDMAN: As more and more girls
are stricken

with the strange seizures,

the high school descends
into chaos.

MAROD: It seemed like the
twitches were contagious,

and no one knew the cause.

♪

WILDMAN: As the high school
epidemic reaches a fever pitch,

2 sociologists
from Louisiana State University,

Edgar Schuler
and Vernon Parenton,

take up the case.

MAROD: Edgar Schuler
and Vernon Parenton

were 2 young academics

who were really looking
to make their mark

with cutting‐edge research.

WILDMAN:
Schuler and Parenton believe

the cause of the spasms
isn’t physical.

The teenage twitching epidemic
seems to recall

another infamous event
in early American history ‐‐

the Salem witch trials.

In 1693 in Massachusetts,

2 young girls were suddenly
stricken with convulsions

and began speaking
in tongues.

The symptoms spread quickly
to other young women.

And superstitious villagers
suspected

the mysterious malady
was the work of the devil.

Eventually, hundreds of people
were accused of witchcraft,

and 20 women were sentenced
to die on the gallows.

So could there be a link between

the so‐called Salem witches
and these teenage twitchers?

♪

♪

WILDMAN: It’s February 1939
in Louisiana.

A group of girls
at a small‐town high school

has been inexplicably stricken
with violent spasms.

Their symptoms match accounts

from a notorious episode
in America’s past ‐‐

the Salem witch trials.

Investigators start by
interviewing patient zero ‐‐

Helen.

Instead of inquiring
about her medical history,

they ask about
her social life.

The girl tells them that just
days before getting the shakes,

she experienced a devastating
moment of teenage trauma.

To prepare
for the spring carnival,

she was practicing the jitterbug
with her boyfriend, Maurice,

when he suddenly became
frustrated with her 2 left feet.

Helen was not skilled
in dancing.

WILDMAN:
It was then that Maurice dumped
Helen for another girl,

who could really cut the rug.

MAROD: His attentions
had started to shift

from her to a younger freshman
named Gretchen,

who was a star tap dancer.

♪

WILDMAN: A few days later,
Helen’s leg began to twitch.

And with that information,

sociologists
Schuler and Parenton

have the curious case
figured out.

Helen’s twitching
was caused by anxiety

over having been ditched
by her boyfriend.

And it spread to her friends
via subconscious suggestion.

♪

It’s a psychological phenomenon
called mass hysteria ‐‐

the same syndrome
that many blame

for the Salem witch trials.

MAROD: Since the beginning
of human history,

groups have responded
to threats,

whether real or imaginary,

in all sorts of different,
crazy ways.

♪

WILDMAN:
But unlike the events in Salem,

the epidemic in Bellevue
concludes peacefully.

The twitches went away, and life
in the high school continued on.

This became one
of the most important studies

of mass hysteria
in recent history.

♪

WILDMAN: Today,
the researchers’ original study

is part of the Michigan State
University Archives

and Historical Collections
in East Lansing.

It’s a reminder
of the weird epidemic

that gave new meaning
to the word "jitterbug."

♪