The Trial of Carl Wanderer- Episode #4

The Mystery of the Ragged Stranger Podcast

This podcast aims to take a deep look, at what was one of Chicago’s most famous crimes. In 1920, on a quiet North Side street, three people entered a tiny vestibule of a two-flat. Ten gunshots later, only one person emerged. This is the true story. Episode #4- The Trial of Carl Wanderer After initially being hailed a hero for avenging his wife's slaying, Carl Wanderer's diabolical plot had finally come to light in spectacular fashion after a 16 hour third-degree interrogation had led to him confessing to the crime. After telling multiple reporters that he was guilty and wanted to die for his sins, he was given an attorney against his wishes. Soon, he felt life was swell and he wanted to live. He repudiated his confession. He was going to trial. It was prosecutor James ‘Ropes’ O’Brien, wearing his customary red necktie in a grim nod to a nickname earned for the all the men had sent to death on the gallows who in his closing arguments told the jury of Wanderer, his wife Ruth and his girlfriend Julia. "He saw a vision of the future. It included the army life and Julia. But in that vision was no trace of Ruth who was soon to be a mother. Ruth must die. Kisses for Julia, bullets for Ruth." This is the story of the trial... This project aims to fill in the gaps where there is unknown, correct false narratives that have branched away from the truth, and most importantly, to entertain and enlighten. The Mystery of the Ragged Stranger is written by Michael Hendrychs and produced in partnership with ChicagoNow. It has been sourced from research for my upcoming book Kisses for Julia, Bullets for Ruth: The Mystery of Carl Wanderer & the Ragged Stranger. More information on The Mystery of the Ragged Stranger can be found on our blog at www.chicagonow.com/the-ragged-stranger/ And on our website at theraggedstranger.com/ On Instagram www.instagram.com/raggedstranger/ Facebook www.facebook.com/ragged.stranger.54 Twitter twitter.com/Ragged_Stranger Our intro theme music for the podcast is The Crocodile by the Wiedoft-Wadsworth Quartet. Written by Otto Motzan and Harry Akst and recorded March 1, 1920 in New York City. The performers credited were- Harry Askt on piano, Carl Fenton also on piano, George Hamilton Green on the xylophone, J. Russel Robinson again on piano, F. Wheeler Wadsworth on alto saxophone, and Rudy Wiedoeft also on alto saxophone. Usage via Public Domain. Our outro theme song is The Butcher's Boy (The Railroad Boy) by Buell Kazee and is used courtesy of June Appal Recordings in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Kazee, a Baptist minister, recorded this haunting song, compiled from a collection of British ballads, in New York City on January 16, 1928. The recordings for Buell Kazee (catalog no. JA009) were made by Mark Wilson, Buell Kazee, and Kentucky Educational Television, and were compiled and produced by Jonathan Greene, Loyal Jones and John McCutcheon for June Appal Recordings. The album was preserved and re-released by Appalshop Archive in 2007 and can be purchased here- www.appalshop.org/store/june-appal…lf-titled-album/.