1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000
Mountain State Mysteries contains adult content that may not be suitable for all audiences.

2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,500
Listener discretion is advised.

3
00:00:08,500 --> 00:00:09,800
I'm your host, Mark.

4
00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:11,000
And I'm Courtney.

5
00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:40,000
And this is Mountain State Mysteries.

6
00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:53,000
Today, we want to tell you the story of a man who lured his victims through the lonely heart advertisements.

7
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,500
Klaymenki was looking for love, but ultimately murdering them for their money.

8
00:00:57,500 --> 00:01:02,000
This is part one of serial killer Harry Powers story.

9
00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:10,500
Throughout Harry's life, he had a few aliases, and we will be referring to him under those aliases as we tell his story.

10
00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:15,500
Harry Powers was born as Harm Drenth in 1893 in Beerta, Holland.

11
00:01:15,500 --> 00:01:24,000
Growing up, people noticed that Harm was a compulsive liar, being known for trespassing on neighbors property, stealing and consuming alcohol.

12
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:30,000
In April of 1910, his family sent him to the United States on a ship with the Baker family.

13
00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:35,000
They wanted Harm to become independent by working on a farm with another family they knew.

14
00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000
Harm first lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

15
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:44,500
In spring of 1910, Harm worked at the Ross farm, but left complaining of his boss telling him what to do.

16
00:01:44,500 --> 00:01:50,500
On March 21, 1911, Harm's parents immigrated to the United States.

17
00:01:50,500 --> 00:01:54,000
Sometime after that, Harm was arrested for stealing liquor.

18
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,500
The Drenth family Americanized their first names and Harm became Herman.

19
00:01:58,500 --> 00:02:04,000
Herman started to learn English and became very fluent in it, thus making him bilingual.

20
00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:16,000
In 1917, at the age of 25, Herman's family left their Dutch community in Iowa and moved 250 miles north and bought 40 acres of land.

21
00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,500
Once again, Herman was forced to become dependent upon himself.

22
00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:31,000
In 1918, Herman started using the name Harry F. Powers and him and his 22-year-old wife moved to Madison, Wisconsin.

23
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:40,000
Sadly, not much is known about his wife other than she had blonde hair and that the two of them lived in a hotel and owned a small dog.

24
00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:45,000
In Madison, Harry and his wife turned into a Bonnie and Clyde duo.

25
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,000
They stole a car but were soon arrested afterwards.

26
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:56,500
The car was stolen around one in the morning and was abandoned in Columbus because the car stalled in the mud.

27
00:02:56,500 --> 00:03:05,000
The couple took a train to Port of Twettsconson where they were arrested and brought to the county jail where they pled not guilty in front of the judge.

28
00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:10,000
Harry was given a $2,000 bond while his wife was given a $500 bond.

29
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,000
Harry couldn't post his bail but his wife could.

30
00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:18,000
While Harry was in jail, his wife would visit him often and sneak in tools for him to escape with.

31
00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:26,000
On the 9th of June, 27th, 1919, Harry and another inmate, Walter Barkowski, escaped from the Dale County Jail.

32
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:33,000
Harry's wife was waiting for them outside of the jail and the three of them escaped, never to be caught by police.

33
00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:03,000
In 1921, Harry developed an attachment with 20-year-old Rose Strickland.

34
00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:07,000
We aren't sure if Rose felt the same way about Harry or not.

35
00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,000
Rose later got married to another man.

36
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,000
Out of pure shock, Harry raged.

37
00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:18,000
He found out the two were on vacation and broke into their home and stole several personal items of theirs.

38
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,000
He tried to start a fire but the fire did not take so Harry left their home.

39
00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:28,000
Seeing what happened, a neighbor of Rose and her husband wrote down the license plate number and called the police.

40
00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,000
Harry was arrested and convicted in 1921.

41
00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:39,000
In 1922, Harry was released from the Wisconsin State Prison after serving less than 15 months in prison.

42
00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:44,000
After he was released, he dropped out of sight and was never seen by his family again.

43
00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:50,000
Not having any contact with his family, Harry needed to find a way to start making money.

44
00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:55,000
He decided to become a participant in what is called the Widow's Racket.

45
00:04:55,000 --> 00:05:00,000
It's basically the practice of praying on women through matrimonial services.

46
00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,000
Harry would meet lonely women and con them out of their money.

47
00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:11,000
Under the alias of Joseph Gildow, he married Mrs. Allie Provence, who was 50.

48
00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:16,000
Soon after becoming married, he served Allie a cup of coffee with sleeping powder in it.

49
00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,000
He then went to her house and disappeared with some of her valuables.

50
00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,000
When she woke up and came to, she realized what happened.

51
00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:28,000
She took out a warrant on him but he was never arrested.

52
00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,000
In 1924, Harry moved to Ram, Minnesota.

53
00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,000
Not much is known about his time there.

54
00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:40,000
Then in the same year, he moved to Cambridge, Ohio.

55
00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:46,000
Harry and Mrs. Powers were arrested for grand larceny of three lakes, Wisconsin garage.

56
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,000
Friends of theirs posted their bond.

57
00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:54,000
They both ended up failing to appear for their court date and fortified their bond.

58
00:05:54,000 --> 00:06:01,000
In December of 1924, under the alias of Joseph Gildow, he was arrested in Mansfield, Ohio

59
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:06,000
when he tried to sell some articles that a secondhand dealer thought were stolen.

60
00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:12,000
In 1925, under the alias of Joseph Gildow, he met Lena Fellows of Hammond, Indiana.

61
00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:20,000
After a short time he proposed, then Lena took the money off her account and bought a car so they could take a road trip.

62
00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:27,000
While on the trip, they stopped at a gas station in Chicago, Illinois to fill up the car.

63
00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:32,000
He suggested to Lena that she take off her two diamond rings worth about $1,000

64
00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,000
and place them in a suitcase in the trunk of the car.

65
00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:45,000
The suitcase also contained $2,000 worth of loan shares that he told her he didn't want her to lose to them in case there was a robbery.

66
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,000
After closing the trunk, Harry handed her a letter to Mel.

67
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:56,000
While Lena was around the corner, Harry, the car, rings and loan shares were all gone.

68
00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:03,000
The Chicago Heights place caught up with Harry in Mansfield, Ohio and he was taken back to Chicago

69
00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:11,000
and on April 19, 1925 was brought before a grand jury to face grand larceny charges.

70
00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:31,000
During the time he was on the run, he sold the car, rings and the stocks and spent all of Lena's money.

71
00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:46,000
And you're listening to Mountain State Mysteries.

72
00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:51,000
In this suitcase, there were dozens of love letters from different women.

73
00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:57,000
They were kept at the police station and Harry asked if he could have them back after he was released.

74
00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,000
Harry was asked how he was acquitted and he just smiled and said,

75
00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:08,000
I've got a smart lawyer who convinced the jury I didn't steal the stuff that Mrs. Fellows gave it to me.

76
00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:15,000
In 1926, Harry was arrested for selling vacuum cleaners from the Eureka Company.

77
00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:22,000
In 1927, Harry married Luella Blench Strother in Oakland, Maryland.

78
00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:27,000
He moved in with Luella and her sister in Clarksburg, West Virginia.

79
00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:32,000
Life as newlyweds didn't go as well as Luella hoped it would.

80
00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:39,000
Despite his wife's fortune from owning a grocery store, Harry wasn't as happy as she hoped he would be.

81
00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:44,000
Harry got a job working as a salesman for the Eureka vacuum cleaning company.

82
00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:54,000
In all honesty, Harry wasn't in it for the money. Why did he need a paycheck when crime can make him a good living like before?

83
00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:59,000
In 1928, Harry's manager, Dudley C. Wade, disappeared.

84
00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:03,000
Harry ended up taking his role and carried on as usual.

85
00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:08,000
When word of the sudden change reached corporate, they had questions.

86
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:15,000
So they took a trip to West Virginia to check in and found out that Dudley Wade wasn't the only thing missing.

87
00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:19,000
Several of the carpet cleaners were missing as well.

88
00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:28,000
Harry tried to explain and said when Dudley left town, he stole a bunch of sweepers and sold them and ran off with the money.

89
00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,000
In hope of their return, corporate put out a reward.

90
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:36,000
They were willing to pay anyone who could return the product and repair the sweepers.

91
00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:40,000
Shockingly, no one ever came forward.

92
00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,000
That's when they became suspicious of Harry.

93
00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,000
They had the police search his home.

94
00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:50,000
Believe it or not, all of the missing sweepers were in his garage.

95
00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:56,000
Harry tried to change the serial numbers to hide his tracks, but it was an obvious change.

96
00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,000
Harry was cornered and couldn't lie his way out of this one.

97
00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:04,000
He doubled down on his lie and still said Dudley stole the sweepers.

98
00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,000
And that Harry was the one who tracked him down and found him.

99
00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,000
It was an awful lie and the police had no proof that it wasn't true.

100
00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,000
So they were forced to let him go.

101
00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:22,000
Not only was Harry released from custody, he sued the vacuum company and got the reward money.

102
00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,000
As for what happened to Dudley, we aren't sure.

103
00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:30,000
We know that there is a rumor that Harry killed his manager.

104
00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:37,000
After Harry married Llewela, he still decided to cone widows out of all their money.

105
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:43,000
He signed up for the American Friendship Society as the alias Cordelius Pearson,

106
00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:47,000
who was a wealthy civil engineer who was seeking a wife.

107
00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,000
His crafted ad was getting 10 to 20 repos a day.

108
00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:55,000
Harry was looking for widows with any money he could steal.

109
00:10:55,000 --> 00:11:00,000
He was going to lead these women on and propose marriage from afar.

110
00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:06,000
Then he would have them empty out their bank accounts to make the transition to their new life easier.

111
00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:10,000
Then he would take their money and disappear.

112
00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:17,000
Asta Ecker was a 50-year-old widow from the suburbs of Chicago whose husband was a Silver Smith.

113
00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:24,000
And in the years following, Asta used up all the money he left to take care of their three children.

114
00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:30,000
She also earned a little extra money from running out of room in her house.

115
00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:36,000
Asta's struggles were very practical for someone living during the Great Depression, especially for a single mother.

116
00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:41,000
Asta wanted a partner, but not just someone to support her and her three children.

117
00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:46,000
She wanted someone to love her, and she thought that she saw that in Cordelius.

118
00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:50,000
Harry, on the other hand, saw his next victim.

119
00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:54,000
One of the first letters Asta received called her eye.

120
00:11:54,000 --> 00:12:04,000
Civil engineer, college education, worth about $150,000 or more, has income of $400,000 to $3,000 a month.

121
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,000
Business enterprises prevent me from making social contacts.

122
00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,000
I am unable to make the acquaintances of the right kind of woman.

123
00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:19,000
As my properties are located in the middle west, I will settle there when married.

124
00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,000
I own a 10-room house completely furnished.

125
00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,000
My wife will have her own car and plenty of money.

126
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:32,000
Cordelius O. Pearson, Box 277, Clarksburg, West Virginia.

127
00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,000
Asta asked herself if she could leave her home.

128
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:40,000
She lived there all her life and her children were born and raised there.

129
00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:46,000
Could she just uproot her entire life and take this chance and move to West Virginia?

130
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,000
She took the chance and wrote to him after a few days.

131
00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:55,000
Asta checked her mail and saw that she had a letter from Cordelius and ran aside.

132
00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,000
Opened the letter and started to read it.

133
00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,000
My age is 38.

134
00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,000
My height is 5 feet 7 inches.

135
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:09,000
Have clear blue eyes, medium dark hair, weight, 170 pounds.

136
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:13,000
As a civil engineer, I have an income of $400 a month.

137
00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:19,000
But in addition, I have a much larger income from gas and oil royalties.

138
00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,000
The details which I will give you later.

139
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,000
My wife can have anything that money can buy.

140
00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:32,000
But above all, I expect to give her that true love and devotion, which every one of us craves so much.

141
00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:38,000
Death has taken my previous wife from me, which leaves me very lonely.

142
00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:44,000
Along for one to take her place, someone to feel that empty space in my heart.

143
00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:49,000
Women are the sweetest, purest, most unselfish part of the human race.

144
00:13:49,000 --> 00:14:01,000
Any man who has experienced a mother's devotion, a wife's self-sacrificing love, or a sweetheart's affections, knows.

145
00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,000
Knows that to be true.

146
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:09,000
So I'm trying to make this manner to find the one.

147
00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:17,000
The only one who can make home a paradise, a place of rest, a haven of content where loved ones await.

148
00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:22,000
And to who I can look forward with pleasure and anticipation.

149
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,000
Who knows, but you could be the one.

150
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,000
Would you write to me?

151
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,000
Please do.

152
00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:33,000
Any questions you are to ask will be answered to the best of my ability.

153
00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:38,000
Anything you care to tell me will be strictly confidential.

154
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:42,000
I have a small photo of myself. May I send it?

155
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,000
And yours would be greatly appreciated.

156
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:49,000
Again, please write, you should never have calls for regret.

157
00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:53,000
Use the included envelope and tell me lots about yourself.

158
00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:54,000
Please do.

159
00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:58,000
Anxiously yours, I'm most sincerely.

160
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,000
The two wrote back and forth for some time.

161
00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,000
They would talk about love, marriage, and children.

162
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:30,000
And you're listening to Mountain State Mistress.

163
00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:37,000
Cornelius would actually speak about Ashes Children. Proud of Esther. I am indeed proud of Esther.

164
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,000
He looks like a splendid young chap. The girls too.

165
00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:50,000
They look like fine children and they will have opportunities they deserve and will be able to develop into whatever inclination may be called for.

166
00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:55,000
Cornelius also wrote to Greta, the oldest of Ashes Children.

167
00:15:55,000 --> 00:16:03,000
You do not mind for me to address you as your given name. You see, your mother has told me so many lovely things about you.

168
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:09,000
That it seemed so distant for me to be calling you by the formal title of Miss Iker.

169
00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:13,000
And then we are not strangers. Are we dear?

170
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:17,000
Your mother always has so many lovely things to tell me about you.

171
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:21,000
What you do and how well you're getting along in school.

172
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:26,000
That really dear. I know just you are a sweet and darling little girl.

173
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:32,000
And I love you dear, because I believe you are all that your mother tells me you are.

174
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:37,000
I'd be very glad to have you as my own girl. Tell me would you like to have me as your daddy?

175
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:44,000
You can then have ever so many lovely things and we could have lots of fun together, couldn't we?

176
00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,000
Dear, would you send me a copy of your grades at school and also your schedule?

177
00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:57,000
I'm very anxious to see how well you are doing and by your schedule I would know exactly what you are doing at any time during school hours.

178
00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:04,000
Right me dear, today sometime with love, son, CEO, Pearson.

179
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:10,000
On June 17th, Esther received one more letter from Cornelius.

180
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:14,000
I want to see you alone. Do not let the neighbors know I'm coming.

181
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:19,000
This should have been screaming red flags to Asta.

182
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:28,000
Oh I know right. When Harry arrived on June the 20th, Asta welcomed him with open arms, telling neighbors that he was an old family friend.

183
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:35,000
He spent the week with her and her family and on the 25th, Asta reached out to Elizabeth Abonathy,

184
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:42,000
asking if she could watch her children for her because she was going west for a business trip and would return in a few days.

185
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,000
However, that sadly didn't happen.

186
00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:51,000
On June the 30th, Mrs. Abonathy received a new letter which appeared to be written by Asta.

187
00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:58,000
I have sold the place. I've got the money already, but it is necessary for me to wait for certain details here.

188
00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:05,000
So I'm sending Mr. Pearson for the children. I've given him the instructions on what to do so he will know.

189
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:11,000
He will pay your bill or you can give him your bill and I will send you back a check for the same.

190
00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:15,000
Hope you are well, Asta Iker.

191
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,000
The next day Cornelius came to pick up the children.

192
00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:25,000
He spent the night in the home and around 11.30 the next day as he was trying to get the children rounded up to leave,

193
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:33,000
Mrs. Abonathy stopped him because the children weren't dressed and were still in their pajamas, not suitable for a ride trip.

194
00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:40,000
He said it was okay and stopped her from packing their bags and told her that he would be buying them on their clothes when they got there.

195
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,000
Then they drove off.

196
00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:47,000
Before they left town, he stopped by the bank and had Greta go in with a letter from her mother.

197
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:53,000
The letter asked for the remaining amount to be withdrawn and to close the account.

198
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:58,000
The teller noticed that the signature didn't match the one that the bank had on file for Asta.

199
00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:05,000
She told Greta to have her mother write another letter with the right signature and come back, but she never did.

200
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:11,000
Over a month later, on August 13th, Cornelius returned to the home of Asta.

201
00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,000
He began moving things from the house to the garage.

202
00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:18,000
He didn't know that he was being watched.

203
00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:27,000
Earlier that day, William Abol, friend and former tenant of Asta and her family drove her to the house to pick up some tools he left behind.

204
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,000
When he got there, he noticed how dusty it was and deserted.

205
00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:36,000
He said he visited neighbors and then learned that Cornelius had gone into the garage.

206
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:41,000
After waiting at the house, he left and headed to the police station.

207
00:19:41,000 --> 00:20:04,000
And you're listening to Mountain State Mysteries.

208
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:11,000
He returned later with police chief Harold Johnson to find that Cornelius was still in the garage.

209
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,000
Abol asked where Asta and the children were.

210
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:19,000
Cornelius told him that he put them on a train to Denver to visit some family.

211
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,000
That's odd.

212
00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:25,000
I've never heard Asta talk about family in Denver, Abol said.

213
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:31,000
Cornelius went on to tell them that he bought the house off of Asta and planned to rent it out.

214
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:38,000
He handed over the papers showing Asta signed over the house to him so he could do what he says is fit.

215
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:43,000
The officer asked if he could come down to the police station the next day to clear things up.

216
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:55,000
Something still seemed off so later that evening, William visited with Asta's neighbors and learned that her old friend came on June 22nd and left on the 27th with Asta.

217
00:20:55,000 --> 00:21:01,000
The next morning, William went to the police station to confront him again but he never showed.

218
00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:08,000
They checked the hotel that Cornelius told them he was staying in but no one by that name was registered there.

219
00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:14,000
Chief Johnson obtained a warrant for the house and he broke into the garage.

220
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,000
He found all of Asta's belongings as well as the children's.

221
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:22,000
Along with all of the letters Cornelius had sent.

222
00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:32,000
What was found in those letters made him put out an arrest warrant for Cornelius Pearson of Clarksburg, W. for kidnapping and murder.

223
00:21:52,000 --> 00:22:12,000
He was then contented with two daughters and her boy and all was well until one day a letter to her came which said she would be wealthy.

224
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:32,000
The letter was only changed her name then came the stranger to her home and told her of his love and promised her that life would be like heaven up above.

225
00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:49,000
This winsome stranger she believed and with him then did go. To meet a face so horrible no one on earth will know.

226
00:22:49,000 --> 00:23:06,000
Mid hills of West Virginia fair near village Quiet Hill a foul crime was committed there that shocked the lips of hell.

227
00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:31,000
Upon this scene a place was built away from sight and sound With gallows in the upper part and prisons underground.

228
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:47,000
The prison floor without a door depoit of air and light With deadly gas jets on the wall presents a gruesome sight.

229
00:23:47,000 --> 00:24:04,000
The blood stain on the prison floor the graveyard just outside When taken all together tells just how the victims died.

230
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:20,000
This is a solemn warning then to all the ladies fair Do not confide in strangers that you meet from everywhere.

231
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:39,000
A moral lesson is to teach for one can never tell. Let you be lured unto your doom like those at quiet delt.

232
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:44,000
Courtney do you have any final thoughts on the first part before we sign off?

233
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:52,000
First and foremost I would love to know what caused him to act out so much even at a young age.

234
00:24:52,000 --> 00:25:00,000
I would just really love to know what I'll cause him to act out in this manner.

235
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:19,000
Another thing is I find it deeply disturbing that there was what they call widow racketing and the entire thing is it's so disturbing to know that this is how people are praying upon people's emotions.

236
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:36,000
A majority of time when you lose someone you are literally at your most vulnerable point and these are people who are taking complete advantage of your emotions and playing off of them.

237
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:52,000
Even back then and even now women didn't have a lot of money. If the husband died a lot of women didn't have a lot of money and you had these men who were praying off of these women and it's deeply disturbing.

238
00:25:52,000 --> 00:26:15,000
I find it deeply disturbing how he was writing the children that is something very disturbing. There's just so much to this and it really makes you want to get in there and just really try to understand what was going through his mind.

239
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:27,000
And how someone could honestly be this cruel to someone and especially with all the research that we've done on this.

240
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:41,000
I would also like our listeners to know that this is a man who was actually used at the university at Radford in a psychology study.

241
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:56,000
This is what they actually used this man to study and learn about psychology and everything. It was actually how we came across a lot of things that we never even knew about.

242
00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:13,000
We never knew his whole life of crime. So it's just I don't know it's a lot. It's definitely a lot to even think of. Mark do you have any final words?

243
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:31,000
Just how disturbing as hell this case is. I mean from him writing the children that just sends chills down my spine. No one count none of this was red flags to these women that they actually thought they found the person they were going to end up with.

244
00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:44,000
And in all honesty as to thought she was going to end up with him for the rest of her life. She just didn't know how long the rest of her life was going to be.

245
00:27:44,000 --> 00:28:09,000
And in part two it's just going to get crazier from here. I mean we're still doing research on this. We are going to go to the museum in Clarksburg that actually has exhibit of him and they have artifacts from his house and other things that we're going to get into later on in part two.

246
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:14,000
Let me tell you this case it's just going to get creepier and creepier.

247
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:38,000
I'll say I like to add one final thing really quick if you don't care. Ladies please be cautious. If you are a single lady and you are dating. Please be cautious if anyone online. This right here was the equivalent of online dating back in the day.

248
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:44,000
This was the tender the match the Christian mingle the farmers only.

249
00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:57,000
Yeah this was it and I would advise anybody male female anybody please please please please be cautious of online dating.

250
00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:13,000
You do not know these people these people are you know you just you don't know what these people are creating you know everything might sound good but at the same time they could be having they could be doing everything under false pretences.

251
00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:27,000
So please just take a word of advice and please be cautious of who you date who you spill your guts to anything of that nature because somebody could be out there trying to take advantage of you.

252
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,000
you

253
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,000
you

254
00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:40,000
Next time on Mountain State Mysteries we're going to tell you the rest of Harry Power's story. If you find yourself enjoying Mountain State Mysteries take a second to rate it on your favorite podcasting service. It helps others find good true crime podcasts.

255
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:49,000
Don't forget to share our episode and follow us on Instagram Facebook Tiktok and wherever you listen to podcast.

256
00:30:49,000 --> 00:31:11,000
For the show nights check out our website MountainStateMysteriesPodcast.com.