1 00:00:02,917 --> 00:00:05,042 [Dan narrating] 2 00:00:08,375 --> 00:00:10,750 [tense music] 3 00:00:14,375 --> 00:00:18,000 What if I told you that an ordinary night in LA 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,292 was the scene of an unexpected battle? 5 00:00:21,542 --> 00:00:24,000 - Anti-aircraft batteries up and down the coast 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,792 are now shooting everything they have skyward. 7 00:00:26,792 --> 00:00:28,292 - This isn't a war zone, 8 00:00:28,292 --> 00:00:30,292 this is Los Angeles, California. 9 00:00:30,292 --> 00:00:32,375 The whole city starts to panic. 10 00:00:34,042 --> 00:00:37,000 - Or that a mysterious fireball in the dark sky 11 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,667 sparked an unusual encounter. 12 00:00:39,667 --> 00:00:42,375 - Hovering in the sky above them 13 00:00:42,375 --> 00:00:47,333 appears a massive, brilliantly lit saucer-like craft. 14 00:00:48,542 --> 00:00:52,167 - And it starts to emit a strange noise, 15 00:00:52,167 --> 00:00:54,667 and that's when all hell breaks loose. 16 00:00:55,875 --> 00:00:58,500 - How about an overnight tourist attraction 17 00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:00,083 to die for? 18 00:01:00,083 --> 00:01:02,333 - You can have a snack in the kitchen 19 00:01:02,333 --> 00:01:04,500 where the murderer raided the icebox. 20 00:01:04,500 --> 00:01:07,167 - Many visitors feel eyes on them 21 00:01:07,167 --> 00:01:08,667 when there's no one there. 22 00:01:08,667 --> 00:01:12,417 Needless to say, not much sleeping takes place. 23 00:01:13,750 --> 00:01:16,750 - These are the stories of what happens when darkness falls 24 00:01:16,750 --> 00:01:18,042 that are so strange, 25 00:01:18,042 --> 00:01:19,875 they are truly unbelievable. 26 00:01:19,875 --> 00:01:22,708 [dramatic music] 27 00:01:32,542 --> 00:01:36,667 Amid the chaos of the French and Indian War in 1754, 28 00:01:36,667 --> 00:01:39,625 a quiet Connecticut town is thrust into an overnight event 29 00:01:39,625 --> 00:01:43,792 so unusual it would become part of its lore for centuries. 30 00:01:45,958 --> 00:01:48,000 - It's 1754. 31 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,167 We're in Windham, Connecticut, 32 00:01:50,167 --> 00:01:53,250 one of the original 13 British colonies. 33 00:01:53,250 --> 00:01:56,958 The French and Indian War is raging. 34 00:01:56,958 --> 00:01:58,500 The British are fighting hard 35 00:01:58,500 --> 00:02:02,375 to prevent the French from encroaching on their territory 36 00:02:02,375 --> 00:02:04,208 from the west and from the north. 37 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:06,417 - But the French are relentless 38 00:02:06,417 --> 00:02:07,875 and they also have the support 39 00:02:07,875 --> 00:02:11,583 of a number of Native American tribes to back them up. 40 00:02:11,583 --> 00:02:13,833 Now everybody in Windham is terrified. 41 00:02:15,208 --> 00:02:17,375 They've heard the stories of these awful attacks 42 00:02:17,375 --> 00:02:20,042 from Indian tribes on other colonies. 43 00:02:20,042 --> 00:02:21,708 - [Dan] On a sweltering summer evening 44 00:02:21,708 --> 00:02:23,750 just as darkness settles in, 45 00:02:23,750 --> 00:02:26,958 a terrifying sound rings out from the forest 46 00:02:26,958 --> 00:02:28,625 and wakes up the entire town. 47 00:02:28,625 --> 00:02:31,125 [frogs croak] 48 00:02:32,208 --> 00:02:33,542 - The residents of Windham are freaked out 49 00:02:33,542 --> 00:02:37,042 because it's like nothing they've ever heard before. 50 00:02:37,042 --> 00:02:39,542 It's sort of this deep throaty hum 51 00:02:39,542 --> 00:02:42,333 that seems to be getting louder and louder 52 00:02:42,333 --> 00:02:44,208 and closer and closer. 53 00:02:45,208 --> 00:02:47,042 - The villagers quickly conclude 54 00:02:47,042 --> 00:02:49,542 that these must be the war cries 55 00:02:49,542 --> 00:02:52,583 of the invaders that they have been warned about, 56 00:02:52,583 --> 00:02:55,208 coming to kill them in their beds. 57 00:02:56,458 --> 00:02:58,917 - [Dan] Fearing the enemy is closing in on them, 58 00:02:58,917 --> 00:03:00,625 residents turn to their leaders 59 00:03:00,625 --> 00:03:03,833 Eliphalet Dyer and Jedediah Elderkin. 60 00:03:03,833 --> 00:03:06,917 - There's a reason that these two men lead the militia, 61 00:03:06,917 --> 00:03:08,542 they're brave souls; 62 00:03:08,542 --> 00:03:10,500 and quickly they form a scouting party 63 00:03:10,500 --> 00:03:13,208 and run into the darkness of the forest 64 00:03:13,208 --> 00:03:15,500 to find out what they're up against. 65 00:03:17,083 --> 00:03:18,792 - [Dan] The deeper they go into the forest, 66 00:03:18,792 --> 00:03:23,333 the sounds get louder and oddly more personal. 67 00:03:23,333 --> 00:03:25,042 - They hear words repeated like, 68 00:03:25,042 --> 00:03:27,708 "Let's kill them. Let's kill them." 69 00:03:28,792 --> 00:03:31,833 Some say they hear the name Dyer, Dyer, 70 00:03:31,833 --> 00:03:33,417 or Elderkin, Elderkin; 71 00:03:33,417 --> 00:03:35,917 almost taunting the militia 72 00:03:35,917 --> 00:03:38,375 to come out into the woods. 73 00:03:38,375 --> 00:03:40,542 - The forest is pitch black. 74 00:03:40,542 --> 00:03:43,875 A dense fog is hanging in the trees. 75 00:03:43,875 --> 00:03:45,833 Nobody can see a thing. 76 00:03:45,833 --> 00:03:48,875 - They follow their ears to this grumbling chant 77 00:03:48,875 --> 00:03:51,958 and when they feel like they've zeroed in on the source, 78 00:03:51,958 --> 00:03:52,875 they open fire. 79 00:03:54,583 --> 00:03:57,875 - They're firing, reloading and firing again, 80 00:03:57,875 --> 00:04:00,167 literally blindly into the dark 81 00:04:00,167 --> 00:04:02,250 where they think the noise is coming from. 82 00:04:03,875 --> 00:04:04,708 - [Dan] Gradually, the noise 83 00:04:04,708 --> 00:04:06,625 of their would-be marauders fades. 84 00:04:07,708 --> 00:04:10,292 The Windhamites begin to celebrate their victory. 85 00:04:12,625 --> 00:04:15,208 - Finally, when daylight breaks, 86 00:04:15,208 --> 00:04:17,542 it gives them a chance to peek through the trees 87 00:04:17,542 --> 00:04:20,500 to see what they've been firing at all night, 88 00:04:20,500 --> 00:04:23,625 and their foes are not at all what they were expecting. 89 00:04:26,542 --> 00:04:29,042 - [Dan] American bullfrogs. 90 00:04:29,042 --> 00:04:30,958 The colonists find thousands of them 91 00:04:30,958 --> 00:04:32,917 dead in a tiny pond. 92 00:04:34,042 --> 00:04:35,542 - What the locals heard 93 00:04:35,542 --> 00:04:39,208 was not the war cries of fearsome enemies, 94 00:04:39,208 --> 00:04:43,625 but the roaring calls of lusty frogs. 95 00:04:43,625 --> 00:04:47,042 During the night, a hoard of big male bull frogs 96 00:04:47,042 --> 00:04:50,333 descend on this one tiny wetland, 97 00:04:50,333 --> 00:04:54,708 croaking like mad in an attempt to attract a mate. 98 00:04:54,708 --> 00:04:57,583 [bullfrog croaks] 99 00:04:58,542 --> 00:05:00,000 - Fellow colonists think, 100 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,542 how ridiculous was it 101 00:05:01,542 --> 00:05:04,458 that these towns folk sent their militia 102 00:05:04,458 --> 00:05:06,417 against a group of frogs 103 00:05:06,417 --> 00:05:08,833 and the citizens of the town 104 00:05:08,833 --> 00:05:13,292 become the laughing stock of 18th century America. 105 00:05:14,708 --> 00:05:17,792 - [Dan] Luckily, this town has a great sense of humor. 106 00:05:17,792 --> 00:05:20,167 - [Thor] Instead of playing down their folly, 107 00:05:20,167 --> 00:05:21,625 they amplify it 108 00:05:21,625 --> 00:05:25,208 and put a bull frog on the town's official seal. 109 00:05:25,208 --> 00:05:27,958 They even put a frog on the local currency. 110 00:05:29,583 --> 00:05:31,667 - Just when you think this story is about to fizzle out, 111 00:05:31,667 --> 00:05:33,958 the locals take it even one step further, 112 00:05:33,958 --> 00:05:37,667 when they build a bridge over nearby Willimantic River. 113 00:05:37,667 --> 00:05:42,792 - The residents place enormous 11 foot copper frogs 114 00:05:43,833 --> 00:05:45,375 on the pillars on either side of the bridge 115 00:05:45,375 --> 00:05:49,292 to commemorate that almost fateful night. 116 00:05:49,292 --> 00:05:51,458 [bullfrogs croak] 117 00:05:51,458 --> 00:05:54,667 - Centuries after Windham's amphibious alarm, 118 00:05:54,667 --> 00:05:58,500 another nocturnal phenomenon grips the skies Eastern Europe. 119 00:05:58,500 --> 00:06:00,708 [tense music] 120 00:06:00,708 --> 00:06:05,375 - In 1941, Hitler's Blitzkrieg has brought 121 00:06:05,375 --> 00:06:07,708 so much of the world to its knees. 122 00:06:07,708 --> 00:06:09,875 Europe is in serious trouble. 123 00:06:10,875 --> 00:06:13,000 There has been a non-aggression pact 124 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:14,958 in place with the Soviet Union 125 00:06:14,958 --> 00:06:16,875 for two years at this point, 126 00:06:18,125 --> 00:06:20,125 but Hitler's got his eyes on Moscow; 127 00:06:20,125 --> 00:06:21,292 he wants it. 128 00:06:21,292 --> 00:06:22,667 He has tank divisions, 129 00:06:22,667 --> 00:06:24,583 he has the Luftwaffe in the air, 130 00:06:24,583 --> 00:06:26,208 he has 3 million soldiers 131 00:06:26,208 --> 00:06:29,042 ready to march on the city and take it. 132 00:06:29,042 --> 00:06:31,875 - Stalin sees this build up and he's worried. 133 00:06:31,875 --> 00:06:35,417 Does he have enough soldiers to fight them off? 134 00:06:35,417 --> 00:06:37,500 - [Dan] Enter Marina Raskova, 135 00:06:37,500 --> 00:06:39,542 the Soviet Amelia Earhart, 136 00:06:39,542 --> 00:06:40,875 with a possible solution. 137 00:06:42,167 --> 00:06:45,792 - Marina Raskova is a decorated civilian pilot. 138 00:06:45,792 --> 00:06:49,625 She teaches flying and she meets women all the time 139 00:06:49,625 --> 00:06:52,875 who say that they wanna be combat pilots. 140 00:06:52,875 --> 00:06:57,292 - At the time, women aren't allowed to fly into combat. 141 00:06:57,292 --> 00:07:00,208 They are allowed to say, for example, 142 00:07:00,208 --> 00:07:02,708 shuttle aircraft around airfields 143 00:07:02,708 --> 00:07:05,542 or fly them in transfer operations, 144 00:07:05,542 --> 00:07:08,375 but never in enemy action. 145 00:07:08,375 --> 00:07:11,542 - Marina, who has the ear of Soviet premier Joseph Stalin, 146 00:07:11,542 --> 00:07:12,875 writes him a letter. 147 00:07:12,875 --> 00:07:15,875 If he will allow an all female combat squadron, 148 00:07:15,875 --> 00:07:19,750 she will then step up and lead it in battle. 149 00:07:19,750 --> 00:07:21,958 - Stalin agrees and on October 8th, 150 00:07:21,958 --> 00:07:24,375 the Red Army gets its first regiment 151 00:07:24,375 --> 00:07:26,792 of all female bomber fighting units. 152 00:07:28,208 --> 00:07:31,667 - Even though women have now been allowed into combat, 153 00:07:31,667 --> 00:07:33,542 it's not gonna be easy for them. 154 00:07:34,500 --> 00:07:36,083 Where their male counterparts fly 155 00:07:36,083 --> 00:07:39,792 the modern twin engine aircraft built for dive bombing, 156 00:07:39,792 --> 00:07:43,083 the women have beat up two seat crop dusters 157 00:07:43,083 --> 00:07:45,917 that have been retrofitted to fight in the war. 158 00:07:45,917 --> 00:07:49,667 - These are old recycled biplanes 159 00:07:49,667 --> 00:07:52,958 and they have to make do with that as a combat vehicle. 160 00:07:54,250 --> 00:07:55,875 But the women don't back down 161 00:07:55,875 --> 00:07:58,208 and they train for 14 hours a day; 162 00:07:58,208 --> 00:08:02,167 flying, repairing and learning their new equipment. 163 00:08:03,417 --> 00:08:04,792 - [Dan] Then after only a few months, 164 00:08:04,792 --> 00:08:07,375 the women are ready to hit the skies- 165 00:08:07,375 --> 00:08:09,000 but not during the day. 166 00:08:11,042 --> 00:08:13,542 - The older, slower model aircraft 167 00:08:13,542 --> 00:08:14,542 that the women are flying 168 00:08:14,542 --> 00:08:16,042 would be sitting ducks 169 00:08:16,042 --> 00:08:18,583 for the German anti-aircraft during the daytime, 170 00:08:18,583 --> 00:08:22,000 so the women are flying at night; 171 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,833 using the cover of darkness for stealth. 172 00:08:26,208 --> 00:08:28,542 - [Dan] On June 28th, 1942, 173 00:08:28,542 --> 00:08:31,917 the first ever all female bomber squadron takes off 174 00:08:31,917 --> 00:08:33,708 with an important first mission. 175 00:08:34,958 --> 00:08:36,542 - The first aircraft in the squadron 176 00:08:36,542 --> 00:08:40,250 fly out ahead to attract the Nazi search lights, 177 00:08:40,250 --> 00:08:41,542 which are desperately needed 178 00:08:41,542 --> 00:08:43,542 to light up the inky black sky 179 00:08:43,542 --> 00:08:46,958 so the rest of the squadron can see their target. 180 00:08:46,958 --> 00:08:51,875 - The following teams then hit their engines to idle 181 00:08:51,875 --> 00:08:55,167 and glide in silently to attack their enemy. 182 00:08:56,625 --> 00:09:00,125 Then, when the Germans begin to fire away at the sky, 183 00:09:00,125 --> 00:09:02,292 it reveals their positions; 184 00:09:02,292 --> 00:09:04,625 allowing the next wave of women 185 00:09:04,625 --> 00:09:07,625 to swoop in and destroy those positions. 186 00:09:08,375 --> 00:09:09,708 - Over two nights, 187 00:09:09,708 --> 00:09:11,875 it is reported that they destroy 188 00:09:11,875 --> 00:09:16,250 an entire German regiment and their food and fuel supplies. 189 00:09:16,250 --> 00:09:19,417 [tense music] [artillery fires] 190 00:09:19,417 --> 00:09:21,542 Gliding with their engines idling 191 00:09:21,542 --> 00:09:23,875 creates a swishing sound, 192 00:09:23,875 --> 00:09:25,667 which some of the Germans on the ground 193 00:09:25,667 --> 00:09:28,542 said sounded like witches on their brooms. 194 00:09:29,833 --> 00:09:31,208 - [Dan] It's this signature sound 195 00:09:31,208 --> 00:09:33,333 that actually gives them their nickname: 196 00:09:33,333 --> 00:09:37,750 the Germans call them the Nachthexen, or Night Witches. 197 00:09:39,583 --> 00:09:40,875 - During the remainder of the war, 198 00:09:40,875 --> 00:09:43,708 the Night Witches fly over 20,000 missions 199 00:09:43,708 --> 00:09:46,167 and lose only thirty pilots. 200 00:09:46,167 --> 00:09:49,292 - The Night Witches terrify the Nazis so much 201 00:09:49,292 --> 00:09:50,708 that they start a rule 202 00:09:50,708 --> 00:09:53,083 that any German pilot that's able to shoot one down 203 00:09:53,083 --> 00:09:55,542 automatically gets the very highest honor, 204 00:09:55,542 --> 00:09:56,958 the Iron Cross. 205 00:09:58,708 --> 00:09:59,750 - [MJ] Sadly, Marina never sees 206 00:09:59,750 --> 00:10:01,875 the end of the Second World War. 207 00:10:01,875 --> 00:10:04,833 She dies in service on January 4th, 1943, 208 00:10:04,833 --> 00:10:07,542 when her plane crashes during a snowstorm. 209 00:10:07,542 --> 00:10:08,333 She was 31. 210 00:10:10,667 --> 00:10:12,000 - Marina Raskova is given 211 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,042 the first state funeral of World War II 212 00:10:15,042 --> 00:10:17,333 and her ashes rest in the Kremlin. 213 00:10:21,542 --> 00:10:23,208 - After a long day of hard work in the woods 214 00:10:23,208 --> 00:10:24,833 in November of 1975, 215 00:10:24,833 --> 00:10:27,542 a group of lumberjacks head home. 216 00:10:27,542 --> 00:10:29,917 But as they're driving through the darkness, 217 00:10:29,917 --> 00:10:32,208 something unusual catches their eye. 218 00:10:35,375 --> 00:10:36,542 - Mike Rogers, the foreman, 219 00:10:36,542 --> 00:10:39,042 is at the wheel and he's trying to concentrate 220 00:10:39,042 --> 00:10:41,292 while driving down these dark roads. 221 00:10:41,292 --> 00:10:44,750 The other men who are crammed inside this pickup truck, 222 00:10:44,750 --> 00:10:46,958 well, they notice something else: 223 00:10:46,958 --> 00:10:48,917 a light cutting through the darkness 224 00:10:48,917 --> 00:10:50,917 in front of their vehicle. 225 00:10:50,917 --> 00:10:53,167 - At first they think it's the moon, 226 00:10:53,167 --> 00:10:57,625 but then they see the moon is in the opposite direction. 227 00:10:57,625 --> 00:10:59,708 - [Dan] Mike slams on the brakes 228 00:10:59,708 --> 00:11:01,792 and they wonder what on earth this could be. 229 00:11:01,792 --> 00:11:05,250 - Hovering in the sky above them 230 00:11:05,250 --> 00:11:10,292 appears a massive, brilliantly lit saucer-like craft. 231 00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:16,542 - Travis Walton, a 22-year-old logger, 232 00:11:16,542 --> 00:11:18,083 jumps out of the cab 233 00:11:18,083 --> 00:11:20,875 and through some compelling force, 234 00:11:20,875 --> 00:11:22,875 instead of running away from the UFO, 235 00:11:22,875 --> 00:11:23,958 he runs towards it. 236 00:11:25,083 --> 00:11:28,375 - Travis stops directly under the craft 237 00:11:28,375 --> 00:11:33,417 and it starts to emit a strange high frequency noise, 238 00:11:33,417 --> 00:11:35,375 and that's when all hell loose. 239 00:11:36,792 --> 00:11:39,042 - The truck itself is starting to shake 240 00:11:39,042 --> 00:11:41,542 and vibrate and get tossed around a little bit, 241 00:11:41,542 --> 00:11:42,542 and they start panicking. 242 00:11:42,542 --> 00:11:43,917 They start yelling for Travis 243 00:11:43,917 --> 00:11:46,000 to get back in the in the truck, but he doesn't. 244 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,875 He just stands there, mesmerized. 245 00:11:48,875 --> 00:11:50,333 - And as he's watching this, 246 00:11:50,333 --> 00:11:52,083 to his friends' horror, 247 00:11:52,083 --> 00:11:55,208 some beam of light shoots down from the vessel 248 00:11:55,208 --> 00:11:56,958 and zaps Travis. 249 00:11:59,375 --> 00:12:02,958 - Mike, who's still in the driver's seat, flips out. 250 00:12:02,958 --> 00:12:04,542 He and the rest of the crew 251 00:12:04,542 --> 00:12:06,083 get the hell out of there, 252 00:12:07,208 --> 00:12:09,167 leaving Travis behind. 253 00:12:10,375 --> 00:12:12,917 - [Dan] Then a flash of light streaks across the sky 254 00:12:12,917 --> 00:12:15,042 and the strange flying object is gone 255 00:12:16,375 --> 00:12:17,708 along with their friend. 256 00:12:18,833 --> 00:12:23,750 - They rush back to town and alert local police. 257 00:12:24,458 --> 00:12:26,000 A search party is assembled 258 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,792 for a period of five days, 259 00:12:28,792 --> 00:12:33,042 and there's no sign of Travis anywhere in the area. 260 00:12:34,042 --> 00:12:36,000 - On the evening of November 10th, 261 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,208 Travis's sister's phone rings 262 00:12:38,208 --> 00:12:41,667 and on the other end of the line is Travis. 263 00:12:41,667 --> 00:12:42,875 He says that he's calling 264 00:12:42,875 --> 00:12:44,542 from a phone booth from another town, 265 00:12:44,542 --> 00:12:46,042 and that he's disoriented 266 00:12:46,042 --> 00:12:47,667 and he can't find his way home; 267 00:12:47,667 --> 00:12:50,250 so his whole family rushes to go get him. 268 00:12:50,250 --> 00:12:51,500 - When Travis is told 269 00:12:51,500 --> 00:12:54,917 that he's actually been missing for five whole days, 270 00:12:54,917 --> 00:12:56,792 he's totally stunned. 271 00:12:56,792 --> 00:12:59,625 To him, it just feels like it was a few hours. 272 00:12:59,625 --> 00:13:00,833 - [Dan] For help filling in the blanks, 273 00:13:00,833 --> 00:13:03,417 Travis agrees to see a hypnotist. 274 00:13:03,417 --> 00:13:07,708 - Under hypnosis, Travis recalls being zapped by the light 275 00:13:07,708 --> 00:13:10,625 and then describes how he's drawn up 276 00:13:10,625 --> 00:13:14,375 like a rag doll, limbs dangling. 277 00:13:14,375 --> 00:13:15,500 - Once on board, 278 00:13:15,500 --> 00:13:17,542 he says that he's examined 279 00:13:17,542 --> 00:13:20,333 in what looks to be almost like a hospital room. 280 00:13:20,333 --> 00:13:23,292 There's three beings there all under five feet tall, 281 00:13:23,292 --> 00:13:26,417 and they have that typical alien look: 282 00:13:26,417 --> 00:13:28,250 big heads, big black eyes. 283 00:13:28,250 --> 00:13:30,750 It's what a lot of people call a gray alien. 284 00:13:31,750 --> 00:13:33,625 - At one point, Travis recalls 285 00:13:33,625 --> 00:13:35,958 a sensation of intense pain 286 00:13:35,958 --> 00:13:38,417 and a feeling of suffocation; 287 00:13:38,417 --> 00:13:40,833 and he remembers leaping off the table 288 00:13:40,833 --> 00:13:42,833 and fighting with these entities, 289 00:13:42,833 --> 00:13:44,958 which causes them to run out of the room. 290 00:13:44,958 --> 00:13:46,542 - And this is when he meets 291 00:13:46,542 --> 00:13:49,208 what a lot of people in the community call the Nordics, 292 00:13:49,208 --> 00:13:53,083 which are very tall, beautiful aliens. 293 00:13:53,083 --> 00:13:54,875 - With superhuman strength, 294 00:13:54,875 --> 00:13:58,000 they push Travis back down onto this table. 295 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,500 Travis then blacks out. 296 00:14:00,500 --> 00:14:02,208 - The next thing he knows, 297 00:14:02,208 --> 00:14:07,208 he wakes up wandering a road in another Arizona town, 298 00:14:08,083 --> 00:14:11,458 cold, confused, disoriented, 299 00:14:11,458 --> 00:14:15,208 and finds his way to a service station payphone. 300 00:14:15,208 --> 00:14:17,708 - [Dan] Despite a healthy dose of suspicion, 301 00:14:17,708 --> 00:14:20,958 some ufologists consider Travis' experience 302 00:14:20,958 --> 00:14:24,917 to be the most credible abduction story ever told. 303 00:14:24,917 --> 00:14:27,875 - In 1978, Travis writes a book about all this 304 00:14:27,875 --> 00:14:30,208 called, "The Walton Experience." 305 00:14:30,208 --> 00:14:32,375 It's actually one of the first books 306 00:14:32,375 --> 00:14:34,708 written by an abductee 307 00:14:34,708 --> 00:14:36,833 and when he tells his story, 308 00:14:38,292 --> 00:14:42,500 there's real sense of almost post-traumatic stress disorder. 309 00:14:43,458 --> 00:14:44,750 I don't know whether or not 310 00:14:44,750 --> 00:14:47,167 he was literally abducted by aliens, 311 00:14:47,167 --> 00:14:50,000 but I know he believes he was. 312 00:14:52,292 --> 00:14:54,083 - It's one thing when a single person 313 00:14:54,083 --> 00:14:56,417 claims something attacked them from above, 314 00:14:56,417 --> 00:15:00,000 it's another when 1.5 million people witness it. 315 00:15:01,125 --> 00:15:03,042 - It's February, 1942, 316 00:15:03,042 --> 00:15:05,958 just months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 317 00:15:05,958 --> 00:15:08,000 killed 2,400 Americans 318 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,042 and drew the United States into the Second World War. 319 00:15:11,042 --> 00:15:14,542 Residents stateside are wondering if they're next. 320 00:15:15,875 --> 00:15:18,875 - This fear and anxiety puts cities on lockdown, 321 00:15:18,875 --> 00:15:21,875 especially coastal cities like Los Angeles. 322 00:15:21,875 --> 00:15:23,208 On the 23rd of February, 323 00:15:23,208 --> 00:15:25,542 a Japanese submarine is actually spotted 324 00:15:25,542 --> 00:15:27,542 off the coast of Santa Barbara. 325 00:15:27,542 --> 00:15:30,625 It takes some shots at the Elwood Oil refinery. 326 00:15:30,625 --> 00:15:31,917 [artillery fires] 327 00:15:31,917 --> 00:15:33,125 - There's minimal damage 328 00:15:33,125 --> 00:15:34,750 but it sends everyone into a panic, 329 00:15:34,750 --> 00:15:36,208 especially along the west coast, 330 00:15:36,208 --> 00:15:39,875 because now we know that an attack could really happen. 331 00:15:39,875 --> 00:15:43,125 [tense music] 332 00:15:43,125 --> 00:15:45,375 - Authorities aren't taking any chances 333 00:15:45,375 --> 00:15:48,208 and so the enforce a nighttime blackout. 334 00:15:48,208 --> 00:15:50,750 - The idea is to not be a target. 335 00:15:50,750 --> 00:15:52,083 And lights, unfortunately, 336 00:15:52,083 --> 00:15:55,375 are a great way to get hit by air or by water. 337 00:15:55,375 --> 00:15:57,625 - [Dan] These blackouts go off without a hitch, 338 00:15:57,625 --> 00:15:59,083 but not for long. 339 00:15:59,083 --> 00:16:02,667 The next night on February 24th, at 2:21 AM, 340 00:16:02,667 --> 00:16:04,333 Angelenos are suddenly awakened 341 00:16:04,333 --> 00:16:07,083 by the sound of air raid sirens. 342 00:16:07,083 --> 00:16:09,208 - The military has picked up something on radar 343 00:16:09,208 --> 00:16:12,042 about 120 miles west of LA. 344 00:16:12,042 --> 00:16:14,125 This lines up with eyewitness accounts 345 00:16:14,125 --> 00:16:17,250 of a massive craft being seen in the sky. 346 00:16:17,250 --> 00:16:21,000 It is oblong and moving at 200 miles per hour. 347 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,542 - Within minutes, troops have 348 00:16:22,542 --> 00:16:26,125 a massive battery of anti-aircraft guns at the ready. 349 00:16:26,125 --> 00:16:29,333 At 3:06 AM, search lights converge 350 00:16:29,333 --> 00:16:32,083 on this strange object over Culver City. 351 00:16:33,250 --> 00:16:35,125 - The 37th coastal artillery brigade 352 00:16:35,125 --> 00:16:37,375 is given the command to start firing. 353 00:16:38,667 --> 00:16:41,375 They are now shooting everything they have skyward. 354 00:16:42,583 --> 00:16:43,750 - Shortly afterwards, 355 00:16:43,750 --> 00:16:46,500 almost every single coastal defense in the area 356 00:16:46,500 --> 00:16:47,500 is firing at this thing. 357 00:16:50,625 --> 00:16:54,875 Finally, after 58 minutes of a nonstop barrage, 358 00:16:54,875 --> 00:16:56,125 a ceasefire is called. 359 00:16:57,167 --> 00:16:58,917 - This isn't a war zone, 360 00:16:58,917 --> 00:17:01,042 this is Los Angeles, California. 361 00:17:01,042 --> 00:17:02,125 And as you might expect, 362 00:17:02,125 --> 00:17:04,125 the whole city starts to panic. 363 00:17:05,375 --> 00:17:08,625 The police switchboards are flooded with calls, 364 00:17:08,625 --> 00:17:10,292 the highways are gridlocked, 365 00:17:10,292 --> 00:17:12,542 people are freaking out. 366 00:17:12,542 --> 00:17:15,167 - Property damage is reported throughout the city 367 00:17:15,167 --> 00:17:16,833 and there's even a death toll. 368 00:17:16,833 --> 00:17:19,958 Three people died from stress induced heart attacks 369 00:17:19,958 --> 00:17:23,000 and another three people died in car accidents. 370 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,167 - [Dan] As the sun rises the next morning, 371 00:17:25,167 --> 00:17:26,875 residents are baffled. 372 00:17:26,875 --> 00:17:28,542 What exactly happened last night? 373 00:17:29,708 --> 00:17:31,708 - On the front page of the morning papers, 374 00:17:31,708 --> 00:17:34,833 there's an iconic photo of eight spotlights 375 00:17:34,833 --> 00:17:36,417 meeting together to show 376 00:17:36,417 --> 00:17:39,667 some sort of massive well-lit craft overhead. 377 00:17:41,083 --> 00:17:43,000 Some newspapers claim it was the Japanese, 378 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:44,708 but despite the aerial barrage, 379 00:17:44,708 --> 00:17:46,208 no Japanese planes are found 380 00:17:46,208 --> 00:17:48,042 on the ground the following day. 381 00:17:49,083 --> 00:17:50,208 - A short time after the war ended, 382 00:17:50,208 --> 00:17:51,667 a Japanese military leader 383 00:17:51,667 --> 00:17:53,542 confirmed that they never flew an aircraft 384 00:17:53,542 --> 00:17:56,417 over the city of Los Angeles during the war, 385 00:17:56,417 --> 00:17:58,667 which leaves one big question: 386 00:17:58,667 --> 00:18:01,375 what exactly were they shooting at that night? 387 00:18:05,375 --> 00:18:07,458 - The Civil War left no shortage of bloodshed, 388 00:18:07,458 --> 00:18:09,625 but after one of its deadliest battles, 389 00:18:09,625 --> 00:18:12,833 something strange appeared on the battlefield 390 00:18:12,833 --> 00:18:14,833 only visible after nightfall. 391 00:18:16,083 --> 00:18:18,583 - It's early April, 1862, 392 00:18:18,583 --> 00:18:21,125 and the Battle of Shiloh is being fought 393 00:18:21,125 --> 00:18:23,208 on the border of Tennessee and Mississippi. 394 00:18:24,375 --> 00:18:26,542 The Confederates launch a surprise attack 395 00:18:26,542 --> 00:18:30,583 against the forces of the Union led by Ulysses S Grant 396 00:18:30,583 --> 00:18:34,083 and over 100 000 Confederate and Union soldiers 397 00:18:34,083 --> 00:18:35,792 battle over the next couple days. 398 00:18:37,292 --> 00:18:40,375 - The Union ends up coming from behind to claim victory 399 00:18:40,375 --> 00:18:41,625 but when all is said and done, 400 00:18:41,625 --> 00:18:44,083 23,000 soldiers are dead 401 00:18:44,083 --> 00:18:46,417 and sixteen thousand are wounded, 402 00:18:46,417 --> 00:18:47,750 laying on the battlefield. 403 00:18:49,875 --> 00:18:53,500 - Many of them have opened gashes prone to infection, 404 00:18:53,500 --> 00:18:56,625 that will bring them even closer to the edge of death. 405 00:18:57,417 --> 00:18:59,292 - But when night falls, 406 00:18:59,292 --> 00:19:03,000 something really utterly strange begins to happen. 407 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:04,542 The soldiers lying on the ground 408 00:19:04,542 --> 00:19:08,167 notice that their wounds begin glowing 409 00:19:08,167 --> 00:19:11,167 a strange greenish hue in the dark. 410 00:19:11,167 --> 00:19:12,500 - [Dan] The men are terrified. 411 00:19:12,500 --> 00:19:15,250 A glowing wound must surely mean death. 412 00:19:15,250 --> 00:19:17,000 But during triage, 413 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,958 something unexpected begins happening. 414 00:19:19,958 --> 00:19:24,250 - The field surgeons start to notice an intriguing pattern. 415 00:19:24,250 --> 00:19:28,083 It seems that the men with wounds that glow in the dark 416 00:19:28,083 --> 00:19:31,333 heal faster and suffer fewer infections 417 00:19:31,333 --> 00:19:33,917 than those whose wounds do not. 418 00:19:34,875 --> 00:19:36,375 The soldiers start to think 419 00:19:36,375 --> 00:19:39,208 that a divine force has intervened, 420 00:19:39,208 --> 00:19:41,458 that they've been saved by God. 421 00:19:41,458 --> 00:19:44,083 They start calling it Angel Glow 422 00:19:44,083 --> 00:19:46,750 for its amazing healing properties. 423 00:19:47,917 --> 00:19:49,375 - [Dan] For the next 100 years, 424 00:19:49,375 --> 00:19:52,792 the truth behind this miraculous phenomenon remains unknown 425 00:19:52,792 --> 00:19:55,667 until an unlikely investigator figures it out. 426 00:19:58,667 --> 00:20:01,542 - In 2001, high school student Bill Martin 427 00:20:01,542 --> 00:20:03,833 goes to the site of the Battle of Shiloh 428 00:20:03,833 --> 00:20:05,083 and he's pretty curious; 429 00:20:05,083 --> 00:20:06,208 he wants to solve the mystery 430 00:20:06,208 --> 00:20:08,167 of what this Angel Glow was. 431 00:20:09,292 --> 00:20:10,542 - [Dan] After taking some soil samples, 432 00:20:10,542 --> 00:20:12,542 Bill brings them home to his mother, 433 00:20:12,542 --> 00:20:15,583 a microbiologist for the US Department of Agriculture. 434 00:20:16,958 --> 00:20:18,542 - Fortunately for Bill, 435 00:20:18,542 --> 00:20:22,625 his mother happens to be an expert on a strange bacteria 436 00:20:22,625 --> 00:20:27,333 that glows in the dark called Photorhabdus luminescens, 437 00:20:27,333 --> 00:20:30,000 or p. Luminescence for short. 438 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,042 This bacteria is known to live 439 00:20:32,042 --> 00:20:37,208 inside of tiny soil dwelling roundworms called nematodes. 440 00:20:38,542 --> 00:20:40,625 - It turns out that the nematodes 441 00:20:40,625 --> 00:20:43,708 are finding their way into the soldiers open wounds 442 00:20:43,708 --> 00:20:45,167 and in their process 443 00:20:45,167 --> 00:20:47,542 of literally consuming their open flesh, 444 00:20:47,542 --> 00:20:51,542 vomited up the luminescent bacteria. 445 00:20:51,542 --> 00:20:53,625 - The crazy side effect of these nematodes 446 00:20:53,625 --> 00:20:57,708 is that they're essentially delivering antibiotics 447 00:20:57,708 --> 00:21:00,625 and ultimately increasing their likelihood of survival. 448 00:21:01,875 --> 00:21:04,375 - Generally speaking, these microscopic creatures 449 00:21:04,375 --> 00:21:07,875 can't survive inside the human body; it's too warm. 450 00:21:07,875 --> 00:21:09,208 Luckily for these soldiers, 451 00:21:09,208 --> 00:21:10,750 they had fallen on the battlefield 452 00:21:10,750 --> 00:21:12,417 on a very cold night. 453 00:21:12,417 --> 00:21:14,042 Their body temperatures dropped 454 00:21:14,042 --> 00:21:17,458 and that's why the bacteria could survive long enough 455 00:21:17,458 --> 00:21:18,917 to cleanse their wounds 456 00:21:18,917 --> 00:21:22,292 and give them this seemingly angel glow healing property. 457 00:21:23,750 --> 00:21:25,542 - So perhaps an angel was looking out 458 00:21:25,542 --> 00:21:27,292 for the soldiers after all, 459 00:21:27,292 --> 00:21:29,583 just in the form of a vomiting worm. 460 00:21:30,708 --> 00:21:32,542 There might also be someone watching over 461 00:21:32,542 --> 00:21:35,250 our next medical miracle worker. 462 00:21:37,208 --> 00:21:39,375 - In Ogdensburg, New York, 463 00:21:39,375 --> 00:21:43,167 there's an award-winning surgeon and urologist, 464 00:21:43,167 --> 00:21:46,042 53-year-old John Bongiovanni. 465 00:21:47,417 --> 00:21:50,917 In 1980, Dr. John suffers a terrible car accident 466 00:21:50,917 --> 00:21:52,917 and because of that accident, 467 00:21:52,917 --> 00:21:54,875 he loses his sight. 468 00:21:54,875 --> 00:21:56,458 - [Dan] For most, going blind would be 469 00:21:56,458 --> 00:21:59,042 the end of their career as a surgeon, 470 00:21:59,042 --> 00:22:00,875 but not for Dr. John. 471 00:22:00,875 --> 00:22:03,250 - Only six months later, he's back at it. 472 00:22:03,250 --> 00:22:07,125 Not only is Dr. John going back to work diagnosing patients, 473 00:22:07,125 --> 00:22:11,958 he is performing surgeries on patients completely blind. 474 00:22:11,958 --> 00:22:14,542 - He performs eight surgeries 475 00:22:14,542 --> 00:22:18,083 and he has assistants- like fellow doctors or nurses, 476 00:22:18,083 --> 00:22:21,917 there to talk him through the parts that require sight. 477 00:22:21,917 --> 00:22:23,792 - There are parts of surgery 478 00:22:23,792 --> 00:22:27,708 that require more feel than others, 479 00:22:28,875 --> 00:22:32,375 but you always need to see what you are doing. 480 00:22:32,375 --> 00:22:33,917 - This is a urologist; 481 00:22:33,917 --> 00:22:38,250 he's performing surgeries through someone's rectum, 482 00:22:38,250 --> 00:22:40,708 through the tip of their genitals. 483 00:22:42,542 --> 00:22:45,542 I can't even believe that he thought this was okay. 484 00:22:46,458 --> 00:22:48,208 Despite being terrifying 485 00:22:48,208 --> 00:22:49,958 and unethical that he's doing this, 486 00:22:49,958 --> 00:22:51,083 it's pretty incredible 487 00:22:51,083 --> 00:22:53,500 that he is able to pull this off. 488 00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:55,958 - [Dan] Remarkably, Dr. John continues practicing 489 00:22:55,958 --> 00:22:57,583 for another three years, 490 00:22:58,708 --> 00:23:01,458 until the Board of Regents gets involved. 491 00:23:01,458 --> 00:23:03,667 - The Board of Regents finds Dr. John 492 00:23:03,667 --> 00:23:05,750 guilty of professional misconduct 493 00:23:05,750 --> 00:23:08,542 for performing operations while blind, 494 00:23:08,542 --> 00:23:10,375 and strips him of his ability 495 00:23:10,375 --> 00:23:12,917 to practice medicine in the state of New York. 496 00:23:12,917 --> 00:23:13,542 - In their defense though, 497 00:23:13,542 --> 00:23:14,917 the hospital says that 498 00:23:14,917 --> 00:23:17,083 in the eight surgeries he performed blind, 499 00:23:17,083 --> 00:23:20,542 in only one did a nurse notice some slight bleeding, 500 00:23:20,542 --> 00:23:23,875 but all the others were considered a complete success. 501 00:23:23,875 --> 00:23:26,250 - Even with a record some surgeons would envy, 502 00:23:26,250 --> 00:23:28,708 Dr. John Bongiovanni's technique 503 00:23:28,708 --> 00:23:31,042 raised more eyebrows than scalpels. 504 00:23:34,833 --> 00:23:36,458 - We spend a third of our lives in the dark, asleep; 505 00:23:36,458 --> 00:23:37,667 eyes tightly shut 506 00:23:37,667 --> 00:23:39,708 with only our dreams to keep us company. 507 00:23:39,708 --> 00:23:41,750 What if during that slumber 508 00:23:41,750 --> 00:23:44,750 you were more productive and talented? 509 00:23:48,583 --> 00:23:52,208 - It's 1983 in Wrexham, Wales. 510 00:23:52,208 --> 00:23:55,208 Mr and Mrs Hadwin awake one morning 511 00:23:55,208 --> 00:23:57,917 to discover something very odd. 512 00:23:57,917 --> 00:24:01,917 There are drawings all over the living room wall 513 00:24:01,917 --> 00:24:05,875 and they're drawn in what looks like crayon and pencil. 514 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,167 - The only other person in their house 515 00:24:09,167 --> 00:24:11,042 is their young son, Lee. 516 00:24:11,042 --> 00:24:13,750 But when they confront him with the drawings, 517 00:24:13,750 --> 00:24:15,542 he says he knows nothing about it. 518 00:24:16,792 --> 00:24:20,375 - Lee rightfully points out that he's terrible at art. 519 00:24:20,375 --> 00:24:21,792 He couldn't possibly have done this, 520 00:24:21,792 --> 00:24:24,583 even his art teachers say he's not that great 521 00:24:24,583 --> 00:24:27,667 and these doodles and drawings aren't half bad. 522 00:24:28,708 --> 00:24:31,458 - Night after night, it keeps happening. 523 00:24:31,458 --> 00:24:33,750 New art appears in the morning. 524 00:24:33,750 --> 00:24:37,125 Lee swears he has no idea where it came from, 525 00:24:37,125 --> 00:24:38,750 no memory of it. 526 00:24:38,750 --> 00:24:42,042 Soon they realize he's sleepwalking 527 00:24:42,042 --> 00:24:43,792 and drawing in his sleep. 528 00:24:44,958 --> 00:24:49,708 - As a teenager, Lee continues to sketch in the night. 529 00:24:50,458 --> 00:24:51,458 One night he actually draws 530 00:24:51,458 --> 00:24:53,542 three small pencil sketches 531 00:24:53,542 --> 00:24:56,583 that are very clearly Marilyn Monroe, 532 00:24:56,583 --> 00:24:58,292 but no matter what he does, 533 00:24:58,292 --> 00:25:02,042 he can't replicate any of these drawings when he's awake. 534 00:25:03,500 --> 00:25:04,792 - Even into adulthood, 535 00:25:04,792 --> 00:25:07,375 Lee is still sketching in his sleep. 536 00:25:07,375 --> 00:25:11,000 And now when he starts his nighttime art making sessions, 537 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,750 his partner begins filming him as he works. 538 00:25:15,625 --> 00:25:17,583 When Lee watches the footage, 539 00:25:17,583 --> 00:25:20,000 he is utterly blown away. 540 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,833 Not only is he a skilled artist, he's ambidextrous. 541 00:25:25,083 --> 00:25:27,375 - [Dan] Remarkably, the sleepwalking artist 542 00:25:27,375 --> 00:25:28,833 amasses quite a following. 543 00:25:30,417 --> 00:25:33,667 - He has some pretty high profile clientele 544 00:25:33,667 --> 00:25:35,375 like Kim Kardashian 545 00:25:35,375 --> 00:25:39,708 and the Marilyn Monroe Museum in Hollywood, California. 546 00:25:39,708 --> 00:25:42,125 And with this success, 547 00:25:42,125 --> 00:25:44,958 Lee finally embraces it 548 00:25:44,958 --> 00:25:48,625 and calls himself a sleepwalking artist. 549 00:25:51,417 --> 00:25:54,583 - As unusual as Lee's nocturnal talent is, 550 00:25:54,583 --> 00:25:57,167 there's another man with an even stranger one. 551 00:25:59,125 --> 00:26:02,250 - We're in turn of the century Hopkinsville, Kentucky. 552 00:26:02,250 --> 00:26:03,542 Carrie House, who is a nurse, 553 00:26:03,542 --> 00:26:05,583 and her doctor-husband Thomas 554 00:26:05,583 --> 00:26:08,333 have a three month old premature baby named Tommy 555 00:26:08,333 --> 00:26:10,167 and he's not doing very well. 556 00:26:10,167 --> 00:26:12,292 In fact, they don't know if little Tommy's 557 00:26:12,292 --> 00:26:14,500 gonna make it through the night. 558 00:26:14,500 --> 00:26:16,292 - Because they're in the medical profession, 559 00:26:16,292 --> 00:26:17,542 Carrie and her husband 560 00:26:17,542 --> 00:26:19,708 actually have lots of doctors 561 00:26:19,708 --> 00:26:22,042 in the house on this critical night 562 00:26:22,042 --> 00:26:24,583 to see if they can save little Tommy, 563 00:26:24,583 --> 00:26:26,542 but there's no consensus. 564 00:26:26,542 --> 00:26:29,417 They start arguing about what to do next, 565 00:26:29,417 --> 00:26:31,458 but Carrie's not ready to give up. 566 00:26:31,458 --> 00:26:34,167 She's ready to try anything, 567 00:26:34,167 --> 00:26:37,208 including something pretty unconventional. 568 00:26:38,833 --> 00:26:41,167 - [Dan] Carrie calls in her cousin, Edgar Cayce, to help. 569 00:26:42,208 --> 00:26:43,542 - He has no medical training. 570 00:26:43,542 --> 00:26:46,208 In fact, he's not a doctor at all; 571 00:26:46,208 --> 00:26:51,250 but Edgar has been able to diagnose ailments in his sleep. 572 00:26:52,125 --> 00:26:53,208 He can close his eyes, 573 00:26:53,208 --> 00:26:54,833 go into a trance 574 00:26:54,833 --> 00:26:57,708 and tell you what is physically wrong with people; 575 00:26:57,708 --> 00:26:59,875 sometimes without touching them at all. 576 00:26:59,875 --> 00:27:00,875 - [Dan] When Edgar arrives, 577 00:27:00,875 --> 00:27:02,792 he doesn't waste any time. 578 00:27:02,792 --> 00:27:04,958 Without so much as a glance at Tommy, 579 00:27:04,958 --> 00:27:07,958 he simply finds a quiet spot and preps for sleep. 580 00:27:09,375 --> 00:27:11,583 - Right before Edgar closes his eyes, 581 00:27:11,583 --> 00:27:14,500 he tells Tommy's father to take some notes. 582 00:27:14,500 --> 00:27:16,083 According to Edgar, 583 00:27:16,083 --> 00:27:18,583 he can never remember what he says during these trances 584 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,583 and then Edgar begins to enter this hypnotic trance. 585 00:27:26,042 --> 00:27:29,750 - First, Edgar gives a rundown of all the vital signs: 586 00:27:29,750 --> 00:27:32,708 blood pressure, heart rate. 587 00:27:32,708 --> 00:27:36,208 When it's compared to the actual readings, 588 00:27:36,208 --> 00:27:37,625 he's bang on. 589 00:27:38,708 --> 00:27:41,042 Then Edgar describes the child's condition 590 00:27:41,042 --> 00:27:45,042 as if he's somehow seeing the organs in his mind's eye. 591 00:27:46,417 --> 00:27:49,542 He says the child has some sort of epileptic condition 592 00:27:49,542 --> 00:27:53,042 that causes extreme nausea and vomiting. 593 00:27:53,042 --> 00:27:56,000 - [Dan] Then comes the very bizarre solution. 594 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:57,792 - Edgar says that Tommy should be given 595 00:27:57,792 --> 00:27:59,958 a dose of belladonna, 596 00:27:59,958 --> 00:28:01,917 a very poisonous and toxic herb, 597 00:28:01,917 --> 00:28:04,500 and then wrapped in a hot poultice 598 00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:06,292 and this will help draw out the toxin. 599 00:28:07,375 --> 00:28:08,583 When Edgar wakes up, 600 00:28:08,583 --> 00:28:10,958 he can hear the doctors and the family 601 00:28:10,958 --> 00:28:13,250 and they're having a big argument. 602 00:28:13,250 --> 00:28:14,667 - Carrie, Tommy's mother, 603 00:28:14,667 --> 00:28:15,542 really wants to try this. 604 00:28:15,542 --> 00:28:16,875 She is all in. 605 00:28:16,875 --> 00:28:18,875 The doctors, even her husband are telling her, 606 00:28:18,875 --> 00:28:21,458 "You will kill this child. 607 00:28:21,458 --> 00:28:22,917 This is murder, 608 00:28:22,917 --> 00:28:25,708 if you administer this high level of belladonna." 609 00:28:25,708 --> 00:28:27,667 Carrie reminds them that they have 610 00:28:27,667 --> 00:28:29,583 literally tried everything else 611 00:28:29,583 --> 00:28:30,958 and nothing has worked, 612 00:28:30,958 --> 00:28:33,000 so essentially she says, 613 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,250 "If I have to poison my son to save him, 614 00:28:35,250 --> 00:28:36,375 that's what I'm gonna do." 615 00:28:36,375 --> 00:28:39,000 [tense music] 616 00:28:42,458 --> 00:28:45,375 - Almost immediately after taking the belladonna, 617 00:28:45,375 --> 00:28:46,958 Tommy's seizures stop 618 00:28:48,167 --> 00:28:51,708 and he falls into what seems to be a deep sleep, 619 00:28:51,708 --> 00:28:53,625 then Tommy wakes up. 620 00:28:53,625 --> 00:28:55,042 He's drenched in sweat, 621 00:28:55,042 --> 00:28:58,750 but his cheeks are pink and he's breathing normally. 622 00:29:00,917 --> 00:29:03,083 Edgar Cayce probably saved his life. 623 00:29:04,750 --> 00:29:07,083 - [Dan] News of his talent quickly spreads 624 00:29:07,083 --> 00:29:10,750 and soon Edgar Cayce becomes a household name. 625 00:29:10,750 --> 00:29:12,542 - Everyone wants a piece of Edgar, 626 00:29:12,542 --> 00:29:15,333 everyone wants him to diagnose them, 627 00:29:15,333 --> 00:29:16,750 including Woodrow Wilson, 628 00:29:16,750 --> 00:29:20,042 Thomas Edison, Nicola Tesla; 629 00:29:20,042 --> 00:29:23,917 and so he kind of becomes this medical rock star. 630 00:29:24,875 --> 00:29:26,458 - Out of profound gratitude, 631 00:29:26,458 --> 00:29:29,000 Carrie and Thomas House built a hospital in Virginia Beach 632 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,208 to focus on the treatments 633 00:29:30,208 --> 00:29:32,208 Edgar channeled during his readings. 634 00:29:33,917 --> 00:29:37,375 Cayce's last reading was for himself in September of 1944 635 00:29:37,375 --> 00:29:39,625 and he told himself that it was time to rest. 636 00:29:39,625 --> 00:29:40,583 Only four months later, 637 00:29:40,583 --> 00:29:41,750 he dies of a stroke. 638 00:29:43,708 --> 00:29:46,875 - What Cayce does in his sleep is astounding. 639 00:29:46,875 --> 00:29:48,792 Certainly beats having that recurring nightmare 640 00:29:48,792 --> 00:29:50,833 of going to school with no pants on. 641 00:29:54,792 --> 00:29:56,542 - You're regarded as one of 642 00:29:56,542 --> 00:29:57,250 the greatest authors to ever live, 643 00:29:57,250 --> 00:29:58,208 then you pass away, 644 00:29:58,208 --> 00:30:00,042 leaving behind a final masterpiece 645 00:30:00,042 --> 00:30:02,042 without its long-awaited ending. 646 00:30:02,708 --> 00:30:04,083 What now? 647 00:30:04,083 --> 00:30:05,750 The answer, it seems, 648 00:30:05,750 --> 00:30:08,042 is nothing short of unbelievable. 649 00:30:10,083 --> 00:30:13,083 - It's June, 1870 in Kent, England. 650 00:30:13,083 --> 00:30:15,083 Charles Dickens is trying his hand 651 00:30:15,083 --> 00:30:17,875 at writing a whodunit, a thriller. 652 00:30:17,875 --> 00:30:20,500 He calls it "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," 653 00:30:20,500 --> 00:30:23,292 and he's keeping tight-lipped about the details. 654 00:30:23,292 --> 00:30:27,042 Dickens is one of the most popular writers of the day. 655 00:30:27,042 --> 00:30:29,792 He's written "Oliver Twist," "A Christmas Carol," 656 00:30:29,792 --> 00:30:31,708 among many others. 657 00:30:31,708 --> 00:30:33,875 "Drood" is Dickens' 15th novel, 658 00:30:33,875 --> 00:30:35,333 but his first mystery 659 00:30:36,375 --> 00:30:38,625 and it's being published in serialized form; 660 00:30:38,625 --> 00:30:40,667 in installments. 661 00:30:40,667 --> 00:30:43,708 - [Dan] Before publishing that much anticipated ending 662 00:30:43,708 --> 00:30:46,042 revealing the killer's identity, 663 00:30:46,042 --> 00:30:48,292 Dickens suffers a stroke and dies. 664 00:30:49,583 --> 00:30:50,917 - Of course, the world is mourning 665 00:30:50,917 --> 00:30:52,292 the death of a great author, 666 00:30:52,292 --> 00:30:54,917 but the public is still hungry for more. 667 00:30:54,917 --> 00:30:59,083 Dickens takes the finale and the murderer to his grave. 668 00:31:00,167 --> 00:31:03,333 - Just two years after Dickens' passing, 669 00:31:03,333 --> 00:31:05,042 across the pond, 670 00:31:05,042 --> 00:31:09,500 there's a printer living in Brattleboro, Vermont; 671 00:31:09,500 --> 00:31:13,833 30-year-old Thomas Powers James, or T.P. for short. 672 00:31:14,875 --> 00:31:16,708 T.P. moves into a boarding house 673 00:31:16,708 --> 00:31:21,792 and his landlady is a big believer in spiritualism, 674 00:31:21,792 --> 00:31:24,583 and invites him into her weekly seance, 675 00:31:24,583 --> 00:31:27,083 which is held in her parlor. 676 00:31:27,083 --> 00:31:28,875 On the night of the seance, 677 00:31:28,875 --> 00:31:32,250 T.P. is handed a pen and a sheet of paper. 678 00:31:32,250 --> 00:31:34,167 He is told that on occasion, 679 00:31:34,167 --> 00:31:37,000 spirits will speak through a person 680 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,917 in a process called automatic writing. 681 00:31:39,917 --> 00:31:42,708 In essence, you have become the spirit's hands, 682 00:31:42,708 --> 00:31:43,542 their vessel. 683 00:31:45,042 --> 00:31:47,458 - [Dan] T.P. closes his eyes 684 00:31:47,458 --> 00:31:50,417 and soon feels the pen moving on its own. 685 00:31:52,208 --> 00:31:55,125 - When he opens his eyes, he's astounded. 686 00:31:55,125 --> 00:31:57,542 T.P. had written down information 687 00:31:57,542 --> 00:31:59,375 about all of these strangers, 688 00:31:59,375 --> 00:32:02,542 things he couldn't possibly have known. 689 00:32:03,833 --> 00:32:05,542 The locals are pretty impressed, 690 00:32:05,542 --> 00:32:08,500 so they invite T.P. back the next week, 691 00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:10,000 and he agrees. 692 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,500 - Again, T.P. begins automatic writing. 693 00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:15,417 This time the spirit introduces himself 694 00:32:17,375 --> 00:32:19,292 and you won't believe his identity. 695 00:32:20,542 --> 00:32:24,125 - [Dan] It's none other than Charles Dickens. 696 00:32:25,292 --> 00:32:28,458 - The attendees are blown away and so is T.P, 697 00:32:28,458 --> 00:32:29,167 who by the way, 698 00:32:29,167 --> 00:32:31,083 has no formal education 699 00:32:31,083 --> 00:32:33,625 and not a literary bone in his body. 700 00:32:35,167 --> 00:32:38,458 T.P. meets with this landlady's seance circle a third time, 701 00:32:39,792 --> 00:32:41,875 but this time, T.P. reports 702 00:32:41,875 --> 00:32:44,917 that Dickens has asked him for a great favor. 703 00:32:46,583 --> 00:32:48,000 - T.P. has been commanded 704 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,042 by the spirit of Charles Dickens himself 705 00:32:50,042 --> 00:32:52,708 to finish "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," 706 00:32:52,708 --> 00:32:55,208 but the ghost has one more demand. 707 00:32:55,208 --> 00:32:57,917 It all must commence on the night of Christmas Eve. 708 00:32:58,958 --> 00:33:00,375 - [Dan] T.P. agrees 709 00:33:00,375 --> 00:33:02,083 and on the night of December 24th, 710 00:33:02,083 --> 00:33:05,083 he retires to a dark private room 711 00:33:05,083 --> 00:33:08,125 to finish Dickens' final chapter. 712 00:33:08,125 --> 00:33:11,083 - According to T.P., when he settles in his chair 713 00:33:11,083 --> 00:33:12,875 and closes his eyes, 714 00:33:12,875 --> 00:33:17,083 he feels an icy hand on his hand. 715 00:33:17,083 --> 00:33:18,708 Dickens is taking over. 716 00:33:20,750 --> 00:33:22,708 T.P. begins writing furiously, 717 00:33:22,708 --> 00:33:25,833 the story just comes pouring out, 718 00:33:25,833 --> 00:33:30,958 but apparently the collaboration does not go smoothly. 719 00:33:32,042 --> 00:33:33,958 The two men have a spirited debate. 720 00:33:35,042 --> 00:33:37,208 - The people outside his door 721 00:33:37,208 --> 00:33:40,458 claim that they can hear two men arguing, 722 00:33:40,458 --> 00:33:43,208 one of them T.P. and one of them Charles Dickens, 723 00:33:43,208 --> 00:33:48,000 who's angry at T.P. for his creative input in the story; 724 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,375 which obviously Dickens does not like. 725 00:33:52,583 --> 00:33:56,458 Word gets out about these nightly arguments 726 00:33:56,458 --> 00:33:59,875 and critics speculate that perhaps T.P. 727 00:33:59,875 --> 00:34:01,583 isn't communing with spirits, 728 00:34:01,583 --> 00:34:04,667 but rather drinking them. 729 00:34:06,042 --> 00:34:07,208 - [Dan] In spite of the critics, 730 00:34:07,208 --> 00:34:10,792 finally on October 25th, 1873, 731 00:34:10,792 --> 00:34:13,375 T.P. James completes the work 732 00:34:13,375 --> 00:34:16,667 and turns in 1200 pages of a manuscript for publication. 733 00:34:18,542 --> 00:34:22,042 - The publisher is thrilled with all the free publicity. 734 00:34:22,042 --> 00:34:24,042 He puts out this handsome leather bound 735 00:34:24,042 --> 00:34:25,708 volume of the book, 736 00:34:25,708 --> 00:34:28,000 "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" 737 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:31,750 by Charles Dickens and Thomas Powers James. 738 00:34:32,958 --> 00:34:35,125 The book is a hit in America, 739 00:34:36,167 --> 00:34:37,875 but the Brits aren't so quick to believe 740 00:34:37,875 --> 00:34:40,292 T.P.'s story of Dickens asking him 741 00:34:40,292 --> 00:34:43,000 to finish his final masterpiece. 742 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:45,083 They accused T.P. of being a poser, 743 00:34:45,083 --> 00:34:47,583 a fraud, and a bad writer to boot. 744 00:34:49,250 --> 00:34:52,083 - [Dan] However, there is one surprising ally 745 00:34:52,083 --> 00:34:53,833 who comes to T.P.'s defense. 746 00:34:55,125 --> 00:34:58,250 - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame 747 00:34:58,250 --> 00:35:00,292 is a proponent of spiritualism 748 00:35:00,292 --> 00:35:03,208 and he thinks the work is a masterpiece. 749 00:35:03,208 --> 00:35:04,875 - Doyle swears that this book 750 00:35:04,875 --> 00:35:07,333 doesn't just read like Dickens, 751 00:35:07,333 --> 00:35:10,042 it is authentic Dickens. 752 00:35:10,042 --> 00:35:12,208 He says that Dickens would be really offended 753 00:35:12,208 --> 00:35:13,583 by all this criticism. 754 00:35:16,458 --> 00:35:17,875 - [Dan] Back in Brattleboro, 755 00:35:17,875 --> 00:35:20,625 T.P. James has offered commissions to write more books, 756 00:35:20,625 --> 00:35:22,208 even another by Dickens, 757 00:35:22,208 --> 00:35:25,542 but he refuses and fades into obscurity. 758 00:35:25,542 --> 00:35:28,500 Dickens' legacy, however, endures. 759 00:35:32,542 --> 00:35:34,333 - Legend has it that evil spirits 760 00:35:34,333 --> 00:35:35,542 are more active at night. 761 00:35:35,542 --> 00:35:37,833 While some people avoid these dark entities, 762 00:35:37,833 --> 00:35:39,333 others will actually pay 763 00:35:39,333 --> 00:35:41,625 for the privilege of being accosted by them. 764 00:35:44,083 --> 00:35:45,625 - Over the last 20 years, 765 00:35:45,625 --> 00:35:47,875 ghost hunting groups have popped up all over America. 766 00:35:47,875 --> 00:35:50,083 There are literally hundreds of them 767 00:35:50,083 --> 00:35:52,417 and they look for places that are haunted. 768 00:35:52,417 --> 00:35:54,417 Normally, some of the darker history of America 769 00:35:54,417 --> 00:35:56,250 is associated with these places. 770 00:35:57,375 --> 00:36:00,500 A notorious one is Joliet Prison. 771 00:36:00,500 --> 00:36:03,708 - After opening in 1858 with fifty three inmates, 772 00:36:03,708 --> 00:36:06,375 the prison quickly earns a dark reputation. 773 00:36:06,375 --> 00:36:09,292 It's a tinderbox of rage and revolt, 774 00:36:09,292 --> 00:36:12,125 which leads to full scale deadly riots. 775 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,458 Punishments are severe. 776 00:36:16,458 --> 00:36:18,750 - There are beatings, whippings, 777 00:36:20,292 --> 00:36:23,208 solitary confinement is something that's often used 778 00:36:23,208 --> 00:36:24,542 and it's brutal on the prisoners. 779 00:36:24,542 --> 00:36:28,000 One prisoner even screamed himself to death 780 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,292 while in solitary confinement. 781 00:36:30,292 --> 00:36:33,375 - [Dan] For most, death is the end of the story, 782 00:36:33,375 --> 00:36:37,333 but at Joliet, some souls appear to stick around. 783 00:36:39,333 --> 00:36:41,292 - What seems to be proof of this 784 00:36:41,292 --> 00:36:43,792 comes about in 1932. 785 00:36:43,792 --> 00:36:47,083 People in the community began telling the story 786 00:36:47,083 --> 00:36:51,250 of what they call the Joliet Singer. 787 00:36:51,250 --> 00:36:53,333 - Every night for a month that summer, 788 00:36:53,333 --> 00:36:55,917 there is heard singing- like church hymns, 789 00:36:55,917 --> 00:36:57,500 in a foreign language, 790 00:36:57,500 --> 00:37:00,208 and yet no source of the singing is seen. 791 00:37:00,208 --> 00:37:01,833 No one is there. 792 00:37:01,833 --> 00:37:05,292 Even the guards report the sounds of disembodied voices, 793 00:37:05,292 --> 00:37:08,667 ghostly wails emanating from prison walls, 794 00:37:08,667 --> 00:37:12,708 and footsteps walking through the massive complex. 795 00:37:12,708 --> 00:37:15,542 - The prison prompts a lot of different beliefs 796 00:37:15,542 --> 00:37:18,125 among both guards and prisoners. 797 00:37:18,125 --> 00:37:20,417 They begin talking about the place 798 00:37:20,417 --> 00:37:22,833 actually being haunted. 799 00:37:22,833 --> 00:37:25,542 - [Dan] After being decommissioned in 2002, 800 00:37:25,542 --> 00:37:28,042 Joliet quickly becomes a hotbed 801 00:37:28,042 --> 00:37:30,292 for would-be Ghostbusters. 802 00:37:30,292 --> 00:37:32,833 - Self-proclaimed paranormal investigators 803 00:37:32,833 --> 00:37:33,875 pay good money to sit 804 00:37:33,875 --> 00:37:36,708 in the darkened cells of the former convicts. 805 00:37:36,708 --> 00:37:39,958 - They'll wander up and down the empty hallways, 806 00:37:39,958 --> 00:37:42,375 climb the rusted staircases, 807 00:37:42,375 --> 00:37:45,208 anywhere that they believe there might be 808 00:37:45,208 --> 00:37:48,333 some kind of spirit activity going on. 809 00:37:48,333 --> 00:37:50,917 - The ghosts of old Joliet have been known 810 00:37:50,917 --> 00:37:54,458 to give sudden and intense feelings to visitors, 811 00:37:54,458 --> 00:37:59,042 from a sense of hopelessness to unexplained rage. 812 00:37:59,042 --> 00:38:00,333 - And the only weapon they have 813 00:38:00,333 --> 00:38:02,875 to defend themselves against these evil spirits 814 00:38:02,875 --> 00:38:04,708 is usually a flashlight. 815 00:38:04,708 --> 00:38:06,875 - Based on all the reports and happenings, 816 00:38:06,875 --> 00:38:10,375 Joliet Penitentiary is almost undoubtedly 817 00:38:10,375 --> 00:38:13,167 one of the most haunted places in Illinois 818 00:38:13,167 --> 00:38:15,000 and one of the most haunted prisons 819 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:16,792 in the entire country. 820 00:38:16,792 --> 00:38:20,042 [dramatic music] 821 00:38:20,042 --> 00:38:22,375 - But there are even scarier thrills to be had 822 00:38:22,375 --> 00:38:24,042 when darkness falls. 823 00:38:24,042 --> 00:38:26,333 Consider spending the night 824 00:38:26,333 --> 00:38:28,417 in a century old house 825 00:38:28,417 --> 00:38:30,250 with a horrific past. 826 00:38:32,375 --> 00:38:36,583 - It is a Sunday in 1912, in Villisca, Iowa. 827 00:38:36,583 --> 00:38:38,917 Six members of the Moore family, 828 00:38:38,917 --> 00:38:40,875 along with two house guests, 829 00:38:40,875 --> 00:38:43,958 return home after a Sunday church service. 830 00:38:45,250 --> 00:38:48,125 The family and the house guests change clothes, 831 00:38:48,125 --> 00:38:49,583 have their supper, 832 00:38:49,583 --> 00:38:53,542 and they are asleep more or less by sundown. 833 00:38:54,750 --> 00:38:57,042 - Unbeknownst to the Moore family, 834 00:38:57,042 --> 00:39:00,500 someone broke into the house while they were at church 835 00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:03,583 and he's now waiting patiently in the attic. 836 00:39:04,583 --> 00:39:07,292 And as the house is dark and quiet, 837 00:39:08,542 --> 00:39:11,292 the assailant comes down from the attic 838 00:39:12,917 --> 00:39:15,583 and kills every occupant 839 00:39:15,583 --> 00:39:18,125 with the blunt end of an ax. 840 00:39:18,125 --> 00:39:20,708 [uneasy music] 841 00:39:25,208 --> 00:39:26,917 - [Dan] The story is so heinous, 842 00:39:26,917 --> 00:39:29,125 it even displaces the sinking of the Titanic 843 00:39:29,125 --> 00:39:30,875 from the front pages of newspapers. 844 00:39:32,125 --> 00:39:35,458 - A nationwide manhunt follows 845 00:39:35,458 --> 00:39:39,125 and even though suspects are identified, 846 00:39:39,125 --> 00:39:42,375 no one is ever convicted of the crime. 847 00:39:42,375 --> 00:39:45,708 Decades pass and in 1996, 848 00:39:45,708 --> 00:39:49,458 the house actually becomes a museum. 849 00:39:50,458 --> 00:39:52,458 - [Dan] The case may be cold, 850 00:39:52,458 --> 00:39:54,458 but some believe the house still holds on 851 00:39:54,458 --> 00:39:56,667 to the fear and violence of that night. 852 00:39:58,625 --> 00:40:03,500 - Many visitors intuitively know that they're not alone. 853 00:40:03,500 --> 00:40:06,458 They feel eyes on them when there's no one there 854 00:40:06,458 --> 00:40:09,417 and they hear disembodied footsteps. 855 00:40:10,625 --> 00:40:13,542 - This is especially true in the attic, 856 00:40:13,542 --> 00:40:17,042 where it is believed the killer lurked 857 00:40:17,042 --> 00:40:19,375 until the family went to sleep. 858 00:40:19,375 --> 00:40:22,417 Not everybody is terrified of rooms 859 00:40:22,417 --> 00:40:26,083 where a blood splattered crime once occurred. 860 00:40:26,083 --> 00:40:28,375 Some pay to experience it. 861 00:40:29,667 --> 00:40:32,375 - Caretakers at the Villisca Ax Murder House 862 00:40:32,375 --> 00:40:35,333 soon realize that there's a real market 863 00:40:35,333 --> 00:40:38,375 for people who want to stay in the museum 864 00:40:38,375 --> 00:40:41,875 in the dark hours after it closes. 865 00:40:41,875 --> 00:40:44,708 - Now you and your horror seeking friends 866 00:40:44,708 --> 00:40:47,625 can spend just under $500 867 00:40:47,625 --> 00:40:50,042 to earn the privilege 868 00:40:50,042 --> 00:40:53,875 to sleep under the roof of the Villisca Ax Murder House. 869 00:40:55,042 --> 00:40:57,708 - You can even have a snack in the kitchen 870 00:40:57,708 --> 00:40:59,750 where the murderer raided the icebox, 871 00:40:59,750 --> 00:41:01,708 laying out bacon and other items 872 00:41:01,708 --> 00:41:03,750 after he had done the dark deed. 873 00:41:04,958 --> 00:41:07,875 - Wannabe ghost hunters set up cameras 874 00:41:07,875 --> 00:41:10,375 and audio recording equipment, 875 00:41:10,375 --> 00:41:15,542 hoping to capture EVPs or electronic voice phenomena. 876 00:41:16,750 --> 00:41:19,417 Needless to say, not much sleeping takes place. 877 00:41:20,708 --> 00:41:23,333 - From pitch black battles to healing worms, 878 00:41:23,333 --> 00:41:24,792 creating a masterpiece in your sleep 879 00:41:24,792 --> 00:41:27,250 or saving a life in a trance, 880 00:41:27,250 --> 00:41:29,167 these are tales from the dark 881 00:41:29,167 --> 00:41:30,375 that are so strange, 882 00:41:30,375 --> 00:41:32,708 they can only be called unbelievable.