The Letter That Fell From the Sky

A letter disappears in one of the deadliest tornadoes in American history—then turns up 130 miles away. In 1925, the catastrophic Tri-State Tornado destroyed the Indiana home of Will Jones. Among the possessions swept away was a letter written decades earlier by his late wife. About a week later, a farmer found that same piece of paper lying in a field more than a hundred miles away—and somehow, against absurd odds, it found its way back to the man who treasured it. Then, Kat takes us inside Bayernhof, the spectacularly eccentric Pittsburgh mansion built by millionaire Charles B. Brown III. The 19,000-square-foot home is packed with secret passages, an indoor waterfall, a concrete cave, and more than 140 antique automatic musical instruments. But after Brown’s death, his family discovered the house had been designed with a surprising purpose all along. Plus: strange superstitions involving deadly chewing gum, cursed opals, lethal electric fans, red ink, and the potentially catastrophic consequences of trimming your fingernails after dark. The Box of Oddities: strange history, bizarre true stories, unexplained events, unusual people, and the wonderfully weird corners of the world. And don’t forget: our ninth annual Halloween special is coming. If you have a paranormal experience of your own, record it and send it to [email protected] for a chance to be included. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices