Season 6, Episode 1

Elyse: WE'RE THE HISTORY DETECTIVES, AND WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE

SOME UNTOLD STORIES FROM AMERICA'S PAST.

Wes: THIS WEEK:

DOES THIS DIARY HOLD THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE FATE

OF A MISSING BOMBER PILOT FROM WORLD WAR II?

Tukufu: IS THIS TATTERED 19th-CENTURY BOOK

A TRUE ACCOUNT OF FEMALE SLAVERY

IN THE OLD WEST?

Elyse: AND WAS THIS COIN A TARGET

FOR ONE OF THE WILD WEST'S

MOST POPULAR FEMALE SHARPSHOOTERS?

Elvis Costello: ♫WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫

♫I GET SO ANGRY WHEN THE TEARDROPS START♫

♫BUT HE CAN'T BE WOUNDED 'CAUSE HE'S GOT NO HEART♫

♫WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫

♫IT'S JUST LIKE WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫

Gwendolyn: THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE Wes: OUR FIRST STORY TURNS THE PAGES OF A LONG-LOST DIARY

FROM A WORLD WAR II BOMBER PILOT.

DECEMBER 13, 1943:

THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE 445th BOMB GROUP

ATTACKS ENEMY SHIPYARDS

BENEATH THE SKIES OF KIEL, GERMANY.

IT'S THEIR FIRST OF 280 AIR-RAID MISSIONS

INSIDE A NEW BOMBER CALLED THE B-24 LIBERATOR.

THE BOMBER IS THE ALLIES' GREAT HOPE,

FLYING FARTHER, LONGER, AND CARRYING MORE BOMBS

DEEP INTO HITLER'S GERMANY.

NOT A SINGLE PLANE IS LOST ON THIS MISSION,

BUT THE 445th WILL RARELY BE SO LUCKY AGAIN.

THE LIBERATOR EARNS ITSELF ANOTHER MORE OMINOUS NICKNAME:

THE FLYING COFFIN,

DUE TO THE HIGH CASUALTY RATE AMONG B-24 PILOTS.

WHY WERE THESE MISSIONS SO DEADLY,

AND WHAT CONVINCED THEIR CREW TO ACCEPT SUCH TERRIBLE ODDS?

SIXTY YEARS AFTER THE LAST OF THOSE MISSIONS,

JIM CHAPMAN OF LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA,

HAS A DIARY THAT MAY REVEAL NEW INFORMATION

ABOUT THESE PLANES AND MEN WHO HELD HITLER AT BAY.

I'M WES COWAN, AND I'M HEADING TO MEET JIM.

NICE TO MEET YOU.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THIS DIARY.

MY DAD BROUGHT THIS HOME WITH HIM

AFTER HE FINISHED HIS TOUR OF DUTY

DURING WORLD WAR II.

AND THE OBVIOUS QUESTION TO ME IS,

IT'S NOT YOUR DAD'S DIARY.

THAT'S CORRECT.

THE DIARY BELONGED TO HIS CO-PILOT NAMED WILLIAM MORAN.

BOTH SERVED ON A B-24.

BOTH MEN FLEW PLANES IN THE 445th BOMB GROUP

STATIONED IN TIBENHAM, ENGLAND.

HOW DID YOUR DAD GET IT?

WELL, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I ACTUALLY DISCOVERED THE DIARY

IN A BOX OF MY FATHER'S MEMENTOS.

HE DISCOVERED IT AFTER HIS FATHER DIED 20 YEARS AGO.

CAN YOU READ ME SOME ENTRIES?

YES, I'D BE GLAD TO.

"SURE DREADED GOING,

"ESPECIALLY AFTER I FOUND THE TARGET TO BE HAMBURG.

"FELT SURE I WOULDN'T GET BACK.

"AT LEAST I KNOW NOW THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO FACE DEATH

"WHEN MY TIME COMES.

"THE ONLY THING THAT I FEARED WAS LEAVING JAYNE.

I ADORE HER EVERY BREATH."

MARY JAYNE WAS MORAN'S WIFE.

IT'S THESE PERSONAL DETAILS IN THE DIARY THAT HAUNT JIM.

"MAY 9, 1944.

"AN AIRMAIL LETTER FROM MY ANGEL.

"MY BABY IS PRETTY SURE SHE IS PREGNANT.

"THANK GOD!

"BOUGHT THE BOYS BEER WITH MY LAST SIX SHILLINGS

TO CELEBRATE."

THAT'S REALLY GREAT.

THERE'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT MISSING FROM THIS DIARY:

AN ENDING.

THE LAST ENTRY IS FROM OCTOBER 29th,

SEVEN MONTHS BEFORE THE END OF THE WAR IN EUROPE.

WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?

WELL, WES, I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO BILL MORAN,

IF HE CAME BACK HOME OR IF HE WAS KILLED.

I'D LIKE TO REALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.

JIM IS EAGER TO KNOW MORE ABOUT

WHAT THE MEN HIS FATHER FLEW WITH SAW AND DID

DURING THEIR TIME IN ENGLAND.

AND HE WANTS HELP WITH ANOTHER QUESTION, TOO.

I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO REUNITE THE DIARY

WITH BILL MORAN'S FAMILY.

I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE FAMILY TO HAVE THIS.

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THE DIARY WITH ME,

AND I'M READY TO GET GOING.

WELL, LET'S SEE.

I'VE READ MY FAIR SHARE OF ACCOUNTS OF BATTLE,

BUT I NEVER LOSE THE THRILL OF DISCOVERY

OR MY SENSE OF PRIVILEGE AT BEING LET INTO

A PRIVATE ACCOUNT OF THE PAST.

EVERY TIME I READ ONE OF THESE SOLDIER'S DIARIES,

I JUST GET THE SENSE

THAT I'M HOLDING A PIECE OF HISTORY IN MY HAND.

THE DIARY COVERS ABOUT A YEAR,

FROM OCTOBER 1943 TO OCTOBER 1944.

MUCH OF IT IS WRITTEN MECHANICALLY,

MORE LIKE A LOG THAN A PERSONAL JOURNAL.

BUT IT'S CLEAR HIS UNIT IS IN THE THICK OF THE ACTION.

HERE'S ONE, SEPTEMBER 27th.

"STARTED A LETTER TO MY ANGEL,

"BUT BAHN STOPPED IN TO TELL ME

"OUR SQUAD LOST FOUR OUT OF NINE.

IT WAS WITHEY'S LAST ONE."

A LOT OF BOMBERS WENT DOWN WITH MEN MORAN KNEW.

IF HE'S SHAKEN BY THIS, I WOULDN'T KNOW IT

FROM THE MATTER-OF-FACT LANGUAGE.

AND HERE'S BILL MORAN'S LAST ENTRY,

OCTOBER 29, 1944.

MORE DEATH AND MORE MATTER-OF-FACT LANGUAGE.

BILL WRITES, "MASS AND COMMUNION.

"PUT A COUPLE HOURS ON A SHIP.

"HEARD A ROTTEN GERMAN BROADCAST LATE LAST NIGHT

CALLING EISENHOWER A RAT."

BUT THERE ARE NO CLUES WHY MORAN STOPPED WRITING.

DID HE GO BACK HOME OR WAS HIS NEXT MISSION FATAL?

THERE ARE PLENTY OF NAMES HERE.

MAYBE SOMEONE BILL MORAN WROTE ABOUT IS STILL ALIVE

AND CAN FILL IN THESE BLANK PAGES FOR ME.

"LENNY," IT LOOKS LIKE.

"GOLDEN."

"CHAPPY, PELTON, AND I WERE LUCKY NOT TO GO."

I'LL CALL MY OFFICE AND ASK THEM TO TRY TO TRACK DOWN

SOME OF BILL MORAN'S WAR BUDDIES.

WES COWAN.

BILL OLDSON.

GLAD TO MEET YOU, WES.

WHILE THEY'RE SEARCHING, I'VE COME TO FLORIDA

TO MEET WITH PROFESSOR WILLIAM OLDSON

FROM THE INSTITUTE ON WORLD WAR II

AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

HERE'S THE DIARY THAT I SENT YOU THE TRANSCRIPT OF.

OH, NICE.

VERY UNUSUAL COVER.

AND IF I MUST SAY,

HIS HANDWRITING'S BETTER THAN MOST, TOO.

WILLIAM SAYS UNEARTHING JOURNALS FROM THE BATTLEFRONT

IS ALWAYS AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY,

A UNIQUE WINDOW ON THE MEN WHO ACTUALLY DID THE FIGHTING.

IT'S THE UNVARNISHED TRUTH,

AND IT'S THE YARDSTICK YOU CAN HOLD UP TO EVERYTHING ELSE --

TO THE LETTERS HOME, TO THE PROPAGANDA,

TO THE NEWSREEL --

AND SAY, "HERE'S WHAT HE FELT."

AND THERE CERTAINLY WAS A LOT TO WRITE ABOUT.

WILLIAM EXPLAINS THAT IN 1943,

ALLIED BOMBING RAIDS ON GERMANY ARE OFTEN INEFFECTUAL

AT HITTING MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL TARGETS.

BUT BY 1944, WITH FORD CRANKING OUT A NEW B-24 EVERY HOUR,

THE AMERICAN BOMBERS ARE SUCCESSFULLY TARGETING

HITLER'S FACTORIES AND FUEL SUPPLIES

AND HELPING TURN THE WAR IN THE ALLIES' FAVOR.

BUT THE CARNAGE AMONG FLIGHT CREWS IS HORRENDOUS.

IN '43, WE LOST OVER 3,000 PLANES.

'44, WE LOSE OVER 11,000 PLANES.

WILLIAM BELIEVES THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE

MORAN WAS KILLED OVER GERMANY.

FLYING DAYLIGHT RAIDS MADE THE BOMBERS EASY PREY

FOR GERMAN FIGHTER PLANES AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS.

IF YOU WERE FLYING WITH BRITISH BOMBER COMMAND,

YOU HAD A 65% CHANCE OF BEING A CASUALTY.

IF YOU'RE FLYING IN THE AMERICAN 8th AIR FORCE,

YOU'VE GOT A 40% TO 60% CHANCE OF BEING A CASUALTY.

IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE IN THAT KAMIKAZE SQUADRON,

YOU'VE ONLY GOT A 53% CHANCE OF BEING A CASUALTY.

YOU'RE KIDDING ME.

WHILE LOGISTICS PROBLEMS

OFTEN KEPT JAPANESE KAMIKAZE SQUADRONS GROUNDED,

IN EUROPE, THE BIG ALLIED BOMBERS

WERE SEEING COMBAT ALMOST DAILY.

SO A KAMIKAZE PILOT WHO'S SUPPOSED TO KILL HIMSELF

STOOD A BETTER CHANCE OF SURVIVING

THAN A B-24 BOMBER PILOT?

HARD TO BELIEVE, ISN'T IT?

WILLIAM SAYS THE OFTEN REMOTE, MATTER-OF-FACT LANGUAGE

IN SUCH WARTIME WRITING

WAS A WAY OF WALLING OFF OR ESCAPING

THE HORROR OF EVERYDAY LIFE.

I THINK IT'S NOT ONLY TYPICAL, IT'S NECESSARY.

THEY CAN'T BROOD ABOUT IT.

IT'S GOING TO INTERFERE WITH THEIR OWN PERFORMANCE,

IT'S GOING TO DEPRESS THEM.

THE WRITING IS A FORM OF SELF-DEFENSE.

IN BILL MORAN'S CASE, THE DETAILS OF THE DAY

ARE MATTER-OF-FACT,

WHILE THE EMOTION IS MOSTLY RESERVED

FOR HIS GIRL BACK HOME.

THEY'VE GOT TO GO OUT AND FIGHT THE NEXT DAY

OR FLY THE NEXT DAY.

THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO DWELL ON THIS.

WHAT'S UNUSUAL ABOUT THE DIARY YOU HAVE

IS THE ROMANTIC ASPECT OF IT.

I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER DIARY THAT I'VE SEEN

WHERE SOMEBODY'S REFERRING TO HIS WIFE AS "ANGEL."

AND WE HAVE LOTS OF LETTERS WHERE IT SAYS, "HELLO, HONEY,"

OR SOMETHING OF THAT SORT, BUT NOT IN THE DIARIES.

THANKS VERY MUCH FOR SHARING THIS WITH ME.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SEE THIS.

THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL DOCUMENT.

I STILL DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY

BILL MORAN STOPPED WRITING IN THE JOURNAL,

BUT MY OFFICE HAS BEEN ABLE

TO TRACK DOWN HIS MILITARY RECORDS,

AND THEY'VE SENT THEM TO ME AT THE LIBRARY.

IT'S SOBERING NEWS.

ON OCTOBER 31, 1944,

BILL MORAN WAS FLYING WITH PILOT EDWARD SPEERS

AND SIX OTHER MEN WHEN THEIR PLANE DISAPPEARED.

THIS REPORT OF AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT

OR MISSING AIRCRAFT REPORT CONFIRMS THAT MORAN WAS KILLED

IN SOME SORT OF A TRAINING ACCIDENT.

THEY'RE NOT CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

HE TOOK OFF IN THE FORMATION.

AFTER HE TOOK OFF,

NOBODY ELSE IN THE AIRCRAFT FORMATION EVER SAW HIM AGAIN.

THE WRECKAGE AND MORAN'S BODY ARE NEVER FOUND.

THIS TOOK PLACE TWO DAYS AFTER THE LAST ENTRY IN HIS DIARY.

MARY JAYNE WAS SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT WHEN BILL DIED.

IF I'M GOING TO HELP JIM RETURN THE JOURNAL TO BILL'S FAMILY,

I'M GOING TO NEED HELP TRACKING DOWN HIS DESCENDANTS.

MY OFFICE HAS LOCATED JACK PELTON,

ONE OF MORAN'S BUDDIES MENTIONED IN THE DIARY.

HEY, JACK.

HEY, WES.

JACK AGREES TO MEET ME

AT THE AMERICAN AERO SERVICES HANGAR IN FLORIDA,

WHERE THE COLLINGS FOUNDATION MAINTAINS A B-24 BOMBER.

BOY, THIS IS QUITE A PIECE OF MACHINERY, ISN'T IT?

OH, IT REALLY IS, A WONDERFUL AIRPLANE.

AND YOU WERE A PILOT OF ONE OF THESE BIRDS.

I WAS A PILOT, FLEW 32 MISSIONS.

HOW'D YOU LIKE TO GET UP IN THE COCKPIT?

LOVE TO.

OH, WONDERFUL.

IT'S BEEN MORE THAN 50 YEARS

SINCE JACK'S TAKEN A SEAT AT THE CONTROLS.

SO WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO FLY ONE OF THESE BABIES?

IT WAS VERY EXCITING, REALLY.

JACK TELLS ME IN ORDER TO ATTACK

HEAVILY DEFENDED TARGETS,

PILOTS LIKE HE AND BILL MORAN FLEW

AT ALTITUDES OVER 20,000 FEET,

WHERE TEMPERATURES REACHED MINUS 30 DEGREES.

SO IT WAS COLD, YOU'RE WEARING AN OXYGEN MASK.

THERE ARE NO HYDRAULICS IN THESE STEERING WHEELS.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN A HELL OF A JOB.

IT WAS A STRANGE FEELING.

YOU WERE IN ANOTHER WORLD.

JACK EXPLAINS THAT THE LIGHTWEIGHT FRAME

THAT MADE THE B-24 SUCH AN EFFICIENT BOMBER

ALSO MADE IT VULNERABLE TO ENEMY FIRE.

WE BROUGHT ONE PLANE HOME WITH 153 HOLES IN IT.

[ machine gun firing ]

BULLETS AND SHELLS FROM GERMAN FIGHTER PLANES

TORE THROUGH THE AMERICAN AIRCRAFT

AND HELPED EARN THE B-24 ITS REPUTATION

AS A FLYING COFFIN.

YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT BILL MORAN'S DIARY HERE.

WHAT KIND OF A GUY WAS BILL MORAN?

WHAT WAS HE LIKE?

BILL MORAN WAS A GREAT CO-PILOT,

GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR, IRISHMAN ALL THE WAY.

JACK HAS A PICTURE OF BILL AND MARY JAYNE,

BILL'S PREGNANT WIFE,

TAKEN RIGHT BEFORE THE AIRMAN LEFT THE STATES.

SO THAT'S BILL.

BILL.

THAT'S MARY JAYNE.

AND LOOK AT THEM HOLDING HANDS THERE.

I'D RECOGNIZE YOU ANYWHERE.

IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE HAVING A LOT OF FUN.

YEAH, WE DID, HAD A GREAT EVENING.

LAST TIME WE SAW OUR WIVES FOR A YEAR.

ONE MORE QUESTION: WHERE WAS BILL MORAN FROM?

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

MARY JAYNE WAS FROM THERE, TOO, THEN?

YES, SHE WAS.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO MARY JAYNE, DO YOU KNOW?

I DON'T KNOW.

I TRIED TO FIND HER WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE STATES,

COULD NOT.

ONE TIME WHEN I WAS ON BUSINESS IN PITTSBURGH,

I HEARD SHE WAS THERE,

BUT I STILL COULDN'T TRACK HER DOWN.

THOUGHTS OF MARY JAYNE FILLED BILL MORAN'S DAYS

DURING HIS TIME IN ENGLAND AND OVER GERMANY.

I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO HER,

WHETHER SHE EVEN KNEW OF BILL'S JOURNAL,

AND IF JIM MIGHT BE ABLE TO RETURN IT TO HER,

SO I'M BACK AT THE LIBRARY

TO SEARCH THROUGH GENEALOGICAL RECORDS.

AT FIRST, I DRAW A BLANK LOOKING FOR MARY JAYNE.

MAYBE I CAN GET INFORMATION FROM ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER.

I FINALLY GET A BREAK

WITH THE SOCIAL SECURITY DEATH INDEX

FOR BILL'S MOTHER VERONICA.

BINGO, HERE SHE IS.

SHE DIED IN MARCH 1967 IN MIAMI, FLORIDA.

HER OBITUARY EVENTUALLY LEADS US

TO THE NAMES OF TWO OF BILL'S SURVIVING SISTERS:

ADELAIDE YOUNG AND JEANIE KIMBROW

OF SEBRING, FLORIDA.

IF THERE'S A LOCAL LISTING, MAYBE WE'RE IN BUSINESS.

IT TAKES A WHILE, BUT EVENTUALLY I GET LUCKY.

ADELAIDE YOUNG, THERE'S HER PHONE NUMBER,

ADDRESS, BORN AUGUST, 1930.

IT'S GOT TO BE HER.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE FOUND A LIVING RELATIVE.

HELLO, MRS. YOUNG?

ADELAIDE IS EXCITED BY NEWS OF THE DIARY,

AND WE MAKE PLANS TO MEET.

YOU KNOW WHY I'VE COME TO SEE YOU.

YES.

I HAVE A DIARY THAT WAS WRITTEN BY YOUR BROTHER.

OH, "MY LIFE IN THE SERVICE."

DO YOU RECOGNIZE THAT HANDWRITING?

OH, OF COURSE.

IT'S THE CONSTANT REFERENCES TO BILL'S WIFE

THAT CATCH ADELAIDE'S EYE.

HE ALWAYS SPEAKS OF HER IN SUCH A GENTLE WAY.

YOU GET THE SENSE THAT THEY WERE REALLY IN LOVE.

OH, FROM THE TIME THEY MET.

ADELAIDE WAS 14 WHEN HER BROTHER DIED.

THE TELEGRAM WAS LAYING ON THE DINING ROOM TABLE,

AND WE KEPT SAYING, "THEY'LL FIND HIM, THEY'LL FIND HIM.

SOMEDAY THEY'LL FIND HIM."

THERE WAS NEVER ANY MEMORIAL SERVICE OR ANYTHING

BECAUSE "SOMEDAY THEY'LL FIND HIM."

AT FIRST THE VERY PREGNANT MARY JAYNE

WASN'T EVEN TOLD HER HUSBAND WAS MISSING.

SHE LEARNED BILL HAD BEEN KILLED

FROM A FRIEND WHO VISITED HER

RIGHT AFTER SHE'D GIVEN BIRTH TO THEIR DAUGHTER.

SHE WAS INCONSOLABLE.

SHE WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLY IN GRIEF.

MARY JAYNE DIED ROUGHLY 20 YEARS AFTER HER HUSBAND,

BUT WHAT ADELAIDE REVEALED NEXT

WILL BE EXTRAORDINARY NEWS FOR JIM.

THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE STORY FOR ME.

I TELL JIM ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED

WHILE WORKING ON BILL'S DIARY.

I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, THOUGH, THAT I HAVE SOME BAD NEWS.

I LET JIM KNOW THAT BILL MORAN DIED IN A TRAINING MISSION

AND HIS WIFE PASSED AWAY OVER 40 YEARS AGO,

BUT THE STORY DOESN'T END THERE.

THERE'S SOMEONE I DO WANT YOU TO MEET,

SO IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ME, WE'LL GO MEET THAT PERSON.

I'D LIKE TO DO THAT.

ADELAIDE TOLD ME THAT THE BABY

THAT BILL WAS SO EAGERLY EXPECTING

WAS BORN 32 DAYS AFTER HE DIED.

HER NAME WAS JANIE.

SHE'S MARRIED.

SHE HAS TWO CHILDREN AND FOUR GRANDCHILDREN.

BILL MORAN WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT-GRANDFATHER.

HEY, GUYS.

HI.

I WANT YOU TO MEET SOMEBODY, JIM.

THIS IS JIM CHAPMAN.

THIS IS CHAPPY'S SON.

HI, HOW ARE YOU?

THIS IS ADELAIDE YOUNG.

THIS IS BILL'S SISTER.

I REMEMBER HIM TALKING ABOUT YOU.

OH, HI, ADELAIDE.

HE TALKED ABOUT BILL CHAPMAN ALL THE TIME.

OH, IT'S SO NICE TO MEET YOU.

OH, I'M SO GLAD TO MEET YOU.

AND THIS IS BILL'S DAUGHTER, JANIE.

HI, JIM, IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF THE JOURNAL.

I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE FOUND YOU.

I TELL THEM HOW BILL MORAN'S DIARY

WAS A UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT LOOK

AT HOW HE AND HUNDREDS OF YOUNG MEN LIKE HIM

HAD FACED THEIR WORLD IN 1943 AND '44.

DAY AFTER DAY THEY HAD CLIMBED INTO THEIR FLYING COFFINS,

CLUTCHING THOUGHTS OF LOVED ONES AT HOME.

THANKS TO JIM,

BILL MORAN'S THOUGHTS ARE NOW FINALLY GOING HOME

TO THE DAUGHTER HE NEVER KNEW.

I JUST FEEL LIKE I KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT YOU ALREADY.

[ clears throat ] EXCUSE ME.

SORRY.

THE DIARY'S BEEN IN OUR FAMILY FOR 63 YEARS.

WHAT WAS SO FASCINATING WAS READING IN THE DIARY

ABOUT YOUR MOTHER CARRYING YOU

AND YOUR DAD BEING SO HAPPY AND EXCITED

ABOUT YOUR MOM BEING PREGNANT.

IN THE DIARY ITSELF, IT JUST COMES THROUGH

THAT HE LOVES YOUR MOTHER VERY MUCH.

MORAN AND HIS FELLOW PILOTS

HAD HELPED DEAL HITLER'S WAR MACHINE A CRIPPLING BLOW,

AND THEIR CHILDREN AND CHILDREN'S CHILDREN

WOULD LIVE IN A WORLD THEY HAD TRANSFORMED.

THIS IS A GLIMPSE INTO YOUR FATHER'S LIFE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JIM, FOR TREASURING IT

AND TAKING CARE OF IT FOR ALL THOSE YEARS.

TO HEAR MORE ABOUT JACK PELTON'S EXPERIENCES

AS A WORLD WAR II BOMBER PILOT,

VISIT HISTORY DETECTIVES ON THE WEB AT pbs.org.

Tukufu: BILL MORAN ALSO WROTE IN HIS DIARY

ABOUT THE KASSEL MISSION.

IT'S THE BIGGEST SINGLE LOSS FOR AN AMERICAN BOMBER GROUP

IN THE COUNTRY'S MILITARY HISTORY.

"WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1944.

"BAHN STOPPED IN TO TELL ME THAT WE LOST 22 OUT OF 35 SHIPS.

"WITHEY, GOLDEN, BOECHER, ROBINSON, AND REYNOLDS

DIDN'T GET BACK."

JACK PELTON REMEMBERS THAT DAY WELL.

THEY CALLED ME FOR THAT MISSION

AND I HAD A PASS TO GO TO LONDON.

AND I SHOWED THE SERGEANT MY PASS, AND HE SAID, "OKAY,"

TOOK THE GUY IN THE NEXT BUNK,

AND HE NEVER CAME HOME.

THIRTY-NINE PLANES FROM THE 445th BOMB GROUP

SET OUT TO ATTACK A TANK FACTORY IN KASSEL, GERMANY.

BUT THE LEAD PLANE MAKES A WRONG TURN,

AND THE 445th GETS SEPARATED

FROM THE REST OF THE COMBAT WING.

ALONE OVER ENEMY TERRITORY, THE LIBERATORS ARE AMBUSHED

BY OVER 100 GERMAN FIGHTERS.

IN LESS THAN FOUR MINUTES, 116 AMERICAN PILOTS ARE DEAD.

SURVIVORS RETURNING TO BASE RECOUNT THE HORROR.

THE AIR WAS FILLED WITH BOMBERS BLOWING UP

AND FALLING BOMBER PARTS,

PARACHUTES, AND BODIES, AND BODY PARTS.

IT WAS A REAL HOLOCAUST.

SOME OF THE GUYS CAME BACK, THEY WERE ALMOST HYSTERICAL.

THEY COULD HARDLY CONTAIN THEMSELVES.

THOUGH THE LOSS IS TRAGIC, THE WAR GOES ON.

THE NEXT DAY, THE MILITARY SENDS ANOTHER BOMBER GROUP

BACK TO KASSEL TO FINISH THE JOB.

ALL OF THOSE PLANES RETURNED SAFELY.

Tukufu: OUR NEXT STORY INVESTIGATES AN ATTACK

ON A NEW RELIGION IN THE OLD WEST.

IN THE 19th CENTURY,

THE NATION IS EXPERIENCING A RESURGENCE

OF PROTESTANT FAITH AND SPIRITUAL FERVOR.

AT THE SAME TIME, A NEW HOMEGROWN RELIGION EMERGES,

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS,

BETTER KNOWN AS THE MORMONS.

THIS NEW FAITH IS EMBRACED BY THOUSANDS,

BUT ITS PRACTICE OF PLURAL MARRIAGE, OR POLYGAMY,

ALARMS MUCH OF THE COUNTRY.

OUTRAGEOUS ACCOUNTS OF POLYGAMOUS HOUSEHOLDS CIRCULATE

DEPICTING DEPRAVED SEXUAL BEHAVIOR,

FEMALE BONDAGE, AND BRUTAL PUNISHMENT.

AND THERE ARE LOUD CRIES FOR FEDERAL INTERVENTION.

NOW MARCIE WATERMAN-MURRAY OF STANFORDVILLE, NEW YORK,

HAS A BATTERED 19th-CENTURY BOOK

SHE BELIEVES MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART IN THIS HISTORICAL DRAMA.

I WAS VERY MOVED BY THIS BOOK.

IT REALLY STAYED WITH ME A LONG TIME.

I'VE BECOME FASCINATED WITH IT.

I'M TUKUFU ZUBERI.

I'M AT MARCIE'S HOUSE TO SEE THE BOOK FOR MYSELF.

PLEASE COME IN.

THANK YOU.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR ME?

WELL, I HAVE THIS BOOK FROM 1855

CALLED FEMALE LIFE AMONG THE MORMONS.

NOW, WHERE DID YOU GET IT FROM?

THERE WAS AN AUCTION OF A FAMILY

THAT HAD LIVED IN THE SAME HOUSE FOR EIGHT GENERATIONS.

AND I BOUGHT ALL THE BOOKS, AND THIS WAS ONE OF THEM.

IT LOOKS OLD, DOESN'T IT?

IT'S VERY OLD.

SO WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BOOK?

WELL, I ONLY KNOW WHAT I'VE READ IN THE BOOK,

AND IT'S A TERRIBLE STORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN

WHO MARRIED A MORMON ELDER

AND SHE LEARNED ABOUT POLYGAMY THE HARD WAY.

MARCIE BELIEVES IT'S AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL TALE,

BUT THERE'S NO AUTHOR'S NAME ON THE TITLE PAGE.

TOWARD THE END OF THE BOOK HER NAME IS MENTIONED,

MARIA WARD,

AND IT'S THE ONLY TIME YOU GET A HINT

AS TO WHO THE AUTHOR MIGHT BE.

SO WHAT CAN I FIND OUT FOR YOU?

I'D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

IS MARIA WARD HER REAL NAME?

WHO WAS SHE?

CAN I SIT HERE AND JUST EXAMINE THE BOOK FOR A LITTLE BIT?

SURE.

LET ME TAKE A FEW NOTES HERE.

WE HAVE A DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE MID-1850s.

THIS IS VERY INTERESTING.

"THIS NARRATIVE OF MY LIFE ONLY PROVES

"WHAT HAS SO OFTEN BEEN PROVED BEFORE,

THAT TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION."

THE STORY BEGINS IN UPSTATE NEW YORK,

WHERE THE NARRATOR CLAIMS TO HAVE MARRIED A MORMON MAN

REFERRED TO ONLY AS MR. WARD.

THE TEXT THEN CLAIMS THE COUPLE TREKKED THOUSANDS OF MILES WEST

TO UTAH ALONG WITH MORMON PROPHET BRIGHAM YOUNG.

THE NARRATOR SAYS SHE MARRIES WILLINGLY,

BUT WHEN SHE ARRIVES IN UTAH

AND OBSERVES THE POLYGAMIST PRACTICES OF THE CHURCH,

SHE'S HORRIFIED.

"KNOWING AS I DO KNOW THE EVILS AND HORRORS

"AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE MORMON SYSTEM,

THE DEGRADATION IT IMPOSES ON FEMALES..."

THOUGH SHE DIDN'T LIVE IN A POLYGAMIST HOUSEHOLD,

SHE PAINTS A PICTURE OF A BRUTAL LIFE

FOR THE WOMEN WHO DID.

"ONE POOR WOMAN WHO HAD TOLD AN IMMIGRANT

"IN THE HEARING OF A MORMON ELDER

"THAT POLYGAMY WAS A SYSTEM OF ABOMINATIONS

"WAS STRIPPED NUDE, TIED TO A TREE,

"AND SCOURGED TILL THE BLOOD RAN

FROM HER WOUNDS TO THE GROUND."

IT LISTS RULES THE BOOK CLAIMS

POLYGAMISTS' WIVES HAD TO FOLLOW

WITH PUNISHMENT FOR VARIOUS INFRACTIONS.

"THE ONE WHO COMMENCES THE QUARREL

"TO RECEIVE THE PUNISHMENT, WHICH VARIES IN DEGREE

FROM THREE LASHES TO TWENTY-FIVE."

WOW.

THE TALE ENDS WITH MARIA ESCAPING

FROM SALT LAKE CITY AND THE MORMONS,

BUT THERE'S NO MENTION OF WHERE SHE WENT

OR HOW HER LIFE ENDED UP.

SO THE FIRST THING I NEED TO DO

IS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MRS. MARIA WARD.

THERE ARE SOME CLUES IN THE TEXT THAT COULD HELP,

LIKE THESE REFERENCES

TO SPECIFIC PLACES MARIA WARD LIVED.

SPAFFORD, ONONDAGA COUNTY,

AND THE CITY UTICA, ALSO IN NEW YORK.

I CHECK OUT CENSUS RECORDS IN WESTERN NEW YORK.

THIS AREA WAS ONCE HOME TO A LARGE MORMON MOVEMENT.

I'VE COME UP WITH NOTHING.

MAYBE WE'LL FIND SOMETHING FOR UTAH.

LET'S TRY UTAH.

ALSO NOTHING.

PERHAPS MARIA WARD IS A PEN NAME

TO PROTECT THE AUTHOR'S IDENTITY.

LET'S SEE WHAT I CAN FIND ON THE BOOK ITSELF.

I UNEARTH A REVIEW

FROM AN 1855 ISSUE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES.

"AN ANONYMOUS WORK LIKE THIS MAKING GRAVE ACCUSATIONS

"AGAINST A BODY AND AGAINST INDIVIDUALS

IS NOT ENTITLED TO MUCH CONSIDERATION AT ANY RATE."

OKAY, OUR STORY'S STARTING TO GET INTERESTING HERE.

"IT STRIKES US BEING THE WORST FICTION OF THE SEASON."

IT'S PRETTY CLEAR FROM THIS REVIEW

THAT THERE IS AT LEAST ONE OPINION

WHICH DOUBTS THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE BOOK.

AND THERE ARE MORE INCONSISTENCIES

WHEN I SEARCH ONLINE LIBRARY CATALOGS.

SOME CALL IT A WORK OF FICTION.

OTHERS IDENTIFY THE AUTHOR NOT AS MARIA WARD

BUT AS MRS. B.G.

FERRIS.

I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ON WHY THIS OTHER NAME

IS ATTACHED TO THE BOOK.

BUT THE CENSUS RECORDS SHOW A BENJAMIN G. FERRIS

AND HIS WIFE CORNELIA FROM ITHACA, NEW YORK.

THAT'S ABOUT AN HOUR FROM WHERE OUR AUTHOR CLAIMED SHE LIVED.

SO, MRS. B.G.

FERRIS HAS TO BE CORNELIA FERRIS.

IS SHE OUR AUTHOR?

HOW YOU DOING, TUKUFU ZUBERI.

TERRYL GIVENS, GOOD TO MEET YOU.

PROFESSOR TERRYL GIVENS IS AN EXPERT

ON LITERATURE AND RELIGION AND A PRACTICING MORMON.

DOES HE KNOW WHO MARIA WARD OR CORNELIA FERRIS WERE?

SO I'M INVESTIGATING THIS BOOK, FEMALE LIFE AMONG THE MORMONS.

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT?

YES, I DO.

THIS WAS A PHENOMENALLY POPULAR BOOK.

I HAVE A COPY OF IT PUBLISHED

JUST TWO YEARS AFTER THE FIRST EDITION,

AND IT INDICATES ON THE TITLE PAGE

THAT THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN OVER 40,000 PRINTED.

BUT TERRYL SAYS THAT ALTHOUGH OUR BOOK

WAS ENORMOUSLY POPULAR, THERE WAS NO MARIA WARD.

THE BOOK WAS FICTION,

AS THE NEW YORK TIMES HAD SUSPECTED,

AND IS SHOT THROUGH WITH HISTORICAL ERRORS.

WITHIN THE VERY FIRST FEW PAGES, IT'S EVIDENT THAT THE AUTHOR

DIDN'T REALLY HAVE MUCH FAMILIARITY WITH MORMONISM.

MOST EGREGIOUS OF ALL IS THE ACCOUNT

OF THE DEATH OF JOSEPH SMITH.

THE MORMON CHURCH HAD BEEN FOUNDED IN 1830

IN FAYETTE, NEW YORK, BY JOSEPH SMITH,

WHO CLAIMED THE BOOK OF MORMON HAD BEEN REVEALED TO HIM

ON GOLD PLATES BY AN ANGEL NAMED MORONI.

BUT THE STORY OF SMITH'S DEATH IN THE BOOK

BETRAYS REAL IGNORANCE OF THE MORMON HISTORY.

HE ACTUALLY DIED IN A JAIL WHILE UNDER ARREST

BY AN ARMED MOB IN CARTHAGE, ILLINOIS.

IN THIS NOVEL, HE IS SHOT ON HORSEBACK

WHILE HE'S TRYING TO RESCUE A WOMAN FROM JAIL.

SO, JUST UTTER FABRICATION.

TERRYL SAYS ANTI-MORMON WRITINGS WERE POPULAR

DURING A SURGE OF RELIGIOUS FERVOR

IN EARLY TO MID-19th-CENTURY AMERICA.

THIS RESURGENCE OF CHRISTIANITY

IS KNOWN AS THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING

AND IS A REACTION TO GROWING SECULARISM

AND INDUSTRIALIZATION IN AMERICA.

BUT IT'S COUPLED WITH A SPIKE IN RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

AIMED AT ALL RELIGIOUS MINORITIES,

INCLUDING CATHOLICS, JEWS, AND MORMONS.

THERE WERE A LOT OF DOCTRINES IN THE MORMON FAITH

THAT REALLY WENT AGAINST THE CURRENT OF CHRISTIAN THINKING.

AS EARLY AS 1838, THE GOVERNOR OF MISSOURI

HAD ISSUED AN EXTERMINATION ORDER AGAINST THE MORMONS.

POLYGAMY HAD BEEN INTRODUCED AS EARLY AS 1833,

BASED ON A REVELATION JOSEPH SMITH CLAIMS TO HAVE RECEIVED.

TERRYL EXPLAINS HOW ANTI-MORMON FICTION,

OFTEN FEATURING GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS

OF PLURAL MARRIAGE, BECOME BESTSELLERS.

THERE WERE AT LEAST 50 FULL-LENGTH NOVELS WRITTEN

IN WHICH ANTI-MORMONISM WAS A PREDOMINANT THEME.

IT BECAME SO POPULAR THAT EVEN FAIRLY MAINSTREAM AUTHORS

EMBRACED THE MORMON AS A STOCK VILLAIN.

THE FIRST SHERLOCK HOLMES ADVENTURE BY ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE,

A STUDY IN SCARLET, WAS AN ANTI-MORMON NOVEL.

SO THIS SUPPOSEDLY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL BOOK

APPEARS TO BE A COMPLETELY FABRICATED TALE.

WAS CORNELIA FERRIS THE AUTHOR,

AS SOME LIBRARY RECORDS SUGGEST?

PROFESSOR GIVENS DOESN'T KNOW.

MANY OF THESE NOVELS WRITTEN IN THIS PERIOD

WERE WRITTEN ANONYMOUSLY.

SHE WANTED TO CONCEAL HER IDENTITY,

AND I THINK SHE SUCCEEDED.

I'M HEADING TO ITHACA, NEW YORK,

WHERE CORNELIA FERRIS LIVED.

MAYBE HER HOMETOWN'S ARCHIVES CAN HELP.

AT THE HISTORY CENTER FOR TOMPKINS COUNTY,

ARCHIVIST DONNA ESCHENBRENNER AND I

ARE SEARCHING THROUGH COLLECTIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS,

NEWS CLIPPINGS, OBITUARIES, AND LETTERS.

INDIVIDUALS, AND IT'S THE "F."

THERE'S A GOLD MINE OF INFORMATION

ON BOTH CORNELIA FERRIS AND HER HUSBAND BENJAMIN.

IT SAYS HERE THAT "SHE WAS KNOWN TO ALL OLD RESIDENTS OF ITHACA

AS A VERY CHARITABLE AND ESTIMABLE LADY."

MM-HMM, A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY.

IT'S PERHAPS A LITTLE HARD TO IMAGINE

A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY

WRITING A RACY, FICTITIOUS MEMOIR.

BUT HER HUSBAND'S OBITUARY

MAKES MENTION OF BOTH OF THE FERRISES

HAVING PUBLISHED BOOKS DEALING WITH MORMON HISTORY.

"ONE BY MR. FERRIS, UTAH AND THE MORMONS,

"AND ONE BY MRS. FERRIS, THE MORMONS AT HOME,

ISSUED IN 1856."

BUT THE MORE I READ OF BENJAMIN FERRIS'S OBITUARY,

THE MORE HE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN

A POSSIBLE CANDIDATE FOR WRITING OUR BOOK, TOO.

LOOK AT THIS.

HE WAS APPOINTED SECRETARY TO THE TERRITORY OF UTAH.

AND HE TRAVELED THERE WITH HIS WIFE.

AFTER HIS RETURN HOME,

FERRIS WRITES A STINGING CRITIQUE OF MORMONS

IN THIS 1857 LETTER TO THE NEW YORK TIMES.

"THE UNSCRUPULOUS SET OF VILLAINS

"CONGREGATED IN THE VALLEY OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE

"WOULD PUT PANDEMONIUM TO SHAME,

"AND THE TIME HAS COME WHEN THEIR CRIMES

"CAN NO LONGER GO UNWHIPPED OF JUSTICE

WITHOUT NATIONAL DISGRACE."

IT'S A PRETTY STRONG STATEMENT.

BUT WOULD A PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE

REALLY HAVE PENNED A PIECE OF PULP FICTION?

AND WHY HAS HIS WIFE BEEN LINKED TO THE BOOK?

I'M MEETING A COLLEAGUE, SARAH BARRINGER GORDON,

WHO TEACHES AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL

AND RELIGIOUS HISTORY

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

OKAY, I'M INVESTIGATING THIS BOOK,

FEMALE LIFE AMONG THE MORMONS.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?

IT IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST

AND PERHAPS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE NOVELS

WRITTEN TO OPPOSE POLYGAMY IN UTAH.

SARAH TELLS ME A MINORITY OF MORMONS PRACTICED POLYGAMY,

AND THE PRACTICE WAS CONTROVERSIAL,

EVEN WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

THERE WAS ALWAYS DISSENT ABOUT POLYGAMY

FROM WITHIN MORMON SOCIETY, ALWAYS APOSTATES,

PEOPLE WHO CLAIMED THAT THEY HAD BEEN TRICKED

INTO JOINING THE FAITH OR TRICKED INTO PLURAL MARRIAGE,

SO THERE WAS SOMETHING FOR THE NOVELIST TO DRAW ON,

KERNELS OF TRUTH THERE.

AND THAT IN PART EXPLAINS THE POWER OF THE NOVEL.

SARAH EXPLAINS SUCH ANTI-MORMON NOVELS

HELPED POLITICIANS ADVANCE OTHER SOCIAL AGENDAS.

AND ESPECIALLY THOSE REFORMERS WHO CAME TOGETHER

TO MAKE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN THE 1850s,

DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO ABOLISHING

THE TWIN RELICS OF BARBARISM:

POLYGAMY AND SLAVERY IN THE TERRITORIES.

POLYGAMY WAS EASIER TO OPPOSE POLITICALLY THAN SLAVERY

BECAUSE YOU COULD SAY,

"LOOK AT WHAT SLAVERY AND POLYGAMY PRODUCE TOGETHER:

THE ENSLAVEMENT OF WHITE WOMEN."

WELL, THAT'S A VERY POWERFUL CONNECTION.

CORNELIA FERRIS WAS ONE OF THE FEW NON-MORMON WOMEN

FROM THE EAST TO HAVE VISITED UTAH AT THAT TIME

AND WAS THEREFORE SUSPECTED TO BE OUR MYSTERY AUTHOR EARLY ON,

BUT SARAH CAN'T TELL US WHO WROTE THE POPULAR TEXT.

IT'S A PSEUDONYM, MARIA WARD,

AND PEOPLE OFTEN WROTE PSEUDONYMOUSLY

IN THE MID-19th CENTURY.

BUT FOR THE NEXT CENTURY AND A HALF,

WE HAVE WONDERED WHO HE OR SHE REALLY WAS.

THIS MYSTERY HAS LONG PERPLEXED HISTORIANS,

BUT I HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY DIDN'T.

PROFESSOR DAVID HOOVER OF NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

USES COMPUTERS TO SOLVE LITERARY MYSTERIES.

HIS SO-CALLED AUTHORSHIP ATTRIBUTION SOFTWARE

CAN DETERMINE IF BOOKS WERE WRITTEN BY THE SAME PERSON.

SIMILAR SOFTWARE HAS BEEN USED

TO ANALYZE WRITINGS BY THE UNABOMBER

AND TO DISPROVE MANY LITERARY FRAUDS.

SO HOW CAN WE DETERMINE

IF CORNELIA FERRIS WROTE THIS BOOK?

WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT FREQUENCIES OF WORDS

AND LOOK FOR PATTERNS WHERE TWO BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR

USE WORDS IN THE SAME BASIC FREQUENCIES.

EVERY AUTHOR DEVELOPS A DISTINCT PATTERN

IN THEIR CHOICE AND USE OF WORDS.

THE PROGRAM ANALYZES 900

OF THE MOST COMMON WORDS FROM EACH TEXT

AND COMPARES HOW OFTEN THEY'RE USED.

WE'RE COMPARING FEMALE LIFE AMONG THE MORMONS

TO THOSE OTHER BOOKS ON MORMONS

WRITTEN BY CORNELIA AND BENJAMIN FERRIS.

OTHER BOOKS HAVE BEEN ENTERED AS A CONTROL.

SO YOU GET A TREE LIKE THIS, A DENDOGRAM, AS IT'S CALLED.

THE BOOKS APPEARING NEXT TO EACH OTHER

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TREE

HAVE THE MOST SIMILARITIES IN THEIR WRITING STYLES.

THE FARTHER APART THE BOOKS APPEAR,

THE LESS LIKELY THEY WERE PENNED BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

BUT OVER HERE IN THE CORNER WE HAVE OUR FERRIS.

THE RESULTS LEAVE NO DOUBT.

DAVID'S SOFTWARE HAS LAID TO REST A QUESTION

THAT HAS STUMPED RESEARCHERS FOR DECADES.

YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF THE AUTHOR

HAS BEEN A PUZZLE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOOKING INTO

EVER SINCE THE BOOK WAS PUBLISHED

SOME 150 YEARS AGO.

WOW.

ONE THING FOR SURE, THOUGH,

WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A BOOK OF FICTION.

OH, I'M ACTUALLY A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED,

BUT I'M GLAD TO KNOW THE TRUTH.

I TELL MARCIE HOW MY SEARCH FOR THE AUTHOR

LED ME TO THE NAMES OF CORNELIA AND BENJAMIN FERRIS

AND TO DAVID HOOVER'S

AUTHORSHIP ATTRIBUTION SOFTWARE.

SO HOW LIKELY IS IT

THAT CORNELIA FERRIS WROTE THIS BOOK,

GIVEN THE INVESTIGATION YOU'VE JUST DONE?

WELL, I WOULD SAY IT'S EXTREMELY UNLIKELY.

AND HERE'S OUR WARD TEXTS,

WHICH ARE WAY DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS GRAPH.

THEY'RE NOWHERE NEAR THE TEXT

WRITTEN BY CORNELIA OR BENJAMIN FERRIS.

VERY UNSIMILAR.

I WOULD SAY THERE'S AS CLOSE TO NO CHANCE AS I COULD MAKE IT.

I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT MARIA WARD WAS A PSEUDONYM

AND CORNELIA FERRIS DID NOT WRITE THE BOOK.

WHO WROTE MY BOOK?

WE DON'T KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW.

IT'S AN ORIGINAL COPY OF A POPULAR 19th-CENTURY BOOK,

BUT THE MYSTERY OF THE AUTHOR'S TRUE IDENTITY REMAINS.

THAT IS SO INTERESTING,

AND I'M JUST THRILLED TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION.

IN THE LATE 1800s, THE PUBLIC WAS ENTHRALLED

BY EPIC TALES FROM THE FRONTIER,

AND ONE WOMAN SYMBOLIZED THE ROMANCE AND INDEPENDENCE

OF THE WILD WEST MORE THAN ANY OTHER.

HER NAME WAS ANNIE OAKLEY.

BY HER MID-20s,

HER SHARPSHOOTING SKILLS MADE HER A HEADLINER

FOR THE GREATEST TRAVELING ENTERTAINMENT OF ITS DAY,

BUFFALO BILL'S WILD WEST SHOW,

WHERE SHE CHARMED FANS WHO WOULD GIVE ANYTHING

FOR A TOKEN FROM THE FAMOUS GUNSLINGER.

NOW A WOMAN FROM BATH, MAINE,

THINKS HER FAMILY MAY HAVE JUST SUCH A TOKEN,

AN ANNIE OAKLEY ORIGINAL.

I HAVE A COIN THAT FAMILY LEGEND SAYS WAS SHOT BY ANNIE OAKLEY.

I'M ELYSE LURAY, AND I'M MEETING MEADOW MERRILL

TO LOOK INTO HER STORY.

WHY WOULD YOUR FAMILY HAVE A COIN SHOT BY ANNIE OAKLEY?

APPARENTLY, I HAD SOME DISTANT UNCLES

WHO WERE IN BUFFALO BILL CODY'S WILD WEST BAND.

I KNOW THAT THE COWBOY BAND MUSICIANS

WERE BIG STARS OF THEIR DAY

WHO BROUGHT POPULAR MUSIC TO THE MASSES,

PLAYING ROUSING MARCHES

WHILE STARS LIKE ANNIE OAKLEY WOWED AUDIENCES.

THE WILD WEST SHOW WAS REALLY INCREDIBLE.

AT THE TIME IT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT.

THERE WAS NO TELEVISION, THERE WAS NO RADIO,

AND PEOPLE TRAVELED FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

JUST TO SEE BUFFALO BILL AND ANNIE OAKLEY.

YEAH, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE HAD THAT REAL CONNECTION.

WHAT SPECIFICALLY DO YOU WANT ME TO FIND OUT?

I WANT TO KNOW

WHETHER ANNIE OAKLEY COULD HAVE SHOT THIS COIN.

THAT MIGHT BE A TOUGH ONE.

DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION FOR ME TO GO ON,

ANYTHING ELSE I COULD USE?

I'VE GOT SOME OLD FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS

THAT WERE IN THE SECRETARY WHERE MY MOTHER KEPT THE COIN.

OH, LOOK AT THAT.

NOW, WHO'S THIS?

THIS IS ONE OF MY DISTANT UNCLES.

HE'S GOT HIS CLARINET.

HE'S QUITE THE COWBOY.

AND THEN HERE IS A FAMILY PHOTO, I THINK.

THIS MIGHT BE MEADOW'S UNCLE HERE WITHOUT HIS MUSTACHE.

BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT ONE OF THESE OTHER YOUNG MEN HERE

PERHAPS WAS HIS BROTHER.

BUT SHE'S NOT SURE WHICH ONE.

AND THEN HERE IS THE WHOLE COWBOY BAND TOGETHER.

OH, THAT'S GREAT.

FAMILY LORE HAS LONG HELD THAT MEADOW'S TWO GREAT-UNCLES

ARE ALSO IN THIS PHOTO OF THE WILD WEST BAND.

BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO TELL WHO'S WHO.

MEADOW'S UNCLES COULD BE HERE...

OR HERE...

OR HERE.

IT'S A LEGEND I GREW UP HEARING AS A LITTLE GIRL,

BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.

DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION FROM THE FAMILY,

ANY NAMES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT I COULD GO ON?

MEADOW TELLS ME HER RELATIVES LIVED IN CONNECTICUT

AND THAT THEIR LAST NAMES

MIGHT BE EITHER LINCOLN OR LIVINGSTON.

I'M GOING TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU.

GREAT, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, RIGHT OFF THE BAT I CAN TELL YOU

THAT IT'S MADE OF BRONZE AND IT'S REALLY WORN,

AND SOMETHING REALLY RIPPED THIS COIN APART.

BUT WAS IT A BULLET?

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A NAPOLEON III 1853 BRONZE COIN.

A COIN LIKE THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN CIRCULATION

THROUGH THE EARLY 1900s.

THAT WOULD DATE TO ANNIE'S TIME.

BUT I'M CURIOUS, HOW WOULD A FRENCH COIN

HAVE MET WITH THE WRONG END OF A WESTERN GIRL'S GUN?

FROM AN APPRAISING POINT OF VIEW,

I DON'T THINK THE COIN IS REALLY WORTH A LOT OF MONEY,

BUT IF I CAN ASSOCIATE IT WITH ANNIE OAKLEY,

THEN WE HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY PIECE OF WESTERN MEMORABILIA.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY MYSTERY SHARPSHOOTER,

I'M HEADED TO CODY, WYOMING,

LOCATED AT THE EDGE OF THE BIG HORN BASIN

AND YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

IT'S NOT TOUGH TO IMAGINE ANNIE OAKLEY HERSELF

APPEARING ON HORSEBACK SOMEWHERE IN THESE HILLS.

IN FACT, SHE AND BUFFALO BILL CODY

ARE HOUSEHOLD NAMES IN THESE PARTS

AND THE TOWN WAS NAMED FOR HIM.

I'M STARTING MY SEARCH AT THE TOWN'S RODEO GROUNDS.

BEFORE I GET DEEP INTO MY INVESTIGATION,

I WANT TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF THE KIND OF SHOOTING

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

LOCAL SHARPSHOOTER AND ANNIE OAKLEY FIREARMS EXPERT

SAM NICHOLSON HAS AGREED TO TRY

TO RE-CREATE THE ALLEGED SHOT

USING AN ANTIQUE WINCHESTER WITH A .44-CALIBER CARTRIDGE,

WHICH HE SAYS ANNIE FAVORED.

AND HE'S MOUNTED A FRENCH COIN JUST LIKE OURS.

THERE YOU GO.

NOW, IS THIS DISTANCE FROM HERE TO WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SHOOT

THE SAME AS ANNIE OAKLEY WOULD SHOOT?

YEAH, 75 FEET.

75 FEET.

SO SHE WOULD SHOOT FROM 75 FEET AWAY THAT LITTLE COIN?

YES, MA'AM, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE DONE.

SHE USED A MODEL 92 WINCHESTER, LEVER-ACTION MAGAZINE TUBE GUN.

THIS IS VERY, VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE USED.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, CAN YOU SHOW ME HOW SHE DID IT?

SAM SETS UP THE SHOT BUT LEAVES ME HOLDING THE GUN.

HE WANTS ME TO GET A BETTER FEELING

FOR WHO ANNIE OAKLEY WAS, AND RIGHT AWAY I'M IMPRESSED.

SHE WAS JUST OVER FIVE FEET TALL,

AND THE WINCHESTER IS A LOT HEAVIER THAN I THOUGHT.

OKAY, TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

I MISS THE COIN AND GET THE FEELING

THIS COULD GO ON ALL DAY.

THE GUN GOES TO AN EXPERT BEFORE I DO SOME REAL DAMAGE.

ALL RIGHT, SAM, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN BEAT ME.

IT'S YOUR TURN.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMEWHERE CLOSE HERE.

[ gunshots ]

BINGO!

LET'S GO CHECK IT OUT.

FINALLY, SAM NAILS THE TARGET, BUT IT TOOK EIGHT TRIES.

BARELY, BUT I TAGGED IT.

SEE HERE?

AND SOMETHING ELSE IS A LITTLE ODD.

SAM'S SHOT LEFT THE COIN WITH A SMOOTH MARKING,

WHILE OURS IS MORE TORN AND JAGGED.

HE'S NOT SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF THIS,

SO I'M CHECKING IN WITH HISTORIAN PAUL FEES

AT CODY'S HISTORIC IRMA HOTEL.

COULD ANNIE OAKLEY REALLY HAVE SHOT OUR COIN?

PAUL, DOES THE COIN STORY I HAVE MAKE ANY SENSE TO YOU?

COULD ANNIE OAKLEY HAVE SHOT THIS COIN?

ANNIE OAKLEY WAS AS GOOD AS LEGEND HAS IT.

SHE WAS SO GOOD THAT SOME FRIENDS OF HERS

SET HER UP IN A MATCH

WITH A TRAVELING VARIETY SHOW MARKSMAN NAMED FRANK BUTLER.

SHE BEAT HIM, THEY FELL IN LOVE,

AND SHE LEARNED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL MARKSPERSON.

ANNIE HAD BEEN BORN INTO POVERTY IN OHIO,

WHERE HER SURVIVAL DEPENDED ON

TEACHING HERSELF TO SHOOT AND HUNT.

BUT IN 1885, THE SHOWMAN BUFFALO BILL

FOLDED HER INTO HIS GRAND SHOWCASE

OF WESTERN CURIOSITIES.

THE WILD WEST SHOW TRAVELED THROUGHOUT

THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE.

THAT MAY BE WHERE OUR COIN WAS SHOT,

AND PAUL SAYS THERE'S NO DOUBT COINS WERE PART OF HER SHOW.

SHE USED TO RUN INTO THE ARENA,

LEAP OVER A TABLE, GRAB A SHOTGUN,

AND SHOOT CLAY PIGEONS OUT OF THE AIR.

SHE COULD SPLIT A PLAYING CARD HELD ON END.

SHE COULD TURN HER BACK TO HER DOG,

AND USING A MIRROR, SHOOT THE APPLE OFF ITS HEAD.

SHE COULD SHOOT A COIN HELD IN HER HUSBAND'S FINGERS.

I TELL PAUL ABOUT MEADOW'S RELATIVES,

WHO MAY HAVE GOTTEN THE COIN

WHILE PLAYING IN THE WILD WEST COWBOY BAND.

PAUL TELLS ME THE BAND PUMPED UP THE CROWD

WITH PATRIOTIC MILITARY-STYLE BRASS BAND MUSIC.

THEY STARTED THE SHOW WITH "THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER"

LONG BEFORE IT WAS A NATIONAL ANTHEM.

WOULD ANNIE OAKLEY HAVE KNOWN MEMBERS OF THE COWBOY BAND?

THE WILD WEST SHOW WAS, AS ANNIE HERSELF SAID,

ONE BIG FAMILY.

SO IT'S NOT HARD TO IMAGINE A SHOT COIN CHANGING HANDS

BETWEEN SHOWS AND TOUR STOPS.

IT'S SOMETHING TO SHOW THE FOLKS BACK HOME,

THAT, YES, HE HAD REALLY KNOWN THE GREAT ANNIE OAKLEY.

PAUL HAS NO WAY OF TELLING IF ANNIE OAKLEY SHOT OUR COIN,

BUT HE SUGGESTS SOMEONE

AT CODY'S BUFFALO BILL HISTORICAL CENTER

MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP.

CURATOR LYNN HOUSE SHOWS ME THE ANNIE OAKLEY DISPLAY.

THIS IS A PICTURE OF ANNIE OAKLEY

SITTING OUT IN FRONT OF HER TENT,

THE WAY SHE WAS WHEN SHE WAS NOT PERFORMING IN THE ARENA.

ANKLE-LENGTH DRESS, VERY MUCH A LADY,

AND YET SHE WENT INTO THE ARENA

AND SHOT THE LIGHTS OUT OF THINGS.

HOW UNIQUE WAS ANNIE OAKLEY FOR HER TIME PERIOD?

YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER IN THIS TIME FRAME

THAT WOMEN JUST DIDN'T DO THINGS LIKE THIS.

THIS WAS THE VICTORIAN AGE.

IT WAS A MAN'S SPORT.

LYNN HAS SOMETHING SHE THINKS MAY HELP US.

WE HAVE SOME COINS RIGHT HERE ON DISPLAY

THAT WE KNOW WERE SHOT BY ANNIE OAKLEY.

CAN WE COMPARE THE TWO?

WE CERTAINLY CAN.

THAT'S QUITE A SHOT.

I MEAN, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT THROUGH THE TARGET.

RIGHT, IT IS.

AND WHAT ARE THE MARKINGS ON IT?

IT SAYS IT'S SHOT WITH A REMINGTON RIFLE.

SAM TOLD ME THAT ANNIE HAD FAVORED A WINCHESTER,

BUT LYNN EXPLAINS THAT ANNIE'S POPULARITY

MADE HER AN ATTRACTIVE FIGURE FOR ADVERTISERS

WHO WERE EAGER FOR HER TO ENDORSE THEIR PRODUCTS.

THIS COIN WAS MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR ANNIE OAKLEY TO SHOOT.

SHE WAS A HUGE COMMODITY.

BUT OTHER THAN BEING TWO DAMAGED PIECES OF METAL,

THE COINS ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

MINE IS MUCH SMALLER, IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF COIN,

EVEN THE SHOT IS DIFFERENT.

WERE MEADOW'S RELATIVES EVEN IN THE COWBOY BAND?

LYNN OFFERS TO LET ME DO SOME DIGGING

IN THE MUSEUM'S RESEARCH LIBRARY.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S NO OFFICIAL

COWBOY BAND MUSICIAN ROSTER.

SO I'M CHECKING A DATABASE COMPILED OVER THE YEARS

OF ALL OF BUFFALO BILL'S EMPLOYEES, FRIENDS,

AND ACQUAINTANCES.

THIS WAS A HUGE PRODUCTION.

THERE ARE 8,000 NAMES ON THIS LIST.

THE LAST NAMES FOR THE BROTHERS THAT MEADOW GAVE ME

WERE EITHER LINCOLN OR LIVINGSTON,

SO LET'S CHECK THE L's.

IT TAKES A WHILE, BUT THIS MAY BE SOMETHING.

LIVINGSTON, HARRY AND DAVID,

AND THEY'RE LISTED AS MUSICIANS.

MAYBE LYNN HAS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEN.

ARE THESE MUSICIANS MEADOW'S UNCLES?

QUESTION FOR YOU.

MM-HMM.

I HAVE TWO STRONG POSSIBILITIES OF BROTHERS IN THE BAND...

I ASK HER IF SHE KNOWS WHEN HARRY AND DAVID LIVINGSTON

WERE WITH THE WILD WEST SHOW.

THE LIVINGSTON BROTHERS I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH,

BUT WE MAY HAVE SOMETHING ON THEM.

WHILE LYNN'S HUNTING FOR INFORMATION ON THE LIVINGSTONS,

SHE SAYS THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE IN TOWN WHO SHOULD SEE MY COIN.

THE TOWN IS ALSO HOME TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S

MOST COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF AMERICAN FIREARMS,

HERE AT THE CODY FIREARMS MUSEUM.

BALLISTICS EXPERT DAVID KENNEDY

HAS AGREED TO INSPECT OUR MYSTERY COIN FOR CLUES.

DAVE, HERE'S THE COIN THAT I CALLED YOU ABOUT.

IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN TELL ME

IF ANNIE OAKLEY COULD HAVE SHOT THAT COIN?

IT'S A POSSIBILITY.

THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO WOULD BE TO TRY AND SEE

IF THERE ARE ANY MARKS LEFT BY THE BULLET.

EACH MODEL OF RIFLE HAS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PATTERNS

INTERNAL TO THE BARREL.

THOSE BULLETS WILL OCCASIONALLY LEAVE MARKS

ON WHATEVER OBJECTS THEY STRIKE.

SO THE MARKINGS ARE LIKE FINGERPRINTS.

YES.

AND HOW DO YOU FIND THESE MARKINGS,

HOW DO YOU SEE THEM?

WELL, WE'VE GOT A NICE BINOCULAR MICROSCOPE HERE.

THE INFORMATION COULD TELL US

WHAT KIND OF FIREARM WAS USED FOR THE SHOT

AND WHETHER IT'S ONE ANNIE OAKLEY WOULD HAVE USED.

SO, WHAT DO YOU SEE?

A LARGE NUMBER OF FRACTURES IN THE METAL,

BUT THERE'S NO OTHER MARKS THAT I CAN SEE ON HERE

THAT WOULD HELP IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF FIREARM THAT WAS USED.

DAVID SAYS ANY IDENTIFYING MARKINGS

MAY HAVE WORN OFF WITH TIME.

IF THERE'S NO MARKINGS, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP?

ALL RIGHT, WE'LL NEED TO TAKE THESE CARTRIDGES...

IF WE CAN'T IDENTIFY THE GUN,

DAVID SUGGESTS FIGURING OUT

WHAT SIZE BULLET MIGHT HAVE RIPPED THROUGH OUR COIN.

THE DAMAGED AREA SHOULD FIT THE BULLET THAT SHOT IT.

FIRST, DAVID TRIES A .44-CALIBER,

THE ONE WE TESTED AT THE RODEO GROUNDS,

BUT IT'S NOT A SNUG FIT.

ALL RIGHT, I SEE A LITTLE SPACE.

THERE IS A LITTLE AIR THERE.

SO THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

THAT'S NOT CORRECT.

THEN HE PLACES THE COIN

NEXT TO A SMALLER .38-CALIBER BULLET.

LOOKS PRETTY GOOD TO ME.

LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.

IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS GOING TO BE A .38.

WOULD ANNIE OAKLEY HAVE USED A .38-CALIBER

TO SHOOT THIS COIN?

ANNIE DID FAVOR A WINCHESTER AND A .44 SHELL,

BUT DAVID SAYS SHE WAS ALSO A SURE SHOT

WITH LOTS OF OTHER GUNS.

ANNIE OAKLEY WAS QUITE FOND OF THE .38-CALIBER,

AND IT WAS ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR CARTRIDGES

DURING THAT ERA.

DAVID THEN SOLVES ANOTHER MYSTERY FROM THE RODEO GROUNDS:

WHY THE TWO COINS LOOK SO DIFFERENT.

IN OUR TEST, WE HAD SHOT THE COIN

WHILE FIXED TO A TARGET BOARD.

THAT WASN'T THE CASE WITH MEADOW'S COIN.

BY THE SHAPE OF THIS COIN,

IT WAS OBVIOUSLY SHOT OUT OF THE AIR.

THE UNIFORM BENDING AND TEARING SUGGEST TO DAVID

OUR COIN WAS FIRST THROWN,

THEN BLASTED BY OUR MYSTERY SHARPSHOOTER.

I THINK IT WAS SHOT IN THE AIR

BECAUSE OF THE CURVATURE OF THE COIN.

IF IT WAS HELD IN ANY SORT OF A MOUNT OR A CLAMP,

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FLAT

AND THEN IT WOULD HAVE FOLDED THE COIN OVER SIDEWAYS.

BUT IT'S SO TINY; THAT'S AN AMAZING SHOT.

ISN'T THAT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO?

NO.

HOW MANY PEOPLE COULD POSSIBLY DO THAT?

VERY FEW PEOPLE COULD DO THAT.

ANNIE OAKLEY WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.

AN EXPERT SHOT HAD MARKED OUR COIN,

BUT THAT DOESN'T PROVE IT WAS ANNIE OAKLEY.

OUR INVESTIGATION MAY HINGE

ON WHETHER LYNN'S FOUND INFORMATION

LINKING MEADOW'S UNCLES TO THE COWBOY BAND.

UNFORTUNATELY, LYNN HAS NO INFORMATION ABOUT MY SUSPECTS,

HARRY AND DAVID LIVINGSTON,

BUT SHE HAS DUG UP SOME COWBOY BAND PHOTOS.

NOW, I ALSO FOUND THIS PHOTO...

INCLUDING ONE THAT LOOKS A LOT

LIKE THE PHOTO MEADOW LEFT WITH ME.

OH, IT'S THE SAME AS MINE,

ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE WRITING AND I DON'T.

THIS SAYS THE NAME OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER, WHICH IS BANKS.

RIGHT.

ON MARCUS STREET IN MANCHESTER.

MANCHESTER, IS THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE?

NO, THAT'S ENGLAND.

OH, REALLY?

THE WILD WEST WAS IN ENGLAND, IN MANCHESTER, IN 1887.

IF MEADOW'S RELATIVES ARE IN THIS PICTURE,

WE KNOW FOR SURE THEY WERE IN EUROPE,

WHERE THEY MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THE FRENCH COIN.

TRUTHFULLY, I MAY BE RUNNING OUT OF LEADS.

LET ME TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

MEADOW SAID HER UNCLES LIVED IN CONNECTICUT.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S A FRUSTRATING SEARCH.

CENSUS RECORDS DO NOT TURN UP HARRY AND DAVID LIVINGSTON.

I'VE GOT ONE THING LEFT TO TRY.

WE KNOW THESE GUYS EXIST,

AND FROM MY PAST GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE,

I KNOW THAT NAMES CAN BE MISSPELLED

OR OFTEN THEY'RE CHANGED.

SO I'M GOING TO CAST A WIDER RESEARCH NET

AND I'M GOING TO CHANGE THEIR NAME A LITTLE BIT,

MISSPELL IT, AND SEE WHAT I CAN FIND.

IT TAKES A WHILE, BUT MY HUNCH FINALLY PAYS OFF.

I FOUND IT.

THE INFORMATION I NEED IS RIGHT HERE.

TIME TO CHECK BACK WITH MEADOW.

THIS WAS A TRICKY ONE.

WHAT DID YOU FIND?

I TELL MEADOW HER COIN APPEARS

TO HAVE BEEN TARGETED IN MID-AIR,

SOMETHING ANNIE OAKLEY WAS KNOWN TO DO

AND A SHOT THAT VERY FEW MARKSMEN -- OR WOMEN --

WERE CAPABLE OF MAKING.

BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE HAS BEEN LINKING HER UNCLES

TO ANNIE OAKLEY AND THE COWBOY BAND.

IT WAS ONLY WHEN I TRIED AN OLD GENEALOGY TRICK

THAT I MADE ANY PROGRESS.

WHEN I TRY LIVINGSTONE WITH AN "E,"

THINGS LOOK UP.

THIS IS INTERESTING.

I FOUND HARRY AND DAVID LIVINGSTONE,

AND THEY'RE LIVING IN CONNECTICUT.

THEY HAD FIVE SISTERS.

ARE THE LIVINGSTONES I FOUND IN THE COWBOY BAND

SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO MEADOW?

IT SEEMS THAT ONE OF THE BAND MEMBER'S SISTERS

IS THE MISSING LINK.

AHA!

IT LOOKS LIKE THE YOUNGEST SISTER SARAH IS THE CONNECTION.

SHE MARRIED HAROLD LINCOLN AND THEY HAD A SON SPENCER,

AND THAT'S MEADOW'S GRANDFATHER.

SO YOUR MUSICIAN ANCESTORS WERE DEFINITELY

IN BUFFALO BILL'S WILD WEST SHOW.

THAT IS SO EXCITING.

SO THE STORY WAS TRUE.

GIVEN THE LINK BETWEEN MEADOW'S RELATIVES AND ANNIE OAKLEY,

THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE ANNIE WAS OUR MARKSWOMAN.

THAT'S TERRIFIC.

I CAN'T BE 100% CERTAIN

HOW THE COIN FELL INTO YOUR RELATIVES' HANDS.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MEMENTO THAT THEY PICKED UP

OR ANNIE OAKLEY COULD HAVE PERSONALLY GIVEN IT TO THEM,

BUT I CAN SAY THAT IT'S AN AMAZING PIECE

OF WESTERN MEMORABILIA.

MY MOM IS GOING TO BE THRILLED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH

FOR FINALLY BRINGING THESE ANSWERS TO MY FAMILY.

AFTER RETIRING FROM THE BUFFALO BILL WILD WEST SHOW,

ANNIE OAKLEY CONTINUED PERFORMING ON HER OWN,

MENTORING YOUNG WOMEN IN SHOOTING

AND EVEN BECOMING A FILM STAR.

ANNIE OAKLEY DIED IN 1926

AT THE AGE OF 66.

HER DEATH WAS FOLLOWED ONLY THREE WEEKS LATER

BY THAT OF HER HUSBAND

AND SHOOTING PARTNER OF HALF A CENTURY,

FRANK BUTLER.

IT'S KNOWN AS THE GUN THAT WON THE WEST.

ANNIE OAKLEY USED ONE.

SO DID BILLY THE KID AND JESSE JAMES.

SO, WHY WAS THE WINCHESTER REPEATING RIFLE SO POPULAR?

IN A TIME OF SINGLE-SHOT CARBINES,

THE WINCHESTER'S LEVER ACTION GAVE AN INCREDIBLE ADVANTAGE

BY ALLOWING A NUMBER OF SHOTS TO BE FIRED

BEFORE YOU HAD TO STOP AND RELOAD.

ITS CREATOR WAS OLIVER WINCHESTER,

A CLOTHING MANUFACTURER WITH AN EYE FOR BUSINESS

WHO DECIDED TO RETOOL THE DESIGN OF THE POPULAR HENRY RIFLE.

HIS KEY INNOVATION: A SPRING-CLOSED LOADING PORT

THAT WINCHESTER PATENTED.

SIMPLY CRANK THE LEVER FORWARD AND THEN BACK AGAIN.

THAT'S ALL IT TOOK TO EJECT THE SPENT SHELL FROM THE CHAMBER

AND TO LOAD THE NEXT SHOT FROM THE MAGAZINE.

SUDDENLY, 30 SHOTS COULD BE FIRED IN UNDER A MINUTE.

THE FIRST WINCHESTER MODEL, PRODUCED IN 1866,

WAS SO POPULAR, CLOSE TO 160,000 WERE MADE,

MAKING IT A COMMON SIGHT THROUGHOUT THE WILD WEST.

FOR THE NEXT CENTURY AND A HALF,

THE LEVER-ACTION WINCHESTER REMAINED JUST AS FAMOUS

AS SOME OF THOSE WHO SWORE BY IT.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT CALLED IT "THE BEST WEAPON I EVER HAD."