Article Archives: Bumps in the Night

Good Fellas, Henry Hill and eBay

July 3, 2025 | by Al Hunter

This column first appeared in July 2009. Editor’s Note: Henry Hill died in June 2012. This is a story for guys. It has little to do with Indiana or her fair capital city, but it is well worth noting for the irony of its subject’s content and the ability to … Read More

Harry Houdini and Abraham Lincoln

June 26, 2025 | by Al Hunter

This column originally appeared in June 2017. Magician Harry Houdini had a very unlikely boyhood hero — a hero adored by a generation before Houdini’s 1874 birth and a hero worshiped by generations hence. Harry Houdini’s hero was Abraham Lincoln. Houdini’s devotion to Lincoln could be found on stage during … Read More

Nazi Ideology on the Eastside; a Contnuance

June 19, 2025 | by Al Hunter

Last March, I wrote a two-part article on Eastsider Charles Soltau, the “Nazi at Arsenal Tech”. This Saturday (June 21st) at noon, I will revisit those articles on Nelson Price’s “Hoosier History Live” radio show WICR 88.7 FM. Nelson, a longtime friend of Irvington, has a personal connection to that … Read More

Grave Goods — You Can’t Take It With You

June 12, 2025 | by Al Hunter

This column first appeared in May 2016. Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are defined as items buried along with the body. In ancient times, grave goods were seen as offerings to the gods. In modern times, they are usually personal possessions or supplies designed to smooth the deceased’s journey … Read More

The Hilton Sisters-Vaudeville’s Beautiful Siamese Twins, Part 2

May 29, 2025 | by Al Hunter

In the Roaring Twenties, the Hilton Sisters were the darlings of vaudeville. That circuit ran straight through the heart of Indianapolis. Violet and Daisy Hilton were conjoined twins who were abandoned by a single mother and sold to a Brighton, Sussex, England, saloon matron who subjected them to years of … Read More