One of the strangest cases in all their years of police work. Those were the words of seasoned detectives in Louisville, Kentucky, who worked on the Torture House case. A century ago, this case made national headlines when Richard Heaton was murdered by William Gates, who had been kidnapped and held in a home on 34th Street in Louisville.
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Episode Sources
<ul>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.nytimes.com/1924/03/09/archives/shackled-to-bed-man-gets-free-kills-captor-to-balk-attempted.html'>New York Times</a>: Shackled to Bed, Man Gets Free Kills Captor, March 9, 1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.nytimes.com/1924/03/15/archives/slayer-of-heaton-cleared-coroners-jury-finds-killing-justifiable-to.html'>New York Times</a>: Slayer of Heaton Cleare; Coroner's Jury Finds Killing Justifiable to Escape Mutilation, March 15,1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.newspapers.com/image/502689906/?terms=gates%20extradition'>Paducah News-Democrat</a>: Gates freed of murder charge, March 16, 1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.newspapers.com/image/983269612/'>Florence Morning News:</a> Gates admit visit with Heaton to Lake City, March 16,1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.newspapers.com/image/1012672352/?match=1&terms=gates%20extradition'>The Winchester Sun</a>: Gates arrested after freedom on new warrant, March 17, 1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.newspapers.com/image/376078962/?match=1&terms=gates%20extradition'>The Owensboro Messenger:</a> Gates is held on fugitive charge, March 18, 1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.newspapers.com/image/1013393142/?match=1&terms=william%20gates%20ARREST'>The Frankfort State Journal</a>: Gates Tells of Trips to Texas and South, April 9, 1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.newspapers.com/image/1085244539/'>The Louisiana Herald</a>: Lake City Expecting William Gates, April 24, 1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.newspapers.com/image/107242003/'>The Lousiville Courier-Journa</a>l: Gates Bares Torture Plot Details; Hidden Pistol Saved Victim From Heaton;, March 10, 1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.newspapers.com/image/107104516/?match=1&terms=william%20gates%20ARREST'>The Louisville Courier-Journal</a>: Frank Cordell on Trial, April 9, 1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/the-torture-house/'>Historical Crime Detective:</a> The Torture House 1924</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157102118/richard-hartwell-heaton'>FindAGrave.com</a>: Richard Hartwell Heaton</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85889387/mary_leahy_heaton'>FindAGrave.com</a>: Mary Leahy Wiesen Heaton</li>
</ul>
Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

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