Episode #173: Pittsburgh Vampire Panic

In the coal region of Pennsylvania in 1893, a Hungarian miner stricken with consumption becomes convinced that the spirit of his former boss is squatting on his chest, draining his life. His fear leads him to a desperate, macabre act — exhuming the man’s corpse and cutting out its heart, hoping to free himself. This case reveals how vampire superstition persisted among immigrant communities in America. The story reminds listeners that folklore and fear once provided frameworks for life and death — until science (eventually) caught up.