In July 1904, 500 people gathered in Wolf Lake Park to watch something impossible: a traveling hypnotist bury a local army veteran alive for three days. Harry Moreta claimed he could put anyone under his spell. Harry Zerkel, an amateur magician, called his bluff. What followed was one of the most bizarre spectacles in Indiana history—a man lowered six feet underground in a coffin with only a breathing tube, left there for 72 hours while an entire town held its breath.
When the coffin was finally raised, Zerkel emerged alive but disoriented, asking for water and inquiring about a girl who'd fainted the moment he'd gone under. Doctors examined him, found him remarkably healthy, and the crowd erupted in celebration. But the real question remained unanswered: Was this genuine hypnosis, an elaborate con, or something stranger still? The truth about what happened beneath Wolf Lake Park died with the performers themselves.
This is the story of America's golden age of con artists, when the lines between science and magic blurred, and entire communities could be captivated—or deceived—by a man with a gold pocket watch and the right words. It's also a cautionary tale about the price of being right versus being wise.
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Show Notes: In This Episode:
Tags: Hammond Indiana history, 1904 history, buried alive true story, hypnotist con artist, Wolf Lake Park Indiana, local history podcast, American history podcast, forgotten history, early 1900s America, Indiana true crime, vaudeville history, clairvoyant fraud, historical mystery, Midwest history, turn of the century scams
Category: History
Chapter Markers: 0:00 - Introduction: Hammond's Hidden History 1:30 - The Age of Science and Magic (1904) 4:15 - The Challenge: Moreta vs. Zerkel 7:00 - July 17: The Hypnosis at Wolf Lake Park 10:30 - Buried Six Feet Deep 13:00 - July 20: The Exhumation 15:45 - The Mystery: What Really Happened? 17:30 - The Truth About Harry Moreta 19:00 - Conclusion: Modern Con Artists and Getting "Zerkeled"
