Ep 248: Massacre at Duffy's Cut Part 2

“John Burns had lost his son, Katherine Burns had lost her husband, and the two of them came to America for a better life, and they both died. They disappear at Duffy’s Cut.”

— Rev. Dr. J. Frank Watson

Description:

In Part Two of our series on the massacre at Duffy's Cut, we continue our discussion with investigating brothers, Rev Dr. Frank and Professor Dr. Bill Watson. We examine the historical circumstances and the likelihood of these 57 workers all dying of cholera or being murdered out of fear and prejudice. Also considered is the remarkable number of coincidences and hauntings connected to the paranormal nature of this tragedy's discovery. Whether they fell victim to the harsh conditions of past eras or the brutality of callous ignorance, perhaps the restless spirits of Duffy's Cut can finally find peace and recognition.

Frank (L) and Bill Watson (R) at the Duffy’s Cut memorial site

The Duffy's Cut burial site and memorial at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA

The Duffy's Cut burial site and memorial at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA

The Duffy's Cut burial site and memorial at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA

An Amtrak train passing the stone wall at Duffy's Cut

The stone wall at Duffy's Cut looking from the tracks

Bill (L) and Frank Watson (R) at the stone wall at Duffy's Cut

Bill and Frank as kids with their grandfather Joseph Tripician along the tracks at Villanova Station, where their uncle was PRR Station Master

An early locomotive from the 1830s

A 19th-century cholera mass grave

Frank Watson at a part of the archaeological excavation site and a victim they call SK003

Frank Watson at a part of the archaeological excavation site and a victim they call SK003

Part of the excavated jaw of Irish immigrant railroad worker John Ruddy in March of 2009. Ruddy was the first man the team excavated, and who the Watsons reburied in Donegal, Ireland in 2013

The skull and skeletal body of SK006, who was both axed and then shot in the head.

The skull of SK006, who was both axed and then shot in the head.

The skull of SK006, who was both axed and then shot in the head

 

Location: Duffy’s Cut memorial

Additional Reading:

Click this text to read “The Sisters of Charity, the 1832 Cholera Epidemic in Philadelphia and Duffy’s Cut” by Prof. William E. Watson

Click this text to read the article “History and memory at Duffy’s cut” by prof. William E. Watson from the magazine railroad history

Click this text to read the article “Who was the real Philip Duffy?” by ReV.dr. J. Francis Watson, from the magazine railroad history

Reference Links:

• Website for the Duffy’s Cut Project

• “How my grandpa’s Thanksgiving ghost story he tells each year led to us uncovering 189-year-old ‘murder mystery’” by Chris Bradford from The Sun on The New York Post

• Essay on “Duffy’s Cut” by William E. Watson, from The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia

• “1832 Cholera Outbreak in Philadelphia and Duffy’s Cut” from the Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

• “Fates Of Irish Workers Sealed In Mass Grave” from NPR.org

• “Uncovering Murder on the Main Line and the Victims of Duffy’s Cut” on Philadelphia’s Hidden City website

• Duffy’s Cut

• “Death on the Railroad” episode on PBS’ Secrets of the Dead on YouTube

• The Irish Rebellion of 1798

• Ember Night and other Irish Halloween traditions on IrishCentral.com

• Ignus fatuus

• Immaculata University

• Cholera

• Janet Monge

• Samantha “Sam” Cox from the forensic archaeological team

• Laurel Hill West Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA

• Mainline Protestant

• Catholic vs. Protestant on Diffen.com

• Chester County, Pennsylvania

• Malvern, Pennsylvania

• Map of Pennsylvania’s Main Line Public Works

• Pennsylvania Canal Historical Marker and the PA Mainline of Public Works

• Martin Withington Clement, the 11th President of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), from 1935 to 1948

• Battle of Paoli

• “Paoli – Oklahoma’s Strangely Named Towns” from The Oklahoman

• Phillip Duffy’s net worth in today’s dollars

• Total cost of the Philadelphia and Columbia rail line at Duffy’s Cut in today’s dollars

• Map of Ireland at the beginning of the 16th century from the Cambridge University Press

Related Books:

Bagpipe tributes to the fallen 57

Suggested viewing:

“Death on the Railroad” documentary episode from PBS’ Secrets of the Dead

Secrets of the Dead – “Death on the Railroad” PBS documentary on YouTube

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CREDITS:

Episode 248: Massacre at Duffy’s Cut Part 2. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound. Music and Sound Design by Allen Carrescia. Tess Pfeifle, Producer, and Lead Researcher. Ed Voccola, Technical Producer. Research Support from The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2022 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.