Psych

and not just on TV or in the movies. Go to any rodeo and you're liable to see folks chasing steer, leaping from horses to tackle and pin them to the ground. The people of Gloucester, England, also love a good chase. They hold one every year, though not for cars or livestock. The events got its start over one fifty years ago, so the actual dates are unknown. Originally held by the local village of Brockworth, the chase takes place each spring at nearby Cooper's Hill. One theory states it began as

a method of preserving grazing rights for local farmers. Another claims that stemmed from a pagan ritual where objects such as burning brushwood were rolled down the hill to ring in the new year. It's also believed that the ceremony acted as a way to encourage a bountiful harvest, regardless of how it all started, though it wasn't written about formally until the eighteen hundreds. Once word got out, Brockworth

villagers got more than they bargained for. People from New Zealand, Australia, and the United States started coming in to join in the festivities, either as competitors or merely as spectators, and with more contestants came more opportunities for injury. People were treated for everything from mild bruises two broken bones, all

sustained as a result of the chase. In two thousand nine, the event was canceled entirely because it was deemed a public health crisis, but a few local organizers got together the following year and held a much smaller version. Every time government officials attempt to put a stop to the Cooper's Hill Chase, journalists and citizens who refuse to abandon tradition put on a chase of their own, which leaves one final question, what exactly was everyone chasing? The answer

is cheese. That's right. As many as five hundred people from all over the globe still gather to this day at the top of Cooper's Hill to chase an eight pound wheel of cheese for two hundred yards double Gloucester cheese, to be exact, which is protected on its side by a wooden casing and decorated before it's set loose. Now you might not think chasing cheese down a hill could be so dangerous, but with so many people colliding into one another or tripping on rocks and divots in the ground,

the injuries start to pile up. Even the cheese itself can be a hazard. No one has ever died during a chase, but one or the cheese reached a whopping seventy miles per hour and hit a spectator, sending them to the hospital. And that's why at the bottom of the hill are an army of paramedics waiting to treat anyone involved in a cheese related incident. Local rugby players even volunteered to catch participants who may lose their footing or carry people down the hill who aren't able to

do so on their own. Gloucester's tradition has inspired other English towns to try something similar. The City of Chester has been holding their own cheese rolling competition since two thousand two as part of their Food and Drink Festival. Their total injury list remains at zero, but not Cooper's Hill. The broken ankles and concussions sustained during the Gloucester event have made it a kind of rite of passage for

thrill seekers and athletic types. It's estimated that there are roughly thirty three injuries reported for every one contestants one year. So many participants got hurt that there weren't enough ambulances to cart them all off to the hospital afterwards. Still, every year folks come back to try their luck again for fame, for glory, and for the grand prize. But it's not a massive pot of money. Thereafter, whoever catches the cheese before it reaches the bottom gets to take

the cheese home. It seems that when it comes to that eight pound wheel of double Gloucester cheddar, no one is a fan of catch and release. When a crime goes beyond the capabilities of the average beat cop, a detective is often called in. They'll interview witnesses and aalize a crime scene and pour over the clues until they

found the culprit. Francois vi Doc was a French criminal during the early nineteenth century, but eventually turn his expertise and crime into a legitimate business as the first ever private detective is He. Einstein and Moe Smith were federal officers during Prohibition. Together they arrested over four thousand, three hundred people and had a nine percent conviction rates. They were so successful they were laid off after Washington officials

grew jealous of their fame. They left policing behind and became successful insurance salesman. And then there's Arthur Price Roberts. Arthur didn't have the criminal history that Vidoc had, nor was he as well known as Einstein and Smith. But he had a gift, and he used that gift to help others. Born in Wales in eighteen sixty six, he moved to the United States early in life to seek out opportunity. Once settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Roberts began helping

others with unique and unfortunate problems. Duncan McGregor, for example, hailed from the city of Peshtigo along the eastern edge of Wisconsin. In nineteen o five, Mr McGregor had gone missing and his wife was distraught, so she saw the assistance of Mr Roberts. Arthur was known around town as a psychic. He went into a trance hoping for a sign of Mrs McGregor's husband. After some time, he found him, but the outlook wasn't good. He informed both Mrs McGregor

and the police that Mr McGregor had been murdered. According to Arthur, the man's body had been thrown into the man Nominee River. The police traveled to the spot that he told them about and found the body of the late Mr McGregor amongst some sunken logs. Roberts started building a reputation for himself as a man who could find anyone anywhere. J D. Leroy, a wealthy Chicago businessman, had been looking for his missing brother. Roberts was brought in and got a read on Mr leroy sibling, and, much

like Mr McGregor, it was bad news. Roberts described an area of Devil's Canyon in New Mexico where j D's brother could be found. He too had been murdered and his body had been disposed of among the rocks and mountains. New Mexico authorities followed Robert's directions and found the late Mr. Leroy two hundred yards from the exact spot that he had described to them. But Arthur didn't just to help find missing people. He could also predict events that might

happen in the future. On October eighteenth of nineteen thirty five, he told Milwaukee police that a series of bombings would take place around the city. Banks, police stations, and city hall were all at risk. By that time, Roberts was a known entity and someone to pay attention to, where other so called psychics might go ignored, the Milwaukee police force was on alert. Just over a week later, the first explosion occurred at the Village Hall. Two people were killed.

Two banks were blown up. The following day, just as Roberts had predicted, followed by two police stations. A detective by the name of English pleaded for more details. Will there be another bomb? How big? And who is doing this? Roberts told him that on Sunday, November four, the biggest and final explosion would take place on the Menominee River. Sure enough, a garage just beyond the river exploded that day.

It turns out that the two men responsible for all the other bombings had been putting a new device together when it accidentally went off and killed both of them. Roberts had gotten some details wrong in his prediction, the names of the bombers, for example, as well as the timing of the explosion. Still, there were enough similarities to

make any skeptic consider that Robert's predictions weren't complete. Monk his talents had given numerous people closure over the years and saved countless lives, and they even worked on himself. At a dinner party in nineteen thirty nine where he was the guest of honor, he stood up and thanked everyone for coming. He told them that sadly he wouldn't

be present for the next one. I won't be with you beyond January second, nineteen forty, he told them, And he wasn't, because that was the exact day that Arthur Price Roberts passed away. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by me

Aaron Mankie in partnership with how stuff works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can learn all about it over at the world of Lore dot com. And until next time, stay curious.