Washed Up

possible on the local population. But there is one death on record there that can't be blamed on the wildlife. The victim's identity is still a mystery today, known only by where the police found him, on a beach south of Adelaide, Australia, near Somerton Park. It's unlikely though, that he was killed by a snake or a shark, because there were no white marks anywhere on his body. When the police found him on the morning of December one, he was lying face up in the sand with his

legs crossed at the ankles. At first glance, he looked to be sleeping, but as the officers got closer they realized the situation was far worse. They searched the body for identification, wallets or a driver's license, anything to help

their investigation. What they found instead was an unlit cigarette resting on his collar, a collection of unusual artifacts in his pockets, including an unpunched second class train ticket to Henley Beach about eleven kilometers away, an unused bus ticket, an American hair comb, some chewing gum, half a pack of cigarettes, and a match box. He had been a fit man, and according to the corner, his feet and legs were those of a dancer or someone who often

wore high heeled boots with pointed toes. The labels on his clothes had been removed, and he carried no wallet or hat. Even dental records proved fruitless. By all accounts, the man didn't exist, and he appeared to have committed suicide. An investigation into his death began almost immediately after he was brought in for examination. According to the Corner, his organs had become congested and there was blood in his stomach.

His spleen had grown to three times its normal size, and all these signs pointed to the man having been poisoned hours before his death. Witnesses soon came forward and described the man who the night before. They had seen in the same area around seven p m. He had extended his right arm about as far as it would go and then let it drop to his side. He didn't move again after that. Despite the numerous reports, though no one was ever able to identify the stranger on

the beach. It wasn't until over a month later when another clue showed up. A suit case had been discovered at a local train station after being checked into the station's coat room towards the end of November, but it was never reclaimed. Its label had been removed, so identifying its owner would have been problematic, but a suitcase full of clothing lacking identifying information seemed to fit what they were looking for already, so it was assumed that this

luggage belonged to the victim. The only items in the suitcase with any kind of name on them were a tie, a laundry bag, and a vest, all of which bore the last name Keen, but no one by that name had been on any incoming trains at all. In June of nine, an inquest was launched by the coroner's office to determine the true cause of death beyond a reasonable doubt, which meant Examining all the evidence, This included the man's clothing.

Inside a small pocket sewn into his trousers, the police found a tiny slip of rolled up paper with the words to mom should written in a strange font. It had come from an English translation of a Persian poem called the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam. The authorities conducted a nationwide hunt for a copy, releasing a photo of the tiny rectangle of paper to the public. It didn't take

long for someone to step forward. A man with a nineteen forty one edition of the book took it to police headquarters, where he not only showed the page where the words had been cut out, but also where someone had used the book to write something down. Indentations were detected on the back cover. Someone had written down a phone number and a kind of coded message, using the Rubaiyat as a flat surface. More experts were called in, hopefully trying to decrypt the message, but there was too

little information to use. It seemed everything about the victim had led to this dead end, his identity, his life, and the message he had left behind. Even after all these years, no one has been able to identify the summer to man. The only part of the case that bears any kind of closure is that scrap of paper found in his pants pocket. We know where it came from, and we know at the raise to mom should means finished, a message that tells us absolutely nothing new about the

mystery man, and yet summarizes his story perfectly. A curious end to a curious tail, however frustrating that might be. The world has a way of breaking a person down. Suffer enough failures, and you'll find yourself at rock bottom, clawing your way back to the top, or at least

out of the hole you've dug for yourself. However, while some wallow in self pity and wait for something good to happen, a rare few actually find the strength to get out there and do what needs to get done to succeed, pulling oneself up by the bootstraps and seeking out a better life, even if they have to take

it by force. And that's or Joshua comes in. Born around eighteen eighteen in England, he moved to South Africa with his family as part of a group known as the eighteen twenties Settlers, in order to colonize South Africa on behalf of the British. He lived there for many years until eighteen forty nine, when he got word of the gold rush happening on America's West coast. His goal was to pursue the elusive American dream. He found a niche for himself in San Francisco as a real estate developer,

but as greed quickly tripped him up. Several years later, he saw a new opportunity though, and entered yet another market, rice speculation. You See, back then, China was facing a famine and had stopped shipping rice outside the country. The price went through the roof here in the United States, and when Joshua got word of a cargo ship hauling two thousand pounds of it from Peru, he bought the

whole shipment. His strangle hold on the rice industry didn't last long, though more cargo ships had already been dispatched to the US. The demand for Joshua's stock plummeted, as did his prices, and after a lengthy and expensive litigation process, poor Mr Norton had to face the treacherous new frontier of bankruptcy. The losses and failures had all become too much for him, so Joshua left San Francisco for well somewhere no one really knows where, But he returned a

year later as a different man. A very different man. You see, he'd had a revelation. Rather than try and work his way back up to his old standing as a successful businessman, Joshua chose to reach higher, and no one was going to stop him. He started sending in letters to local newspapers urging congressman from all over the country to come meet with him. Why because Joshua, as it so happened, had declared himself Emperor of the United States.

He had big ideas for the country, including the disillusion of the United States Congress. He also wanted to break up the country into smaller factions and eliminate the two party system from the political process. He often strutted up and down San Francisco streets in a blue military uniform adorned with gold epaulets and a hat out of which stuck a peacock feather. He regaled the public with lectures

about many topics, and surprisingly, everyone loved him. He was a local celebrity who often ate for free at any restaurant of his choosing. He never had to buy tickets to shows or concerts, and he even created his own currency to pay for whatever he wanted, called Norton dollars, and people simply accepted it as real money. Unfortunately for Joshua, while his exploits earned him the favor of his fellow

San Franciscan's, the local police weren't as hospitable. One officer even arrested him with the intention of having him committed to a mental health facility for his wild declarations and odd behavior. But the people wouldn't have it. Both the public and the local media voiced their displeasure with the arrest. The police chief had no choice but to release him as an act of good faith, Emperor Norton proceeded to

pardon the officer who had arrested him. Throughout his rule, if you could call it that, Joshua Norton ordered numerous acts as Emperor of the United States. None of his decrees were ever carried out, of course, seeing as how the official US government didn't acknowledge him as emperor of anything. However, there was one idea he proposed that the town didn't throw away. It just took them a while to realize

its greatness. In eighteen seventy two, Joshua started looking for a way to connect San Francisco with Oakland across the San Francisco Bay. He ordered a suspension bridge be built between the two cities. Although without any political or financial pull, he was ignored. After all, it was nothing more than a pipe dream from a man with no power or authority. Emperor Norton passed away unexpectedly eight years later at the corner of California Street and what is now Grant Avenue.

He'd been on his way to deliver a speech to a group of college students. But although he has faded from the memory of most, his dream was not forgotten. Over fifty years later in construction was finally completed on the San Francisco Oakland Bay Suspension Bridge. It connected the two cities exactly as Norton had imagined it. Looking back, one thing is certainly clear. The Emperor might not have

had any power, but he certainly had vision. 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 Manky. 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. H