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The Infographics Show, Man Who Couldn't Be Killed "Iron Mike"

Man Who Couldn't Be Killed "Iron Mike"

The room contains three men and a bed.

One of the men is drunk, flailing about with little control of his body, and the other

two are stone cold sober.

Then things turn violent.

One man grabs the drunkard and pins him down — in such a state, he can hardly put up

a fight.

The other sober man starts fiddling with something by the bed, and a few moments later, he unhooks

the tube from a gaslight and shoves it into the mouth of the drunk man.

He switches it on.

Carbon monoxide floods into his mouth and he remains pinned down until his body goes

limp.

The mission was nearly complete — after at least nine attempts, it was finally time

for Iron Mike Malloy to die...

How had things come to such a sorry state?

Two words: the Great Depression.

Oh wait, that's three words, but never mind.

Desperate times call for desperate measures — and few points in history have been more

desperate than the period after 1929.

Unemployment was soaring, and you'd struggle to meet someone who wasn't looking for money.

A certain five men sat in a New York speakeasy in 1933 were no exception.

They were Tony Marino, Joseph Murphy, Francis Pasqua, Hershey Green, and Daniel Kreisburg.

The one thing binding them together was the need to make some quick dough, and that's

exactly what they were discussing one night in the bar.

Jobs were almost out of the question.

None of them were morally opposed to a life of criminality, but they knew they had to

be smart about it.

A bit of petty thievery here or there just wasn't going to cut it.

They had to think big.

That's when a eureka moment hit.

Life insurance.

They'd all heard the tales of people doing themselves in, or doing their loved ones in,

to cash in on a good policy.

But there had to be a better way to do it.

What about if you knew someone who was already really ill?

You could persuade them to sign up for a life insurance policy and cash out when they tragically

met their end a few weeks down the line.

The perfect crime.

There was just one problem.

Nobody could think of anyone who was dying.

Luckily, one man had a better idea.

What if someone took out a life insurance policy and later died in a tragic, very accidental

accident?

Straightaway, they thought of just the guy.

Mike Malloy.

That tragic Irish immigrant who'd lost his job and now spent all his time drinking.

He was in this bar almost every night — it would be easy to try some funny business.

Besides, he didn't have much life left in him anyway.

If they cut his life short artificially by a few months then so what?

There's no way they could have known that the man they selected would turn out to be

almost entirely indestructible...

But the five of them agreed.

They'd take out a life insurance policy in a fake name, and make a fake identity card

in the same name.

As long as Mike had the fake identity in his pocket when he died, they'd be able to make

a claim on the life insurance.

One of the other men would take out a fake identity to pose as his brother.

It would require a bit of upfront investment of course, but it'd be well worth it in

the end.

Or so they thought.

So, off they went to the insurers.

Spending almost every last penny the five men could pool together, they took out one

policy from Metropolitan Life and another from Prudential.

Mike Malloy became Nicholas Mellory and Joseph Murphy became Joseph Mellory.

Ah, to be alive in the times when scamming people was that easy.

In total, Mike's life would be worth just under $3,500, or $65,000 in today's money.

Not bad for a total washup.

What could go wrong?

The only thing at stake was their lives if they got found out and accused of murder…

but no need to worry about that...

Hundreds of people were already dying in New York from alcohol poisoning each year, which

is pretty impressive considering alcohol was illegal there at the time.

That was why Mike Malloy was the perfect victim.

It seemed perfectly plausible that a known alcoholic with little to live for would join

the hordes of men passing away at the hands of their favorite vice.

Shortly after taking out two life insurance policies…

Soon enough, the fateful night rolled around.

Mike — or should I say Nicholas, wink wink — entered the speakeasy, like he did most

other evenings.

There was just one crucial difference: this time, he was given copious amounts of alcohol

for free.

The five men greeted Mike as if he was some kind of legend, royalty, or a long-lost brother.

Instead of him waiting in the corner of the establishment until someone got drunk enough

to buy him a drink, tonight the booze was flowing as if money was no object.

A beer here, a shot there.

The plan was that he'd gradually get drunker and drunker, until he eventually succumbed

to alcohol poisoning.

But somehow, it wasn't working.

Mike downed one, two, ten, twenty drinks, until the men were unable to keep count anymore.

Yet he never reached that pitiful state of drunkenness where you lose all sense of reality

and become helpless.

In fact, he kept coming back for more.

He didn't even look tipsy.

How could someone with no money for alcohol build up such a huge tolerance?

The gang realized they'd have to play dirty.

This man might be able to stomach endless quantities of beer, but there was no way he'd

be able to defy actual poisons.

Well, that's what you'd think — but Mike was no normal man.

Unfortunately, there was no arsenic on hand.

That was too expensive.

But barman Tony did have some methanol — you know, the byproduct of wood alcohol and coal

that destroys the optic nerve and poisons the central nervous system of regular people.

But not Mike.

He continued to laugh and joke, like he was on Cloud Nine.

He might have had a stomach of iron, but his social intelligence was lacking.

The men gathered behind the bar, plotting their next move.

Maybe the alcohol and the methanol didn't kill him.

But there was one thing that couldn't possibly fail: denatured alcohol.

The definition of denatured alcohol is literally alcohol that's unfit for drinking.

And why is it unfit for drinking, I hear you ask?

It contains toxic additional chemicals.

It doesn't even taste like regular alcohol — it's completely disgusting.

So, let's see how our good friend Mike fared this time…

You'd think he'd spit it out in disgust at least.

But there was nothing.

No reaction.

He downed it like it was whiskey.

Eventually, it came to closing time for the speakeasy.

Mike departed in great spirits, thanking everyone for the free drinks.

He even had the nerve to walk in a straight line as he left.

In a moment of last-ditch hope, you wondered if maybe he'd die in his sleep.

Instead, he was back again the next night.

What had happened defied everything you could have predicted.

How was this man still alive?

But still, there had to be another way.

One man proposed using food as poison instead.

Everyone conceded it was at least worth a go.

So, someone sourced a tin of who-knows-how-old sardines that smelled like death, and prepared

them in a sandwich for Mike, who was once again drunk.

I can't imagine he was thrilled to be presented with a sardine sandwich, but this was a man

who enjoyed drinking denatured alcohol, after all.

The five men waited anxiously as Mike wolfed down the sandwich.

And… nothing happened.

In fact, he asked for another one.

This was ridiculous.

Did he have no sense of taste at all?

Was he just challenging them and playing along?

But still, the men weren't about to give up so easily.

Not after shelling out so much money on life insurance.

This time, the men filled out the sandwich with as many ridiculous and toxic yet cheap

things as they could think of.

Bits of broken glass, carpet tacks, finely ground bits of metal tin.

Joseph tried oysters marinated with denatured alcohol, knowing oysters and hard spirits

formed a deadly combination that should pickle the stomach.

Can you guess what happened?

Nothing.

Once again, Mike waltzed out in high spirits.

And if you thought any of the previous attempts on Mike's life were savage, you've seen

nothing yet.

The next night, the men suggested that everyone could go for a walk together.

Nothing like a bit of fresh air on a freezing winter night.

Once they reached a park, they encouraged Mike to sit down on a bench, and hung around

waiting until the alcohol took hold and he fell asleep.

And then they did what all good friends would do in such a situation — left him there

to die.

Few people can survive a winter night in New York city with no protection from the elements.

But this wasn't just anyone, it was Mike, so they had to be sure.

They ripped open his clothes, poured water over him, and left.

So, would that be it?

Would that finally be the end?

Of course not.

The next morning Mike returned to the speakeasy in perfect health but with an interesting

tale, explaining the cold had shaken him awake, allowing him to leave before he reached a

bitter end.

Meanwhile, one of the men who had walked him to the park had come down with a bad cold.

And they say Karma isn't real.

That night served as a kind of turning point.

Although the men had been trying to murder Mike, they'd at least been doing it in a

nice way.

They hadn't tried to strangle or hang him or anything too cold-blooded — they'd

just been preparing him dodgy sandwiches or suggesting questionable activities.

Now, things were about to change.

One of the men, Harry Hershey Green, was a cab driver.

And he reckoned he could orchestrate a car crash.

At first, Hershey tried to bribe some of his acquaintances into doing his dirty work for

him.

But it turns out that even during the Great Depression some people have either morals

or a sensible risk management approach.

So, he resolved to do it himself.

A few days later, the fatal crash happened.

Mike took a harsh battering and was admitted to the hospital.

Everyone thought he'd be dead within hours.

They were wrong.

Once again, Mike lived.

He'd broken his shoulder and suffered a concussion, but he was still very much alive.

In fact, a week later he was back at the speakeasy looking for some free booze.

Oh, Mike, if only you knew what was good for you.

You need to find some real friends.

That night, things turned violent.

The men had thought of one thing that no man could possibly survive.

Carbon monoxide poisoning.

Rewind back to the scene at the start of the video.

Joseph Murphy and Daniel Kriesberg had pinned a drunk Mike down on the bed as they used

a gaslight tube to poison him with carbon monoxide.

You might doubt that the man who died was really Mike.

But come on, you didn't really think he would survive this one, did you?

It took twenty minutes to finish the job, which is surprisingly long, but eventually

his body had to give in.

So, what happened next?

Did they check in their life insurance premium, wander off into the sunset and live happily

ever after?

Not quite.

They did succeed in getting the money.

At first.

They paid a doctor to sign a death certificate, citing lobar pneumonia as the cause.

It was a downright lie — the doctor falsely claimed Mike had visited the doctor complaining

of flu twice before dying.

There was just one problem.

A few months later, there was a murder at the speakeasy, and Joseph Murphy was taken

into custody as a witness.

Meanwhile, one of the life insurance agents became suspicious after failing to track them

down the nonexistent Nicholas Mellory

There were already rumors going around about the plot to kill Mike, and eventually the

police caught wind of it.

Everything was going to pot.

The police decided to give Mike's body an autopsy.

The murdering fivesome hadn't bothered to embalm the body, which would have removed

all traces of what had happened.

Rookie mistake.

It soon became clear that Mike hadn't died because of his lobar pneumonia or flu.

It didn't exactly take a forensic pathologist to figure it out — there was a cherry red

discoloration all over the corpse, a clear sign of what had really happened.

All five men, plus the doctor who signed the fake death note, were arrested.

All in all, the gang had blown almost two thousand dollars trying to earn the three

thousand five hundred life dollar premium.

If only I'd be there with them, I would have suggested they use that as to bribe a

journalist to report a fake death.

The power of hindsight, I suppose.

Now, begin your own journey towards immortality by checking out our videos on how to survive

a crocodile attack or falling out of an airplane.

Learn languages from TV shows, movies, news, articles and more! Try LingQ for FREE

Man Who Couldn't Be Killed "Iron Mike" Homme|L'homme||||| ||죽일 수 없는|||| Der Mann, den man nicht töten konnte "Iron Mike" Ο άνθρωπος που δεν μπορούσε να σκοτωθεί "Iron Mike" El hombre que no pudo ser asesinado "Iron Mike" L'homme qu'on ne pouvait pas tuer "Iron Mike" L'uomo che non poteva essere ucciso: "Iron Mike 殺されなかった男 "アイアン・マイク" 죽일 수 없는 남자 "아이언 마이크" Žmogus, kurio neįmanoma nužudyti "Geležinis Maikas" Człowiek, którego nie można zabić "Żelazny Mike" O homem que não podia ser morto "Iron Mike" Человек, которого нельзя было убить "Железный Майк" Mannen som inte kunde dödas "Iron Mike" Öldürülemeyen Adam "Demir Mike" Людина, яку неможливо було вбити "Залізний Майк" 杀不死的男人“钢铁麦克” 殺不死的男人“鋼鐵麥克”

The room contains three men and a bed.

One of the men is drunk, flailing about with little control of his body, and the other |||hommes||||||||||||| ||||||waving wildly|||||||||| ||||||팔을 휘젓는|||||||||| ||||||борсається|||||||||| ||||||もがいている|||||||||| ||||||movimiento descontrolado|||||||||| Uno de los hombres está borracho, agitándose con poco control de su cuerpo, y el otro Um dos homens está bêbado, se debatendo com pouco controle sobre seu corpo, e o outro

two are stone cold sober. ||||全く酔っていない ||piedra||sobrios dos están sobrios como una piedra. dois estão sóbrios como pedra.

Then things turn violent. |||de manière violente |||aggressive or chaotic

One man grabs the drunkard and pins him down — in such a state, he can hardly put up ||seizes||intoxicated person||holds||||||||||| ||||술주정뱅이||제압하다|||||||||거의 못하다|버티다|버티다 ||||borracho||lo inmoviliza||||tal||estado||||| ||||п'яницю||пригвинчує до підлоги||||||||||| Un hombre agarra al borracho y lo inmoviliza; en tal estado, apenas puede aguantar Um homem agarra o bêbado e o prende - em tal estado, ele mal consegue aguentar

a fight. |physical altercation

The other sober man starts fiddling with something by the bed, and a few moments later, he unhooks |||||playing around||||||||||||removes a hook |||||만지작거리다||||||||||||걸쇠를 풀다 |||||manipulando||||||||||||desengancha |||||возитися|||||||||||| O outro homem sóbrio começa a mexer em algo ao lado da cama e, alguns momentos depois,

the tube from a gaslight and shoves it into the mouth of the drunk man. ||||gaslight tube||pushes|||||||| ||||газова лампа|||||||||| |tubo|||farol de gas||empuja|||||||| el tubo de una lámpara de gas y se lo mete en la boca al borracho. o tubo de um lampião e o enfia na boca do bêbado.

He switches it on. |enciende|| Lo enciende. Hij zet hem aan. Ele liga. Он включает его.

Carbon monoxide floods into his mouth and he remains pinned down until his body goes |monoxide|fills|||||||held down||||| |일산화탄소||||||||||||| ||||||||permanece|inmovilizado||||| El monóxido de carbono le llega a la boca y permanece inmovilizado hasta que su cuerpo se va Koolmonoxide stroomt in zijn mond en hij blijft vastgepind totdat zijn lichaam verdwijnt Угарный газ заливается в рот, и он остается прижатым к земле до тех пор, пока его тело не потеряет сознание.

limp. verb form cojo кульгати slap.

The mission was nearly complete — after at least nine attempts, it was finally time |||||||||efforts||||

for Iron Mike Malloy to die... |||Iron Mike Malloy|| |||Malloy||

How had things come to such a sorry state? |||||||비참한| ¿Cómo habían llegado las cosas a un estado tan lamentable? Как все дошло до такого плачевного состояния?

Two words: the Great Depression. |||Gran|Gran Depresión

Oh wait, that's three words, but never mind.

Desperate times call for desperate measures — and few points in history have been more ||||extreme||||||||| |||||medidas|||||||| Tiempos desesperados exigen medidas desesperadas, y pocos puntos en la historia han sido más Отчаянные времена требуют отчаянных мер - и мало какой момент в истории был более

desperate than the period after 1929. 절박한||||

Unemployment was soaring, and you'd struggle to meet someone who wasn't looking for money. joblessness||rising rapidly||||||||||| El desempleo se estaba disparando y te costaría encontrar a alguien que no buscara dinero.

A certain five men sat in a New York speakeasy in 1933 were no exception. |||||||||bar||||to be excluded |||||||||підпільний бар|||| Ciertos cinco hombres sentados en un bar clandestino de Nueva York en 1933 no fueron la excepción. Een zekere vijf mannen die in 1933 in een speakeasy in New York zaten, vormden geen uitzondering.

They were Tony Marino, Joseph Murphy, Francis Pasqua, Hershey Green, and Daniel Kreisburg. ||Tony Marino||Joseph Murphy||||||||Daniel Kreisburg

The one thing binding them together was the need to make some quick dough, and that's |||binding||||||||||money|| |||||||||||||돈|| |||||||||||||お金|| Lo único que los unió fue la necesidad de hacer una masa rápida, y eso es A única coisa que os unia era a necessidade de fazer uma massa rápida, e isso é

exactly what they were discussing one night in the bar. |||||||||pub

Jobs were almost out of the question. Los trabajos estaban casi fuera de discusión. О работе практически не было и речи.

None of them were morally opposed to a life of criminality, but they knew they had to Aucun||||||||||criminalité|||||| |||||against|||||crime|||||| ||||||||||범죄 생활||||||

be smart about it.

A bit of petty thievery here or there just wasn't going to cut it. |||trivial|theft||||||||| Un pequeño robo aquí o allá no iba a ser suficiente. Um pouco de pequenos furtos aqui ou ali simplesmente não daria conta. Мелкое воровство здесь и там было не в счет.

They had to think big. Tenían que pensar en grande.

That's when a eureka moment hit. |||discovery|| |||유레카|| Fue entonces cuando llegó un momento eureka.

Life insurance. |protection against loss Seguro de vida.

They'd all heard the tales of people doing themselves in, or doing their loved ones in, They had||||stories||||||||||| Todos habían escuchado las historias de personas que se suicidaban o de sus seres queridos en, Todos eles ouviram as histórias de pessoas se matando, ou matando seus entes queridos, Все они слышали истории о том, как люди сами себя наказывали или наказывали своих близких,

to cash in on a good policy. para sacar provecho de una buena política. para lucrar com uma boa política.

But there had to be a better way to do it. Pero tenía que haber una mejor manera de hacerlo.

What about if you knew someone who was already really ill? ¿Y si conocieras a alguien que ya estaba realmente enfermo?

You could persuade them to sign up for a life insurance policy and cash out when they tragically |||||||||||||||||unfortunately Podría persuadirlos para que se suscriban a una póliza de seguro de vida y retiren efectivo cuando trágicamente Você poderia convencê-los a assinar uma apólice de seguro de vida e sacar quando eles tragicamente

met their end a few weeks down the line. encontraron su final unas semanas después.

The perfect crime. ||act of wrongdoing

There was just one problem. Hubo solo un problema.

Nobody could think of anyone who was dying. Nadie podía pensar en nadie que estuviera muriendo.

Luckily, one man had a better idea.

What if someone took out a life insurance policy and later died in a tragic, very accidental ¿Qué pasa si alguien contrata una póliza de seguro de vida y luego muere de una manera trágica y muy accidental?

accident?

Straightaway, they thought of just the guy. Immediately|||||| Imediatamente, eles pensaram apenas no cara.

Mike Malloy.

That tragic Irish immigrant who'd lost his job and now spent all his time drinking. ||Irish immigrant||who had||||||||||

He was in this bar almost every night — it would be easy to try some funny business. Estaba en este bar casi todas las noches; sería fácil intentar hacer negocios divertidos.

Besides, he didn't have much life left in him anyway. Además, de todos modos, no le quedaba mucha vida.

If they cut his life short artificially by a few months then so what? ||||||in an unnatural way||||||| Si acortaron su vida artificialmente unos meses, ¿y qué?

There's no way they could have known that the man they selected would turn out to be |||||||||||chosen||||| No hay forma de que supieran que el hombre que seleccionaron resultaría ser

almost entirely indestructible... ||nearly unbreakable

But the five of them agreed.

They'd take out a life insurance policy in a fake name, and make a fake identity card ||||||||||||||forged||

in the same name.

As long as Mike had the fake identity in his pocket when he died, they'd be able to make Mientras Mike tuviera la identidad falsa en su bolsillo cuando muriera, podrían hacer

a claim on the life insurance.

One of the other men would take out a fake identity to pose as his brother. ||||||||||||pretend||| Uno de los otros hombres sacaría una identidad falsa para hacerse pasar por su hermano. Um dos outros homens usaria uma identidade falsa para se passar por seu irmão.

It would require a bit of upfront investment of course, but it'd be well worth it in ||||||initial|capital outlay||||||||| ||||||前もって|||||||||| Por supuesto, requeriría un poco de inversión inicial, pero valdría la pena en

the end.

Or so they thought. O eso pensaban ellos.

So, off they went to the insurers. Entonces, se fueron a las aseguradoras.

Spending almost every last penny the five men could pool together, they took out one ||||cent|||||||||| Gastando casi hasta el último centavo que los cinco hombres pudieron juntar, sacaron uno

policy from Metropolitan Life and another from Prudential. ||Metropolitan Life|||||Prudential Insurance

Mike Malloy became Nicholas Mellory and Joseph Murphy became Joseph Mellory. ||||Mellory(1)||||||Joseph Mellory

Ah, to be alive in the times when scamming people was that easy. ||||||||deceiving|||| Ah, estar vivo en los tiempos en que estafar a la gente era tan fácil.

In total, Mike's life would be worth just under $3,500, or $65,000 in today's money. En total, la vida de Mike valdría poco menos de $ 3,500, o $ 65,000 en dinero de hoy.

Not bad for a total washup. |||||failure |||||повний невдаха Nada mal para un lavado total. Niet slecht voor een totale spoeling. Неплохо для полного мытья.

What could go wrong? ¿Qué puede salir mal?

The only thing at stake was their lives if they got found out and accused of murder… ||||||||||||||||homicide charge Lo único que estaba en juego eran sus vidas si los descubrían y los acusaban de asesinato ...

but no need to worry about that...

Hundreds of people were already dying in New York from alcohol poisoning each year, which

is pretty impressive considering alcohol was illegal there at the time. ||||||prohibited|||| es bastante impresionante teniendo en cuenta que el alcohol era ilegal allí en ese momento.

That was why Mike Malloy was the perfect victim.

It seemed perfectly plausible that a known alcoholic with little to live for would join |||||||person with alcoholism||||||| |||もっともらしい||||||||||| Parecía perfectamente plausible que un alcohólico conocido con poco por lo que vivir se uniera

the hordes of men passing away at the hands of their favorite vice. |large groups|||||||||||addiction |群衆||||||||||| las hordas de hombres que mueren a manos de su vicio favorito. as hordas de homens morrendo nas mãos de seu vício favorito.

Shortly after taking out two life insurance policies… a brief time|||||||contracts Shortly after taking out two life insurance policies… Poco después de contratar dos pólizas de seguro de vida ...

Soon enough, the fateful night rolled around. |||significant||| Muy pronto, llegó la fatídica noche. Logo, a noite fatídica rolou. Вскоре наступила роковая ночь.

Mike — or should I say Nicholas, wink wink — entered the speakeasy, like he did most |||||||suggestive gesture||||||| ||||||||||підпільний бар|||| Mike, o debería decir Nicholas, guiño guiño, entró en el bar clandestino, como lo hacía la mayoría. Mike - ou devo dizer Nicholas, pisca pisca - entrou no bar clandestino, como ele fez com a maioria

other evenings.

There was just one crucial difference: this time, he was given copious amounts of alcohol |||||||||||large quantities of||| |||||||||||大量の||| Solo había una diferencia crucial: esta vez, le dieron copiosas cantidades de alcohol

for free.

The five men greeted Mike as if he was some kind of legend, royalty, or a long-lost brother. |||welcomed||||||||||||||| Los cinco hombres saludaron a Mike como si fuera una especie de leyenda, realeza o un hermano perdido hace mucho tiempo.

Instead of him waiting in the corner of the establishment until someone got drunk enough En lugar de que él esperara en la esquina del establecimiento hasta que alguien se emborrachara lo suficiente In plaats van dat hij in de hoek van het etablissement wacht tot iemand dronken genoeg is Em vez de ele esperar no canto do estabelecimento até que alguém ficasse bêbado o suficiente

to buy him a drink, tonight the booze was flowing as if money was no object. |||||||酒|||||||| para invitarle a una copa, esta noche el alcohol fluía como si el dinero no fuera un problema. para lhe pagar uma bebida, esta noite a bebida estava fluindo como se dinheiro não fosse problema.

A beer here, a shot there. Una cerveza aquí, un trago allá. Burada bir bira, orada bir shot.

The plan was that he'd gradually get drunker and drunker, until he eventually succumbed |||||||more drunk||more intoxicated||||

to alcohol poisoning. a la intoxicación por alcohol. à intoxicação por álcool.

But somehow, it wasn't working.

Mike downed one, two, ten, twenty drinks, until the men were unable to keep count anymore. |drank|||||||||||||| |飲んだ|||||||||||||| Mike tomó una, dos, diez, veinte bebidas, hasta que los hombres ya no pudieron seguir contando. Mike bebeu um, dois, dez, vinte drinques, até que os homens não conseguiram mais contar.

Yet he never reached that pitiful state of drunkenness where you lose all sense of reality |||||sad|||intoxication||||||| Sin embargo, nunca llegó a ese lamentable estado de embriaguez en el que se pierde todo sentido de la realidad.

and become helpless. e ficar desamparado.

In fact, he kept coming back for more. De hecho, seguía volviendo por más.

He didn't even look tipsy. ||||slightly drunk ||||ほろ酔い Ni siquiera parecía achispado.

How could someone with no money for alcohol build up such a huge tolerance? |||||||||||||耐性 ¿Cómo podría alguien sin dinero para el alcohol desarrollar una tolerancia tan grande?

The gang realized they'd have to play dirty. |group of people||||||

This man might be able to stomach endless quantities of beer, but there was no way he'd ||||||||amounts|||||||| Este homem pode ser capaz de engolir quantidades infinitas de cerveja, mas não havia como ele

be able to defy actual poisons. |||resist||toxic substances |||無効化する|| |||протистояти отрутам|| ser capaz de desafiar venenos reais.

Well, that's what you'd think — but Mike was no normal man.

Unfortunately, there was no arsenic on hand. ||||arsenic compound||

That was too expensive.

But barman Tony did have some methanol — you know, the byproduct of wood alcohol and coal |the bartender|||||wood alcohol||||secondary product|||||

that destroys the optic nerve and poisons the central nervous system of regular people. |damages||visual|||||central nervous system|||||

But not Mike.

He continued to laugh and joke, like he was on Cloud Nine. Он продолжал смеяться и шутить, словно находился на девятом облаке. Sanki Cloud Nine'daymış gibi gülmeye ve şakalaşmaya devam etti.

He might have had a stomach of iron, but his social intelligence was lacking. Ele podia ter um estômago de ferro, mas faltava sua inteligência social.

The men gathered behind the bar, plotting their next move. ||||||planning||| Os homens se reuniram atrás do bar, planejando seu próximo passo.

Maybe the alcohol and the methanol didn't kill him.

But there was one thing that couldn't possibly fail: denatured alcohol. |||||||||altered ethanol| |||||||||変性アルコール| |||||||||денатурований спирт| Maar er was één ding dat onmogelijk kon mislukken: gedenatureerde alcohol. Mas havia uma coisa que não podia falhar: álcool desnaturado.

The definition of denatured alcohol is literally alcohol that's unfit for drinking. |||||||||not suitable|| |||денатурований спирт||||||||

And why is it unfit for drinking, I hear you ask? И почему же он непригоден для питья, спросите вы?

It contains toxic additional chemicals.

It doesn't even taste like regular alcohol — it's completely disgusting. |||||||||repulsive

So, let's see how our good friend Mike fared this time… ||||||||performed|| Então, vamos ver como nosso bom amigo Mike se saiu desta vez… Итак, давайте посмотрим, как наш хороший друг Майк справился на этот раз...

You'd think he'd spit it out in disgust at least. |||||||displeasure|| Você pensaria que ele cuspiria com desgosto, pelo menos.

But there was nothing. Mas não havia nada.

No reaction.

He downed it like it was whiskey.

Eventually, it came to closing time for the speakeasy. ||||closing|||| ||||||||スピークイージー

Mike departed in great spirits, thanking everyone for the free drinks. |||||expressing gratitude||||| Mike departed in great spirits, thanking everyone for the free drinks.

He even had the nerve to walk in a straight line as he left.

In a moment of last-ditch hope, you wondered if maybe he'd die in his sleep. |||||final|||||||||| In een moment van laatste hoop, vroeg je je af of hij misschien in zijn slaap zou sterven. В момент последней надежды вы подумали, что, может быть, он умрет во сне.

Instead, he was back again the next night.

What had happened defied everything you could have predicted. ||||||||foreseen То, что произошло, противоречит всем вашим прогнозам.

How was this man still alive?

But still, there had to be another way.

One man proposed using food as poison instead. ||||||toxic substance|

Everyone conceded it was at least worth a go. |agreed||||||| Все признали, что попробовать стоит. En azından gitmeye değer olduğunu herkes kabul etti.

So, someone sourced a tin of who-knows-how-old sardines that smelled like death, and prepared ||obtained||||||||sardines in tin||reeked of death|||| ||||||||||サーディン|||||| Dus iemand kocht een blikje wie-weet-hoe-oude sardientjes die naar de dood rook, en maakte het klaar

them in a sandwich for Mike, who was once again drunk. |||between two people||||||| them in a sandwich for Mike, who was once again drunk.

I can't imagine he was thrilled to be presented with a sardine sandwich, but this was a man |||||excited||||||sardine||||||

who enjoyed drinking denatured alcohol, after all.

The five men waited anxiously as Mike wolfed down the sandwich. ||||with nervous anticipation|||ate quickly||| |||||||がつがつ食べた||| The five men waited anxiously as Mike wolfed down the sandwich.

And… nothing happened.

In fact, he asked for another one.

This was ridiculous.

Did he have no sense of taste at all?

Was he just challenging them and playing along?

But still, the men weren't about to give up so easily.

Not after shelling out so much money on life insurance. ||spending||||||| Niet na zoveel geld uitgeven aan levensverzekeringen.

This time, the men filled out the sandwich with as many ridiculous and toxic yet cheap This time, the men filled out the sandwich with as many ridiculous and toxic yet cheap

things as they could think of.

Bits of broken glass, carpet tacks, finely ground bits of metal tin. |||||nails|very||||| ||||||дрібно подрібнені||||| Кусочки битого стекла, ковровые клещи, тонко измельченные кусочки металлического олова.

Joseph tried oysters marinated with denatured alcohol, knowing oysters and hard spirits ||oysters|soaked in alcohol|||||||| |||||денатурований спирт|||||| Джозеф пробовал устриц, маринованных в денатурате, знал устриц и крепкие спиртные напитки.

formed a deadly combination that should pickle the stomach. ||||||sour|| vormde een dodelijke combinatie die de maag zou moeten pekelen. образуют смертельно опасную комбинацию, от которой должно мутить в желудке.

Can you guess what happened?

Nothing.

Once again, Mike waltzed out in high spirits. |||strolled||||

And if you thought any of the previous attempts on Mike's life were savage, you've seen |||||||||||||brutal|| En als je dacht dat een van de eerdere aanslagen op Mike's leven wreed was, heb je het gezien

nothing yet.

The next night, the men suggested that everyone could go for a walk together.

Nothing like a bit of fresh air on a freezing winter night. |||||||||cold||

Once they reached a park, they encouraged Mike to sit down on a bench, and hung around |||||||||||||park seat|||

waiting until the alcohol took hold and he fell asleep.

And then they did what all good friends would do in such a situation — left him there

to die.

Few people can survive a winter night in New York city with no protection from the elements.

But this wasn't just anyone, it was Mike, so they had to be sure. But this wasn't just anyone, it was Mike, so they had to be sure.

They ripped open his clothes, poured water over him, and left. |tore||||||||| Они разорвали на нем одежду, облили его водой и ушли.

So, would that be it?

Would that finally be the end?

Of course not.

The next morning Mike returned to the speakeasy in perfect health but with an interesting |||||||bar||||||| The next morning Mike returned to the speakeasy in perfect health but with an interesting

tale, explaining the cold had shaken him awake, allowing him to leave before he reached a |||||shook||||||||||

bitter end.

Meanwhile, one of the men who had walked him to the park had come down with a bad cold. Тем временем один из тех, кто провожал его до парка, слег с простудой.

And they say Karma isn't real. |||Karma is real||

That night served as a kind of turning point.

Although the men had been trying to murder Mike, they'd at least been doing it in a Although the men had been trying to murder Mike, they'd at least been doing it in a

nice way.

They hadn't tried to strangle or hang him or anything too cold-blooded — they'd ||||strangle him||||||||cruel| ||||задушити||повісити|||||||

just been preparing him dodgy sandwiches or suggesting questionable activities. ||||suspicious|||proposing|suspicious|

Now, things were about to change.

One of the men, Harry Hershey Green, was a cab driver. |||||||||taxi|

And he reckoned he could orchestrate a car crash. ||thought|||arrange||| ||考えた|||計画する|||

At first, Hershey tried to bribe some of his acquaintances into doing his dirty work for |||||||||people he knows|||||| |||||||||知人||||||

him.

But it turns out that even during the Great Depression some people have either morals ||||||||||||||ethical principles

or a sensible risk management approach. ||||management strategy|

So, he resolved to do it himself.

A few days later, the fatal crash happened. |||||deadly||

Mike took a harsh battering and was admitted to the hospital. ||||beating||||||medical facility |||||||госпіталізований||| Mike took a harsh battering and was admitted to the hospital.

Everyone thought he'd be dead within hours.

They were wrong.

Once again, Mike lived.

He'd broken his shoulder and suffered a concussion, but he was still very much alive. |||||||brain injury|||||||

In fact, a week later he was back at the speakeasy looking for some free booze. ||||||||||підпільний бар|||||

Oh, Mike, if only you knew what was good for you.

You need to find some real friends.

That night, things turned violent.

The men had thought of one thing that no man could possibly survive.

Carbon monoxide poisoning.

Rewind back to the scene at the start of the video. return||||||||||

Joseph Murphy and Daniel Kriesberg had pinned a drunk Mike down on the bed as they used ||||Kriesberg (1)||||||||||||

a gaslight tube to poison him with carbon monoxide. |газова труба||||||| a gaslight tube to poison him with carbon monoxide.

You might doubt that the man who died was really Mike. You might doubt that the man who died was really Mike.

But come on, you didn't really think he would survive this one, did you?

It took twenty minutes to finish the job, which is surprisingly long, but eventually ||||||||||unexpectedly|||

his body had to give in. Его тело должно было сдаться.

So, what happened next?

Did they check in their life insurance premium, wander off into the sunset and live happily ||||||||||||happily ever after||| Они зарегистрировали свой страховой взнос, ушли в закат и живут счастливо.

ever after?

Not quite.

They did succeed in getting the money. ||did succeed||||

At first.

They paid a doctor to sign a death certificate, citing lobar pneumonia as the cause. ||||||||document of death||lung lobe|lobar pneumonia|||

It was a downright lie — the doctor falsely claimed Mike had visited the doctor complaining |||outright||||incorrectly|||||||with a complaint

of flu twice before dying.

There was just one problem.

A few months later, there was a murder at the speakeasy, and Joseph Murphy was taken

into custody as a witness. |detention|||as a witness ||||証人として

Meanwhile, one of the life insurance agents became suspicious after failing to track them ||||||representatives||||||| Тем временем один из агентов по страхованию жизни заподозрил неладное после того, как не смог их отследить.

down the nonexistent Nicholas Mellory ||nonexistent person|| опустить несуществующего Николаса Меллори

There were already rumors going around about the plot to kill Mike, and eventually the

police caught wind of it. Полиция узнала об этом.

Everything was going to pot. Все шло наперекосяк.

The police decided to give Mike's body an autopsy. ||||||||post-mortem examination ||||||||розтин тіла

The murdering fivesome hadn't bothered to embalm the body, which would have removed ||group of five||||preserve|||||| Убийственная пятерка не удосужилась забальзамировать тело, что позволило бы устранить

all traces of what had happened. все следы произошедшего.

Rookie mistake. beginner's|

It soon became clear that Mike hadn't died because of his lobar pneumonia or flu.

It didn't exactly take a forensic pathologist to figure it out — there was a cherry red ||||||forensic expert||||||||bright red| Не нужно было быть судебным патологоанатомом, чтобы понять, что это - вишнево-красный

discoloration all over the corpse, a clear sign of what had really happened. staining||||body of the deceased||||||||

All five men, plus the doctor who signed the fake death note, were arrested. |||||||||||||taken into custody

All in all, the gang had blown almost two thousand dollars trying to earn the three ||||||spent||||||||| В общей сложности банда спустила почти две тысячи долларов, пытаясь заработать три

thousand five hundred life dollar premium.

If only I'd be there with them, I would have suggested they use that as to bribe a

journalist to report a fake death.

The power of hindsight, I suppose. |||reflection|| |||Сила ретроспективи, гадаю.|| Сила ретроспективы, я полагаю.

Now, begin your own journey towards immortality by checking out our videos on how to survive ||||||eternal life|||||||||

a crocodile attack or falling out of an airplane. |crocodile|||||||