Dunning - Part 3
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Dunning - Part 3
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About this listen
Chicago’s politicians had a saying: "To the victor go the spoils." But what happens when the spoils are the lives of asylum inmates?
In this episode, Matt and Megan unravel the Boodlers’ Scandal—a web of corruption so deep it bled Cook County dry while inmates at Dunning starved, shivered, and suffered. From rotten meat and stolen funds to secret backroom deals in smoke-filled saloons, this was a system designed to profit off neglect.
Meet Clem Periolat, the "Bean Man" whose spoiled groceries lined the pockets of officials. King Mike McDonald, the gambling kingpin who pulled the strings. And Dr. John Spray, the asylum superintendent who ruled with a pistol on his hip.
As reformers tried to expose the truth, they were met with threats, bullets, and powerful men who always seemed to slip away untouched. But when a doctor refused to stay silent, the scheme began to unravel—leading to trials, resignations, and one dramatic escape to Canada.
This is the story of how greed devoured the asylum system. And how, despite it all, the ones who suffered most were never the ones on trial.