The Farm at Goobersville: Billy Wonka & Tony (1924)

In 1924, the Indiana town of Goobersville faced a wave of disappearances—more than 72 names in about three months, many last seen near a 200-acre farm. The owner, Billy Wonka, met officers with a smile he never earned and a claim he repeated: “I didn’t do anything.” The legend adds something else: a 500-pound spider named Tony, the smell of damp hay, and skitter marks where floors should be clean.

With no arrestable proof, investigators set a sting. An undercover officer walked past the gate. Billy appeared almost immediately, offered a “free shovel,” and led him inside. The hallway was dim, lined with tools and glass. Then: “Sick him!”—and chaos. Officers ...