He was a beloved legend on the Appalachian Trail, a generous, devout hiker known for his kindness and Jerry Garcia beard.

To his fellow thru-hikers, he was "Bismarck." But to the FBI, he was James Hammes, a fugitive accountant who had vanished after allegedly embezzling $8.7 million from his employer. For years, he lived a double life, hiking thousands of miles while hiding in plain sight.

In this episode, we unravel how a massive white-collar crime led to an unexpected arrest on the A.T., explore the dark secrets of his past, and uncover how his hunger for the spotlight and a TV rerun finally brought his run to an end.

Noteworthy sources for this episode

"A Long Walk's End" by William Browning (SB Nation Longform): A deep dive into Hammes' life on the trail.

"American Greed: The Fugitives" (Season 1, Episode 4): The TV episode that led to his capture.

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Join us for a special recap episode as we raise a glass to our unforgettable debut year! We're revisiting the chilling cases and incredible guests that made Season 1 a hit, breaking down your fan-favorite "ballad" episodes, and sharing behind-the-scenes secrets from the podcast's production.

Featuring clips from each of our five cornerstone ballad episodes:

• • Appalachian Ballads: Otto Wood with author Trevor McKenzie.

  • The Murder of Gladys Kincaid with historian Dr. Kevin Young.

  • Tom Dooley: Murder, Mystery, and a Mountain Ballad with folklorist William Ritter.

  • The Hillsville Courthouse Shooting with Dr. Travis Roundtree.

  • Frankie Silver: Unraveling the Ghost in the Ballad with bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb.

• Season 2 kicks off Monday, 1/5/26, with "The Fugitive Thru-Hiker," our first tale from the Appalachian Trail. Get ready for new trails, new tales, notorious outlaws, and legendary lawmen.

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In 1927, as Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic and "talkies" revolutionized film, a brutal bandit named Paul Jaworski and his Flathead Gang used buried dynamite to launch a Brinks armored car into the air in America's first armored car robbery.

This is the story of a criminal with a death wish, a failed getaway, a daring jailbreak, and a three-state crime spree that ended in Pennsylvania’s electric chair.

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In the winter of 1831, in the remote mountains of North Carolina, a young woman named Frankie Silver was accused of the brutal ax murder of her husband, Charlie. Her conviction, execution, and the gruesome dismemberment of the body made her the first woman hanged by the state of North Carolina.

But her story didn’t end at the gallows—it became a legend, a haunting ballad, and a centuries-old question about justice, class, and culture in early America.

In this compelling episode, host Alfred Dockery is joined by New York Times bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb to discuss her acclaimed novel, The Ballad of Frankie Silver. McCrumb, a celebrated Appalachian writer, delves into her years of meticulous research, separating folklore from fact and reconstructing a tragic tale that still resonates today.

Timestamps

(00:00) Podcast Introduction

(00:18) The Case of Frankie Silver

(00:52) Sharyn McCrumb: I write the stories that won’t go away

(03:15) The Haunting Story of Charlie Silver's Graves

(09:41) Unraveling the Trial of Frankie Silver

(17:28) Burgess Gaither: The Perfect Witness

(26:56) Writing The Ballad Series (No Candy Bars)

(31:00) The Two Souths and Historical Research

(35:21) Debunking the Hollywood Hangings

(36:37) 19th Century Southern Hangings: Carts and Trapdoors

(43:26) This Dreadful, Dark and Dismal Song

(52:04) Swain: The Weasel Governor

(57:57) How Did Charlie Silver Die? A Theory

(1:08:48) The Rich Never Hang

(1:10:46) See You on the Backroads

Sharyn McCrumb's Website

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In the turbulent summer of 1917, as America grappled with war and social upheaval, the small city of Salisbury, North Carolina, was rocked by a brutal crime.

The night watchman at the local streetcar barn was found savagely beaten and stabbed, and the payroll safe was broken open.

What began as a senseless murder and robbery would unravel into a chilling tale of greed, a wooden leg, and a killer whose story would haunt the state's newspapers for half a century.

This is the story of a cold-blooded killer, Baxter Cain, and an unfortunate victim, Abel Harris.

A true crime story about a wooden leg, a torn dollar bill, and a date on the calendar, all entwined to create a grim legacy that outlived the men involved.

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In the sleepy mountain town of Clayton, Georgia, a botched bank robbery in 1934 sets off a wild chase across three states. The bandits have a unique weapon: a half-gallon bucket of roofing tacks.

Sheriff Luther Rickman gives pursuit in a "little old Ford," dodging nails and driving on the wrong side of the road. The trail leads to a stolen Packard, a bloody car crash, and a connection to one of North Carolina's most notorious bootlegging ex-officials. This is the twisted, true story of the Clayton Bank Heist, a tale of financial ruin, moonshine, and a trail of clues that leads to only one man.

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Before Bonnie and Clyde captured the nation's attention, another couple was blazing a trail of crime across America: Irene Schroeder and Walter “Glenn” Dague.

She was a young mother, the press dubbed "Iron Irene." He was a seemingly respectable car salesman.

Their story begins with a deadly roadside shootout that left a Pennsylvania State Trooper dead. What followed was a desperate, multi-state crime spree involving kidnappings, daring escapes, and a final, fiery gunfight in the Arizona desert.

This is the unforgettable true story of Irene Schroeder and Glenn Dague: a tale of violence, swift justice, and a legacy of redemption that reached all the way to the moon.

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March 14, 1912. The Carroll County Courthouse in Hillsville, Virginia, was a scene of tobacco smoke and small-town gossip—until it became a killing ground. When Floyd Allen stood after being convicted and declared, “Gentlemen, I ain’t a-going,” more than 50 shots rang out. In the chaos, the judge, sheriff, and prosecutor were killed, and the powerful Allen family fled, triggering a massive manhunt that captivated the nation.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Travis Roundtree, author of Hillsville Remembered, to unravel the complex history of Appalachia's most notorious shootout.

Hillsville Remembered: Public Memory, Historical Silence, and Appalachia's Most Notorious Shoot-Out by Dr. Travis A. Rountree

The Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy by R.W. "Ron" Hall is available from The Carroll County Historical Society and Museum.

Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and Social Change in Appalachia, 1860-1900 by Altina L. Waller

Ballads

Ballad of Claude Allen (YouTube)

Ballad of Sidna Allen (YouTube)

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