DEADLY BROADCAST terrorized a whole city...

In 1949, Radio Quito's director, Leonardo Páez, produced a 'War of the Worlds' adaptation as a breaking news report of an alien invasion. Unlike the 1938 American broadcast, Páez omitted an initial disclaimer. This led to widespread panic among Quito's 250,000 residents, who believed their country was under attack. The broadcast escalated with fake reports of destroyed cities, enemy landings, and even a reporter's on-air death. The resulting mass hysteria caused people to flee, loot, and eventually converge on the radio station, setting it ablaze. This incident resulted in 6 to 20 fatalities and numerous injuries, destroying Páez's career and forcing him to leave Ecuador.

The broadcast on February 12th, 1949, described Latacunga being destroyed and enemy aircraft landing near Quito. The public reaction included screaming, praying, pointing at the sky, and ultimately, an armed crowd moving towards the city center to the radio station, which was then set on fire. The death toll was reported between 6 and 20 people.

Baylies Staples, a 23-year-old psychic medium in 1851 Massachusetts, was known for his convincing but fraudulent seances. He used hidden hooks attached to his wrists to make tables 'move' and 'thump.' During his third performance of the day, Baylies, unknowingly suffering from a pre-existing heart condition, exerted himself intensely to create dramatic effects. This physical strain, combined with the adrenaline of the performance, caused an aneurysm to rupture, leading to his sudden death. His 'possession' act became terrifyingly real, convincing the attendees and, subsequently, many across the country that ghosts were genuine and dangerous, significantly boosting the spiritualist movement's popularity.

Baylies's act involved secret hooks under the table to make it thump and rise. During his final seance, he experienced a sudden coldness, hazy vision, and became frozen, followed by ragged breathing and mumbling. He then shot up, moaned, and fell, dying. An autopsy revealed a pre-existing heart condition, and the exertion of the performance caused an aneurysm and fatal internal bleeding.