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Connecticut Spies Not Named Nathan Hale

Flickr Creative Commons, Dave Newman (newmanchu)

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Commodore%20Skahill/Colin%20McEnroe%20Show%2001-03-13.mp3

When you say "spy from Connecticut" Nathan Hale pops up on everybody's mental radar.

But there are a lot of other, darker stories, and the idea for this show began when our intern Nina Earnest stumbled on the tale of a Russian transplanted to the small town of Thompson, Conn., but possibly involved in clandestine operations.

 
We have three more stories besides that one, and we found out, just a few days ago, about a fourth, Isaiah Oggins, born and raised in Willimantic and enlisted as a spy for the Soviet Union in its early years. Oggins worked in Paris and Shanghai and then excited, for no good reason, the paranoia of Stalin, who had him jailed and executed.

 
After you hear the stories of John Cook and the two Bissells, if you think we've still skipped somebody like John Downey e-mail me at colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.

Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.

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