Urban Legend: Skinned Tom

The Urban Legend of Skinned Tom

Back in the 1930s there once was a man who knew he was a looker, charismatic, and frankly could coax anyone into doing what he wanted, he had that silver of a tongue. His name was Thomas Beltran. Tom was the sort of personality where you wanted him to be your friend at any personal cost because having him around meant something and carried status.

Tom boasted that he knew what women wanted, and would tell anyone on the train sitting near him. He had no problem striking up a conversation with other businessmen about his hustle. How much of his income is supplemented by wives who took pity on him and in return he offered them.... **AHEM** warm comfort missing from their husbands.

It was one train ride in particular that is likely fateful for Tom. You see this train ride the gentleman sitting near Tom DID take a particular interest in what Tom had to say. Tom began to tell him about his latest conquest.

A married woman whose husband was away on business called for Tom to pay a quiet visit. Tom was musing what story he would tell the woman when he got there that would convince her to give her a gold pair of earrings he saw on her bureau the last time he was there.

Tom pulled out a handkerchief and showed the man on the train what he was holding. A simpler and modest set of earrings. Tom said he thinks she'll buy the story that he got them for her and to replace them with the nicer earrings for him to hoc at a pawn shop in Evanston. Tom said that is where the owner just loved him and often gave him a %10 mark up above any offers he'd give to anyone else.

The stranger on the train listening to Tom raised an eyebrow but crossed his arms as he asked Tom how often he did this. Tom noticed the nice watch on the strangers wrist and began to wonder if he could talk the man out of it. But in truth, he hadn't enjoyed a train ride conversation this well in a while talking about himself this much.

Tom laughed at the stranger on the train saying he had no idea how many. He'd expect he's in the running competition for Ghengis Khan in the most unknown prodigy to date.

As the train pulled to a stop at the station both men got off at the station. Tom tipped his hat at the stranger as an indicator to say goodbye and hailed a cab to pick him up to take him to his mistress's home.

When Tom arrived at the lady's home, she was already in her skivvies standing in the doorway. There was no miscommunication about what sort of visit she was hoping for.

As she and Tom had some light conversation and began to become "familiar" he remembered reaching into his pocket to pull out the kerchief with the simple earrings. He gave them to her expressing how he couldn't help but think of her as he picked them out (Picked them out of another womans jewelry box when she wasn't looking was beside the point).

She was thrilled and began to put them on showing them off by posing her head from side to side. But her joy turned to stillness, and the pallor of her face went white as she looked over Toms shoulder.

Standing in the doorway was her husband. Tom turned around ready to lie as far as he needed to go to help her husband understand this was a horrible misunderstanding as to why she was in nothing but her underwear and he in his house.

But as Tom turned around he began to feel his knees buckle and walk backward into the furniture of the room away from the man. He saw the nice watch and the anger on the man's face grow into a heated red and a look in his eye.

"You're home early." is all the woman could mutter out loud.

Tom turned tail to run, Tom tried to run into the forest line behind the house. The husband had a shotgun propped up on the wall by the backdoor as he reached up and pulled it down. An expert shot hit the back of Tom's left leg as he started to limp further into the forest line.

The woman watched as her husband grabbed a large kitchen knife off the counter walking out the backdoor screaming for him to stop. but as her husband and Tom disappeared into the vegetation she couldn't help but wonder what was happening.

It was after nightfall as she doused the porch lights and had seen no sign of either of the men. But as she lay in bed she heard a tapping at her door. She went down and screamed as she opened the door. It was Tom, but all of his skin was either gone or in ribbons hanging off his bloodied muscles. His tongue was cut out as he whimpered.

He dropped dead right there on her porch. Tom's skin was found in the woods scattered around.

To this day if you go into the woods around Illinois for a "lovers-lane parking" situation you may have skinless Tom walk up to your car to come and attack you.

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