Grass Valley, California Episode (includes spoilers)

In the Grass Valley, California episode about halfway through Steve is shown doing research in a library and says, "Searching through old records I find an article about an exotic dancer name Lola Montez. Turns out she brutally beat a local newspaperman inside the hotel." Steve then meets up with a local author named Chris Enss, where at one point he asks her, "So, how did she wind up at the Holbrooke giving this guy a beating?"

The local author says, "She performs at the Holbrooke. And Henry Shipley, who is a newspaperman here in the gold country -- he has been reprinting articles that are very bad about Lola Montez. And so she trots on down to the Holbrooke and takes a bullwhip out and gives him four lashes across the face." The beating makes national news and the local author hands Steve the newspaper clipping, where Steve asks, "All right, so, what happens to this guy Shipley?"

The local author explains, "He never does get over being humiliated by Lola Montez. He ends up in Sacramento, he drinks himself to death, literally, because he downs a whole bottle of strychnine." Steve says, "Okay, so, he commits suicide". "He does", she says.

Later in the episode during the reveal, Steve recalls the story of how Lola Montez ended up dancing at the Holbrooke. Steve says, "A guy named Henry Shipley wrote articles about her in the local newspaper that weren't very nice. She didn't take this too well, she came right here in this saloon and whipped him." "Oh Goodness", says Amy. The same national news article is shown and Steve says, "I got an article about it. Now, she caught him four times across the face with this whip." "Holy [beep]", Amy says. Continuing, "This guy was so embarrassed by what happened to him that eventually he committed suicide. That's how embarrassed he was about it."

There is only one slight problem about this story, the national news article from 1854 that was shown on the show doesn't substantiate the claim by Steve and the local author. The entire article reads:

By telegraph to the Union.
BY THE ALTA TELEGRAPH LINE.
Assault on an Editor by Lola Montez -- Exciting Scene, &c., &c.
Grass Valley, Nov. 21.

Our town was thrown into a state of ludicrous excitement this forenoon by the appearance of Madame Lola Montez rushing from her residence through Mill street towards Main street, with a lady's delicate riding whip in one hand and a copy of the "Telegraph" in the other, "her eyes in fine frenzy rolling," vowing vengeance on that scoundrel of an editor, &c. She met him at the Golden Gate Saloon, the crowd who were on the qui vive following in her footsteps. Lola struck at the editor with her whip, but he caught and wrested it from her before she could hit him a blow. She then applied woman's best weapon -- her tongue. Meanwhile her antagonist contented himself with keeping most insultingly cool. Finding all her endeavors powerless, the "divine Lola" appealed to the miners, but the only response rendered was a shout of laughter. Mr. Shipley, the editor, then triumphantly retired, having, by his calmness, completely worn out his fair enemy.

The immediate cause of the fracas was the appearance of sundry articles, copied from the New York Times, regarding the "Lola Montez-like insolence and effrontery of the Queen of Spain." The entire scene was decidedly rich.

The appeals of the Countess to the "honest miners" were powerless, and so she invited all hands in to take a drink, but the response was a groan, and none stepped forward to show themselves her champion. The whole affair, so far as the lovely Lola was concerned, was a complete farce.

"How are the mighty fallen; none so poor to do her reverence."

Steve finds an article in the library that Lola Montez "brutally beat a local newspaperman inside the hotel". This premise is repeated twice more; once at the meeting with the local author who said Lola Montez "takes a bullwhip out and gives him four lashes across the face". And, again by Steve at the reveal saying "She caught him four times across the face with this whip". But that is not what the article says. The article says Lola Montez tried, but failed to whip him because he "caught and wrested it from her before she could hit him a blow."

They really should take a moment to read the article that was presented as evidence.