Death row women : murder, justice, and the New York press / Mark Gado.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gado, Mark, 1948-

Series:

Crime, media, and popular culture 1549-196X

Crime, media, and popular culture, 1549-196X

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women murderers--New York (State)--Case studies.

Women murderers.

Death row inmates--New York (State)--Case studies.

Death row inmates.

Electrocution--New York (State)--History.

Electrocution.

Women murderers--Press coverage--New York (State).

Sing Sing Prison.

Press coverage.

History.

New York (State).

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xviii, 213 pages, 4 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Westport, Conn. : Praeger Publishers, 2008.

Summary:

He was a Catholic priest and a killer. Hans Schmidt, ordained in Germany in 1904, arrived in the United States in 1908 and was assigned to St. John's Parish in Louisville, Kentucky. Arguments with the minister resulted in Schmidt's transfer to St. Boniface Church in New York City. There he met beautiful Anna Aumuller, a housekeeper for the rectory. Despite his transfer to a Church far uptown, Father Schmidt and Anna continued a romantic affair and, in a secret ceremony he performed himself, they were married. When he discovered she was pregnant, Father Schmidt knew his secret life would be exposed. On the night of September 2, 1913, he cut Anna's throat, dismembered her body, and threw the parts into the Hudson River. When the body was discovered, he was arrested and charged with the murder. After feigning insanity during his first trial, which ended with a hung jury, Father Schmidt was eventually convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. He remains the only priest ever executed for murder in the United States.

Contents:

Introduction : blonde fiends and giggling grandmas

A morality play : Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray

Dead a thousand times : Anna Antonio

Eva Coo and murder on Crumhorn Mountain

Rough on rats : Mary Frances Creighton

A nuisance to society : Helen Fowler

The lonely heart : Martha Beck

A difficult concept.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [207]-210) and index.

ISBN:

9780275993610

0275993612

OCLC:

156902269