Hannah Mary Tabbs and the disembodied torso : a tale of race, sex, and violence in America / Kali Nicole Gross.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gross, Kali N., 1972- author.

Series:

Oxford scholarship online.

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Tabbs, Hannah Mary.

Murder--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Case studies.

Murder.

Family violence--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Case studies.

Family violence.

African Americans--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Social conditions--19th century.

African Americans.

Multiracial people--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Social conditions--19th century.

Multiracial people.

United States--Race relations--History--19th century.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (231 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Shortly after the discovery of a headless, limbless torso on the bank of a pond just outside of Philadelphia, investigators homed in on two black suspects: Hannah Mary Tabbs and George Wilson, a young man Tabbs implicates shortly after her arrest. The ensuing trial spanned several months, with court procceedings lasting from February to September-a record length of time for the late-nineteenth century. The crime and its adjudication took center stage in presses from New York to Missouri. The nature of the case allowed otherwise taboo subjects such as illicit sex, adultery, and domestic violence in the black community to become fodder for mainstream public discourses on race, gender, and crime. By mapping the crime and its investigation as events unfolded, this book spotlights the chasm between African Americans and the legal system and shows how biased policing helped foment to urban crime.

Contents:

Cover; HANNAH MARY TABBS AND THE DISEMBODIED TORSO: A TALE OF RACE, SEX, AND VIOLENCE IN AMERICA; COPYRIGHT; DEDICATION; CONTENTS ; Prologue; Chapter One: Handle with Care; Chapter Two: The Woman Found; Chapter Three: To Do Him Bodily Harm; Chapter Four: Wavy Hair and Nearly White Skin; Chapter Five: Held for Trial; Chapter Six: A Most Revolting Deed; Epilogue; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; NOTES; Prologue ; Chapter 1 ; Chapter 2 ; Chapter 3 ; Chapter 4 ; Chapter 5 ; Chapter 6 ; Epilogue ; BIBLIOGRAPHY; Institutions and Record Collections; Newspapers; Additional Newspapers Sources

Additional Online SourcesPublished Primary Sources; Secondary Sources; INDEX

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-024123-3

0-19-049440-9

0-19-024122-5