The Trouble with "True Crime": The Witch of New York with Alex Hortis and Ronald K. Fried

Before the sensational cases of Amanda Knox and Casey Anthony—before even Lizzie Borden—there was Polly Bodine, the first American woman put on trial for capital murder in our nation’s debut media circus. With sensationalized reporting and the allure of "true crime" alive and well today, what can we learn from America's formative tabloid trial? Join historian Alex Hortis as he discusses his new book The Witch of New York: The Trials of Polly Bodine and the Cursed Birth of Tabloid Justice with writer and producer Ronald K. Fried.

This event will take place in person at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on the 7th Floor.

On Christmas night, December 25, 1843, in a serene village on Staten Island, shocked neighbors discovered the burnt remains of twenty-four-year-old mother Emeline Houseman and her infant daughter, Ann Eliza. In a perverse nativity, someone bludgeoned to death a mother and child in their home—and then covered up the crime with hellfire.

When an ambitious district attorney charges Polly Bodine (Emelin’s sister-in-law) with a double homicide, the new “penny press” explodes. Polly is a perfect media villain: she’s a separated wife who drinks gin, commits adultery, and has had multiple abortions. Between June 1844 and April 1846, the nation was enthralled by her three trials—in Staten Island, Manhattan, and Newburgh—for the “Christmas murders.”

After Polly’s legal dream team entered the fray, the press and the public debated not only her guilt, but her character and fate as a fallen woman in society. Public opinion split into different camps over her case. Edgar Allen Poe and Walt Whitman covered her case as young newsmen. P. T. Barnum made a circus out of it. James Fenimore Cooper’s last novel was inspired by her trials.

The Witch of New York is the first narrative history about the dueling trial lawyers, ruthless newsmen, and shameless hucksters who turned the Polly Bodine case into America’s formative tabloid trial. An origin story of how America became addicted to sensationalized reporting of criminal trials, The Witch of New York vividly reconstructs an epic mystery from Old New York—and uses the Bodine case to challenge our system of tabloid justice of today.

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Alex Hortis is a constitutional lawyer and crime historian. Hortis was featured on AMC’s The Making of the Mob, and has been quoted by Malcom Gladwell in The New Yorker.  His first book, The Mob and the City, was praised by Jerry Capeci, the dean of mob reporters, who wrote: “If there’s a better book on the early history of Cosa Nostra in America, I haven’t seen it.” His new book The Witch of New York: The Trials of Polly Bodine and the Cursed Birth of Tabloid Justice (Pegasus, 2024), has received rave reviews.  “A fascinating look at the crime and what came after,” wrote the New York Times.  “To read The Witch of New York is to understand the ancestry of the current true-crime craze,” said The Economist. 

Ronald K. Fried is the author of four books. The latest is Frank Costello: A Novel. His writing has appeared in The Daily Beast, The Millions, and The New York Times. He began his television career at "The Dick Cavett Show." He's won five New York Emmy Awards, and has been a writer and producer on series for PBS, AMC, History, USA, CNBC, and Netflix.

GET THE BOOK

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• E-Book app: SimplyE, available on iOS and Android


• This event will also include signing and sales of the book by our Library Shop.

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

ACCESSIBILITY NOTES

In-Person

• Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue.


• You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

CONNECT WITH US

Sign up for our e-newsletters to stay up to date on upcoming events and Library offerings.

Please submit all press inquiries to Connor Goodwin at least 48 hours before the event: email connorgoodwin@nypl.org.
 

SUPPORT THE LIBRARY

The New York Public Library's free services and resources are made possible thanks to the support of the Friends of the Library. Join this group of Library lovers and take advantage of special membership benefits, like invitations to members-only virtual events, discounts at the Library Shop, and more. Join now.

All programs are subject to change or cancellation. All programs are subject to recording and photography.

The 7 Stories Up Series at SNFL is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).