Bread and Butter Murders 04

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: Last time we left off with Polly's sister Julia insisting it was Polly's husband, Henry, who wanted the arsenic to kill rats, not Polly. Julia also testified that it was Henry who mixed the poison in the meal and Polly was outside at the time and had no idea where Henry put the rest of it. We know this was not the case as Henry was sick for several days, Many friends came to visit him until they thought he had chorea. And now the snippet.

Henry was sick for ten days before he felt any better. Selah Vosburg testified he went to visit Henry only once for fear he had cholera morbus again and he knew it was catchy. Selah said he had known Henry for a long time and had never known him to be sickly, although he saw nothing odd in Polly’s behavior to make him suspect her of any wrong doing.

All had said they saw no lack of attention on Polly’s part towards her husband. It is our opinion that Polly did poison her husband, but not enough to kill him yet. She wanted all to believe that she was a devoted wife. Polly also wanted everyone to believe that Henry was a sickly man and would always be so. When she finally killed him no one would suspect a thing.

***

BLURB:

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her. 

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 
The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD and Kindle, etc. with a new cover, fresh edits and new info. Due for release in February 2014.

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Bread and Butter Murders 03

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: At the first trial, Polly's sister Julia tried to cover for her. Julia said it was Polly's husband Henry who who asked Polly to go to druggist to get the arsenic for the rats. In part of Julia's testimony for the death of Henry, she tells how Henry allegedly mixed the poison to kill the rodents. We know by last week's snippet this was not the case. The druggist and his wife both testified that Polly purchased it twice, and Henry didn't want it in the house. Henry would die three months later. 

Text in quotes is from actual testimony. 

And now for the eight sentences.

According to Julia, Henry then asked Polly for some meal. "He went upstairs, asked me for the meal and some water, which I gave him. He mixed the most of the arsenic with the meal and water in a basin. He put it between the lathing and the clapboards upstairs. Polly went out into the garden at this time, I think. He put the rest on top of the clothes’ cupboard, at the west end of the house," stated Julia.

We have only Julia's word for this incident taking place. Notice too, that she conveniently places Polly out in the garden while Henry was supposedly doing this, thus implying that Polly could not have seen where Henry put the remaining arsenic.

***

BLURB:

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her. 

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 
The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD and Kindle, etc. with fresh edits and new info.

Read More

Bread and Butter 02

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: The Hoags moved onto the farm and away from Alabama Center in  April of 1856. At the end of May, Polly went to the Center to see Dr. Samuel Bateman, who was also a druggist, and purchased a half-ounce vial of arsenic on the premise to kill rats. By this point her husband Henry was suffering on and off with bouts of illness. Polly had alleged to people this was due to an accident but she was already poisoning her husband. Polly returned a couple weeks later to the Batemans to replenish her supply.

Anything in quotation marks is from actual trial testimony.

....and now for the snippet.

Calista, Dr. Bateman's wife, testified, "Polly came to my house early one morning in June, she wanted to get into the office to purchase some rhubarb, and some arsenic to kill rats or mice who were destroying her clothes and bedding. She said she had some in the house before, but had mislaid or lost it.  She was going to mix it with some bread and butter and put it between the lath.  She said her husband did not wish her to buy it, for fear of accident. Said the mice were so thick that she couldn't live in the house,"  Calista continued, "I put up a half an ounce of rhubarb for her at the same time I gave her a small vial of arsenic. I then inquired to the health of her family."

Mrs. Bateman said Polly's response was that her husband concluded to farm for a while and thought it would be harder for him, and she did not believe he would live a year. She then told Calista that Henry had been hurt by a cultivator, which struck against a stone, and hit him in the pit of his stomach and that Henry had vomited blood and had not been well since.  

***
As a side note, rhubarb was used in the 1800s and before as a laxative or for digestive problems.
***

BLURB:

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her. 

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 
The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD and Kindle, etc. with fresh edits and new info.

Read More