Z is for Anna ZWANZIGER

All Month I've been blogging 19th century true crimes, mostly from my own book, Bread & Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch. Other posts were from other crimes, which leads to Z for Anna Maria Zwanziger. 

In retrospect, some now refer to Anna as a serial killer. In some ways she reminds me of Polly Frisch. Anna would poison her employers with arsenic so she could nurse them back to health and thus gain their gratitude (and attention for herself). Her victims didn't always recover. This seems more similar to Munchausen syndrome by proxy, something Ellen and I questioned if Polly Frisch suffered from. Anna was found guilty of murder and beheaded in 1811. Later newspaper often used filler, just like now, and the following article appeared in several newspapers in June of 1899.

The Mount Morris Enterprise 

(Mt. Morris, NY)

June 24, 1899

Thank you for following along with me for Blogging A to Z!

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Bread and Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
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Y is for YARD, Grave Yard that is

An excerpt from Bread & Butter the Murders of Polly Frisch. A 19th century true crime.

Tombstone of Henry Hoag/e, murdered by his wife Polly.

The bodies must have been moved prior to the inquests as records show the exhumations were performed at the cemetery in Alabama Center. There is however a space between the grave of Henry and those of his children.

So the question remains—are Eliza Jane and the infant buried with no headstone? At least Eliza Jane should be, and maybe her stone has been destroyed with time. The original cemetery records burned in a fire in the early 1900s and had to be recreated from the tombstones themselves. If Eliza Jane’s stone had been destroyed by that point in time there would be no record of her burial there.

 

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Bread and Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping.

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X is for Ten -a Page from the Murders of Polly Frisch

I was hard pressed for X, like most people, and I had nothing in my crime files. So... X is roman numeral ten, IX is for nine. We often see these pages in non-fiction for an introduction, forward etc. So I am giving page IX of Bread & Butter the Murders of  Polly Frisch. It shows how with one paragraph from an old book, and a lot of research you can get to the truth.

Hoag/e family plot - Alabama Center Cemetery.

Foreword

Bread & Butter, a true story of the murders committed by Polly Franklin Hoag Frisch, is the result of extensive research. It began from one paragraph in a book entitled Gazetteer and Biographical Record and Directory of Genesee County New York 1788-1890, by F.W. Beers; and the prompting of the Genesee County Historian, Sue Conklin.

Sue felt that Polly’s story would be great for the history section of the local monthly paper we published at the time, The Basom Post. (Basom is a hamlet of Alabama, NY; Alabama being the scene of where the murders occurred.)

We began researching the story in January of 1995, and quickly came to the conclusion that there was far too much information to put into a news article. It would have to be told in a book.

After reading the story of Polly Frisch, refer back to the following paragraphs taken from the Gazetteer mentioned above. It is a fine example of how, after time elapses, the public forgets the facts, details are lost, and the truth becomes folklore.

Cindy Amrhein & Ellen Lea Bachorski

About the year 1848-1856 Alabama Center was the scene of a crime committed by a woman, Polly Franklin, who married Henry Hoag about 1844. Their children Rosa and Viola, died suddenly, and soon the father died, another child Frances, followed him.  After the death of Mr. Hoag his widow married Otto Frisch, but soon was deserted by him.

About this time suspicion was aroused and S.E. Filkins (counselor) caused an investigation to be made, which revealed the fact that some of her family had died from the effects of poison, large quantities of arsenic having been administered to them. She was arrested and tried three times, and being finally found guilty was sentenced to be hung, but was eventually imprisoned for life.

IX

It would turn out that only about half of what was printed above in 1890 was true. They confused the children, miscounted the trials, and unknown to them at the time of their printing in 1890---Polly's story didn't end there.

***

Bread and Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping.

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W is for Little WILLIE

As you can tell all month I've been blogging 19th century crimes. I thought I'd mix it up with something humorous but still with criminal intent--and only a smidgen over the 19th century border--early 1900s.

From Ruthless Rhymes.

Harry Graham made his debut in 1902 with his poetry collection  titled Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes, under the pen name of Col. D. Steamer. People loved it and it became the inspiration for many a little Willie poem. Here are two of them.

Little Willie, feeling well
Pushed his sister down the well.
Said his mother, drawing water;
It's mighty tough to raise a daughter!"

"There's been an accident!" they said,
"Your servant's cut in half; he's dead!"
"Indeed!" said Mr. Jones, "and please
Send me the half that's got my keys."

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And now for mine. A Little Willie Poem by Cindy Amrhein

 Willie hated his next door neighbor.

Fed him to an alligator.

Skinned the gator with his knife.

Made a purse and shoes for his neighbor's wife.

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Little Wille poems have been popular ever since. You can read a smattering of Little Wille style poems here.

How about you? Feel free to leave your Little Willie poem in the comments.  

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The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping. 

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V is for VERDICT

The following is an excerpt from Bread & Butter the Murders of Polly Frisch.

Old Genesee County Court House where Polly Frisch was tried for murder. Still in use today for Bankruptcy court and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

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I'm not going to tell you which trial this was as it would ruin the crazy thing that went on during it. Here is the excerpt:

Up to this point, the jury had been split down the middle just like the last trial. It had seemed at first that the reading of the minutes had gone unnoticed, but it must have come up in their conversations. All of a sudden, everyone was in agreement that Polly Frisch was guilty of murder. After the verdict was read, and the jury discharged the incident was freely discussed amongst them. Those who had been for a verdict of innocent from the beginning were now saying that they had played “possum.” They thought she was guilty all along. They only said she was innocent to make sure that the case was debated and that the prisoner got a fair trial. It was a bit unbelievable to have six men be adamantly opposed to a verdict of guilty, then a few moments later change their minds. It was a fortunate thing for Polly that the jurors couldn’t resist gabbing about the case the moment it was over.

***

Bread and Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping.

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U is for UNDERSHERIFF

The following is an excerpt for Bread & Butter the Murders of Polly Frisch.

Old Genesee County Jail, pre-1900.

Sunday the 3rd was to be a day of rest, and the jury needed it. It was a difficult task deciding the fate of Polly Frisch. The jurors were lodged at the Eagle Hotel and their rooms were in a separate area from the regular hotel guests. A sitting room had been provided near the hotel lobby for their use only. Under Sheriff Charles Sprague, Deputy Sheriff Lorenzo Olcott, and Constable Robert Pease were in charge of the jury. Their job was to insure that the jury was under constant supervision. They were sequestered, and not to speak to anyone, read anything that may have been in print about the trial, or leave the confines of the Eagle Hotel. All the things the jury was not supposed to do, they did.

***

Bread and Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping.

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TRIAL for the Murder of J. L. Lynch

One of the most famous murder cases in Genesee County NY was that of the trial of E. N. Rowell for the murder of his wife's lover, Johnson Lynch. It was a trial that was printed well beyond my area of the state as you will see by a clip below. 

Rowell was quite beloved in Batavia. He owned large large box manufacturing company and employed many people. One has to wonder if people thought, "If Mr. Rowell gets hanged for murder what will happen to the company? What will happen to my job?" I have no way of knowing but based on elements of this case I believe it to be true, as E. N. Rowell got away with murder.

NEW YORK TIMES

January 29, 1884

This is one I plan to write about as I have some awesome photos...but....one book at a time. :)

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The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping. 

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S is for SURROGATE'S Court

An excerpt from Bread & Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch.

A 19th century true crime.

The Hoag(e) family plot. Alabama Center Cemetery. Alabama, NY.

TO THE SURROGATE COURT OF GENESEE COUNTY:

The petition of Mary Hoage of the town of Alabama in the County of Genesee, respectfully sheweth, That Henry Hoage of the town of Alabama in the County of Genesee, died about the month of July 1856; that he left personal & real property, and four infant children who are all now under the age of fourteen years to wit:

Albert Burden Hoage aged 9 years the 15th of November last. Rosalie Imogene Hoage aged 7 years the 23rd day of July last. Frances Alma Hoage aged 5 years the 21st of September last & Eliza Jane Hoage aged 7 months.

(The italics above is the part of the petition that Polly filled in herself. Frances is included despite the fact she was already dead.)

***

Bread and Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping. 
 

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R is for ROSALIE Hoag

An excerpt from Bread and Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch. 

A 19th century murder.

The Hoag(e) family plot. Alabama Center Cemetery. Alabama, NY.

At two o’clock in the afternoon, after Polly picked up Frances and Rosalie, they returned to the farm. While Albert turned out the horses Polly went into the kitchen to make the children some bread and butter.

Albert was not present while the food was being prepared. In Rosalie’s own testimony she said, “After we got home mother gave us some bread and butter. Albert was not there when she gave it to us, he was outdoors.”

Albert came into the kitchen where his two sisters were eating at the table. In reference to the bread and butter Albert said, “They were not small pieces. Frances ate hers all up. Rosalie ate part of hers and laid the rest on the table. Frances ate that afterwards. Mother did not give me any bread and butter; never did that I know of.”

Rosalie had agreed with this saying, “She ate hers, I ate part of mine, Franky [Frances’ nickname] took what I had left and ate it. We went out to play after eating the bread and butter.”

A short time later, while the children were outside playing, the girls suddenly became ill and began vomiting. Seven-year-old Rosalie, who had only eaten part of her bread, was sick for only a short time. Frances, on the other hand, become violently ill.

***

Bread and Butter The Murders of Polly Frisch is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping. 
 

(My apologies for the delay in my posting. I had book issues yesterday that monopolized my time.)

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Bread and Butter 11

Tombstone of Henry Hoag(e) - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: Henry is now dead and Polly is moving on with her plans to get Matthew Bardwell back in the shoe shop. But then there is the matter of the children ...

AND NOW THE SNIPPET:

In a conversation she had with Mrs. Barber, Polly reflected back on one of their earlier talks concerning the fortune tellers prophesy of the deaths in her family.

Mrs. Barber stated, “Polly asked me, ‘What did I tell you! There has been one.’ The child [Frances] was then sick.”

Mrs. Barber was referring to the month of August after Henry’s death. Polly’s comment to Mrs. Barber, “There has been one,” foretells that according to the fortuneteller, there was still another death to happen. Thus, the fate of one of her children is subtlety revealed.

We can even assume, since Frances was recently sick after the death of her father as Mrs. Barber states, she would be the first to suffer the same fate as Henry thereby fulfilling the fortuneteller’s prophesy. The fortune given by Miss Orton that day in November would prove to be Polly’s stroke of luck and the catalyst for her plans.

***

 

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!

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The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, an 1850s true crime co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We re-released it into the modern world of POD in both soft and hard covers, and soon for Nook, Kindle, etc. with a new cover, fresh edits and new info. It should go live on Kindle some time this afternoon.

Polly Frisch on Amazon.

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Q is for QUACKENBUSH

The choice for letter Q came to mind immediately. I went to my file cabinet and pulled the case file of Thomas B. Quackenbush, for the 1876 rape and murder of the widow Sarah Norton. This particular man did not escape the gallows. Excerpts from one news article is below.
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PROGRESSIVE BATAVIAN (Batavia, NY)
August 18, 1876

THE EXECUTION OF THOMAS B. QUACKENBUSH

... On arriving at the gallows the prisoner was given a seat under the fatal noose. He was pale but composed. He sat down, folded his arms, and prayed. The Sheriff read the death warrant.

When the reading was finished, the Sheriff asked the prisoner whether he had anything to say. ...

..."Farewell gentleman. You see the death I have come by sin. Blessed Jesus, I am so soon to appear before you." While the Sheriff was adjusting the noose, the prisoner said: "Don't be nervous Sheriff; you are but doing your duty." The Under Sheriff then drew the black cap over his face. ...

... On Wednesday evening previous to his execution, Quackenbush made to Sheriff Ward a confession, which was afterwards reduced to writing. The following is a copy:

"With reference to the great crime of which I have been convicted, I would say that I am not guilty of murder as I was convicted. I did enter Mrs. Norton's house and ravish her, but I had no intention of committing murder--no intention of physically injuring her. I was intoxicated at the time, and while under the influence of liquor, my passions are completely beyond my control. Had I been in my right mind, I never should have done it, for I never committed an act like this before. To the friends of Mrs. Norton I would say that I am sincerely sorry for the crime that I have committed and for which I am soon to offer up my life in expiation, and I trust you will extend to me the forgiveness I hope to receive at the hands of my Maker.

Thomas B. Quackenbush"

***

The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping. 

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P is for POLLY FRISCH

An excerpt from Bread & Butter the Murders of Polly Frisch. An 1850s true crime.

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Polly was not your typical woman of the 1850s. The Progressive Batavian, the Republican Advocate, Genesee Democrat and the Genesee County Herald & Spirit of the Times, all Genesee County’s newspapers, had described Polly as “not living in a manner that becomes a woman. Her language was imprudent. She possessed an impassive countenance, and was a woman of great self-control and determination.” It was said that Polly was, “...youthful and unprepossessing in appearance. She was five foot tall, small and delicate in stature, with black eyes, a Jewish nose, and a thin and compressed lip.”

During her arraignment in November of 1857 the Genesee Democrat newspaper stated that, “She exhibited no anxiety, fear or terror, and was apparently as calm in her feelings as a summer morning. She does not appear to realize her awful position, and shows no symptoms of remorse or guilt; but seems to take the proceedings as a trifle matter, and only seemed a little annoyed at the gaze of the multitude.”

During Polly’s trials, “Her manner was composed and eminently well calculated to impress a casual observer favorably,” wrote the Genesee County Herald & Spirit of the Times. “She maintained a placidity of demeanor unusual to those on trial for murder, and her exhibition of nerve is almost unparalleled in criminal history,” cited the Genesee Democrat.

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.

(Just waiting on verification from Amazon and Polly Frisch should be live on Kindle.)

*** 

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The list to the other A-Z bloggers is here.
If your user name in comments doesn't lead to your A-Z blog, leave the URL so I can find you!
 

Here's how to do a clickable link to your blog in comments:
< a href="http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/">History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z</a >
Just replace my stuff with yours and take the space out between the < a and a >
(Had to put a space in or you would see a link instead of code. :)
Keep it in a note on your desktop so you can copy & keep hitting paste at every blog instead of retyping. 

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