Six Capsules

Dekle Sr. George R.

Description

The permanent solution to a wife's chronic headacheAs Ted Bundy was to the 20th century, so Carlyle Harris was to the 19th. Harris was a charismatic, handsome young medical student with an insatiable appetite for sex. His trail of debauched women ended with Helen Potts, a beautiful young woman of wealth and privilege who was determined to keep herself pure for marriage. Unable to conquer her by other means, Harris talked her into a secret marriage under assumed names, and when threatened with exposure, he poisoned her. The resulting trial garnered national headlines and launched the careers of two of New York's most famous prosecutors, Francis L. Wellman and William Travers Jerome. It also spurred vigorous debate about Harris's guilt or innocence, the value of circumstantial evidence, the worth of expert testimony, and the advisability of the death penalty. Six Capsules traces Harris's crime and his subsequent trial and highlights what has been overlooked-the decisive role that the second-class status of women in Victorian Era culture played in this tragedy.The Harris case is all but forgotten today, but Six Capsules seeks to recover this important milestone in American legal history.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Nueva York
• True crime
• History of the Americas
• New York

Informations

• Publié par: The Kent State University Press
• Date de parution: 14 mai 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781612778150
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Six Capsules
TRUE CRIME HISTORY
Twilight of Innocence: The Disappearance of Beverly Potts · James Jessen Badal
Tracks to Murder · Jonathan Goodman
Terrorism for Self-Glorification: The Herostratos Syndrome · Albert Borowitz
Ripperology: A Study of the World’s First Serial Killer and a Literary Phenomenon · Robin Odell
The Good-bye Door: The Incredible True Story of America’s First Female Serial Killer to Die in the Chair · Diana Britt Franklin
Murder on Several Occasions · Jonathan Goodman
The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories · Elizabeth A. De Wolfe
Lethal Witness: Sir Bernard Spilsbury, Honorary Pathologist · Andrew Rose
Murder of a Journalist: The True Story of the Death of Donald Ring Mellett · Thomas Crowl
Musical Mysteries: From Mozart to John Lennon · Albert Borowitz
The Adventuress: Murder, Blackmail, and Confidence Games in the Gilded Age · Virginia A. McConnell
Queen Victoria’s Stalker: The Strange Case of the Boy Jones · Jan Bondeson
Born to Lose: Stanley B. Hoss and the Crime Spree That Gripped a Nation · James G. Hollock
Murder and Martial Justice: Spying, “Terrorism,” and Retribution in Wartime America · Meredith Lentz Adams
The Christmas Murders: Classic Stories of True Crime · Jonathan Goodman
The Supernatural Murders: Classic Stories of True Crime · Jonathan Goodman
Guilty by Popular Demand: A True Story of Small-Town Injustice · Bill Osinski
Nameless Indignities: Unraveling the Mystery of One of Illinois’s Most Infamous and Intriguing Crimes · Susan Elmore
Hauptmann’s Ladder: A Step-by-Step Analysis of the Lindbergh Kidnapping · Richard T. Cahill Jr.
The Lincoln Assassination Riddle: Revisiting the Crime of the Nineteenth Century · Edited by Frank J. Williams and Michael Burkhimer
Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee · Ann Marie Ackermann
The Insanity Defense and the Mad Murderess of Shaker Heights: Examining the Trial of Mariann Colby · William L. Tabac
The Belle of Bedford Avenue: The Sensational Brooks-Burns Murder in Turn-of-the-Century New York · Virginia A. McConnell
Six Capsules: The Gilded Age Murder of Helen Potts · George R. Dekle Sr.
SIX CAPSULES
The Gilded Age Murder of Helen Potts
G EORGE R. D EKLE S R .

The Kent State University Press KENT, OHIO
© 2019 by The Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio 44242
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Number 2018052217
ISBN 978-1-60635-370-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced, in any manner whatsoever, without written permission from the Publisher, except in the case of short quotations in critical reviews or articles.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Dekle, George R., 1948- author.
Title: Six capsules : the gilded age murder of Helen Potts / George R. Dekle Sr.
Description: Kent, Ohio : The Kent State University Press, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018052217 | ISBN 9781606353707 (pbk.)
Subjects: LCSH: Harris, Carlyle W., 1869-1893--Trials, litigation, etc. | Potts, Helen, 1871-1891--Death and burial | Trials (Murder)--New York (State)--New York-- History--19th century.
Classification: LCC KF223.H3764 D45 2019 | DDC 345.747/02523--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018052217
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Contents
Dramatis Personae
Introduction
  1 The Secret Marriage
  2 The Sacred Marriage
  3 A World of Concern for Harris
  4 Working Up a Case on Harris
  5 Wellman States His Case against Harris
  6 The Prosecution Case—Week One
  7 The Prosecution Case—Week Two
  8 The Defense Case—Day One
  9 The Defense Case—Day Two
10 Taylor Sums Up
11 Wellman Sums Up, the Jury Speaks
12 New Evidence?
13 The Raines Commission
14 The Curtain Falls
Epilogue: The Harris Case Today
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Dramatis Personae
A BBE , D R . R OBERT : Harris’s preceptor in medical school
B ANER , D R . W ILLIAM : Physician called to assist Dr. Fowler
B AYHA , I DA : Defense witness before the Raines Commission
B ELL , D R . E DGAR C.: Phrenologist who proclaimed Harris not a murderer
B ELL , M ASON (J OSEPH ): Twelfth juror
B ENSON , T ILLIE : Serving girl seduced, impregnated, and abandoned by Harris
B ERGSTON , M ATILDA : Serving girl sexually assaulted and impregnated by Harris
B IGGS , D R . H ERMAN M.: Defense pathologist
B ROWN , H ARVEY J.: Fourth juror
B ROWN , W ARDEN : Warden of Sing Sing at time of escapes
B RUN , C ARRIE : Pseudonym that Carrie Bruning used to visit Harris in the Tombs
B RUNING , C ARRIE : Frequent visitor of Harris in the Tombs
B YRNES , T HOMAS : Chief of detectives, NYPD
C ARMAN , A NNA B.: Defense witness before the Raines Commission
C ARMAN , G RACE : Defense witness before the Raines Commission
C ARSON , F RANCES : Helen Potts’s roommate at the Comstock School
C HOATE , D ILWORTH: World reporter who allied himself with the prosecution
C OCHRAN , D R . J OHN E LWYN : Classmate of Harris
C OGGESHALL , H ENRY J.: Senator who introduced legislation favoring new trial for Harris
C ONNAUGHTON , P RINCIPLE K EEPER : Supervisor of Death House
C OOK , M R .: Prosecution witness before the Raines Commission
C OOKSON , R ACHEL : Helen Potts’s roommate at the Comstock School
C RANE , J OHN D.: Sixth juror
C ROKER , R ICHARD : “Boss” of Tammany Hall
D., L ILLIE : Purportedly wrote a letter saying she supplied Helen with morphine
D ANIELS , D R . C. M.: Pronounced Harris dead
D AVIS , E LECTRICIAN : Pseudonym used by executioner at Sing Sing
D AVIS , V ERNON M.: Assistant district attorney originally assigned to the case
D AVISON , C HARLES E.: Friend and lawyer of Carlyle Harris
D AY , L YDIA : Principal of the Comstock School
D IXON J R ., R EV . T HOMAS : Pastor who criticized Harris’s conviction
D REW , Q UEEN : Harris’s romantic interest in Canandaigua, NY
D URSTON , W ARDEN : Replaced Warden Brown at Sing Sing
F ALLON , W ARDEN : Warden of the Tombs during Harris’s incarceration
F IELD , A LBERT : Third juror
F ITZGERALD , J UDGE J AMES : Issued warrant for Harris’s arrest
F ITZSIMMONS , F RANK : Lawyer who purportedly investigated Harris’s conviction
F LOWER , R OSWELL P.: Governor of New York
F OWLER , D R . E DWARD : Physician who attended Helen Potts in her last illness
F RENETTE , M ARY M.: Affiant who supported new trial for Harris
G ARDNER , C HARLES : Investigator for Rev. Charles Parkhurst
G RAHAM , C ARL : Alias used by Harris in Canandaigua, NY
G RAY , J UDGE J OHN C LINTON : Wrote the appellate opinion affirming Harris’s conviction
H AAMAN , C ARL : Friend of Harris who claimed Helen used morphine
H AMILTON , D R . A LLAN M C L ANE : Performed autopsy on Helen
H AND , D R . D AVID : Physician who assisted in the delivery of Helen’s stillborn child
H ARKNESS , C HARLES W.: Alias under which Harris ran the Neptune Club
H ARRIS , A LLEN : Youngest brother of Carlyle Harris
H ARRIS , C ARLYLE : Accused murderer of Helen Potts
H ARRIS , C HARLES : Alias that Harris used to marry Helen
H ARRIS , C HARLES L.: Father of Carlyle Harris
H ARRIS , E THEL : Defense witness before the Raines Commission
H ARRIS , F RANCES M C C READY : Mother of Carlyle Harris
H ARRIS , R OBERT M C C READY : Brother of Carlyle Harris
H AYDEN , D R . J AMES R.: Harris’s personal physician
H ILBERG , D AVID H.: Ninth juror
H INES , C HARLES H.: Fifth juror
H OWE , W ILLIAM F.: Harris’s lawyer in postconviction proceedings
H ULSE , K EEPER : Guard at Death House during escape
H UMMEL , A BRAHAM : Law partner of William F. Howe
I NMANN , A NNE E.: Claimed Helen’s ghost exonerated Harris during a séance
I RVING , D R .: Doctor at Sing Sing
J ACKSON , F RANCIS D.: Seventh juror
J ACKSON , S USAN F. R.: Defense witness before the Raines Commission
J EROME , W ILLIAM T RAVERS : Assistant defense counsel for Carlyle Harris
J ONES , C ARRIE : Pseudonym under which Carrie Bruning attended Harris’s funeral
K ERR , D R . G EORGE : Physician called to assist Dr. Fowler
K INMOUTH , D R . H UGH : Defense witness before the Raines Commission
K ROM , D R . C HARLES : Classmate of Harris
K UNN , A NNA : Claimed knowledge of Helen’s use of morphine
L ANGE , F RANCIS : Druggist, defense witness before the Raines Commission
L ATHAM , J OHN F.: Friend of Harris from Canandaigua, NY
L ATHAM , L IZZIE : Friend of Queen Drew from Canandaigua, NY
L EBRUN , A LEXANDRINE : Defense witness before the Raines Commission
L EDYARD , H OPE : Nom de plume of Frances McCready Harris
L EFFERTS , J OSEPH H.: Defense witness before the Raines Commission
L EWIS , M ARY : Affiant who supported new trial for Harris
M AC M ULLEN , J OHN : Former teacher of Harris
M ANSON , G EORGE : Clerk who double-checked compounding of Harris’s prescription
M APES , D R . J AMES J.: Classmate of Harris
M APES , S AMUEL P.: Eighth juror
M ASON , C RAWFORD : Eleventh juror
M C C READY , B ENJAMIN W.: Grandfather of Carlyle Harris
M C C READY , M ARY L.: Aunt of Carlyle Harris
M C I NTYRE J R ., E WEN : Coowner of pharmacy that filled prescription for Harris
M C I NTYRE S R ., E WEN : Owner of pharmacy that filled prescription for Harris
M C K EE , S. B. W.: Jury foreman
M EE K ER , M OLLY : Friend of both Helen and Carl Haaman
M ELLVAINE , M URDERER : Previous occupant of Harris’s Death House cell
M ITCHELL , D R . D AVID : Pastor who criticized Harris’s conviction
M OODY , R EV . D WIGHT L.: Evangelist who petitioned for pardon of Harris
M ORPHEUS : Claimed knowledge of Helen’s drug use
M URPHY , K EEPER : Guard at Death House during escape
N ICOLL , D E L ANCY : Elected district attorney
N IELSON , H ELEN : Alias that Helen used to marry Harris
O LIVER , C HARLES : Heard Harris’s boasts about sexual conquests
O SMOND , J. L.: Contradicted Harris’s account of Roehle and Pallister’s esc