A double murder in 1843 ushered in a new era of tabloid journalism
The trial of Polly Bodine proved perfect material for a nascent, sensationalist press
It was Christmas Day in 1843, and men were gathered in a tavern on Staten Island for a festive drink. They set down their pints when they heard shouting. After extinguishing the flames engulfing George Houseman’s home, they inspected the wreckage. In a corner of the kitchen, they found the charred remains of his wife and young daughter. A post-mortem revealed evidence of blunt trauma.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “True crime’s first crime”
Culture March 16th 2024
- Why is it so hard to write a good book about the tech world?
- A double murder in 1843 ushered in a new era of tabloid journalism
- Climate change is unearthing and erasing history all at once
- What’s behind the wave of literary retellings?
- How Aesop’s fables fostered a secret language of protest in Russia
- Maastricht is where museums go on shopping sprees
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